This week on Here’s What We Know, join us for a warm and eye-opening episode with Mary Crocker Cook, a licensed therapist and the author of Bad Taste: Self-Care and Financial Planning When You Have Bad Taste in Men and You Don’t Want To Leave, to talk about what it really means to love someone whose life is in chaos. From addiction and criminal behavior to the tangled roots of attachment, Mary offers practical advice and heartfelt stories that feel both reassuring and unflinchingly honest. Listen now!
This episode is sponsored by:
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In this episode:
- A Therapist’s Journey
- The Generational Impact of Addiction
- When Love Isn’t Enough
- Practical Tools for Staying in Difficult Relationships
- The Psychology of Attachment and Attraction
- Patterns and Awareness: Even Experts Aren’t Immune
- Relationship Red Flags and Lessons Learned
- Protecting Yourself in Relationships and Divorce
- Everyday Relationship Maintenance
- Communication and Being Seen
- Dating, Disappointments, and Letting Go
- Attachment Challenges and Quick Connections
- Humor, Hope, and Continued Growth
Quotations:
“Some of us are gonna keep choosing difficult people.” ~ Mary Crocker Cook
“People live their lives for a variety of reasons. And one of the things I talk about in the book is the way we form attachments with other people. And some of us are set up from early experience to attach to unavailable people. And unavailable people come in a lot of forms.” ~ Mary Crocker Cook
“Be realistic about people instead of hopeful is important if you want to take care of yourself.” ~ Mary Crocker Cook
“Positive intent can get you through a lot of hard things. Because relationships are hard. Particularly when you introduce children, money, time constraints, in-laws, and medical issues, there’s a lot for two people to manage.” ~ Mary Crocker Cook
Bio:
Mary Crocker Cook is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and addictions counselor who has been helping individuals and families heal since 1988. She serves as Program Coordinator and full-time faculty for the Alcohol and Drug Studies program at San Jose City College, which she launched in 1990.
An accomplished author, Mary has written several books grounded in both her professional expertise and her personal experience with over 25 years in Al-Anon. Her work resonates with counselors and anyone affected by a loved one’s addiction.
Guest Contact Info:
Website: https://www.marycrockercookbooks.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoverykittyart/