If we want to help Gen Z thrive, we can’t just encourage connection—we have to understand how we’re actually wired for it.

In this special bonus episode of Season 2, Andy and Kelly sit down with Dr. Curt Thompson—psychiatrist, speaker, and author—to explore the deep connection between our brains, our relationships, and our need to be known.

Building on our Increased Connectedness conversation, Dr. Thompson helps us see that healing doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when we are seen, soothed, safe, and secure in relationship.

Drawing from interpersonal neurobiology and faith, he explains how shame and anxiety shape our stories—and how those stories often begin long before we’re aware of them. From early childhood experiences to the subtle “death by a thousand cuts” moments, we all carry narratives that influence how we pare ...