Terry Real returns to the podcast to discuss his new book, Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. Terry is the creator of Relational Life Therapy (RLT), a methodology that helps individuals become conscious of negative behaviors and guides them through trauma and inner-child work in the presence of their partners in order to build stronger one-on-one relationships. Terry’s new book expands on the foundations of RLT, helping couples move beyond toxic individualism and in...
Jun 26, 2023•47 min
This is the second time we welcome Dr. Bill Doherty on LOVELINK. Dr. Doherty is a family therapist and professor in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. He is the co-founder of The Doherty Relationship Institute, helping couples on the brink and using his model of discernment counseling, to work through ambivalence around breaking up or staying together. In our last interview, we discussed dating, breakups, and how to choose a partner. Today, we are thrilled to...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 43
In this interview, Caroline Welch, CEO and co-founder of the Mindsight Institute in Santa Monica, CA, talks to us about the importance of presence in helping women stay grounded in their lives. Caroline teaches us how mindful awareness can inform the three Ps, Purpose (finding what matters to us), Pivoting (making changes), and Pacing (the speed of life), to help women live with more awareness and authenticity. Caroline also opens up about her own journey toward cultivating presence through her ...
Nov 28, 2022•43 min•Ep. 42
Dr. Dan Siegel is an expert on parenting and the brain. He has written six books on parenting, including NYT bestsellers Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain , The Whole Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind , and No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind . He is a professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, the co-founder of Mindful Awareness Research Center at UCLA, and has a ps...
Sep 12, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 41
In this interview, psychologist Michael Clemmens provides an overview of Gestalt therapy, a form of psychotherapy focused on helping people develop their present moment awareness. Dr. Clemmens describes how our ability to feel ourselves increases our choices and allows for a more meaningful lived experience. With his clear and engaging way of being, Dr. Clemmens embodies present moment awareness, inspiring us to do the same. We would recommend this podcast to anyone interested in the benefits of...
Jul 17, 2022•43 min•Ep. 40
We welcome back Dr. Ian Kerner, renowned sex therapist and best selling author of “She Comes First.” As one of the most well known voices in the field of sex therapy, Ian integrates both a biological and psychodynamic understanding of sexuality, making his work both deep in understanding as well as incredibly practical. In our interview, Ian discusses his most recent book, “So Tell Me About The Last Time You Had Sex.” As the first question in his sessions to couples in sexual distress, Ian walks...
Mar 28, 2022•53 min•Ep. 39
The majority of people will become parents, a role of enormous importance and influence, yet few people have any training (other than their own childhoods) to set them up for success. After the birth of a first child, it’s common to feel overwhelmed and in information overload. Toddlers, with their big and increasingly complex emotions, don’t make life any easier! Thankfully, clinicians like Alice Kaltman are here to help. With her solution focused, no nonsense approach, Alice helps parents beco...
Jan 21, 2022•52 min•Ep. 38
We welcome back one of our favorite guests, Dr. Alexandra Solomon to give us the sex education we wished we had in high school. Her newest book “Taking Sexy Back” is all about reclaiming sexuality and cultivating sexual self-awareness by being curious about your pleasures and desires. Sex is more than just what your partner finds sexy or what society tells us we should do. It’s about creating space for yourself to discover and empower your sexual identity. We also discuss our optimism and concer...
Dec 07, 2021•50 min•Ep. 37
Harville Hendrix Ph.D. and Helen LaKelly Hunt Ph.D. are the creators of Imago Relationship Therapy, a popular form of couples therapy centered around helping couples learn to dialogue with each other in ways that build safety and connection. In this interview, Harville and Helen talk about how they developed Imago and share how they were able to use the model to reconnect in their own marriage. They talk about how childhood influences who we chose to partner with, accepting and working with the ...
Oct 03, 2021•53 min•Ep. 36
The decision to go on psychiatric medication is not an easy one. Worries about being overly dependent, experiencing negative side effects, and the stigma of medication prevent many people from considering an option that could be extremely beneficial. On the flip side, medical communities too often default to a quick fix and neglect other factors in a person's life that may be contributing to their depression and anxiety. Our interview with Dr. Sue Varma, psychiatrist and professor at NYU Langone...
Jul 01, 2021•51 min•Ep. 35
Mike Moran is a couples and sex therapist and educator specializing in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. He’s also our clinical supervisor and has helped us navigate many challenging cases, so we have firsthand knowledge of how clinically gifted and wise he is! In this interview, Mike talks to us about the unique experiences gay couples bring to therapy and what straight couples can learn from them. We talk about the impact of growing up in a homophobic culture, embracing sexual fluidity, and...
Apr 16, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 34
Finding a therapist can seem like an impossible task. Questions like, is therapy right for me? Where do I begin? Or how long will treatment last may be swarming around your head. In this discussion with each other, Signe and Simone break down what therapy is all about, the different treatment models, whether it's right for you, and how to find a therapist that's a good fit and to avoid the red flags! It's not an easy world to navigate and we're hoping that this episode makes finding a therapist ...
Mar 01, 2021•36 min•Ep. 33
Dr. Marisa Cohen is a relationship scientist and dating coach who knows a lot about online dating from her personal and professional experience. In this interview Dr. Cohen talks about how online dating has changed the way people meet and connect and provides helpful, scientifically grounded advice about how to optimize your dating profile and dating experiences. We explored a lot of interesting and surprising facts! Among the many topics covered, we learned why Las Vegas is a great place for wo...
Jan 12, 2021•58 min•Ep. 32
Dr. Rich Simon was a psychologist and editor of the award winning magazine, Psychotherapy Networker, a bi-monthly bible for therapists seeking the latest clinical wisdom. In this interview, Rich spoke with Signe (his daughter) and Simone about his long career watching the field of psychotherapy evolve and what he learned about healing. Rich suffered from bipolar disorder and the treatments he received over the past four years did not provide relief. He chose to end his pain on November 10, 2020,...
Dec 14, 2020•57 min•Ep. 31
Dr. Tara Brach is a psychologist and meditation teacher who beautifully integrates western psychology with eastern practices into her teachings. Speaking with Dr. Brach is like a meditation unto itself. She calms the spirit and offers hope in a time that feels overwhelming and unpredictable. She talked to us about social activism through self-compassion work and walked us through her powerful tool for mindfulness and self love. A must listen to, now more than ever!
Oct 25, 2020•53 min•Ep. 30
Men in our culture are socialized out of vulnerability, making it difficult to connect intimately with others and connect with emotions. In this interview (with two vulnerable men), psychologist Dr. David Gordon and Evryman co-founder and CEO Lucas Krump , address male competition, male friendship, how men protect themselves from emotional pain and its cost, and the power of opening up. This is recommended listening for any man who’s interested in therapy or curious about how to get in touch wit...
Sep 20, 2020•59 min•Ep. 29
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a popular approach to psychotherapy created by our guest Dr. Richard Schwartz. He developed the model when treating eating disorders and realized that his clients would describe various parts within themselves that respond to one another in harmful ways. He discovered that when these different parts accept one another in order to work together harmoniously, a person can live a life with greater curiosity, connectedness, compassion, and calmness. This pod explores...
Aug 17, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 28
Most of us have engaged in or been on the receiving end of playing hard to get, a strategy people have used throughout history to appear more desirable to a potential mate. In this down to earth and informative interview, clinical psychologist and dating researcher, Dr. Kirby Goldin, gives us some straight talk grounded in research about the function of playing hard to get, who plays hard to get, and its consequences. Kirby also shares personal stories and offers up some valuable advice on datin...
Jul 22, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 27
Dr. Will Siu is a psychiatrist, speaker, and expert on psychedelics. He has been featured on the Netflix show The Goop Lab and has been trained by MAPS in MDMA-assisted Psychotherapy. In this informative, moving, and existential conversation, we talk about how psychedelics are amplifiers of the unconscious, the research behind them, and Will’s personal experience with depression, loneliness, and his journey towards healing and discovering psychedelics. Let’s face it, psychedelics are becoming pr...
Jun 09, 2020•59 min•Ep. 26
ADHD is a condition that makes it difficult for a person to pay attention and control impulsive behaviors. While often diagnosed in children, many adults struggle with ADHD without ever realizing they have a disorder. In this interview, Dr. Tuckman draws from his research of over 3000 adults in a couple in which one partner has ADHD, and shares with us the ways ADHD impacts a couple's relationship and sex life. He reveals some surprising outcomes, including that couples with ADHD have more sex! ...
Apr 27, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 25
In our first pod featuring LOVELINK, Dr. Simon and Dr. Humphrey have a casual conversation on the coronavirus. We talk about the social implications, how to emotionally connect while practicing social distancing, and ways to manage anxiety during a time of uncertainty. We also share our own experiences of living with a partner in extremely close quarters and what it's like to collaborate virtually. During this challenging and turbulent moment, we remember that we are all in this together and con...
Mar 22, 2020•39 min•Ep. 24
Dr. Suzanne Iasenza is like a cool aunt you can talk to about sex without worrying she’ll tell your parents. She’s warm, funny, and non-judgmental. In this highly informative interview, Dr. Iasenza talks to us about the fluidity of sexual preferences and what we can learn about our partner and ourselves when we stop judging and start getting curious. Iasenza provides concrete strategies for helping people get comfortable talking about sex and playful ideas for increasing intimacy. If you’re seek...
Feb 12, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 23
Dr. Amelia Kaplan Romanowsky is a psychologist, professor, and author. She has co-authored the book Treating Affect Phobia , teaches at Montclair University, and has a private practice in Maplewood, NJ where she specializes in couples therapy. Developing healthy boundaries is a pillar of Dr. Romanowky's clinical work and she teaches this to her clients in both individual and couples therapy. To hold healthy boundaries helps contribute to a positive self regard as well as cultivating open and res...
Dec 30, 2019•33 min•Ep. 22
Women in straight relationships are increasingly making more than their male counterparts. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29% of women earned more than their male partners in 2016, up from 18% in the 1980’s ( https://nyti.ms/2O6SLXi ). This sounds like good news, yet our culture spins a narrative that breadwinning women spells disaster for couples ( https://on.mktw.net/2Xz3exQ ). In this interview, Dr. Lina Perl walks us through her research on breadwinner women that debunks curren...
Nov 21, 2019•52 min•Ep. 21
Dirty Lola is a sex educator, storyteller, and creator of Sex Ed A Go-GO, a live sex Q&A talk show performed regularly in NYC and taken around the country. She teaches sex education at conferences, universities, and you can find her behind the counter at Shag, a sex shop in Brooklyn. In this fun and at times provocative interview, Lola teaches us all about kink and BDSM, what it means to experience pleasure through pain, and the potential for empowerment and healing in submission to a partne...
Sep 03, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 20
Jette Simon is a Danish clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with couples from around the world. She is an Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy trainer and Director of the Washington DC Training Institute for Couples Therapy and EFT Institute in Copenhagen. She’s also Signe’s mom! In this personal interview with us from 2017, she shares insights from her past romantic relationships and her clinical work with couples. We talk about what makes for a good relationship, the ...
Jul 18, 2019•50 min•Ep. 19
This is the second episode in our series on women, sex, and tech. We are strong supporters of female entrepreneurs, as ones ourselves, and it’s been so exciting to pick the brains of like minded women who are dedicated to spreading sex education and promoting sexual wellness. Our guest today is the cofounder of Allbodies (formerly Cycles and Sex), an education platform to teach people about their bodies. With an emphasis on the reproductive cycle and sexual wellness, Allbodies is a company whose...
Jun 20, 2019•29 min•Ep. 18
In this engaging interview, polyamory expert and coach, Effy Blue, talks to us about what makes for successful poly relationships and how to decide whether a polyamorous lifestyle is right for you. Effy shares her personal journey from monogamy to polyamory and offers up lots of practical advice about everything from talking to your monogamous partner about polyamory, how to think about scheduling poly relationships, and effective communication skills. Even if you're monogamous, you might be sur...
Apr 24, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 17
Dr. Jacob Ham is a clinical psychologist who specializes in working with couples and trauma. He is the director of the Center for Child Trauma and Resilience and assistant clinical professor and supervisor at Mount Sinai in New York City. This episode is a sequel to our first interview with Dr. Ham (Ep 8 - Haunted By History: Love After Trauma), where we are introduced to a couple struggling with connection in the face of jealousy. This time, we listen to segments of a subsequent therapy session...
Feb 21, 2019•1 hr 7 min
This episode is part one of a series on women, sex, and tech. We interviewed founders, Gina Gutierrez and Faye Keegan, founders of their company Dipsea, a tech company that offers audio stories for a new platform to foster sexual wellbeing. The stories range in genre, perspective, and mood, and are designed to turn their listeners on and help them to feel sexy. We picked their brains on female sexuality and how the mind is such a crucial and often neglected form of foreplay, the excitement and c...
Jan 14, 2019•31 min
