When I was visiting my parents for Thanksgiving last year, I thought it would be fun, both as a dating coach and as their daughter, to interview them about how they met and how their relationship progressed. This month marks their 45th wedding anniversary, so I would like to give tribute to them in this article.

The main two questions I wanted ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I need advice about a sexual situation I can't discuss with anyone else. My wife and I have been together for nine years (married for four) with a good relationship and great sex life. We've always explored fantasies through dirty talk during intimacy. I've always found the idea of seeing my wife with another man arousing. Early in ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I've been broken up with my ex for almost four months now. I did everything the experts recommend — blocked him on social media, deleted his number and even asked mutual friends not to mention him. I was doing well until I realized I could still see his Spotify playlists even though I blocked him. Now I find myself checking them ...Read more

You may have heard of the “burnt toast theory.” If you haven’t yet (or need a quick refresher), the idea is this: If you burned your toast while making breakfast, you need to spend another five or 10 minutes making a new piece. That extra time might be annoying and cause you to run late, but it may actually be saving you from something ...Read more

As a dating coach, I often get questions ranging from the early stages of dating—messaging on the apps, texting, date planning—to the early stages of a relationship.

Here are a few from this past week:

Question: Dated for 6 months; he broke it off and said that the timing wasn't right but hopes one day it will. Was it genuine?

Answer: I ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I've been with my boyfriend for eight months, and overall, things are great. He's kind, funny and a dedicated teacher. The issue? When he's not working, he's gaming — sometimes six or seven hours a night. I don’t mind that he has a hobby, but it bugs me that he devotes nearly all of his free time to it. I don’t want to be the ...Read more

I work with a lot of amazing, successful women. A lot. And I am constantly impressed by these women’s tenacity, drive and achievements. Most have made their financial wealth on their own and are very proud of that, as they should be. But with this success sometimes comes difficulty in finding a partner. Why is this?

As a recent example, I ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I've been with my boyfriend for a little over a year and recently found that he has been sexting strangers (single women and couples) on an app the entire time we’ve been together. When I found out I felt hurt, not just from the sexting but also because he has refused to sext with me ever. And he rarely initiates sex with me, and ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I've been dating a coworker (we're both in our early 30s) for two months, and for the past month, I've been trying to end things. Every time I attempt to break up, he argues until I'm exhausted and emotionally shut down, then convinces me to stay by promising he'll change or telling me I'm misinterpreting his behavior. Things have ...Read more

The story starts the same. You like someone. They like you. You continue liking this person. This person stops liking you (or never did?) and pulls back. You like this person more. This person, feeling smothered, continues to pull back. You continue to obsess more.

Why is this, though? Why should a person’s feelings actually grow the less and...Read more

BOISE, Idaho — While visiting Flying M Coffee, one of their favorite downtown Boise haunts, Chelsea Gaona-Lincoln pretended to go to the gift shop before returning to her table with Van Beechler-Lincoln carrying a personalized flipbook that told the story of their love. On the table between them was a ship in a bottle that Van’s friend had ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I'm at my wit's end with my partner’s extreme focus on achieving FIRE (financial independence, retire early). What started as a healthy interest in personal finance has turned into an all-consuming obsession. We're both 29 and have lived together the last year. My boyfriend has become fixated on retiring by 35, which means saving ...Read more

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The weddings were initially supposed to cost $100 a pop. They ended up being free.

Y’all-Mart, a quarterly Columbia art fair advertised as a “flea market for Southern eclectic folks,” hosted eight free gay weddings Sunday as a fundraiser for the Harriet Hancock Center’s name change and gender marker fund.

Stoked by an...Read more

As a dating coach, I get questions that run the gamut from first date to the early stages of a relationship. Let's look at a few of those recent questions today.

Question: I’m a head taller than him. I enjoy his company, but I’m worried I won’t get over the height difference. What do I do?

Answer: There’s really nothing I can say here....Read more

Dear Anna,

I’m a 29-year-old single woman, and lately, dating has become more stressful than exciting. Every day, I’m bombarded with news about global challenges — climate disasters, political unrest and economic uncertainties — which leaves me feeling anxious and overwhelmed. When I go on dates, I often find myself distracted and ...Read more

Online dating has come a long, long way since its inception (I’m looking at you Match.com… which came out in the mid-90s!).

The online dating sites have evolved significantly (Tinder, the first major app that you only use on your phone, launched in 2012), offering new features designed with the hope of improving people’s experiences and ...Read more

For years, I’ve worked with clients who come to me saying the same thing: “I just can’t find the right person.” When I dig a little deeper, a common theme appears — they’re clinging to a very specific idea of who their “type” is. (It often starts with a physical attribute, but it goes beyond that, too.)

And here’s the kicker:...Read more

Dear Anna,

My partner of three years absolutely despises Valentine's Day. He calls it a "commercialized scam" and refuses to participate in any way. I understand his perspective — yes, it's commercialized. All holidays are! And yes, we should show love year-round. But here's the thing: I genuinely enjoy having this day dedicated to ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Togetherness can be a mixed blessing.

As the Palisades fire raged, every member of the Cullen family — deeply rooted in Pacific Palisades since the 1960s — found themselves displaced. 10 family members from multiple households there were forced to flee the homes they owned as the inferno swallowed up their neighborhoods.

Six...Read more

Online dating can be a wild ride full of unexpected situations, awkward moments, and yes, the occasional cringe-worthy encounter. But you know what? So can face-to-face dating... and life in general. Whether you’re meeting someone online or in person, there’s no escaping the occasional bump in the road.

It happens all the time: Someone ...Read more