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It is a pervasive influence on our lives and some would say not a healthy one.  How does participation in social media affect our lives and our relationships for better or for worse?  Alvean and Doug discuss the subject and offer some thoughts on how to navigate this fraught space in a healthy and productive manner.  For more and a complete transcript, click here: 64-Relationships and Social Media

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Some have said that Parenthood is the last of the unskilled occupations. How do we prepare ourselves, how do we take on the necessary wisdom to raise our children to become successful and happy adults?  To answer these and other questions, Alvean and Doug offer real world examples from their own and others’ lives in this episode.  For a full transcript, click here: 65-Parenthood

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It is a momentous step and one that can make or break a relationship. Accommodating another person’s habits, posessions, and space put our affections to the test and what may be acceptable when we live apart is strained when we live together.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug talk about the stresses and pitfalls of moving in together but also the many rewards and sweetness that can accompany this step if couples are prepared.  For more on this topic and a full transcript, click here: 63-Moving In Together

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For some it is acts of service, for others affirmation, gifts of touch, or quality time.  These are the ways we express our affection and affirm our love. But they are not always acknowledged, valued or understood by couples and a mismatch between what is desired and what is received can be fatal to an enduring relationship.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug discuss the languages of love, how we show and how we receive these gifts–and most importantly how we can align ourselves so that we are speaking the same language.  For more on this episode and a complete transcript, click here: 66-The Love Languages

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The path to hell they say is paved with good intentions.  Too often we make the mistake of enabling a loved one to continue to harbor destructive –even self destructive habits or patterns of behavior.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug talk about the ways in which our good intentions can result in the worst results for those we love. Enabling robs those we love of self determination, reinforces their bad habits, and shields them from the reality of their lives.  For more on this subject and a full transcript of this episode, click here: 67-Are you an Enabler?

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How many of us have idealized the perfect mate, and found that our dream curdled in reality?  That is the question Alvean and Doug tackle in this episode.   Is it possible to find such a person, and if and when we do will they measure up to reality?  Who is the ideal mate in any event? For more on this and a full transcript, click here: LL62-Your ideal mate

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In a time when friend may mean someone you know on Facebook, what is a good friend and how do you know if you are one? Alvean and Doug talk about friendship and relationships and how the two relate. For a full transcript, click here: LL61-Are you a good friend?

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For many couples that moment when one decides that its time to begin living together can be a fraught–even difficult navigation–even if it is something both desire.  Adjusting to someone else’s routines, habits, and life style is not always a seamless and easy proposition.  In this episode, Alvean and Doug discuss the challenges and strategies for navigating them to help couples enjoy a smoother transition from single-hood to couple-hood.  For a full transcript, click here: 63-Moving In Together

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And Baby makes three, so the saying goes.   That precious moment, however, is not without its challenges–especially for couples experiencing parenthood for the first time.  It can elicit latent fears, create tensions where none existed before –interfere with careers, health and fray the edges of relationships, but it can also be the culmination of dreams, and blessing.  Finding your way through the thickets is the subject of this episode–as Alvean and Doug talk about their own experience as Parents and offer some counsel for those awaiting or in the midst of parenthood for the first time. For a complete transcript, click here: 65-Parenthood

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One of the more difficult behaviors to address in a relationship is the passive/aggressive partner.  Communication with passive aggressive partners is ultimately a difficult proposition that stands everything on its head and if unchecked can lead to dissolution, a bad breakup or worse due to latent anger and its effect. In this episode, Alvean and Doug help listeners recognize the signs of this behavior and offer advice on how best to counter it in order to get to a healthier place.  For a full transcript of the episode, click here: 68-The Passive-Aggressive Partner