Ask a Matchmaker

Maria is joined once again by Melanie Cooke to take your questions on the hotline. If you want to ask Maria question on a future episode, follow her on Instagram to know when the hotline will open up again: http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria  Melanie Cooke is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and private practice owner. She works with high performers who are outwardly successful, but struggle with feelings of dissatisfaction, emptiness, and confusion--who feel that something is missing and who want to feel whole, but don't know how to. She helps them better understand their emotions, establish boundaries, balance control with acceptance, and work through conflict in order to have more fulfilling relationships. She practices trauma-informed Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Gestalt therapies, along with body based mindfulness because our emotions, fears, and wounds are as much in our bodies as they are in our minds. So is healing. Learn more about Melanie at https://www.melaniecookelmhc.com/ *****Let's work together!***** Let’s work together! https://calendly.com/felix-louie  Register for our Tulum retreat! http://agapeescapes.com (a few spots left!) or join an upcoming virtual  Intensive! https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/   Follow Maria on instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria 

A new documentary on Amazon Prime “Shiny Happy People”  about the Duggar family has been sparking up conversations about the Institute in Basic Life Principles, or IBLP.  Today, Maria talks to an anonymous guest who grew up in IBLP and how it affected her life. She talks about her cheating husband, what it was like when she had to have an abortion and what she’s doing now moving forward. WaPo article referenced in episode: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2023/christian-home-schoolers-revolt/ *****Let's work together!***** Let’s work together! https://calendly.com/felix-louie  Register for our Tulum retreat! http://agapeescapes.com (a few spots left!) or join an upcoming virtual  Intensive! https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/   Follow Maria on instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria 

Drinking culture is prevalent in society and especially dating. Sarah Levy decided she wanted to take control of her life and stopped drinking. She wrote a book about it and joins Maria to tell her story! Plus she talks about having a long distance relationship with a guy she met on the other side of the country, who is now her husband!  Sarah Levy is a writer and the author of Drinking Games, a memoir in essays that explores the role alcohol has in our formative years and what it means to opt out of a culture completely enmeshed in drinking. Drinking Games was named a most anticipated book by Good Morning America, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BuzzFeed, Apple Books, and Pure Wow and has been featured on “Best Of” lists by Glamour, Goodreads, and more. Sarah’s writing explores sobriety, relationships, culture, and identity and has been published by The New York Times, The Cut, Cosmopolitan, Cup of Jo, Vogue, and TIME, among other outlets. She is a graduate of Brown University, where she studied English and Creative Writing. Get a copy of “Drinking Games: A Memoir” at https://amzn.to/3N0NON3  Follow Sarah on… Instagram: http://instagram.com/sarahllevy  Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahliliane  Learn more about Sarah at www.sarahllevy.com  *****Let's work together!***** Let’s work together! https://calendly.com/felix-louie  Register for our Tulum retreat! http://agapeescapes.com (a few spots left!) or join an upcoming virtual  Intensive! https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/   Follow Maria on instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria 

You have questions, Maria has answers! It’s another hotline edition! If you want to chat with Maria on an upcoming episode, follow her on Instagram so you know when the hotline opens next: http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria  This week on the hotline… The mindset to have if you’re dating while living with your parents. (it’s okay!) They were supposed to have a mini golf date this weekend, but he never finished planning it! Maria tells our caller what to say and texts him live on the show! She’s in her 40s and having a hard time finding men on the apps. It’s their anniversary and she’s upset that he hasn’t made a grand gesture about it. *****Let's work together!***** Let’s work together! https://calendly.com/felix-louie  Register for our Tulum retreat! http://agapeescapes.com (a few spots left!) or join an upcoming virtual  Intensive! https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/   Follow Maria on instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria 

This week, Maria sits down with Melanie Cooke and has a deep conversation into attachment theory. You’ll learn the different types of attachment, how avoidant attachment is prevalent in today’s dating environment and what you can do to make sure you are your best for a healthy relationship.    Melanie Cooke is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and private practice owner. She works with high performers who are outwardly successful, but struggle with feelings of dissatisfaction, emptiness, and confusion--who feel that something is missing and who want to feel whole, but don't know how to. She helps them better understand their emotions, establish boundaries, balance control with acceptance, and work through conflict in order to have more fulfilling relationships. She practices trauma-informed Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Gestalt therapies, along with body based mindfulness because our emotions, fears, and wounds are as much in our bodies as they are in our minds. So is healing. Learn more about Melanie at https://www.melaniecookelmhc.com/ Join Maria and Melanie on the next Hotline - Wednesday, July 5: https://agapematch.wufoo.com/forms/z1ou628l1vanjkl/ *****Let's work together!***** Let’s work together! https://calendly.com/felix-louie  Register for our Tulum retreat! http://agapeescapes.com (a few spots left!) or join an upcoming virtual  Intensive! https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/   Follow Maria on instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria 

Tinder just came out with a (gorgeous looking!) report called The Future of Dating 2023, looking at dating trends and what Gen Z thinks of online dating. Here to decode the data is Erika Ettin. Erika Ettin is an online dating expert and dating coach who helps people navigate the world of online dating. Her expertise includes profile creation, photo selection and photography, message writing, and date planning. She is also the author of the book Love at First Site: Tips & Tales for Online Dating Success from a Modern-Day Matchmaker and the co-host of the popular dating podcast “So, We Met Online…” Check out The Future of Dating Report here: https://filecache.mediaroom.com/mr5mr_tinder/179342/Copy_of_FOD_Report_2023_FINAL.pdf  Find Erika on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ALittleNudge/  *****Let's work together!***** Let’s work together! https://calendly.com/felix-louie  Register for our Tulum retreat! http://agapeescapes.com (a few spots left!) or join an upcoming virtual Intensive! https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/   Follow Maria on instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria 

Why are women freezing their eggs in record numbers? Talking about this important subject this week is Professor Marcia C. Inhorn. She is a Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at Yale University and author of Cosmopolitan Conceptions: IVF Sojourns in Global Dubai. Her new book, Motherhood on Ice: The Mating Gap and Why Women Freeze Their Eggs, explores this question by drawing on the stories of more than 150 women who pursued fertility preservation technology. Moving between narratives of pain and empowerment, these nuanced personal stories reveal the complexity of women’s lives as they struggle to preserve and extend their fertility. You can find where to get a copy of “Motherhood on Ice: The Mating Gap and Why Women Freeze Their Eggs” at https://nyupress.org/9781479813049/motherhood-on-ice/  *****Let's work together!***** Let’s work together! https://calendly.com/felix-louie  Follow Maria on instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria  And join an upcoming Intensive! https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/   Or register for our Tulum retreat! http://agapeescapes.com 

What if you could make friends with your anxiety? What if you could learn to leverage your anxiety to be a gift? We look at anxiety as such a bad thing, but so often our anxiety is trying to tell us something. Learning how to harness that can be a game changer.  This week’s conversation could help you change your life. Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. Her TED talk has over 31 million views and was the 2nd most viewed ted talk of 2018. She’s the author of “Healthy Brain, Happy Life” and “Good Anxiety” which is now available wherever books are sold.  Learn more about Dr. Suzuki’s work at… https://www.goodanxiety.com/ https://www.wendysuzuki.com/ Follow Dr. Suzuki on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/wendy.suzuki/  *****Let's work together!***** Is matchmaking right for you? Let’s find out!  https://calendly.com/felix-louie  Follow Maria on instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria  And join an upcoming Intensive! https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/  

This week’s guests are Drs. Glenn and Phyllis Hill. Dr Glenn & Phyllis Hill spent the first 30 years of their marriage living in disconnect. Their first sexual experience sent them into years of avoidance and pain. Dr Glenn was so determined to find out what went wrong that he went back to school & became a Marriage & Family Therapist and a Clinical Sexologist. But, it wasn't until he dug deep into emotional regulation where he discovered the source of all of their disconnect. From there, Dr Glenn & Phyllis created The Connection Codes which is a framework to help couples connect emotionally and physically using their 4 minute tool. Now, they are authors, speakers, and have Connection Coders in over 50 countries who are living in peace in their relationships. Download the Core Emotion Wheel, THE tool to conquer conflict in just 4 minutes for FREE at https://www.connectioncodes.co/matchmaker  Learn more about the Connection Codes at https://www.connectioncodes.co/  Pick up a copy of “The Connection Codes: The Blueprint & Tools for Creating the Relationships You Crave” at https://www.amazon.com/Connection-Codes-Blueprint-Creating-Relationships/dp/B09BSKMCJM/  Follow on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/connectioncodes/  *****Let's work together!***** Is matchmaking right for you? Let’s find out!  https://calendly.com/felix-louie  Follow Maria on instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria  And join an upcoming Intensive! https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/  

***Matchmaker Maria’s Eurovision Party in NYC this weekend, Saturday, May 13! Get tickets now! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/matchmaker-marias-eurovision-party-tickets-617316860347 *** This week on the hotline, Maria is joined by her BFF and fellow matchmaker, Laurie Berzack! She’s the founder of Carolinas Matchmaker and the host of the Love on the Go podcast. Read the VOX article mentioned in the episode: https://www.vox.com/policy/2023/5/3/23707936/surgeon-general-loneliness-epidemic-report  Follow Laurie on Instagram at http://instagram.com/carolinasmatchmaker  Follow Laurie on TikTok at http://tiktok.com/@carolinasmatchmaker  Listen to the Love on the Go podcast on… Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/love-on-the-go/id1631398944  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ZLPYIsjL3p8HYYjaAXwax  *****Let's work together!***** Is matchmaking right for you? Let’s find out!  https://calendly.com/felix-louie  Follow Maria on instagram at http://instagram.com/matchmakermaria  And join an upcoming Intensive! https://agapematch.com/agape-group-coaching-intensive/