Date, Affirm, The Real

About Date, Affirm, The Real

Date, Affirm, The Real (DAR) is a group created to discuss healthy relationship with self, in dating relationship and marriage. The group focuses heavily on black healthy relationships. Our focus is on healthy, healing, positive and affirming love. The discussions range from topics related to all things self-love and healthy relationships.

Publisher

Marcus Goodwin & Keya McClain

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

1 Jan 2023

Latest episode

18 Oct 2025

Latest episodes

121 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Oct 2025

   Unlearning Survival Mode in Relationships

   In this episode, Keya McClain the Poet and Shimeka the DAR Therapist unpack what it really means to unlearn survival mode in love. So many of us learned to protect, perform, or please as a way to stay safe - not realizing those same habits can sabotage intimacy, trust, and peace. Together, they explore how trauma responses show up as control, hyper-independence, or emotional distance, and how healing requires learning to receive love instead of sight for it. This conversation is about learning to rest in relationships, not just survive them - and how true connection starts when safety becomes internal, not conditional. It’s time to stop surviving love and start experiencing it

2. 

   8 Oct 2025

   Dating and a Financial Deficit: When the Heart’s Ready but the Wallet Ain’t

   Love sounds good until real life hits the budget. 💔💸In this episode of Date, Affirm, the Real, Marcus and Don ask the questions most people avoid — should you even be dating if your finances aren’t where you want them to be?Is being honest about money early a sign of maturity or a relationship red flag? And can love still grow when your bank account’s catching up to your heart?Join the conversation as we unpack financial vulnerability, pride, timing, and truth in today’s dating world. Because sometimes, being “ready for love” means more than just emotional connection — it’s about alignment, transparency, and real priorities.

3. 

   6 Oct 2025

   Men vs. Women? Or Us vs. the Problem?

   Are men and women really the problem—or are we just fighting the wrong fight?In this episode of Date, Affirm, The Real, hosts Marcus Goodwin and Don (Jr. Lily) sit down to unpack the tension between men and women in today’s dating and relationship culture. We share our real thoughts and experiences on how negative views fuel division, and what it takes to shift the focus toward understanding, respect, and true connection.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

6,364

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

32 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 71 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

86

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

71

Contact Date, Affirm, The Real

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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