Reimagining Love with Dr. Alexandra Solomon

Celebrity dating coach Damona Hoffman stops by Reimagining Love to deliver sage and practical advice for daters. With decades of experience in online dating, Damona gives Dr. Alexandra an update on the current state of the apps and explains why so many daters are feeling burnt out. Instead of looking for red flags and buying into tired dating myths, Damona believes the key is getting specific about what we want and who we are, so that we can use the apps as a tool instead of a toy.Relevant links:F the Fairy Tale: Rewrite the Dating Myths and Live Your Own Love Story by Damona HoffmanListen to Dates & Mates with Damona HoffmanOrder Dr. Alexandra's new book, Love Every DaySubscribe to Dr. Alexandra’s NewsletterSubmit a Listener Question Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Therapist Nedra Tawwab discusses managing difficult family relationships, setting boundaries, and accepting changes within family dynamics. Topics include in-laws dynamics, navigating past differences, and making tough decisions. Insights on patience, self-compassion, and ending toxic relationships are explored, highlighting the importance of communication and understanding in fostering healthier family connections.

In this solo episode, Dr. Alexandra examines a central tension in all relationships: the need for space versus togetherness. If you often find yourself wanting more connection, are you needy? If you typically need more space, are you avoidant? Here, Dr. Alexandra encourages us to ditch the labels and pathology, and instead acknowledge that both space and connection are fundamental needs in an intimate relationship. To help you navigate this, Dr. Alexandra shines a light on the meaning we assign to our orientations around space and shares strategies to help you and your partner create agreements that maximize connection and minimize resentment.Relevant links:Access this episode's companion worksheet hereMating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence by Esther PerelReimagining Love Episode: "Let's Talk About 'Sleep Divorces'"Hermeneutic Labor: The Gendered Burden of Interpretation in Intimate Relationships between Women and Men by Ellie AndersonOrder Dr. Alexandra's new book, Love Every DaySubscribe to Dr. Alexandra’s NewsletterSubmit a Listener Question Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Author Molly Roden Winter joins Reimagining Love to share her story of opening up her marriage as a happily married mother and the hard-earned and profound truths she learned along the way. For Molly, her journey of non-monogamy opened her up to more: more choice and self-discovery, and feeling more than her roles as a mother and wife. Relevant links:More: A Memoir of Open Marriage by Molly Roden WinterNew York Magazine's "A Practical Guide to Modern Polyamory"Connect with Molly onlineOrder Dr. Alexandra's new book, Love Every DaySubscribe to Dr. Alexandra’s NewsletterSubmit a Listener Question Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What would change if, instead of prioritizing romantic relationships, we made friendships the center of our lives? NPR's Rhaina Cohen joins Reimagining Love to explore the possibilities embedded within that question. In her new book, Rhaina invites us into the worlds of people who've organized their lives around deep friendship and, in doing so, challenge our ideas and assumptions about which relationships should be at the heart of a fulfilling life. Relevant links:The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina CohenListen to "Dear Friend," the song inspired by Rhaina's bookConnect with Rhaina online"Parent–adult child estrangement in the United States by gender, race/ethnicity, and sexuality" from the Journal of Marriage and FamilyOrder Dr. Alexandra's new book, Love Every DaySubscribe to Dr. Alexandra’s NewsletterSubmit a Listener Question Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mark Groves and Kylie McBeath join Reimagining Love to share the story of their relationship—the story that inspired their new book, Liberated Love: Release Codependent Patterns and Create the Love You Desire. In this conversation, they get vulnerable about how they moved from breaking up to fostering breakthroughs; a journey they nurtured through what they call 'a sacred pause.' In the sacred pause, they identified the patterns that blocked their ability to find authentic love so that they could build a new relationship rooted in safety and interdependence.Relevant links: Liberated Love: Release Codependent Patterns and Create the Love You Desire by Mark Groves and Kylie McBeathAfter purchasing Liberated Love, access the PDF Workbook and free Meditation Order Dr. Alexandra's new book, Love Every DaySubscribe to Dr. Alexandra’s NewsletterSubmit a Listener Question Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Throughout her decades as a therapist, Dr. Alexandra has helped many people navigate being "the affair partner." Participating in infidelity creates an intoxicating yet profoundly confusing blend of emotions and experiences. In this episode, Dr. Alexandra examines the psychology of this role and offers a compassionate look into the surrounding context: the thrills, secret benefits, sources of shame, and potential origin stories embedded within this controversial role.Relevant links:"A Great Wagon" by RumiJournal of Sex & Martial Therapy: "Object of Desire Self-Consciousness Theory" by Anthony F. Bogaert and Lori A. Brotto"Taking Sexy Back" by Dr. Alexandra SolomonFacebook Group: Esther Perel Discussion GroupReimagining Love episode: "Guidance for the Newly Single"Order Dr. Alexandra’s new book, Love Every DaySubscribe to Dr. Alexandra’s NewsletterSubmit a Listener Question Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this solo episode, Dr. Alexandra confronts a common roadblock to repair: shame. Often, in the wake of relational harm, feelings of shame secretly run the show, causing you to get combative and defensive or freeze, flee, or fawn in essential moments. Dr. Alexandra provides strategies for moving from shame into action—so that you can make yourself available for repair—and gives tangible tips for how to make a heartfelt and effective apology.Relevant links:Access this episode's companion worksheet hereReimagining Love episode: "Why Can't I Get Over It?"Dr. Alexandra's e-course: Can I Trust You Again? Rebuilding after Betrayal or DeceitBrené Brown's TED Talk: Listening to ShameBuilding Self-Esteem: How Learning from Shame Helps Us to Grow by Joseph BurgoOrder Dr. Alexandra’s new book, Love Every DaySubscribe to Dr. Alexandra’s NewsletterSubmit a Listener Question Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ten years after "conscious uncoupling" first entered the public lexicon, Katherine Woodward Thomas joins Reimagining Love to discuss her powerful rebrand of what's possible after a breakup or divorce. Through sharing her story and dissecting the cultural myths that cause us to view divorce as a failure, Katherine encourages us to bring a sense of generosity and intentionality to the process so that we can transform our relationships with our former partner, ourselves, and our futures.Relevant links:Conscious Uncoupling: 5 Steps to Living Happily Even After by Katherine Woodward ThomasCalling in the One: 7 Weeks to Attract the Love of Your Life (Revised) by Katherine Woodward ThomasConnect with Katherine online and on InstagramMarriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage by Stephanie CoontzThe Good Divorce by Constance AhronsUncoupling: Turning Points in Intimate Relationships by Diane VaughanOrder Dr. Alexandra's new book, Love Every DaySubscribe to Dr. Alexandra’s NewsletterSubmit a Listener Question Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Esther Boykin joins Dr. Alexandra for an expansive conversation around the intersection of mental health and our careers. Esther highlights the difference between self-care and self-compassion, and points us towards using self-compassion as an essential tool for improving both our personal and work lives. When we bring self-compassion to our careers, we prevent burnout by opening up a deeper connection to our common humanity. Together, Esther and Dr. Alexandra then respond to a listener who thinks her relationship is being held back by her partner's ambition.Relevant links:Connect with Esther online and on InstagramLearn more about Therapy Is Not A Dirty Word and the Compassion CollectiveWho Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork by Dan SullivanReimagining Love episode: "Talking about the Future: Navigating a Pace Discrepancy"Order Dr. Alexandra's new book, Love Every DaySubscribe to Dr. Alexandra’s NewsletterSubmit a Listener Question Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.