1. Friendships That No Longer Work & What To Do About Them with Jan Yager Jane Leder 29:05

In the late 70s, Jan Yager was single and convinced she'd never find a life partner. So, she turned her attention, research, and writing to the importance of friendships and the many ways friends impact our lives.  Studies show that a network of good friends makes our lives more satisfying and that, as we age, it is important to replenish our circle of friends.

Yager divides friends into three categories: best, close, and casual. Although there are no hard and fast numbers, she suggests we need one to two best friends, four to six close friends, and, for better or worse, a slew of casual friends like those we meet through social media.

But what happens when a best or close friend betrays, abandons, or wounds us? How do we decide if the friendship is salvageable? How can we try to fix things? Or what can we do if the friendship is no longer worth maintaining? Breaking up with a dear friend can be as traumatic as breaking up with a partner, a family member, or a professional mentor.

With decades of experience as a sociologist, friendship coach, author, and speaker, Jan is the go-to expert. You may be surprised at some of what she has to say and appreciate the concrete tools she provides.

www. Drjanyager.com

When Friendship Hurts: How to Deal with Friends Who Betray, Abandon, or Wound You 

Friendshifts: The Power of Friendship and How It Shapes Our Lives

Friendgevity: Making and Keeping the Friends Who Enhance and Even ExtendYour Life

For a selection of other books by Jan Yager, go to
http://www.Drjanyager.com

Jane Leder Podcaster & Author

I am an award-winning author of books about teen suicide, siblings, and men and women during WWII. My feature articles have appeared in publications from Psychology Today to the Chicago Sun-Times. I enjoy the journey of writing, the process. But as I celebrated my seventy-seventh birthday, I wanted a change of focus and turned my creative energies into launching "Older Women & Friends," a podcast. The challenge has been exhilarating and will certainly help me make it through the dead of winter in the Midwest.