Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh
Creating World Peace | One Relationship at a Time
Author, Speaker, Thinking Partner
I am fascinated by the way connections work. I am most passionate about exploring how they lead to meaningful and fulfilling relationships, the way they help us grow, how they contribute to our awareness of self and others, and how all of these could be seen similarly and differently across relationships, cultures and organizations.
Love by Design | 6 Ingredients to Build a Lifetime of Love
True love should give your heart a break, not a heartbreak!
Recipient of the 2025 Vincent Clark Award from the California Association for Marriage and Family Therapists for significant advances in the field of relational science.
As I am sure you know, the quality of our relationships profoundly shapes the quality of our lives. How we navigate one relationship often reflects how we approach all relationships. Yet, unlike financial or career planning—where clear strategies guide our decisions—we often leave love to chance and luck. But we don’t have to.
In my research and practice for over 2 decades across 41 countries, I’ve identified 8 common relational configurations that reveal how couples connect, and I’ve developed a groundbreaking model of love called the Emergent Love Model. This framework is built on 6 essential ingredients for thriving and lasting relationships: mutual attraction, trust, compassion, respect, shared vision, and loving behavior. These aren’t just buzzwords; they’re actionable, research-driven elements that form the foundation of lasting, fulfilling connections.
Ready to design the loving relationship you desire and deserve? Get your copy of Love by Design today, wherever you buy your books, Kindles, and audiobooks around the world!
World Sexual Health Day North America 2025
Mark your calendars for September 12, 2025, as we celebrate World Sexual Health Day with a theme that centers on body positivity and neutrality.
This day is a reminder to embrace our bodies as they are—without judgment or comparison. Let’s foster a culture where everyone can feel empowered, confident, and at peace with their bodies, focusing on health, respect, and acceptance.
Join us as we promote sexual health and wellbeing for all by honoring and loving the bodies we live in.
Capture a Panoramic View of Your Relationship
Scientifically validated 360º degree assessment of modern relationships now available for all couples! Whether you are satisfied, struggling or just want to see where your strengths are as a couple and highlight the areas that need intentional work, RPI is for you.
- You and your partner take the test.
- It takes less than 30 minutes to complete the test.
- The report contains side-by-side comparison of your responses.
Join the Community
Subscribe to The Common Ground, my monthly newsletter on Substack, where I share expert insights on building thriving relationships, from the bedroom to the boardroom.
Learn exactly where to invest your resources—Time, Energy, Attention and Money—to create the fulfilling connections you desire and deserve.
Plus, you’ll receive exclusive bonus content and be the first to hear about upcoming events and special offers!
Teaching and researching across cultures gives me so much joy ✨ and doing it in #Hawaii makes it feel like a sacred calling.
Here, the ocean whispers stories, the breeze carries ancient wisdom, and the land itself radiates aloha. I feel my poet inside shines here!
I leave each visit with a heart full of gratitude, and I always carry with me three Hawaiian gifts I hope you’ll hold onto, too:
1. Aloha isn’t just “hello” or “goodbye” , it’s a way of life. In Hawaii, Aloha Spirit means living with kindness, humility, harmony, patience, and generosity toward others. 
2. Love of the land “Aloha ʻĀina”, Hawaiians believe the earth is sacred, alive, and deserving of care. The respect one shows to land, waters, and all life reflects the respect we give to ourselves and each other. 
3. Sacred union rituals, In traditional Hawaiian weddings, couples might exchange leis (flower garlands) to symbolize sharing love and blessing, or have their hands bound by a maile lei in a ritual called Pili ā Nai Kealoha, meaning “love that binds.” 
Thank you for inviting me to share, to learn, and to grow with you all, and for letting me leave with my spirit touched and renewed. My heart overflows with love and gratitude. 💕✨
#love #thecommonground #lovebydesignbook #thrivingrelationships
Teaching and researching across cultures gives me so much joy ✨ and doing it in #Hawaii makes it feel like a sacred calling.
Here, the ocean whispers stories, the breeze carries ancient wisdom, and the land itself radiates aloha. I feel my poet inside shines here!
I leave each visit with a heart full of gratitude, and I always carry with me three Hawaiian gifts I hope you’ll hold onto, too:
1. Aloha isn’t just “hello” or “goodbye” , it’s a way of life. In Hawaii, Aloha Spirit means living with kindness, humility, harmony, patience, and generosity toward others. 
2. Love of the land “Aloha ʻĀina”, Hawaiians believe the earth is sacred, alive, and deserving of care. The respect one shows to land, waters, and all life reflects the respect we give to ourselves and each other. 
3. Sacred union rituals, In traditional Hawaiian weddings, couples might exchange leis (flower garlands) to symbolize sharing love and blessing, or have their hands bound by a maile lei in a ritual called Pili ā Nai Kealoha, meaning “love that binds.” 
Thank you for inviting me to share, to learn, and to grow with you all, and for letting me leave with my spirit touched and renewed. My heart overflows with love and gratitude. 💕✨
#love #thecommonground #lovebydesignbook #thrivingrelationships
What an exhilarating experience it was to be with you all for the past few days.
Thank you for having me @pesi_inc and @psychnetworker ✨💕
I look forward to seeing you all next year. I will bring more clinical tools and research insights to share. We all rise together✨🫶🏻
#thrivingrelationships #innovationinpsychotherapy
What an exhilarating experience it was to be with you all for the past few days.
Thank you for having me @pesi_inc and @psychnetworker ✨💕
I look forward to seeing you all next year. I will bring more clinical tools and research insights to share. We all rise together✨🫶🏻
#thrivingrelationships #innovationinpsychotherapy
Is drama a commodity, a trend, a marketing device, or are we finally giving its impact on our lives the voice it deserves? In light of the Oxford Conference on Trauma and Innovation in Psychotherapy; one of Europe’s largest and a leading trauma-focused gathering in North America, I’ve been reflecting. Read this month’s newsletter and share your thoughts.
The link is in my bio. Or look for the common ground by Dr. Sara on Substack ✨
#thrivingrelationships #love #emergentlovemodel #relationships #couples #trauma #connection #drsaranasserzadeh #thecommonground
Is drama a commodity, a trend, a marketing device, or are we finally giving its impact on our lives the voice it deserves? In light of the Oxford Conference on Trauma and Innovation in Psychotherapy; one of Europe’s largest and a leading trauma-focused gathering in North America, I’ve been reflecting. Read this month’s newsletter and share your thoughts.
The link is in my bio. Or look for the common ground by Dr. Sara on Substack ✨
#thrivingrelationships #love #emergentlovemodel #relationships #couples #trauma #connection #drsaranasserzadeh #thecommonground
I stopped going to weddings when I was 15…
I thought I had it all in my own marriage until I figured otherwise ….
These and many more were a part of my intimate conversation with @aileyjolie.
Listen in wherever you get your podcasts. Look for : “in this body podcast” ✨🎙️
#lovebydesignbook #thrivingrelationships #love #emergentlove #emergentlovemodel #couples #drsaranasserzadeh @inthis.body
I stopped going to weddings when I was 15…
I thought I had it all in my own marriage until I figured otherwise ….
These and many more were a part of my intimate conversation with @aileyjolie.
Listen in wherever you get your podcasts. Look for : “in this body podcast” ✨🎙️
#lovebydesignbook #thrivingrelationships #love #emergentlove #emergentlovemodel #couples #drsaranasserzadeh @inthis.body
Every rupture in a relationship needs a repair. Without it, the weight of unresolved moments builds until even something small can break the camel’s back.
If you’d like to explore how you handle conflict and begin shifting the way you engage and repair, comment “style” below and I’ll share a resource with you🫶🏼
#ConflictManagement #RelationshipSkills #RepairOverRupture #ThrivingRelationships #EmotionalIntelligence #CommunicationMatters #RelationalWellness #HealthyConnections #LoveByDesignBook
#emergentlove
#drsaranasserzadeh @goop
Every rupture in a relationship needs a repair. Without it, the weight of unresolved moments builds until even something small can break the camel’s back.
If you’d like to explore how you handle conflict and begin shifting the way you engage and repair, comment “style” below and I’ll share a resource with you🫶🏼
#ConflictManagement #RelationshipSkills #RepairOverRupture #ThrivingRelationships #EmotionalIntelligence #CommunicationMatters #RelationalWellness #HealthyConnections #LoveByDesignBook
#emergentlove
#drsaranasserzadeh @goop
Even a single day apart, a commute, a business trip, or parallel schedules, can create small gaps.
Before you dive back into tasks, pause to reestablish a baseline of connection with your partner.
In a world of constant information and many distractions, those small gaps can widen without us noticing.
here are some ideas to get you started for verbal connection✨🙌🏼 comment below with other ways that you come together after being part. We all rise together.❤️
#RelationshipHealth #CouplesCommunication #MindfulRelationships #RelationalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #Intimacy #HealthyLove #ReconnectRituals #Attachment #lovebydesignbook #Wellbeing #LeadershipAtHome
Even a single day apart, a commute, a business trip, or parallel schedules, can create small gaps.
Before you dive back into tasks, pause to reestablish a baseline of connection with your partner.
In a world of constant information and many distractions, those small gaps can widen without us noticing.
here are some ideas to get you started for verbal connection✨🙌🏼 comment below with other ways that you come together after being part. We all rise together.❤️
#RelationshipHealth #CouplesCommunication #MindfulRelationships #RelationalLiteracy #EmotionalIntelligence #Intimacy #HealthyLove #ReconnectRituals #Attachment #lovebydesignbook #Wellbeing #LeadershipAtHome
In every healthy relationship, negotiation is a fact of life and a sign of equity.
Compromise is another essential element in thriving relationships .
But sacrifice, if not made with authenticity and intention, can quietly turn into resentment.
I’m curious! how do you tell the difference in your own relationships?
Read more on these practical tips in my book: love by design, six ingredients to build a lifetime of love✨
#Relationships #❤️ #HealthyLove #CouplesWisdom #RelationalHealth #Negotiation #Compromise #Sacrifice #RelationshipGrowth #intentionallovebook
In every healthy relationship, negotiation is a fact of life and a sign of equity.
Compromise is another essential element in thriving relationships .
But sacrifice, if not made with authenticity and intention, can quietly turn into resentment.
I’m curious! how do you tell the difference in your own relationships?
Read more on these practical tips in my book: love by design, six ingredients to build a lifetime of love✨
#Relationships #❤️ #HealthyLove #CouplesWisdom #RelationalHealth #Negotiation #Compromise #Sacrifice #RelationshipGrowth #intentionallovebook
In relationships, being truly seen and seeing your partner is essential.
The golden rule is a start: treat others as you want to be treated. But the platinum rule takes it deeper: treat your partner as they want to be treated. That’s where connection thrives.
💛 Elevate from basic courtesy to genuine attunement, it’s what makes love last over time.
🎙️ Hear our full conversation with @simeonmorrow on Vienna Live, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also support this public podcast on simeonmorrow.com/sponsors
#lovebydesignbook #love #emergentlovemodel #thrivingrelationships #couples #drsaranasserzadeh
In relationships, being truly seen and seeing your partner is essential.
The golden rule is a start: treat others as you want to be treated. But the platinum rule takes it deeper: treat your partner as they want to be treated. That’s where connection thrives.
💛 Elevate from basic courtesy to genuine attunement, it’s what makes love last over time.
🎙️ Hear our full conversation with @simeonmorrow on Vienna Live, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also support this public podcast on simeonmorrow.com/sponsors
#lovebydesignbook #love #emergentlovemodel #thrivingrelationships #couples #drsaranasserzadeh
Voices of Trust and Impact
