Relationships are one of the most common advice talk radio topics that can be heard on the air, however, there are a number of matters that apply to the inner lives of individuals that are worthy of being addressed by advice talk radio hosts as well. Personal mental health and other matters that apply to the lives of individuals are extremely important to a person’s well-being. Some of the most important topics that arise are as follows:

• Mental health matters are a very important topic and are continuing to grow in importance. Mental health is more difficult for us to understand and qualify than physical health, but more and more evidence is becoming available that links the two intrinsically. Mental health studies are very important to understanding how our emotions effect our bodies.
• Spirituality is a matter that affects everyone, not merely those who are religious. The truest definition of spirituality is being organized and precise on personal morality, understanding its origins and its facets as they pertain to the self. Personal spirituality can be very difficult to understand and is heavily influenced by unconscious biases, so the help of a mental health professional is beneficial.
• Matters of individual purpose, vocations and careers are very important to our lives and how we understand our place in the world. It is not uncommon that we may need assistance in understanding what direction we should take our lives in, or how to balance our vocations with everything else in life. The advice of an advice talk radio host is valuable on this matter.
• Lifestyle choices and decisions come with a great many personal questions, especially about whether or not a choice is benefiting the individual and the people close to them. It is wise to get a second opinion on this matter from a trusted source.
• Grief is something everyone has to confront at some point in life, and it is one of the more difficult things we experience. The guidance of a caring advice talk radio host can assist the grieving process immensely.

One of the most common and popular advice talk radio topics is relationships. Relationships are something we spend a great deal of time, thought and energy on. We invest a great deal of ourselves into our relationships and their outcome has a big personal effect on us. Because we are all so unique and diverse, relationships perplex us because we struggle to understand the ways we are different from one another. Some of the differences are healthy and some are unhealthy. It can take a lifetime for a person to understand the intricacies of their relationships, which is why having a public radio relationship specialist to turn to for help is beneficial to us. Some of the most common advice talk radio topics that come up on relationships are as follows:

• Dating is where romantic relationships start and is a very important advice talk radio topic. Romantic relationships are the most intimate ones we form in life and are therefore the ones we need the most help navigating. Dating is the phase of a relationship where we are just beginning to try to understand the other person and we often find ourselves mystified and in need of advice.
• Marriage is the most intimate relationship that people form together, which gives them a high potential for dysfunction. No one wants to marry and then turn into a divorce statistic so people frequently turn to the advice of a talk radio host for help.
• Parenting is a family relationship role that comes with incredible responsibility. Every parent encounters situations that they do not know how to handle, and many appreciate the guidance they receive from advice talk radio hosts.
• Friendships can be as complex as romantic relationships. It is perfectly natural to want someone to direct questions about friendships towards.
• Co-workers and bosses are relationships that we are surrounded by for many hours in a week. Even if we do not have close relationships with our bosses and co-workers, we still need to know how to approach them in a healthy manner.
• Difficult people can be found in everyone’s life, either as close relationships or distant ones that are avoided. They can be the most challenging relationships in our lives, and the guidance of an advice talk radio host can be enormously helpful in dealing with them.

Advice talk radio is part of a long tradition of celebrity advice specialists. Some appear on television, some have columns in editorials and some are talk radio hosts. Advice talk radio is typically hosted by someone with a psychology or psychiatry background because it is life advice that is being sought after. In traditional radio format, the programs are made up of statements by the host, guest interviews and calls that the host receives from the public. The portion of the program that is dedicated to receiving calls is the most important part to the listening audience, because it is their chance to connect with an industry professional for solid life advice.

Public opinion on advice talk radio varies. Some people follow their favorite advice talk radio hosts devoutly and catch every program they air in order to absorb their life wisdom. There are many people who attest to the value of advice talk radio who have had serious issues resolved or guided through the help of the program host. However, there are others who call advice talk radio programs “pop psychology,” meaning that celebrity advice figures are merely selling their brand rather than doing any real good for their listeners. People of this mindset are often harsh critics of psychology in general.

Advice talk radio programs are a free service to their listeners. Radio listeners are free to tune in to them or are free to avoid them. Naturally, those who find them useful will tune in to them and those who do not find them useful will not tune in to them. Therefore, advice talk radio programs are indeed a valuable service for those who are positively effected by them. For many, having access to an industry professional who advises on things that apply to the average listener has made a huge difference in their lives and a positive impact on their mental health.