Episodes

Movies and TV talk about real love, meaningful relationships but what exactly does that look like? We know that the model held up to us is an ideal, probably not what we have experienced. In this episode Alvean and Doug offer some thoughts on how to know whether your experience is in fact real love. A full transcript is offered here:LL04

Can the act of loving expand our capacity to love? In this episode, Alvean and Doug discuss what we really experience when we fully and unselfishly give our hearts away to another. A full transcript is available here: LL03

Consciously or otherwise most of us choose models for living, for parenting, in our relationships and work. Who you choose says a great deal about your values and moral compass, but also defines the version of yourself you wish to show the world. In this episode, Alvean and Doug talk about how we model ourselves on others and why. A full transcript can be found here: LL02

Hear how Alvean and Doug –a seemingly unlikelly pair found each other and began their partnership in LoveLife. LL01-

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 re...

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 Enabl...

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.

Love can happen at any age, but some people believe there is a use by date for themselves. Past that date, they feel they are no longer able to find or keep a mate. In this episode, Alvean and Doug dispel the many myths about age as a factor in relationships and offer so counsel on how to overcome the feelings of missed opportunity.

Most people have those nights where they lie awake remembering something in their past for which they have regret. But regrets can sometimes be overwhelming and get in the way of couples moving forward. In this episode, Alvean and Doug talk about ways to find an appropriate perspective on the past and strategies to avoid allowing regrets from becoming stumbling blocks to happiness in the present.

When couples decide to merge families and children from one or both partners become part of a new family things can go smoothly or very badly depending on how parent's prepare for the changes ahead. In this episode, Alvean and Doug offer their thoughts on the process and strategies for creating inclusion and acceptance.

Ideally as we age together in a relationship we grow closer and stronger. But people do not always age equally, and how we look at another, our sense of attraction and our acceptance of those changes can sometimes add challenges. In this episode, Alvean and Doug talk about how those changes can affect couples and how they can learn to grow closer and even more bonded as they age.

Relationships can end for many reasons but one of the most difficult causes is when there is another person involved. Sometimes that other person is a newborn or a child from another relationship. In this episode, Alvean and Doug discuss the ways in which couples can cope with the array of feelings that may occur and how they can find resolution by redefining their definition of us.

Men (and women) can often be difficult to read. They say or do one thing but mean something entirely different. Learning to read the differences between what people say and what they feel takes some practice but there are ways to read the clues as subtle as they may be at times. Alvean and Doug offer a guide book to the obvious and less clear signals we send , even when we think we are being discrete and suggest ways to help our partners reveal their innermost feelings in an environment built on...

have you ever wondered if there are still any good men or women out there? It’s a pretty common question to ask, especially when one has been through less than ideal dating experiences. The good news is that there are men and women with whom you might find an enduring relationship but you need to know how to spot them long before you decide to enter into anything long term. Alvean and Doug offer some pointers on how to approach the challenge and ways in which we can be our own worst obstacle if ...

It goes without saying that breaking up is hard, and sometimes we make it even harder on ourselves and our soon to be ex. While no one can relieve you entirely of the pain of breaking up–regardless of who initiated the it, there are ways to move forward that can minimize the hurt and in time help both parties to move on whole and happy. Alvean and Doug discuss the ways in which one can process the end of a relationship without incurring or causing anger, resentment, or the need for retribution. ...

The arrival of a child forever changes the dynamics of a relationship, usually for the better, but sometimes it can add strains to an already unstable relationship. Alvean and Doug talk about how to overcome the challenges of new parenthood and accommodate the loving addition of a new life into an existing family. For a complete transcript, click here: LL50-And Baby Makes Three

In a perfect world a couple is loved and supported by their respective families but sometimes that turns out to be more of a challenge than not. There is such a thing as toxic families, ones that pollute a relationship with negativity and place a strain on an otherwise loving couple–even to the point of dissolving their union. In this episode, Alvean and Doug offer suggestions for the best way to navigate toxic family members and chart a secure and strong relationship in the midst of corrosive b...