New to Dating: From Pandemic Teens to Midlife Singles — Skills for Building Connection - Ep354New to Dating: From Pandemic Teens to Midlife Singles — Skills for Building Connection - Ep354
Through a Therapist's Eyes Podcast
Therapists talk about being new to dating as both a post-pandemic teen and a midlife single, focusing on lost social development, confidence and connection. The conversation highlights friendship, presence and vulnerability as key skills for building healthier, more relaxed relationships.
1:13:21•28 Apr 2026
New to Dating? From Covid-Era Teens to Midlife Singles, How to Build Real Connection
Episode Overview
- Covid restrictions significantly disrupted social and emotional development, leaving many young people under-practised in face-to-face interaction and dating.
- Midlife adults returning to dating often feel as uncertain and self-conscious as teenagers, especially around making friends and using modern apps.
- Building friendship before romance helps create emotional safety, making vulnerability and honest sharing feel less risky.
- Confidence grows through repeated attempts and even failure; rejection is uncomfortable but essential practice rather than a sign to give up.
- Simple, low-pressure meet-ups like coffee dates and group activities based on shared interests reduce anxiety and make genuine connection easier.
“Dating is not about finding a person that completes you. It is about showing up as your most authentic, scarred, wonderful self.”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? On this occasion, the focus shifts to another kind of social courage: dating from scratch. Through a Therapist’s Eyes brings together therapist-host Chris Gazdik with fellow clinicians John Pope, Victoria Pendergrass and “mystic” Casey Morgan for a lively, often funny, but very honest chat about being new to dating – whether someone is a post-pandemic teen or a midlife single starting again after a long relationship.
The group talk frankly about how COVID stalled social and emotional development for a whole chunk of young people. Casey recalls working in schools and seeing “the social and emotional development that did not take place,” from kids who “don’t make eye contact” to teens who missed out on milestones like prom and learning how to handle rejection face to face.
Victoria adds stories from primary schools where children literally had to learn how to “do school” after years online and behind masks. Midlife daters don’t get off lightly either. Chris points out that many adults feel they “don’t know how to make friends”, and that re-entering dating can feel just as awkward and exposing as being a teenager.
The team keep things practical: they talk about making friends through shared interests, joining groups, using tools like Meetup, and Casey’s idea of building friendship before romance. Victoria swears by the low-pressure coffee meet-up, while John champions group settings for safety and confidence. Throughout, they keep circling back to confidence, vulnerability and presence.
Chris stresses that impressing someone is far less important than getting to know them, and Casey offers the line that sums up the heart of the episode: “Dating is not about finding a person that completes you. It is about showing up as your most authentic, scarred, wonderful self.” If dating feels terrifying, could you try approaching it with curiosity instead of anxiety?
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