Dear Therapists with Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch · iHeartPodcasts

Encore: S02 Ep 4 - What We’ve Learned about Love

March 31, 2026·43 min·4 clips

Lori and Guy reveal what happened to their first therapy client Shrena one year after her heartbreaking breakup.

The episode begins with hosts Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch explaining they're sharing encore episodes while working on other projects, then introducing a special format where they check in with past clients from season one. They start with Shrena, their first-ever guest, who originally came for heartbreak after a five-year relationship ended abruptly. A year later, Shrena shares how the breakup became a catalyst for understanding childhood patterns where she felt she had to perform to be lovable. She's focusing on self-worth and isn't dating yet, which the therapists discuss as potentially avoidance. Next is Priscilla, who struggled with her boyfriend's hostile six-year-old daughter. Priscilla now reports having 'girl chats' with the now seven-year-old and understanding the child's pain from her parents' divorce. She still finds it hard to compliment the girl's mother but recognizes this as her own growth area. The third update is from Allison, a teacher who felt isolated during COVID remote learning. She describes the exhaustion of teaching through pandemic fluctuations and reveals she got engaged and is planning a summer wedding. Finally, Jeff shares how he set boundaries with his critical parents after their session. His parents initially dismissed him but later changed their behavior after he stood up for his parenting choices, leading to improved family relationships. The therapists analyze each case, discussing concepts like perspective-taking, family systems, and how crises can become inflection points for growth.

As heard by us

An encore that revisits a difficult family dynamic with practical, humane attention.

This encore returns to a relationship still working out how to live with a partner's child in the middle of it. Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch treat Priscilla's story less as a settled success and more as an ongoing case of repair, where the signs of progress are tentative plans…

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Why you'd press play

A Dear Therapists encore checks back in on Priscilla and the relationship changes she faced.

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