Do you crave deep connection but struggle to let people truly see you? Maybe you hide fear behind anger, your needs behind independence, or your insecurity behind control. You want intimacy, but being emotionally exposed can feel unsafe.
In this video, psychotherapist Jenn Pinkerton explains why vulnerability can feel so difficult and why struggling to open up doesn't necessarily mean you're emotionally unavailable. Often, the way we protect ourselves in relationships began as a strategy that once helped us feel safe.
You'll learn the difference between vulnerability and simply sharing information, how childhood experiences and past relationships can shape your relationship with emotional openness, and why protective behaviors like anger, defensiveness, perfectionism, control, and withdrawal can sometimes hide a much softer emotion underneath.
Jenn also explores why healthy vulnerability requires discernment—not total exposure—and how small experiences of emotional safety can gradually teach your nervous system that being seen doesn't have to mean being hurt. You'll learn practical ways to communicate what you're really feeling, express your needs, and build trust without abandoning your boundaries.
Whether you're dating, engaged, married, or simply trying to understand why opening up feels so difficult, this conversation will help you move from self-protection toward deeper connection and learn how to let yourself be known without losing yourself in the process.
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