Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide · Dr. Jessica Higgins

ERP 494: Designing Love That Lasts: 6 Principles for Lasting Connection — An Interview with Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh

·52 min·3 clips

One partner calls infidelity disrespectful, another calls it lack of compassion, and a husband calls it a “lack of shared vision.”

Dr. Jessica Higgins opens episode 494 by welcoming listeners and introducing an interview with Dr. Sara Nasirzadeh. She centers the conversation on designing love that lasts. The episode treats lasting connection as something that grows over time, not as a finish line. That process asks for both individual growth and relational growth. Listeners are pointed to the show notes for links, key takeaways, a transcript, and a free relationship guide. The guide lays out five stages of intimacy and the skills each stage asks for. The structure moves in sequence, but it does not feel rigid. It comes across more like a spiral than a straight line. The conversation keeps circling back to a simple problem: are partners actually talking about the same thing when they use familiar words? An example about shared vision shows how easily people can miss the center of a conflict. Another example uses monogamy to show how one issue can look very different depending on where someone stands. The discussion also leans into perception and cognitive distortion as part of relationship strain. That gives the episode the feel of a check-in on relationship language. Words like love, respect, and boundaries are treated as terms that need definition, not slogans that can just be assumed. The host keeps pressing gently on whether someone is truly being respectful or simply using the word for what they want. That keeps the conversation grounded in real behavior. The closing section points listeners toward Dr. Sara Nasirzadeh's newsletter, The Common Ground, along with her website, book, Instagram, and Substack. The overall effect is warm, reflective, and steady. It leaves the listener with a clearer sense that intimacy can be studied, discussed, and practiced without losing its human texture.

As heard by us

A reflective look at love as a developmental process, with enough structure to reward close listening.

Episode 494 treats love as something learned over time, with five stages and a clear split between individual growth and relational growth. Dr. Jessica Higgins and Dr.

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Why you'd press play

You want a clearer map for cultivating lasting love and intimacy over time.

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