We often confuse intensity with intimacy. In this episode of The Fire That Makes Us, Dr. Shahrzad Jalali unpacks the difference between love that grows steadily and infatuation that consumes us too quickly. Drawing from psychology and real-life stories, she explores why infatuation feels intoxicating, how it’s rooted in unmet needs and childhood dynamics, and what it takes to build love that is stable, reciprocal, and healing. This is an invitation to look deeper: Are we chasing fireworks, or are we cultivating a flame that lasts?

Why do we cling so tightly to control — over ourselves, our relationships, even the people we love? In this episode of The Fire That Makes Us, Dr. Shahrzad Jalali explores how control can feel like safety, yet often becomes a cage. Drawing from her clinical work and personal journey, she unpacks the hidden fears beneath the urge to control: fear of loss, fear of chaos, fear of not being enough. Through story and psychology, she offers listeners a way forward — how loosening control can actually create more stability, connection, and freedom.

The Pressure to Be Perfect unpacks the hidden toll of perfectionism—the late nights, the self-doubt, the fear of never being enough. In each episode, Dr. Shahrzad Jalali blends clinical wisdom with real-world stories to reveal how perfectionism forms, why it’s so hard to shake, and how it keeps us trapped in cycles of burnout and anxiety.

Listeners will learn to spot the inner critic, challenge impossible standards, and build a new relationship with success—one rooted in authenticity, not fear. Whether you identify as a high achiever, a people-pleaser, or someone who simply struggles with self-worth, this podcast offers practical tools and soulful insights to help you step out of perfection and into freedom.