No one can prepare someone for dating a divorced dad (or mom). I can say that because when I started dating divorced dads (a decade ago) I was clueless. This was new territory for me. That said, I had an advantage because I was a divorced mom, so I did understand the complexity and challenges … Read more
I’ve been married for twenty-eight years and have watched the Olympics with my husband ever since. During every Olympic season, my husband will say some version of, “I wish there were gold medals in orthodontics.” Did I mention that he’s an orthodontist? He says something similar during the Academy Awards as well. Is my husband … Read more
Barbara Bush, who found joy as a wife and a mother, can inspire us all by Jackie Pilossoph for Chicago Tribune Media Group Some married women are opinionated and independent, while others are more traditional — old school, if you will. As a wife, Barbara Bush is the perfect example of a woman who was both. The former … Read more
A reader recently wrote to DGS: “My husband cheated on me. Why do I feel guilty for leaving?” Here are are the bullet points of her situation: She was married for 20 years when she found out her husband had two affairs: first he cheated with a good friend of hers, then with one of … Read more
One of the most successful techniques to come out of the Positive Psychology movement (Seligman) is the task of keeping a daily journal where you write down three positive things that have happened during your day. Why is this effective? Because looking out for positive things, either that you observe or that happen to you … Read more
‘Love, Simon’ represents a turning point in high-school romance genre by Jackie Pilossoph for Chicago Tribune Media Group I have often thought about how unbelievably difficult it must be for a gay teenager to come out. It’s challenging enough for any high school kid to feel accepted and “normal,” but imagine the pressure of trying … Read more
It’s not unusual for clients to begin my relationship coaching program in a somewhat fretful state and looking for a relationship. Having spent years devoted to their careers, they eventually came to see the lack of balance in their lives. Some name what they feel as an inner emptiness. Others describe their lives as … Read more
Are you an underdog when it comes to dating and relationships? In this week’s Love Essentially, I explain what exactly it means to feel like an underdog in love and relationships, and I offer dating advice for underdogs who want to be smart, and find and sustain healthy romantic relationships. Are you the UMBC … Read more
Thinking about taking off your wedding ring? Or, did you recently do it? Did your spouse take off his or her wedding ring? Taking off your wedding ring means…what exactly? People take off their wedding rings for all kinds of different reasons. Growing up, my dad did not wear a wedding ring or any other … Read more
It might be one of the biggest gripes divorced women have: when you’re dating a man with kids and feeling left out. Several years ago, I was in a relationship with a divorced guy who had a 13 year-old daughter who refused not only to meet me, but she wouldn’t even acknowledge that I was … Read more
‘The Bachelor’ Breaks The Mold in All the Wrong Ways by Jackie Pilossoph for Chicago Tribune Media Group Typically, I might use the words “predictable,” “scripted” and “formulaic” to describe the final rose ceremony of “The Bachelor.” You get virtually the same ending — down to the exact dialogue — every season. But last … Read more
In this week’s Love Essentially column, I write about what I learned interviewing therapist, David Klow on relationship problems, and how the problems you think are unique to you aren’t. If you’re having a relationship problem, it’s probably more common than you think by Jackie Pilossoph for Chicago Tribune Media Group For 13 years, David Klow … Read more
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