In this episode, Alvean and Doug take on a familiar subject--why otherwise loving couples quarrel.  The issues are relatively common, arising from differences over money, divisions of labor, intimacy, and in some cases parenting. They offer some practical suggestions about how to mediate such differences and resolve the underlying factors that lead to dis harmony in relationships.  For a full transcript, click here: LL29-Why Do Couples Quarrel?

It is said that time heals all wounds but is that true or is it love?  In this episode, Alvean and Doug talk about the healing properties of loving and being loved.  For a complete transcript, click here: LL28-Can Love Heal?

Torn between two lovers--its the popular song that this episode reflects.  Is it possible to be in love, honest and true love with two different people at the same time?  You don't have to wait for the big reveal, the answer is no, but you'll want to listen to Alvean and Doug to find out why.  Fot a full transcript, click here:LL27-Can you love two people equally?

Surely you have met someone like this--a person who believes they are the center of the universe and nothing you or anyone else says or does can dissuade them of this opinion. Well fasten your seatbelts--Alvean and Doug discuss the best way to address those who behave this way and how best to protect yourself from their outsized egos.  For more and a complete transcript, click here:LL26-It is all about me

Have you ever heard this expression--possibly from kids but sometimes said in another way it is the sentiment behind adult push back. In this episode, Alvean and Doug dissect the meaning behind that expression and why it is an important indicator of control issues that may be working behind the scenes.  For a full transcript, click here: LL24-You're not the Boss of Me

Conventional wisdom suggests the answer is yes, but is that really true.  In this episode Alvean and Doug take on the question with some surprising insights int what makes for a lively and rich relationship.  For a full transcript, click here:  LL23-Do Opposites Attract

Can you go back?  Do failed relationship work on a second try or is the damage too profound to ever repair.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug offer their thoughts on the pitfalls and possible benefits of a second chance.  For a full transcript, click here:LL21-Getting Back with Your Ex

Maybe you have had the experience or perhaps heard about such situations.  When a relationship ends it is often more than painful emotionally, some partners go that extra step to inflict even more pain, emotionally, financially, or in other ways.  How does one handle such a situation and even more pertinent, how does one avoid it in the first place.  Listen to what Alvean and Doug have to say in this episode: LL20-Vindictive Ex's

Philosophers and everyday men and women alike wrestle with the question, what is my purpose in life?  What actually matters--and how do we discover the answers?  In this episode, Alvean and Doug take on these pithy questions and offere their own experience and insights in response.  For a full transcript, click here: LL17

It sounds counter-intuitive but Alvean and Doug would tell you that some of our most painful experiences are also incredibly important teaching moments.  Although no one seeks out suffering, especially where relationships are concerned, emotional pain, loss and grief take us to places where we can look at ourselves and our lives in a more objective perspective and emerge--either through one's own devices or with help into a better and healthier life.  For a full transcript of this episode, click here:LL16

Can we truly deceive ourselves?  In this episode, Alvean and Doug talk about the ways we obfuscate, pretend and misdirect our intuition and intellect when matters of the heart are concerned. For a full transcript, click here:LL15

It may be the hardest test of a relationship, when one partner is unfaithful to the other.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug discuss how to move on --whether the relationship is at its end or otherwise and how to know the difference between someone that cheated (and why) and someone who is a cheater.  For more, and a complete transcript, click here: LL12

Doug & Alvean share stories about the best advice they ever received regarding relationships.  For a full transcript, click here: LL11

A lot has been written and said about interracial or inter-religious relationships and the challenges they pose, but really these differences are only a part of what Alvean and Doug describe as cross cultural relationships because they involve more than race or faith, but a matrix of language, behavior social and cultural norms that may be wide or narrowly different between partners. In this episode, Alvean and Doug offer some thoughts on how to energize and remain open to thsoe diferences seeing them as opportunities rather than obstacles. For a full transcript, click here: LL10

Whether as a result of divorce, widowhood, or other circumstances second marriages often face the prospect of combining families.   Where children are involved this is a delicate and potentially difficult proposition but also one that can be rewarding and a significant improvement for all involved. The results turn on how well the prospective partners relate to and communicate with their children in the months/years prior to combining their households and families.  Alvean and Doug take on this tricky subject with lots of good counsel for all concerned, parents and children. For a full transcript, click here: LL09

It has become increasingly common to find that traditional gender roles in the household are no longer --well, traditional.   Who is the primary housekeeper, parent, breadwinner?  It isn't always what one might expect which raises some questions about how best to navigate the relationship when the traditional roles no longer apply.  For many men, being the stay at home father/homekeeper is a delight but for others it is a challenge when one's spouse or partner makes more.  And it isn't limited to men and women--the same inequity questions can crop up in same sex relationships as well.  That's in part because money often is viewed as power affecting the balance of the arrangement.  Alvean and Doug talk about this perceived inequity and related questions in this episode, a complete transcript of which is available here: LL08

Perhaps a friend has said it--maybe it was you: Where are all the good  (men/women), I just can't find the one.  If you have any self awareness this should lead you to ask the question: Am I Too Picky?  You may not be, or you just might but failing to ask the question is an all too common mistake.  Let's face it, we dream of finding the ideal person--and once we get to know our intended we no sooner begin to notice the small or larger issues -things we want to change or in extreme cases cannot abide. Are we setting our sights too high, are we unrealistic or is there really a dirth of good people from whom we might choose?  For answers to these questions listen to Alvean and Doug discuss ways to identify your expectations and understand whether they are realistic or otherwise. For a complete transcript of this episode, click here: LL07