Love, Happiness and Success with Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby

What happens when ChatGPT understands you better than the people in your actual life? It listens. It validates. It never gets annoyed, never tells you you're being dramatic, and never makes you feel like you're too much. And that's exactly what makes it so dangerous. Because when an AI companion starts feeling safer than a real human being, you have to ask yourself a pretty uncomfortable question: Is this actually helping me… or am I slowly losing touch with myself? In this episode of Love, Happiness & Success, I'm joined by tech journalist and Love at First Prompt author Bridget Todd, an AI skeptic who found herself turning to ChatGPT for emotional support during a devastating family crisis. When the chatbot asked her one simple question, "Are you okay?", it changed everything. Together, we're exposing the surprising truth about AI companions, the hidden risks of endless validation, and what happens when technology starts meeting our deepest emotional needs. You'll learn: Why ChatGPT can feel safer than real people (and what that reveals about your emotional needs). The hidden danger of endless validation and why someone who always agrees with you might be holding you back. The #1 red flag your relationship with AI has gone too far and how to recognize it before you lose trust in yourself. Why using ChatGPT as your therapist could backfire including what you need to know about privacy. How to protect your real relationships and help someone you love who's becoming too attached to AI. Here's the truth: Feeling understood isn't the same as growing. And being validated isn't the same as being helped. If you're feeling disconnected, stuck, or unsure how to get your emotional needs met in your real relationships, you deserve more than a chatbot that tells you what you want to hear. Book a FREE consultation with a coaching therapist on my team at Growing Self. We'll help you reconnect with yourself, strengthen your relationships, and create meaningful, lasting change. Xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby Growing Self Special thanks to this month’s sponsors of the podcast: Quince — Quality products you’ll actually use that feel like luxury without the price tag. Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠quince.com/lhs⁠ Sequencing.com — Discover what your DNA can reveal about your health with clinical-grade whole genome sequencing that reads 100% of your DNA. Get 10% off with promo code LHS at Sequencing.com Ritual — Hormone-free support made for the perimenopause years. Get 25% off your first order at Ritual.com/LHS Tin Can — A screen-free phone that gives kids more freedom to talk to friends, with parental controls built in. Get $10 off your first order at tincan.com/LHS Cozy Earth — Give the gift of cozy this holiday season with luxuriously soft blankets, sheets, and pajamas everyone will love. Shop their biggest sale of the year and get 35% off home and sleepwear with code LHS at cozyearth.com through December 3rd Be sure to check out The Dr. Leaf Show to discover the science behind your thoughts, emotions, and mental well-being with cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf, who shares practical strategies for managing stress, building resilience, and developing healthier thinking habits. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

How does "Did you remember to do that?" turn into a screaming match, a slammed door, or three days of silence? One minute, everything's fine. The next, you're defending yourself like your life depends on it. And somehow, you're having the SAME fight you've had a hundred times before. Your partner isn't the enemy. So why does every conversation feel like a war? Here's the uncomfortable truth: Your partner might not be attacking you. But your brain thinks they are. And that automatic reaction could be the very thing keeping you trapped in a cycle of defensiveness in relationships that neither of you knows how to escape. In this episode, I'm joined by marriage and family therapist and board-certified coach Matthew Caplan to expose what's really happening when defensiveness takes over your relationship — and why trying to prove you're right could be destroying the connection you're desperate to protect. You'll learn: Why the smallest comments trigger your biggest fights. How your nervous system turns your partner into the enemy. The four defensive reactions that quietly sabotage relationships. Why being RIGHT can cost you the connection you want. How to break the cycle, lower your defenses, and finally feel like a team again. You don't have to keep fighting the person you're supposed to be fighting FOR. Ready to stop having the same miserable argument on repeat? Book a FREE consultation with Matthew and start changing the patterns keeping you stuck. Xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby Growing Self Special thanks to this month’s sponsors of the podcast: Quince — Quality products you’ll actually use that feel like luxury without the price tag. Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠quince.com/lhs⁠ Sequencing.com — Discover what your DNA can reveal about your health with clinical-grade whole genome sequencing that reads 100% of your DNA. Get 10% off with promo code LHS at Sequencing.com Ritual — Hormone-free support made for the perimenopause years. Get 25% off your first order at Ritual.com/LHS Tin Can — A screen-free phone that gives kids more freedom to talk to friends, with parental controls built in. Get $10 off your first order at tincan.com/LHS Cozy Earth — Give the gift of cozy this holiday season with luxuriously soft blankets, sheets, and pajamas everyone will love. Shop their biggest sale of the year and get 35% off home and sleepwear with code LHS at cozyearth.com through December 3rd Be sure to check out The Dr. Leaf Show to discover the science behind your thoughts, emotions, and mental well-being with cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf, who shares practical strategies for managing stress, building resilience, and developing healthier thinking habits. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Your partner keeps turning you down for sex. You're hurt, frustrated, and starting to wonder if they even want you anymore. But what if you've been getting the whole thing wrong? Here's the uncomfortable truth: Your sex life might not be suffering because the attraction is gone. It might be suffering because neither of you knows how to talk about what's really happening in the bedroom. In this episode, I'm joined by sexuality expert and couples therapist Dori to unpack the painful cycle of sexual rejection, resentment, and avoidance that's quietly destroying intimacy in so many relationships. And trust me, some of what she reveals might completely change how you see your partner. You'll learn: Why your partner keeps saying no to sex (and why it might not be about you). The bedroom mistakes that secretly destroy sexual desire. How to talk about what you really want without triggering shame, defensiveness, or a fight. Why sexual rejection turns into resentment, and how to break the cycle. How to reignite intimacy, even after decades of disconnection. Your sex life doesn't have to stay this way. If you're ready to stop guessing and start reconnecting, book a free consultation with Dori at growingself.com/dori. You deserve a relationship where intimacy feels good for both of you. Xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby Special thanks to this month’s sponsors of the podcast: Shopify — Every self-made person started somewhere. Yours starts free at shopify.com/lhs Quince — Quality products you’ll actually use that feel like luxury without the price tag. Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠quince.com/lhs⁠ Sequencing.com — Discover what your DNA can reveal about your health with clinical-grade whole genome sequencing that reads 100% of your DNA. Get 10% off with promo code LHS at Sequencing.com Ritual — Hormone-free support made for the perimenopause years. Get 25% off your first order at Ritual.com/LHS Tin Can — A screen-free phone that gives kids more freedom to talk to friends, with parental controls built in. Get $10 off your first order at tincan.com/LHS Vinted — A secondhand marketplace app that makes it simple to sell clothes you no longer wear and earn extra cash. The app is free to download, and with no seller fees, you keep what you earn.

You said yes. But what if you were never really free to say no? Here's the terrifying thing about coercive control: It can look exactly like love. Exactly like consent. And you might not recognize the manipulation until you're already trapped in it. In this eye-opening episode, I'm joined by forensic researcher AJ Greer, who studies sexual violence, dangerous relationship dynamics, and the psychology of abusers. We're exposing the subtle manipulation tactics, shocking red flags, and dangerous power dynamics that can turn a relationship into something you barely recognize. You'll learn: The hidden signs of coercive control that are dangerously easy to miss. Consent vs. coercion: Why saying "yes" doesn't always mean you had a choice. Love bombing, jealousy, and manipulation: The red flags you should NEVER ignore. The open relationship ultimatum: When "agreeing" becomes coercion. The dangerous bedroom trend that can have deadly consequences. How to help someone you love who's trapped in an abusive relationship. If you've ever questioned your partner's behavior, second-guessed your boundaries, or wondered whether something that happened to you was actually okay, you need to hear this conversation. Ready to get clarity about your relationship? You don't have to figure it out alone. Book a FREE consultation with a member of my team at Growing Self. Content note: This episode discusses coercion, sexual violence, abuse, and physical danger. If you need immediate support, visit our emergency resources or thehotline.org. Special thanks to this month’s sponsors of the podcast: Shopify — Every self-made person started somewhere. Yours starts free at shopify.com/lhs Quince — Quality products you’ll actually use that feel like luxury without the price tag. Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠quince.com/lhs⁠ Sequencing.com — Discover what your DNA can reveal about your health with clinical-grade whole genome sequencing that reads 100% of your DNA. Get 10% off with promo code LHS at Sequencing.com Ritual — Hormone-free support made for the perimenopause years. Get 25% off your first order at Ritual.com/LHS Tin Can — A screen-free phone that gives kids more freedom to talk to friends, with parental controls built in. Get $10 off your first order at tincan.com/LHS Vinted — A secondhand marketplace app that makes it simple to sell clothes you no longer wear and earn extra cash. The app is free to download, and with no seller fees, you keep what you earn.

You didn't work this hard just to feel this miserable. You got the promotion. You earned your seat at the table. You built the career you always wanted. So why are you exhausted, lonely, and secretly wondering if any of it was worth it? Here's what nobody tells you about women in leadership: The higher you climb, the lonelier it can get. You're expected to be confident but never intimidating. Decisive but always likable. Successful at work while somehow keeping everything at home running perfectly, too. And the worst part? You start wondering if you're the problem. In this episode, I'm joined by psychologist and executive leadership coach Dr. Natasha Thapar-Olmos to expose the hidden emotional cost of leadership and what you can do to stop surviving your success and actually start enjoying it. You'll learn: Why reaching the top can feel so painfully lonely, especially when you're the only woman in the room. How to stop second-guessing yourself when every decision feels like a no-win situation. The hidden expectations that are driving your burnout (and how to break free). Why trying to do everything yourself is keeping you stuck. How to build the confidence, support system, and boundaries you need to lead without losing yourself. You can be ambitious without being miserable. And you don't have to figure it all out alone. If you're ready to feel confident, supported, and excited about your career again, book a free consultation with a Growing Self coach. Let's talk about how to make your success feel as good as it looks. And here's a little something extra: Dr. Natasha created a free resource just for our listeners! Take a Breather: 50 Options, 5 Minutes Each is packed with simple, five-minute ways to pause, reset, and recharge when life and leadership feel overwhelming. Because sometimes, five minutes is exactly what you need. Xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby Growing Self Special thanks to this month’s sponsors of the podcast: Shopify — Every self-made person started somewhere. Yours starts free at shopify.com/lhs Quince — Quality products you’ll actually use that feel like luxury without the price tag. Get free shipping and 365-day returns at ⁠quince.com/lhs⁠ Sequencing.com — Discover what your DNA can reveal about your health with clinical-grade whole genome sequencing that reads 100% of your DNA. Get 10% off with promo code LHS at Sequencing.com Ritual — Hormone-free support made for the perimenopause years. Get 25% off your first order at Ritual.com/LHS Tin Can — A screen-free phone that gives kids more freedom to talk to friends, with parental controls built in. Get $10 off your first order at tincan.com/LHS Vinted — A secondhand marketplace app that makes it simple to sell clothes you no longer wear and earn extra cash. The app is free to download, and with no seller fees, you keep what you earn.