Finding Yourself Between Worlds with Ayesha

PILLOWTALK: Is AI the mistress?

Can you cheat with something that isn't even human? There is a strange new kind of betrayal entering relationships, and it doesn't always have a body. No secret coworker. No late-night drinks. No hidden phone number. Sometimes it looks like your partner lying next to you in bed, emotionally turning toward a screen instead of toward you. In this week's Pillow Talk, we're exploring one of the newest—and most complicated questions in modern relationships: Can AI become an emotional affair? Together, we'll unpack: * What an emotional affair actually is (and what it isn't) * Why emotional intimacy matters just as much as physical intimacy * How AI companionship can become a substitute for connection * The psychology behind emotional displacement and attachment * The difference between using AI as a helpful tool versus using it to avoid intimacy * How to recognize when emotional distance has entered your relationship * Healthy boundaries couples can have around technology and AI This isn't an episode about fearing technology or shaming people who use AI. It's a conversation about something much deeper: where we choose to place our emotional energy, and how those choices shape our closest relationships. Because betrayal isn't always about sex. Sometimes it's about what was hidden, what was protected, and what was no longer shared with the person you love. Whether you're curious about AI, navigating relationship challenges, or simply interested in the psychology of modern intimacy, I hope this episode leaves you asking better questions and having better conversations. If this episode resonates with you, don't forget to follow the podcast, leave a rating, and share it with someone who would enjoy the conversation. Instagram: @richwithinmedia

PILLOWTALK: trauma bonding or love?

"I know they're hurting me... so why can't I leave?" One of the biggest misconceptions I see online is people calling every painful relationship a trauma bond. Not every situationship is a trauma bond. Not every breakup is a trauma bond. Not every anxious attachment is a trauma bond. In this week's Pillow Talk, we're unpacking the difference. We talk about: ❤️ What a trauma bond actually is 🧠 How trauma bonds form and why they're so difficult to leave 📚 The psychology and research behind intermittent reinforcement ✨ The difference between trauma bonding and anxious attachment 🚩 Love bombing vs. genuine interest 💭 Why smart, successful women stay in unhealthy relationships 🌱 What secure love actually feels like Because sometimes what feels like "chemistry" is actually your nervous system trying to survive. And sometimes the person you're missing isn't the person they consistently were it's the version of them you kept hoping would come back. Whether you're healing from a relationship, trying to understand a past experience, or simply want to learn more about the psychology behind attachment, I hope this conversation leaves you with more clarity than confusion. 🎙️ Listen now on Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts. If this episode resonates with you, send it to someone who needs the reminder that love shouldn't require abandoning yourself.

Shrekking: The Psychology of Choosing Someone You Don't Actually Want

Have you ever dated someone who looked great on paper but deep down, you knew they weren't truly what you wanted? Or maybe you've found yourself choosing people who felt "safe" instead of people you genuinely admired, desired, or felt deeply connected to. In this week's Pillow Talk, we're getting uncomfortably honest about a dating phenomenon sometimes called Shrekking—the tendency to choose partners we believe are less likely to reject us, easier to control, or more invested in us than we are in them. We'll explore: ✨ Fear of rejection and why it drives so many of our dating decisions ✨ Anxious attachment and the need to feel chosen ✨ Dating for validation instead of genuine connection ✨ The fixer complex and falling in love with potential ✨ Why emotionally healthy people can sometimes feel "boring" ✨ How insecurity can make control feel like safety ✨ The difference between being needed and being loved This episode is for anyone who has ever settled, chased potential, confused anxiety with chemistry, or wondered why they keep ending up in the same relationship with a different person. If this episode resonates with you, be sure to follow the podcast, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. I'd also love to hear your thoughts—comment your biggest takeaway or relationship realization from this episode. Let's continue the conversation on Instagram at @richwithintherapy. 💌 New Pillow Talk episodes drop every Thursday night. Because healing conversations are sometimes best had after dark. 🌙✨

PILLOWTALK: attention is not intention

Welcome to the first official Pillow Talk episode! we’re unpacking the talking stage, also known as the emotionally confusing pre-relationship group project no one asked for. In this episode, we’re talking about the texts you reread, the “what are we?” conversations you avoid, the attachment styles that start acting up, and why someone can have access to your nervous system before they’ve even earned a label. We’ll get into what the talking stage actually is, how anxious, avoidant, secure, and fearful avoidant attachment styles show up early on, what to look out for, how to stop wasting time, and the big question: can we prevent situationships before they become a full-time unpaid internship? This one is for anyone who has ever checked their phone 57x a day, confused chemistry with clarity, or convinced themselves they were “being chill” while actively spiraling. Follow along on Instagram: @emotionallyexpensivemedia

Reclaiming Yourself in Marriage and Motherhood with Bansari

Welcome to Season 2 of Emotionally Expensive! Bansari Shah is many things - a teacher who trained at Columbia University, the top teaching institute in the USA, a strong women's advocate, a voracious reader, married for 14 years and a mother of two, and a life coach for South Asian women for the last 4 years.  She has a unique way of coaching - through daily voice notes, so it's like having a life coach in your back pocket.  She helps South Asian moms overcome marital conflict, even when their husband won't agree to relationship therapy. You can follow her on social media at @coachingbybms, and she has a marriage audio course and free marital resources you can download at her website coachingbybms.com [http://coachingbybms.com/]. Follow us on @emotionallyexpensive today.