Ever feel like you're giving too much in relationships—and getting little in return? Or struggling to communicate what you truly need? You’re not alone. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Henry Cloud, a world-renowned clinical psychologist, leadership expert, and New York Times bestselling author of Boundaries—a book that has transformed the way …

What if you could transform your dating life with just a few mindset shifts and practical strategies? In this episode, I sit down with Nichole Farrow, a renowned relationship coach with over a decade of experience helping singles and couples navigate love with confidence. As a resident expert on BBC 5 Live, Nichole has guided countless people in st…

In this heart-opening episode, I sit down with the incredible Shelley J Whitehead—a highly sought-after relationship coach who has spent decades helping people heal from heartbreak, refine their relationship skills, and build the love lives they truly deserve. We talked about: How to move forward after heartbreak—the key mindset shifts that will he…

In this captivating episode, I sit down with the incredible Sara Jane Ho—an international etiquette expert, Emmy-nominated host of Netflix’s Mind Your Manners, and author of the book of the same name. From her early days in Hong Kong to earning degrees from Exeter, Georgetown, and Harvard Business School, Sara brings a wealth of wisdom and charm to…

In this electrifying episode, I sit down with the brilliant Alison Fragale—a professor, distinguished scholar of organizational behavior at UNC Chapel Hill, and the powerhouse author behind the transformative book Likable Badass. Alison brings her sharp insights and relatable wisdom to help us understand the delicate balance between being liked and…

Welcome to this week's episode, where we dive into the love story of all love stories! When it comes to finding love, everyone’s journey is unique—but they often share the same ups and downs. This week, I’m thrilled to introduce Lauren, an inspiring woman who went from feeling stuck in her love life to meeting her dream partner. With insights from …

In this enlightening episode, I welcome the brilliant Dr. Jenny Taitz—a clinical psychologist, UCLA faculty member, and author of the transformative book Stress Reset. Together, we dive into actionable strategies for managing stress, staying grounded, and transforming your mindset for success in dating and beyond. She's also the author of one of my…

This week, I had the privilege of sitting down with the incredible Marilyn Chinitz—a powerhouse attorney with over 40 years of expertise in family law and divorce. Her wisdom, wit, and compassionate approach to navigating life’s trickiest transitions are unparalleled. Whether you're curious about protecting your assets, healing after heartbreak, or…

I’m so excited to share this week’s powerful story, featuring a journey of resilience, hope, and finding love again against the odds. In this heartfelt episode, we dive into the incredible experience of one of our listeners who, at 48, faced a life-changing loss: the sudden passing of her husband from a heart attack. Grieving and single for over a …

I’m thrilled to bring you a special guest this week, Coach and Conscious Relationship Teacher Veronika Amaya. Veronika is a relationship expert with a unique global perspective on dating and connection, and in this episode she will help us uncover the “missing pieces” that can keep us from forming genuine bonds. Veronika has a wealth of knowledge o…

Heather's Journey to Self-Love and Self Discovery - What I Learned at Smart Dating Academy For more free tips and up to date information, click here to register for the Smart Dating Academy free newsletter! https://www.smartdatingacademy.com/contact Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartdatingacademy/…

I’m beyond thrilled to have Dr. Nadine Macaluso (Dr. Nae, as I call her!). on today’s episode! Dr. Nae’s story is nothing short of jaw-dropping — she was married to The Wolf of Wall Street himself, Jordan Belfort. But this conversation isn’t just about her past; it’s about her incredible journey of survival, healing, and growth. Dr. Nae has taken w…

In this heartwarming love story episode, I sit down with our beloved client Tara, an accomplished attorney from Chicago, who shares her incredible journey of love and self-discovery. Tara's story begins in a traditional household, where arranged marriages were the norm, and she herself entered one that didn't quite work out. However, through her re…

Title: Beyond Mars and Venus: Relationship Skills for TODAY with Dr. John Gray I couldn't be more excited to have Dr. John Gray, who wrote one of the most well-known and trusted relationship books of all time: Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus (the #1 bestselling book of its decade). We had such a good chat that you're going to love; John los…

I am super excited to have Todd Baratz as a guest on the podcast. Todd is a renowned psychotherapist and sex therapist whose innovative approaches to mental health and relationships have established him as a leading figure. We talked about: His new book "How to Love Someone Without Losing Your Mind" Reframing how we approach relationship issues How…

Guest: Jill Foos, National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBHWC) with a rich background in psychology and functional medicine health coaching. This week, we come to you with one of your favorite things to hear because it's HOPEFUL, a Smart Dating Academy real-life love story. Jill was a coaching client who found the lid to her pod and s…

This week on the podcast, I have the absolute pleasure to interview Elizabeth Earnshaw, a renowned Gottman therapist and bestselling author (she has a new book coming out in September!) who is the owner of a thriving family and marriage therapy practice. She is known for her popular Instagram account @lizlistens and has been featured in the New Yor…

This week, I welcome Natalie Lue to the Smart Dating Academy podcast. She is a boundaries and relationship coach and the creator of one of the longest running self-help blogs in the world, BaggageReclaim.com. Natalie helps people understand how their emotional baggage is interfering with their ability to live their lives happily and authentically. …

This week, I'm so excited to introduce my friend and former client, Stacy Katz to the podcast. Stacy is a sought after mindset coach who helps women create more Relaxation and Power with her R.E.L.A.X Mindset Method. Her approach is rooted in real-world experience, making it both relatable and actionable. She has over two decades of experience in m…

I had the absolute pleasure to have a conversation with the amazing Vienna Pharaon about how breaking family patterns can liberate the way we live and love. Vienna Pharaon is a licensed marriage and family therapist and one of New York City’s most sought after relationship therapists. She has practiced therapy for over fifteen years and is the foun…

Bela has a wonderful conversation with Relationship Maven Dr. Abby Medcalf. She is a psychologist, author, podcast host and TEDx speaker who has helped thousands of people think differently so they can create connection, ease and joy in their relationships (especially the one with yourself)! With over 35 years of experience, Abby is a recognized au…

This week we welcome Dr. Heidi Brocke to the podcast and you will LOVE the gems that she will drop on us! Dr. Heidi Brocke is a Toxic Relationship Awareness & Healing Specialist. After spending 14 years in an extremely emotionally and narcissistically abusive relationship she broke the chains and turned her past into her passion. She’s an internati…

This episode will take the mystery out of the BEST and most humane way to break up with someone that you've been dating for any extended amount of time, and is with Natalia Juarez. Natalia is a seasoned relationship coach specializing in heartbreak. Following a broken engagement at the age 29, she redefined heartbreak as an opportunity for transfor…

This week I welcome my esteemed colleague and great friend Jenny Stevens to the podcast. Jenny is a licensed clinical counselor turned personal/ professional/divorce coach. She is known as 'The Champion for Change' having gone through her own share of difficult life changes. We talk about: How working with SDA has helped her find the lid to her pot…

This week we welcome the wonderful Kendra Allen to our podcast. Kendra is a breakup coach, host of the Heal Your Heartbreak Podcast, author of The Breakup Workbook, and founder of Break Up Bestie. She shares how she saw a huge gap online for practical and healthy heartbreak advice, after going through a series of painful breakups. So, she set out t…

This week on the podcast I chatted with the amazing Sharon Pope about the secrets to keeping a relationship healthy.Sharon Pope is a certified Master Life Coach and Relationship Expert helping women and men get the tools they need to improve, heal, or release their struggling marriages. She is a seven-time international best-selling author and has …

This conversation covers AMAZING gems, including: --3 Myths About Men (these are awesome, and have to do with 'the chase', sex, and feelings) --The differences between men's & women's brains (I about passed out when I learned this - it makes COMPLETE sense) --The AWESOME four communication archetypes (are you a lioness, puppy, koala bear or scorpio…

Megan's love story with Nick is wonderful, and you will hear yourself in her story. She wasn't comfortable around boys growing up, and started dating after college (side note, Bela and Megan were college friends who had lost touch for many years). Megan knew a few things: she knew she wanted lasting love, wasn't picking the right people, and that s…

This episode will blow your mind (no pun intended) - we are talking about using Psilocybin (mushrooms) in a regulated, facilitated environment to remove traumas! I welcome back the awesome Dr. Michelle Roberts as a guest on SDA. Michelle is a Pulitzer winning journalist, professor, and psychotherapist who specializes in working with women who have …

Smart Dating Academy client love stories are YOUR favorites (and ours too) - these stories are from people just like you who started our process with a healthy dose of excitement and nervousness! I am so excited to have Ruth tell you one of the most unique, awesome, and unexpected love stories in this week's podcast. Ruth is an amazing high level e…

I am excited to have Wendy Sloane as my guest. Wendy is a former TV producer for The Phil Donahue Show and The Geraldo Rivera Show. During her career in broadcasting, she covered some of the biggest news stories of our time, including the O.J. Simpson and JonBenet Ramsey murders. She was also the host of the popular radio show "What's Up with Wendy…

Get ready to dive deep into the world of hormones with the charismatic Dr. Anna Cabeca! She is known nationally as The Girlfriend Doctor and is host of The Girlfriend Doctor Show. Dr. Anna is triple-board certified and a fellow of gynecology and obstetrics, integrative medicine, and anti-aging and regenerative medicine. From testosterone to estroge…

I couldn't be more excited to have a conversation with the fabulous Tamsen Fadal - I met Tamsen while doing dozens of love segments on her TV Show in NYC on PIX11. Tamsen is an award-winning journalist (she won 13 Emmy awards!), speaker, author, podcast host and menopause advocate. She is dedicated to championing women’s stories being bold in midli…

This week we are bringing to you your favorite kind of episode: another love story from one of our dear clients who will inspire you with her self-awareness, action, and authenticity at a young age. Bianca is a 36-year-old Chemist who lives in Ontario, Canada. Bianca describes herself as a late bloomer and an introverted, independent woman by natur…

This week, Dr. Wendy Walsh joins me to talk about the science of love. Known as America's Relationship Expert, Dr. Wendy Walsh is an award-winning television journalist, a Radio Host & Podcaster, the author of three books on relationships & thousands of print and digital articles. Dr. Wendy shares with us how she got to where she is today and how s…

In this week's episode, I'm having a conversation with the lovely Dr. Sheva Assar about how we can amp up our confidence, especially in the dating world. Dr. Sheva is a clinical psychologist and she has a specific interest in the areas of self confidence, establishing and maintaining healthy, fulfilling relationships, and living authentic, value-or…

Join our free newsletter database by signing up here: www.smartdatingacademy.com/contact Follow us on Instagram at @smartdatingacademy Schedule your consultation with us here! We are on a waiting list, and would love to help you! https://www.smartdatingacademy.com/11-coaching/coaching-call-with-belaAf The Smart Dating Academy Podcast

WIll dating a friend ruin the friendship? The answer to this question, as you might expect, is complicated, and there isn't a firm yes or no. It's going to depend on you, and the person. Before you get into the relationship, look at this person crucially. Listen to this amazing podcast where Bela explains the eight crucial things to consider before…

Join our free newsletter database by signing up here: www.smartdatingacademy.com/contact Follow us on Instagram at @smartdatingacademy Schedule your consultation with us here! We are on a waiting list, and would love to help you! https://www.smartdatingacademy.com/11-coaching/coaching-call-with-belaAf The Smart Dating Academy Podcast

Join our free newsletter database by signing up here: www.smartdatingacademy.com/contact Follow us on Instagram at @smartdatingacademy Schedule your consultation with us here! We are on a waiting list, and would love to help you! https://www.smartdatingacademy.com/11-coaching/coaching-call-with-belaAf The Smart Dating Academy Podcast

Bela will share an amazing set of sentences that she learned serendipitously from Dan Harris that will bring you more joy, ease, and reduce anxiety. It has changed her world in the last week, and everyone she has shared it with has LOVED it. Today, she's giving it all to us in this jewel of a mini episode. Be ready for things to change for you in a…

This week I'm having a fun conversation with Lane Moore, who was the "sex / relationships" editor at Cosmo, is an award-winning actor, author, and comedian. Moore is most famously known as the creator and star of one of the most well-reviewed comedy shows in the world, Tinder Live, where she projects her dating app onto a screen, swipes through pro…

Get ready to be inspired by another true "finding love story" from one of our awesome clients that found the most amazing love (and it took a longgg time)! Massive plot twist here, by the way, that you won't believe, so listen to the WHOLE thing! Courtney Bass Sherizen is a badass HR Executive with two degrees from Harvard and is also a certified y…

This week the amazing Kate Anthony, author of The D Word: Making the Ultimate Decision About Your Marriage and the creator of the groundbreaking online coaching program, Should I Stay or Should I Go? came to chat with me about all things involving the decision if we should divorce or breakup. Kate empowers women to find their strength, passion, and…

JJ Virgin, Fitness Hall of Famer, triple-board certified nutrition expert and TV personality, has an amazing conversation with Bela about aging powerfully and sexily at ALL ages! JJ is 60, and you'd think she was DECADES younger while looking at her. She explains why body composition is crucial, why tracking is good for you, lifting heavy things is…

This episode is for EVERYONE -- single, coupled, introverted & extroverted!! Bela talks with best-selling author Debra Fine, about HOW to make 'small talk' and WHY it's so important! You'll hear: Small talk is a SKILL - not a gift the lucky were born with How Debra, an introverted engineer, realized she did not know how to interact with people at w…

In this episode, Bela interviews Dr. Justin Garia, Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute and Scientific Adviser to Match.com. Justin leads Kinsey, the foremost experts and thought leaders on sex/sexuality. We discuss the hottest topics in sex research, why second dates really matter, the upsides and downsides of dating apps, aging & sex (and t…

Everyone's favorite segments are the love stories! Dr. Laura, a physician in Chicago, found love online at 49 years old! She had never been married, had a great career, and suffered from a bad picker. Laura said to herself, "If I can do an Ironman, I can find my soulmate!" Laura heard an interview with Bela, and she reached out to find her soulmate…

Dr. Marisa Cohen joins Bela talking about the four 'relationship killers' that harm every relationship from dating to friendships to family. And, you'll hear HOW to have difficult conversations with ANYONE in your life without harm. We also talk about the loneliness epidemic, how Marisa experimented with going on 30 'new friend' dates in 30 days (a…

Want to glow from the inside out? Don't miss one word of this conversation with beauty expert and visionary Angela Jia Kim of Savor Beauty. When Angela (a concert pianist) broke out in a horrible rash before an important concert (due to some lotion she applied), she made it her mission to create a system that was loving from the outside in. In this…