How to Know When Someone Is Actually Available

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Dr. Emily sits down with relationship expert Matthew Hussey to decode modern dating, from confusing chemistry with compatibility to knowing when someone’s actually emotionally available. Matthew breaks down why we keep choosing the wrong people, how to set boundaries without sabotaging connection, and the texting behaviors that reveal true interest levels.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The difference between chemistry and compatibility—and why excitement often masks anxiety

• How to identify emotional availability in the first few dates

• Why having standards matters more than having a “type”

• The art of expressing needs without coming across as needy

• Red flags in texting culture and what silence really means

• How to break patterns of settling and choose better partners

• Why vulnerability creates attraction (and how to practice it)

• When to walk away from situationships that aren’t serving you

• How self-worth directly impacts who you attract and keep

• Strategies for building sexual tension while deepening emotional intimacy

Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction
1:36 – Meet Matthew Hussey: Dating Expert & Confidence Coach
6:48 – Matthew’s Journey with Chronic Pain & The Concept of “Happy Enough”
13:18 – Matthew’s Evolution & The Pain of Helping Others
18:26 – Lighting the Fuse: Detonating Your Own Life Before It Implodes
25:17 – Anxiety in Relationships & The Wall We Keep Crashing Into
32:45 – The Dolphin Tank: How Our Past Shapes Our Reality
37:41 – Core Confidence: You Don’t Need to Be Special to Love Yourself
42:15 – Giving Yourself Closure & Modeling Healthy Standards
48:26 – Five Quickie Questions & Outro

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This episode is sponsored by…

• Bellesa
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