Unfortunately, after a first date, it’s rarely as simple as: “I like you, I had fun, let’s get together again.”

I’m often coy after a first date because:

A. I don’t want to look too eager/desperate. I won’t ignore my attraction, but I’ll at least try to temper it.

B. I want to look like I have a life. Even though I don’t... [Read more]

So often our romantic and sexual relationships end in regret, sadness, and loss. Those initial feelings of excitement and connection seem to slip through our fingers; they just fade away, and we’re not sure why that happened. Nevertheless, men and women continue to hope to find that elusive “soul mate,” a relationship of sustained vitality. But so often, partners descend into what... [Read more]

So he made the cut and called again…Awesome! But even if the first date went amazingly well, it’s the second that often determines if things are going to move forward or fizzle out. Here’s how to make sure that second date isn’t your last.

1. Break Out the Bandage Dress
You wore jeans, heels, and a cute top on the first date, right? Nice. This time, you’ll want to keep... [Read more]

How do you know what you’re getting into with another person? How can you tell what you really need? Novelist and therapist Amy Bloom offers an intensive session in cultivating insight and understanding.

Lesson I: Know Yourself
It’s a good and bad thing to be considered an expert in love. I don’t think there’s any point in pretending that you get to be an expert... [Read more]

If you want to withstand the divorce epidemic you must self-vaccinate by learning upgraded conflict skills. The skills that I am going to give you may make the difference in determining if your marriage will last.

A recent study at the University of California reports that divorce tends to spread through groups, and that the emotions can be transferred like a virus. We all know marriage has... [Read more]

Have you ever felt that certain patterns keep popping up in your relationships with significant others, family, friends, bosses or coworkers and wondered why? After a relationship breakup or divorce is an ideal time to explore this. Most of us, often without realizing it, follow distinct patterns in our relationships–patterns that may be ingrained in our personalities. It’s unrealistic,... [Read more]

You know not to book your venue before you set a budget. You even know the differences between addressing inner and outer envelopes. But do you know who should get their hair and makeup done first: you or your bridesmaids? Read on for the answer, plus other no-nos you may not know about.

1. Try not to get attached to your flower choices.
When you book your florist a year before your... [Read more]

Is your relationship in good shape? Are you sure? Tara Parker-Pope reveals the surprising habits that can sink a marriage.

Can you spot a good marriage? I was pretty sure I could, starting with my own. My husband and I rarely argued, we had similar careers, we shared common interests. Things weren’t perfect, but we seemed to be humming along in harmony better than most other couples... [Read more]

1. Your Exes
Nobody wants to hear about who came before them in a potential relationship. Keep the ex talk to a solid zero. Ex talk just makes a person feel compared to people that shouldn’t matter anymore.

2. Your Experiences Online
Keep the business of dating to yourself. Do not discuss your experiences dating online, in services, with matchmakers, etc. This keeps the... [Read more]

Is it love, or a mutual strangulation society? Martha Beck shows you five ways to get a real grip on the real thing.
In a folktale that has been retold for centuries in many variations (one of which is Shakespeare’s King Lear), an elderly king asks his three daughters how much they love him. The two older sisters deliver flowery speeches of filial adoration, but the youngest says only... [Read more]