Can you really find passionate, healthy love after a devastating divorce at 50? This episode is less about theory and more about lived experience. Lauren Handel Zander, my coach and mentor, walks through the emotional aftermath of divorce, the mistakes she made, the phases she moved through, and the unexpected way love eventually arrived.

Dating after divorce over 50 can feel intimidating, discouraging, or flat-out hopeless, especially when you believe the good ones are gone. This episode is an unusually candid conversation about what really happens after divorce, and it’s designed for women over 50 who want both companionship and passion without settling.

Dating After Divorce Tips:

This is our first episode entirely dedicated to giving people hope about dating after divorce!

We cover: 💔 The moment Lauren knew her marriage was over 🌱 How she knew she was ready to date again 🔄 The three distinct stages of dating after divorce 🧹 The definition of creating a “clean scene” and what it looks like 📱 How she worked video chat and dating apps differently than expected 🔥 The moment it stopped being casual and how casual caused healing 💞 Why this relationship worked when others did not 😲 The big reveal at the end that shocked me the most

Dating After Divorce Topic List & Timestamps 00:00–03:05 The Shock of Divorce Lauren shares how she was blindsided after 25 years of marriage and what the first year really looked like emotionally. 03:05–10:16 The “Gap Year” After Divorce Why she revisited old crushes, what she learned, and how this stage rebuilt her confidence. 10:16–19:48 Dating Apps Over 50 and the Clean Scene Her strict rules for Bumble, fast video calls, ruthless deleting, and why she refused to waste time. 19:48–27:16 Responsible Hookups vs Adults with Potential How she separated casual dating from long-term prospects and applied Head, Heart, and Hoo-Ha differently. 27:16–33:01 When Casual Turned Into Something More The moment that changed everything and revealed emotional availability in action. 33:01–39:15 Age Gaps, Culture, and Family Challenges Navigating an age gap, family dynamics, and blending lives in midlife. 39:15–47:32 Why You Cannot Settle in Midlife Dating What it takes to attract a partner who meets you on all 3 levels and why healing work matters. 47:32–End Next Week… Laurie previews next week’s episode on how to tell if someone is emotionally available and what to look for before you invest months or years.

Resources Mentioned ✅ Inner.U Love course by Lauren Handel Zander: https://inner-u.mykajabi.com/laurie-inneru-sales-page

If you want guidance navigating dating over 50 without burnout, confusion, or settling, start here: 👉 Join Laurie’s free webinar and explore her coaching resources at https://www.lauriegerber.com/webinar

Stay Connected With Laurie Gerber YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lauriegerbercoach Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriegerber_coach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauriegerberdatingcoach LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriegerber Podbean: https://lauriegerbercoach.podbean.com/

Do you keep picking badly? This episode focuses on breaking toxic dating cycles, understanding why you attract the wrong men, and recognizing how family of origin trauma in dating influences attraction, chemistry, and choice. Laurie walks through the 4 most common unconscious patterns that lead women toward emotionally unavailable men and shows you how to start fixing those dating mistakes.

Dating after 50 can feel discouraging when you keep ending up with the same kind of relationship, even though you believe you are choosing differently. In this episode, Laurie Gerber explains why so many women over 50 repeat the same patterns and how to interrupt them before they derail another relationship.

In this episode, Laurie covers: The red flags most people can work through, and the ones they cannot Why dating after 50 often repeats familiar patterns instead of creating new outcomes The hidden reason emotionally unavailable men feel so compelling How family of origin trauma shapes attraction and chemistry The difference between potential, intensity, and real compatibility Where women most often override their own instincts while dating How to pick the right partner without relying on hope or chemistry alone

Timestamps for the Choosing Wrong Man Episode 00:00–01:59 Why You Keep Choosing the Wrong Person (And How to Stop) Laurie sets up the core problem this episode tackles: repeating dating patterns that leave smart women feeling discouraged and stuck. 02:00–03:17 The 3H Method: Head, Heart, and Attraction Explained An overview of the 3H method and why ignoring any one of these three voters almost guarantees dating the wrong person again. 03:17–05:08 The 4 Hidden Reasons You Repeat the Same Dating Pattern Laurie introduces the four unconscious drivers that quietly shape who you feel drawn to and why insight alone has not been enough to change them. 05:08–08:59 Familiar Feels Safe Even When It Hurts (Family of Origin Patterns) How early family dynamics wire attraction and why chemistry often points toward what is unfinished rather than what is healthy. 09:00–11:10 Overriding Your Head, Heart, or Attraction in Dating Examples of how women silence one part of themselves to make dating work, and why that internal override always comes back to cost you. 11:10–13:27 Selling Out on What You Want (And Why It Backfires) Laurie explains how exhaustion, loneliness, and fear lead to compromises that feel practical in the moment but undermine long-term love. 13:27–16:07 Where You Abandon Yourself in Early Dating A look at the exact moments women ignore red flags, rationalize discomfort, or stop listening to their own inner signals. 16:07–18:34 Dating Rules That Stop You From Repeating Old Patterns Why clear rules and external accountability matter, including how structure protects you when attraction clouds judgment. 18:34–22:08 Confusing Potential With Reality in Midlife Dating Laurie breaks down how hope and investment distort decision-making and offers practical ways to assess real compatibility instead. 22:08–25:03 What Is Actually a Dealbreaker (And What Isn’t) A grounded distinction between issues couples can work through and core mismatches that should not be negotiated away. 25:03–28:40 Mistaking Intensity for Intimacy (Chemistry, Trauma Bonding, Love Bombing) How emotional highs, fast closeness, and shared wounds can feel like connection while masking serious incompatibilities. 28:40–34:46 Valentine’s Day Reset: How to Pick Differently This Time Laurie reframes Valentine’s Day as a reset for love and offers a mindset shift to help you choose more consciously going forward.

A quick invitation if you want help with this If you are listening to this and thinking, oh wow, this explains a lot, I want to make sure you know there is a next step if you want support applying this to your own dating life. I teach all of this in much more detail in my free training called 3 Secrets to Finding and Maintaining Healthy Love. It walks you through how to date using your head, your heart, and your attraction together, so you stop second-guessing yourself and stop repeating the same patterns. If you want help figuring out where you sell out, what actually matters to you now, and how to pick differently next time, you can watch it here: https://www.lauriegerber.com/webinar It is a great place to start if you are serious about changing how you date.

🔗 Links & Resources 📺 Watch Past Episodes: https://lauriegerber.com/love-at-any-age Stay connected with Laurie: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lauriegerbercoach Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriegerber_coach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauriegerberdatingcoach LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriegerber Podbean: https://lauriegerbercoach.podbean.com/ 📩 Email me directly at: lauriegerbercoach@gmail.com

Is Sex over 50 scaring you? Laurie Gerber sits down with internationally recognized sexuality expert Joan Price (age 82) to talk openly about how desire changes, why and how pleasure is still available, and what midlife women need to unlearn in order to feel confident pursuing healthy, exciting intimacy after 50.

Joan shares insights from more than 20 years of work helping midlife women and older navigate sex through menopause, dating after loss, and in long-term relationships where bodies, hormones, and expectations have changed. This episode is a shame-free, practical conversation about what is possible when women understand how desire actually works later in life.

In This Episode, Laurie Covers – Dating Over 50, Sex Over 50, and Midlife Desire

The two kinds of desire and how desire shifts in midlife from mainly one to mainly the other If you are thinking about opting out of sex over 50, the one question you need to ask yourself first The biggest mistake people make when talking to a partner about sex and how to avoid it A mistaken assumption Laurie held about what men want, especially what men want over 60 The real definition of erectile dysfunction, and why Laurie realized she had it wrong The biggest myth about grief and sex, and why it keeps women stuck after loss

Timestamps – Midlife Dating Tips and Sex Over 50 00:00 – 02:45 | Women Over 50 Dating and the Unspoken Sex Obstacle Laurie introduces the episode and explains why doubts about sex often block women from fully engaging in dating after 50. 02:46 – 07:30 | Sex Over 50 and What Has Changed Since Our Younger Years Joan explains why bodies, hormones, and expectations shift with age and why that does not mean desire disappears. 07:31 – 14:30 | Dating Over 50 and the Two Types of Desire A clear explanation of spontaneous desire versus responsive desire and why this distinction matters so much for midlife women. 14:31 – 21:15 | Flirting Over 50 and Talking About Sex Without Shame How to communicate wants and boundaries in a way that builds connection rather than defensiveness. 21:16 – 29:40 | Erectile Dysfunction and Erection Problems in Male Partners Joan breaks down erectile dysfunction versus normal age-related erection changes and why pleasure does not depend on penetration. 29:41 – 37:45 | Sex for Menopause, Lubrication, and Practical Workarounds Realistic, practical tools that support comfort, arousal, and pleasure for midlife women. 37:46 – 43:10 | Dating After 50 When Grief Is Part of the Story Why there is no universal timeline for sex or dating after loss and how women can trust their own readiness. 43:11 – 49:30 | Midlife Women, Hope, and Rewriting the Rules of Intimacy Joan shares her personal journey and what she wishes women between 50 and 90 understood about desire and connection.

Why Sex for Menopause Changes Midlife Dating Sex for menopause requires a different understanding of arousal, timing, and pressure. Joan explains why slower warm-up, less goal-oriented sex, and clearer communication actually create more pleasure for both partners. This reframing helps women release the belief that desire is supposed to appear instantly in order to be real.

What Men Want Over 60 and Why Women Over 50 Misread the Signals Many women assume that what men want has not changed, when in reality, aging bodies affect men too. Joan explains why men over 60 often want clarity, reassurance, and collaboration more than performance and why instructions are not criticism when delivered with care.

Links & Resources – Women Over 50 Dating Support 📺 Watch Past Episodes: https://lauriegerber.com/love-at-any-age Webinar: Great Sex Without Penetration https://joanprice.com/product/great-sex-without-penetration Get books at Joan Price’s website (autographed books and resources): https://joanprice.com/books Lubes: https://joanprice.com/2024/04/wicked-sensual-care-sexual-lubricant.html Sex Toy Reviews: https://joanprice.com/tag/sex-toys

Stay Connected With Laurie – Dating Advice Over 50 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lauriegerbercoach Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauriegerber_coach/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauriegerberdatingcoach LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriegerber Podbean: https://lauriegerbercoach.podbean.com/

What’s Next – Midlife Dating Tips Next week, Laurie tackles a topic many women over 50 dating struggle with: how to stop picking the same kind of man over and over again, just in time for Valentine’s Day. If you want more support right now, visit https://lauriegerber.com/webinar to watch Laurie’s free webinar and explore tools designed specifically for women navigating dating after 50.