Dating Articles

In the midst of the dating world, our emphasis often falls upon "good timing", and "finding the right person", instead of being emotionally healthy enough to attract, create, and sustain a successful relationship. By the time we make the decision to look for a long-term partner, it's important for us to have evaluated as individuals, any emotional dysfunction which may possibly contribute to the demise of a relationship. As much work as we do on ourselves however, we can never guarantee how we're going to react within a romantic relationship. Staying cognizant and committed to not letting our past control… more

We've all experienced episodes of jealousy in our lives. Closely linked to envy, jealousy, according to clinical psychologist Ayala Malach Pines, "is a complex reaction to a perceived threat to a valued relationship or to its quality". But unlike envy which usually centres around a desire to have something possessed by another, jealousy always involves three people, and a fear of loss.

The reason jealousy is such a complex reaction is due to the fact it encompasses so many thoughts, emotions and behaviors:

Thoughts: blame, comparison of yourself to the rival, resentment, self-pity, insecurity about self-image
Emotions: fear,… more

In honour of the upcoming St. Valentine's Day - it might prove worthwhile to take a good look at our own relationship to Love itself. It's something we all seem to crave, it's often not what we expected, and it can take us to the highest of highs and the lowest of lows... Humans are a habitual species. We often formulate an unhealthy view of what we think love should be based on our past experiences. If we're conscious enough however, we realize we need to make a change. Because love is about relating to other people directly, it's in… more

We all know "they" say trust is the foundation of any strong and healthy relationship. And who could disagree? Trust is that bond between two people which allows both parties to be themselves, and although it sounds like a no-brainer, it's not always easy to come by. Trust is "manufactured" through a few different factors, one being the element of predictability. As humans, we tend to think ahead in order to prepare ourselves for the future. Based on our experiences with other people, and observing and logging their patterns of behavior, we build an internal system which helps us "predict"… more

Everyone has experienced the passion and excitement of a new relationship, otherwise known as the "Honeymoon Phase". You can't wait to spend time with each other, you start to think about your future together, and it feels like you've finally found "the one" - you can't imagine your feelings for each other changing. Some of the time however, the Honeymoon Phase DOES end, and as the dust settles you get to know each other (for better or worse) on a deeper and more true level. Sometimes the person you thought you were dating doesn't even really exist, so how… more

Do you ever feel like the dating world isn't what you thought it would be? Initially, you start out excited and hopeful about finding that special someone, but somewhere along the way, it becomes a jungle of first impressions, dashed hopes and meager prospects. So what went wrong - is it you or is it them? It's easy to get bitter and jaded when things don't turn out the way we'd hoped, but if we can see how we possibly contribute to our own unhappiness (instead of blaming others or the situation), our experiences will change, or at the very… more

Men and Women alike have been perplexed through time by the magnetism of the "Bad Boy". As a good guy, you wonder how you can possibly compete with this cocky archetype, and as a woman you wonder why you would put yourself in such a no-win situation. As with all human relations, the combination of natural instinct and societal factors can create a complex and confusing
circuitry through which we try to find that often elusive "perfect relationship". Many would argue that we experience relationships in order to teach us things about ourselves and if that's the case, what… more

Studies show that during interpersonal communication, only 7% of a message is verbally transmitted. That leaves 93% of a message being transmitted non-verbally - 38% through vocal tones and inflections, and 55% through facial expressions and body language. Often there is a discrepancy between the verbal and non-verbal messages, and experts say when in doubt - go with the non-verbal signals (what you are seeing). Body language is the oldest language in existence and it's universal; a way for us to communicate without having to attach words to what we're feeling. It's a great way to figure out how someone… more