If you've ever lost interest the moment someone became available, or stayed obsessed with someone who kept you at arm's length, this episode is for you. Part three of the Hard Truth Series breaks down the most common pattern nobody wants to admit: using relationships to collect proof of your worth instead of building real partnership.

Backed by research on rejection sensitivity and anxious attachment, Sabrina unpacks why chasing external validation creates a cycle no amount of love can fix, how to tell if you are dating for connection or reassurance, and what it actually takes to stop performing and start showing up.

If you’re ready to slow down, trust your instincts, and break your old dating patterns, the Healthy Relationship Foundations Course walks you through it step-by-step  HERE!

If you’re serious about changing your dating patterns instead of repeating them, the Art of Going Slow course helps you unlearn urgency, regulate your nervous system, and build real connection without rushing, chasing, or abandoning yourself HERE!

Get Ad free HERE!
Want to work with Sabrina? HERE!
Get merch for The Sabrina Zohar Show HERE!
Don't forget to follow Sabrina and The Sabrina Zohar Show on Instagram and Sabrina on TikTok! Video now available on YOUTUBE!

Please support our sponsors!

=============================

Chapters:

00:00 Dating for Validation vs Partnership

03:17 Why You're Not Ready for Real Love

07:00 Proof Seeking vs Building Partnership

10:37 Rejection and Self-Worth

15:00 Core Beliefs and the Validation Trap

19:00 Why External Validation Never Fills the Void

23:35 The Research Behind Approval Seeking

26:28 What Validation Dating Actually Costs You

29:21 Are You Performing or Showing Up

32:10 The Validation Check Tool of the Week

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do you overreact in relationships when the situation doesn't match the emotion? Sabrina sits down with Dr. Nicole LePera, The Holistic Psychologist, to break down inner child wounds, how your nervous system stores childhood trauma before you have words to process it, and why certain dating triggers send you spiraling. They dive into emotional attunement, generational trauma, shame, and anxious attachment patterns.

Dr. Nicole shares reparenting tools from her new book, Reparenting The Inner Child, including how to regulate your nervous system and stop self-abandoning in relationships. If you've ever said "I had a great childhood" but still struggle with dating anxiety or abandonment fears, this one's for you.

If you’re ready to slow down, trust your instincts, and break your old dating patterns, the Healthy Relationship Foundations Course walks you through it step-by-step  HERE!

If you’re serious about changing your dating patterns instead of repeating them, the Art of Going Slow course helps you unlearn urgency, regulate your nervous system, and build real connection without rushing, chasing, or abandoning yourself HERE!

Get Ad free HERE!
Want to work with Sabrina? HERE!
Get merch for The Sabrina Zohar Show HERE!
Don't forget to follow Sabrina and The Sabrina Zohar Show on Instagram and Sabrina on TikTok! Video now available on YOUTUBE!

Please support our sponsors!

=============================

Chapters:

0:00 Your Reaction Doesn't Match Reality

1:24 Meet Dr. Nicole LePera

3:16 What Is Your Inner Child

5:07 "I Had a Perfect Childhood"

10:00 How Your Nervous System Stores Trauma

14:02 Nature vs Nurture in Attachment

17:32 Body Signals of Inner Child Wounds

19:59 Why Dating Triggers Hit So Hard

23:47 Shame and Self-Sabotage in Love

29:19 Recognizing Triggers in Real Time

36:15 What Reparenting Looks Like

40:44 Nervous System Regulation Tools

46:03 Inner Child Patterns in Relationships

53:24 Healing Is Not a Destination

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You've done the therapy, read the books, and know your attachment style... so why does nothing change? In part 2 of the Hard Truth Series, Sabrina breaks down why you cannot heal your way out of incompatibility. Drawing on real research, she unpacks how to tell the difference between a wrong match and relationship anxiety, why therapy language can become a cage that keeps you stuck, and the line between actual growth and emotional gymnastics.

If you've stayed way past the expiration date convinced the work would eventually pay off, this episode is for you. Sabrina covers the fear-of-being-single trap, why your anxiety isn't always an attachment wound, and introduces the Responsibility Audit. Some relationships don't fail because you're broken, they fail because two people want fundamentally different things.

If you’re ready to slow down, trust your instincts, and break your old dating patterns, the Healthy Relationship Foundations Course walks you through it step-by-step  HERE!

If you’re serious about changing your dating patterns instead of repeating them, the Art of Going Slow course helps you unlearn urgency, regulate your nervous system, and build real connection without rushing, chasing, or abandoning yourself HERE!

Get Ad free HERE!
Want to work with Sabrina? HERE!
Get merch for The Sabrina Zohar Show HERE!
Don't forget to follow Sabrina and The Sabrina Zohar Show on Instagram and Sabrina on TikTok! Video now available on YOUTUBE!

Please support our sponsors!

=============================

Chapters

00:00 Hard Truth Series Part 2 Intro

03:14 The Self-Improvement Trap

05:33 Anxiety or a Bad Match?

08:03 When Self-Work Becomes Self-Blame

11:40 Compatibility Is Not a Wound

17:16 What Doing the Work Can't Fix

24:32 When Therapy Speak Keeps You Stuck

26:42 Growth vs. Emotional Gymnastics

31:11 The Knowing vs. Leaving Gap

34:10 The Responsibility Audit Tool

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dating with an open heart sounds beautiful until your nervous system has other plans. In this solo In The Trenches audience Q&A episode, Sabrina answers your most raw questions about how to let someone in without losing yourself, how to date after grief, and what it actually looks like to stay present when fear or anxiety is running the show.

From navigating new love after loss to the hard truth about anxious attachment and self-accountability, this episode covers the real work of building a healthy relationship: nervous system regulation, emotional ownership, and learning the difference between communicating and controlling.

Want your question answered on a future episode? Send in your inquiries, stories, and dating profiles to [email protected]

If you’re ready to slow down, trust your instincts, and break your old dating patterns, the Healthy Relationship Foundations Course walks you through it step-by-step  HERE!

If you’re serious about changing your dating patterns instead of repeating them, the Art of Going Slow course helps you unlearn urgency, regulate your nervous system, and build real connection without rushing, chasing, or abandoning yourself HERE!

Get Ad free HERE!
Want to work with Sabrina? HERE!
Get merch for The Sabrina Zohar Show HERE!
Don't forget to follow Sabrina and The Sabrina Zohar Show on Instagram and Sabrina on TikTok! Video now available on YOUTUBE!

Please support our sponsors!

=============================

Chapters

00:00 Dating Without Losing Yourself

03:06 Dating After Grief and Loss

05:02 How to Make Space for Grief While Dating

07:51 When and How to Share Your Grief

09:42 Dating with Courage After Hard Times

11:28 What Is Sapiosexuality in Dating

19:30 Nervous System and Emotional Intimacy

24:30 Anxious Attachment and Gaslighting

27:06 Codependency and Emotional Regulation

29:42 Anxious Attachment and Accountability

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever caught yourself saying "when it's good, it's so good"? In this first episode of the 4-part Hard Truth Series, Sabrina breaks down why you keep falling in love with who someone could be instead of who they actually are — and why potential is just a placeholder for the grief you're avoiding. She dives into the neuroscience of the "prospective brain," the impact bias that keeps you chasing a fantasy, and the 13-year longitudinal study that explains why you lower your standards for the wrong people but can't appreciate the ones who actually show up.

Sabrina gets vulnerable about her own patternsand gives you the exact reframe to stop confusing anxiety with connection. Plus, this week's tool: the Potential vs. Reality Audit, a two-column exercise to see whether you're in a relationship or a fantasy. If you've ever wondered why the available person feels boring or why you keep choosing people who need to become someone else for it to work, this one's for you.

If you’re ready to slow down, trust your instincts, and break your old dating patterns, the Healthy Relationship Foundations Course walks you through it step-by-step  HERE!

If you’re serious about changing your dating patterns instead of repeating them, the Art of Going Slow course helps you unlearn urgency, regulate your nervous system, and build real connection without rushing, chasing, or abandoning yourself HERE!

Get Ad free HERE!
Want to work with Sabrina? HERE!
Get merch for The Sabrina Zohar Show HERE!
Don't forget to follow Sabrina and The Sabrina Zohar Show on Instagram and Sabrina on TikTok! Video now available on YOUTUBE!

Please support our sponsors!

=============================

Chapters

00:00 Hard Truth Series Part 1

01:50 Gratitude & Setting Boundaries

04:59 What "I See Potential" Really Means

08:00 The Pattern Is the Real Them

11:08 Real Potential vs Fantasy Potential

15:54 Neuroscience of Dating a Fantasy

20:36 3 Questions Keeping You Stuck

25:51 Are You a Partner or a Fixer

28:21 What If They Change For Someone Else

33:47 Tool: Potential vs Reality Audit

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who pays on the first date? When should you talk about money in a relationship? How do you split finances with your partner — and what happens when you don't? Sabrina sits down with Jean and Cherie, the Tiger Sisters, to tackle every uncomfortable money question in dating and relationships — from first-date expectations and financial red flags to prenups, combining finances, and protecting yourself before marriage. If you've ever avoided "the money talk" with someone you're dating, this episode is your wake-up call.

The Tiger Sisters bring their Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and business school backgrounds to break down the business side of love — why financial independence matters (especially for women), how to set boundaries around money without killing the romance, and why who you choose to marry is the single most important decision you'll ever make. Whether you're single, dating, or already in a relationship, this conversation will change how you think about love, money, and building a life with the right partner.

Close the Loop: Mastering 2026 Dating

Live Practice + Q&A with Sabrina Zohar

I'm hosting a free live session on March 4, and this is the last one I'm planning for a long time. If dating keeps ending the same way and you can't figure out why, this is for you.

📅 March 4 🕘 4PM LA / 7PM NYC

SAVE MY SPOT!

Please support our sponsors!

=============================

Chapters

00:00 Money & Dating: What No One Says

06:01 Should You Date a Coworker?

12:11 Date Like You're Hiring a CEO

15:24 Why Going Slow in Dating Works

20:53 Dating While Being a Successful Woman

26:20 Who Pays on the First Date?

36:08 Financial Independence for Women

42:30 When to Talk About Money & Debt

49:09 Moving In Together & Finances

54:23 Do You Need a Prenup?

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If someone keeps texting but never makes plans, says “we’ll see,” or gives just enough to keep you hooked, this episode is for you. We break down breadcrumbing and bare minimum dating, including mixed signals, strategic ambiguity, and future faking—and why inconsistency keeps your brain stuck chasing clarity instead of connection. You’ll learn how to tell the difference between someone who’s genuinely busy versus emotionally unavailable, and why ambiguity fuels anxiety and attachment loops.

We also shift the focus back to you: why accepting breadcrumbs can feel familiar, how nervous system wiring and cognitive bias keep you stuck, and what actually helps you walk away without self-abandonment. This episode gives you clear language, practical scripts, and grounded tools to choose consistency over confusion in dating and relationships.

Big announcement: For the first time ever, I'm hosting a live workshop and you're invited.

If dating feels exhausting and you can't figure out why it keeps ending the same way, this is for you. You'll be the first to learn my new 3-step framework for understanding what's keeping you stuck and how to change it. Plus you get my implementation workbook.

REGISTER HERE!

Please support our sponsors!

=============================

Chapters

00:00 Breadcrumbing vs Being Busy

03:50 What Bare Minimum Dating Is

07:20 Why Mixed Signals Create Attachment

11:20 Strategic Ambiguity in Dating

15:10 Future Faking Red Flags

19:00 Why Consistency Feels Boring

22:55 How Ambiguity Fuels Anxiety

26:50 When Waiting Is Self Abandonment

30:35 What To Say to a Breadcrumber

34:20 How to Stop the Breadcrumb Cycle

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Sabrina breaks down self-abandonment in dating and relationships, why losing yourself often gets mislabeled as love, and how chronic people-pleasing, codependency, and anxious attachment actually form. Using psychology, neuroscience, and attachment theory, she explains differentiation of self, emotional fusion, and how the nervous system drives self-betrayal, protest behavior, and fear of abandonment in romantic relationships.

You’ll learn how to choose yourself without blowing up your relationship, stop outsourcing emotional regulation, set boundaries without guilt, and reconnect to your intuition versus anxiety. This episode is essential for anyone struggling with relationship anxiety, overgiving, losing their voice in dating, or repeating unhealthy relationship patterns.

Big announcement: For the first time ever, I'm hosting a live workshop and you're invited.

If dating feels exhausting and you can't figure out why it keeps ending the same way, this is for you. You'll be the first to learn my new 3-step framework for understanding what's keeping you stuck and how to change it. Plus you get my implementation workbook.

REGISTER HERE!

Please support our sponsors!

=============================

Chapters

00:00 – Are You Losing Yourself in Love?

03:05 – When “Compromise” Is Self-Betrayal

06:00 – Why You Fuse in Relationships

08:55 – Codependency Isn’t the Real Issue

11:55 – Anxiety vs Intuition in Dating

14:55 – Why Your Nervous System Panics

18:10 – How Self-Abandonment Shows Up

21:50 – Boundaries Without Losing Love

24:50 – How to Choose Yourself Safely

28:05 – The Fusion Check (Real-Time Tool)

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Sabrina sits down with dating expert Damona Hoffman to unpack how fairy tales, rom-coms, and modern dating apps fuel obsession, fantasy, and anxious attachment. They break down why texting chemistry, dopamine loops, and “potential” keep people stuck in confusing dating dynamics—and how to shift from chasing sparks to choosing emotional safety, clarity, and real connection.

If you’re tired of mixed signals, hot-and-cold behavior, situationships, or questioning someone’s attachment style, this conversation reframes dating through grounded psychology and nervous system awareness. You’ll learn how to stop romanticizing unavailable partners, identify emotional unavailability early, and date with intention instead of fantasy—so you can build a healthy, secure relationship rooted in reality, not wishful thinking.

If you’re ready to slow down, trust your instincts, and break your old dating patterns, the Healthy Relationship Foundations Course walks you through it step-by-step  HERE!

If you’re serious about changing your dating patterns instead of repeating them, the Art of Going Slow course helps you unlearn urgency, regulate your nervous system, and build real connection without rushing, chasing, or abandoning yourself HERE!

Please support our sponsors!

=============================

Chapters

00:00 – Dating Myths & Fairy Tale Fantasy

04:18 – Obsessing Over Potential vs Reality

08:12 – Texting, Dopamine & False Intimacy

13:05 – Good Morning Texts & Anxiety Loops

18:02 – Why Sparks Don’t Equal Compatibility

23:11 – Emotional Unavailability Explained

28:07 – Mixed Signals & Hot-Cold Behavior

33:02 – Attachment Styles vs Real Behavior

38:06 – Emotional Intimacy & Secure Love

42:10 – Dating With Clarity, Not Fantasy

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When someone comes on strong early, it can feel like intimacy—but it’s often just intensity. In this episode, Sabrina breaks down love bombing, future faking, and why fast-moving connections activate dopamine and attachment wounds rather than real emotional safety. She explains what’s actually happening in your brain when chemistry feels overwhelming and why those relationships tend to crash just as fast.

You’ll learn the most common signs of love bombing, why stable connection can feel boring at first, and how anxious attachment keeps people hooked on the high. Sabrina also shares the Reality Check Pause, a practical tool to slow down, spot red flags early, and build relationships based on consistency, trust, and choice—not urgency or fear of being alone.

If you’re struggling with breakups or repeating unhealthy relationship cycles, this episode breaks down why heartbreak hurts so deeply and how healing actually begins.

If you’re ready to slow down, trust your instincts, and break your old dating patterns, the Healthy Relationship Foundations Course walks you through it step-by-step  HERE!

If you’re serious about changing your dating patterns instead of repeating them, the Art of Going Slow course helps you unlearn urgency, regulate your nervous system, and build real connection without rushing, chasing, or abandoning yourself HERE!

Please support our sponsors!

=============================

Chapters

0:00 Love Bombing vs Real Intimacy

3:10 Intensity Feels Like Connection

6:05 Dopamine and Dating Chemistry

9:30 Why Fast Relationships Crash

12:40 Texting, Attention, and Control

16:05 Future Faking Red Flags

19:20 Intermittent Reinforcement Explained

23:10 Why Healthy Love Feels Boring

27:00 The Reality Check Pause Tool

31:00 How to Slow Down Without Losing Them

Disclaimer: The Sabrina Zohar Show, formerly known as Do The Work, is not affiliated with A.Z & associates LLC in any capacity.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices