What is your ideal mate?

One of the more difficult personalities to navigate is the passive aggressive partner.  At best they are nondisclosive leaving one with more questions than answers as to what they are thinking or behaving.  At worst they can sabotage a relationship or leave their partner whipsawed by emotional swings that seemingly come out of thin air but actually betray hidden emotions and disguised reactions.  In the episode, Alvean and Doug take on this difficult subject and offer suggestions for how best to recognize and handle passive aggressive behavior. For a full transcript, click here: 68-The Passive-Aggressive Partner

Perhaps no invention of the 21st century has had a more profound impact on relationships than social media.  Part of the challenge is that it tends to place relationships under a microscope for all the world to see while heightening the emotional stakes greatly.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug try to bring a reality check for listeners who find themselves in the midst of a unfolding drama that perhaps they did not bargain for.  For a full transcript, click here: 64-Relationships and Social Media

Somer see it as a blessing while others may be fearful or feel unprepared.  Parenthood is in some ways the last of the unskilled occupations, one we are seldom prepared for but children are both more resilient and forgiving of our inevitable mistakes as long as we keep love at the forefront of all that we do.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug help listeners find that path.  For a full transcript, click here: 65-Parenthood

It is a big step and it can lead to a stronger and more durable realtionship or reveal fundamental issues.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug discuss the pitfalls and blessings of living together as a step in the progression of a loving relationship. Fora a complete transcript, click here: 63-Moving In Together

Do you show your love with physical affections, acts of service, gifts or in some other ways?  These are different languages by which we express our love for another. There are no better or worse, right or wrong ways, but knowing how you and your mate express your feelings can be of enormous help in assuring you are communicating your feelings clearly.  Alvean and Doug offer a primer on the love languages and how they affect relationships.  For a full transcript, click here: 66-The Love Languages

Do you find yourself complicit in helping your loved ones engage in or continue to do things which you know are not in their best interests?  If so, you may be an enabler.  We may feel trapped into this behavior, or find that our desire to please takes us down a path where we are harming more than helping.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug help listeners recognize the signs and discuss the ways in which one can help without hurting a loved one.  For a full transcript, click here: 67-Are you an Enabler?

Have you ever pictured the person that would be your ideal mate?  What makes them ideal, and what does that reveal about you? If you are in a relationship now, how does this person compare?  In this episode, Alvean and Doug tackle these and similar questions that probe the borders of our emotional landscape.  For a full transcript, click here: LL62-Your ideal mate

Couples who have been in a long and loving relationship often say that their significant other is their best friend.  in the age of social media, what does being a friend really mean? In this episode, Alvean and Doug take on that question and offer some thoughts about the value of friendship in our romantic and otherwise personal lives. For a transcript, click here: LL61-Are you a good friend?

For some, intimacy is simply code language for sex.  For others it describes a deep emotional bond.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug discuss the various forms of intimacy couples may experience and how best to ensure that those feelings are both mutual and sustainable.

Love comes in many forms and times in our lives but true, sustained and deep love is both rare and enduring.  How does one tell the difference, and how what are the lessons we can take from those couples that have experienced true love?  In this episode, Alvean and Doug talk about both their own personal experience of true love and offer some insight on how to create an emotional climate that will foster true love.