Not sure if your relationship is a go or not? How do you know if your deal breaker checklist is too long—or too short? And should you have a deal breaker checklist at all? The answer is: Yes, you should have this kind of checklist. The issue is not whether you should have one but rather what’s on that list. Your checklist should have your emotional needs statements. You can have several emotional needs. The goal is to know you. Here are … [Read more...]
Are You Being Too Picky About Relationship Deal Breakers? Or Not Picky Enough!?
December 16, 2015 By
How to Begin Expressing Your Romantic Feelings for Your Best Friend
November 11, 2015 By
One of the common plot lines of romantic comedies involves a relationship that has to change from a best of friends into a romantic couple. The standard story elements are that one person has more intimate feelings for the other person. Or, each person doesn’t really know how she or he feels for the other until the last minute. We love these relationships because, well, so many of us identify with them. So, just what should you do if you … [Read more...]
Recipe for Falling in Love at First Sight With the Partner
September 10, 2015 By
Is “falling in love at first sight” real? And can it be lasting? My answer is yes to both. True stories and research by experts such as Dr. Helen Fisher support my answer. But—oops!—there is one snafu: You can also fall in love—and remain with—a partner who is not healthy for you. Usually, as Dr. Fisher and others have noted, falling in love at first sight is a mix of physical attraction, sexual desire, emotional attachment and mutual liking. … [Read more...]
No Men in Your Area? Tips for Finding and Connecting with Them!
July 18, 2015 By
When I was in grad school and lived in the grad school dorm, I became friends with “Sue” who lived down the hall. She was finishing her master degree in public relations, and she landed a dream job–but it was in a rural area where she thought she’d never ever meet a man she would want to marry. I said to her: “If the town has a company big enough to employ someone in your field, then there have to be doctors, lawyers, dentists, banks. … [Read more...]
What Your Marriage Proposal Could Tell You About Your Relationship
May 15, 2015 By
The way your partner proposed to you might allow you to see into your future with this person. Good card players can detect “tells”—those unconscious behaviors that give away information about a player’s hand. When my clients described their feelings of disappointments or exhilaration about their proposal, a warning light went off in my head. A few years later, when these same couples came to see me for counseling, I realized the proposal … [Read more...]
