Love and Life with Dr. Karin and Pastor Elliott

We’re all navigating uncharted waters—trying to stay physically safe and emotionally sound in the midst of a global pandemic. Psychotherapist Kate Lambie, LCPC, joins me to unpack six simple strategies for managing our mindset and maintaining our psychological wellbeing during Covid-19. We discuss 6 “Gs” (grounded in psych research and psychotherapeutic techniques) we can implement today to think...

Most characteristics of depression—sadness, feelings of worthlessness, anhedonia—though undesirable, are fairly straightforward. But according to clinical psychologist, Dr. Margaret Robinson Rutherford, sometimes depression hides. In her book, Perfectly Hidden Depression: How to Break Free from the Perfectionism that Masks Your Depression, Dr. Rutherford describes the underlying depression beneath...

It’s time for another Love & Life Q&A! This week I address the following questions: 1. “Hannah” met a guy about 2 months ago. Everything was going great and then all of a sudden, he stopped calling her every night and he texted less frequently. Finally, she called him and their conversation felt very awkward. Since then, he hasn’t contacted her and he’s not active on social media. Now she wonders...

We’re living in an unpredictable and unprecedented time—in the midst of a global pandemic. No one knows what to think, or what to feel, or what to do. But we can navigate these uncharted waters by managing our mindset. To help us do so, I’ve invited mindset coach, Leisse Wilcox to the program. Leisse and I discuss: How to make radical shifts in your mindset and life—even during these chaotic times...

We’ve entered an unprecedented era—one for which none of us could have been prepared. Surging Covid-19 diagnoses and mandated social distancing heighten fear, stoke anxiety, and exacerbate loneliness and isolation. In our “new normal” we feel helpless—frankly, no one knows just what to do. So we do what we can, by sharing support in any way we’re able. Today on Love & Life, I highlight past episod...

What can Netflix’s Love is Blind teach us about our own relationships? SO much! In this final Love is Blind bonus episode, UK Dating Coach of the Year, Ané Auret, and I share the lessons we can all learn by analyzing the couples’ dynamics. We delve into: - Why Jessica saw Mark’s emotional availability as a “red flag.” - How sabotaging relationships—as several couples did—can be viewed as self-prot...

According to the 2018 U.S. Census Bureau, 19.5 million children (more than 1 in 4) live without a father in the home. These children are 47% more likely to grow up in poverty. Sadly, in addition to financial hardships, fatherless children suffer socially, emotionally and academically. Conversely, psych research demonstrates the myriad benefits of a consistent and close father/child relationship—bo...

After 21 years of dating, serial monogamy, breakups, and periods of feeling miserably alone, Leslie Kaz was over it! Tired of what she calls “The Endless Search” for a man, Leslie decided to take a 6 month break from dating. During those 6 months, Leslie completely redefined herself and her life—so much so, that she abandoned “The Endless Search” and stepped into a brand new way of living! She sha...

If you’re interested in dating, relationships, love, and marriage you’re likely caught up in the Love is Blind hype! So am I! In part 2 of my response to the series, Kate Lambie, LCPC, provides a psychotherapist’s perspective on the experiment and the couples’ relationships. Join us as we dish on: · How connecting in the pods amplified their vulnerability—in this age of fast paced swiping, maybe w...

The hottest new Netflix series, Love is Blind, touches on a myriad of Love & Life themes i.e. attraction, intimacy, dating, relationships, engagement, and marriage. Obviously, I had to weigh in! What does psych research have to say about this “experiment?” Is it actually possible to fall in love without laying eyes on each other? Even if a bond forms, will it survive in the real world? My husband,...

During Lent, many people give up things to create space for contemplation, prayer, or to break a bad habit. One year, Kacie Main decided to give up men! Why? As she explains in her book, I Gave Up Men for Lent, “By most definitions, I lived a social, fulfilling life. I had a good job, great friends, and a solid family. Aside from the 30-something-and-single combination, my life was picture perfect...

Words are powerful. Sometimes, it’s that one phrase, that bit of encouragement, or that motivational quote—reminding us we CAN make it through the dark days and we CAN find our joy again! Because there will be dark days. They’re part of life; we can’t avoid pain, but we can dig deep. We can persevere! As Tracey Janowitz puts it, “Life is sweaty. Work it out.” Tracey created her apparel line, Sweat...

We say it every week on Love & Life, “Take charge of your thoughts, take charge of your life!” And, we touch on strategies for doing so in almost every episode. But this week, I wanted to devote the entire conversation to negative thoughts—and what we can do about them! Psychotherapist Kate Lambie, LCPC, joins me to share therapeutic techniques from ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). Join us...

Recently a listener asked me, “What if subconscious beliefs are affecting my love life and I don’t even know it?” Great question! Our beliefs—even those we’re unaware of—absolutely impact our relationships in profound ways. To explore this topic in depth—and to examine how beliefs affect couples, too—I’ve invited marriage therapist, Elliott Anderson, M.A. (aka my brother), to share what he’s learn...

Happiness—it’s about doing all the fantastic, fulfilling, fabulous things, right? Or maybe, it’s about NOT doing all the fantastic, fulfilling, fabulous things! As a thirtysomething writer and podcast host living in Manhattan, Jacqueline Raposo had fantastic friends, a fulfilling career, and she lived in a most fabulous city. And sure, she felt happy-ish, but something was amiss. In a counterintui...

It’s easy to get discouraged if we’re single and we don’t want to be. We worry we’re wasting time—time we could be building into a fantastic marriage. But science shows we can actually work on our future marriage while we’re still single! Join Dan and me as we share psych research from Tara Parker Pope’s book, For Better: How the Surprising Science of Happy Couples Can Help Your Marriage Succeed....

www.loveandlifemedia.com If you’ve been on the dating scene for long enough, you’ve definitely heard this one, ”It’s not you, it’s me.” Maybe it was the explanation he gave when he broke up with you. Or perhaps it’s the reason she says she can’t commit. Either way, it’s confusing and unsatisfying—of course it’s not you! You did nothing wrong! And also, you’re awesome! Then again, part of you worri...

In her early twenties, Liz Forkin Bohannon identified an “integrity gap” between what she claimed she cared about—issues facing women living in extreme poverty—and how she conducted her daily life. So, she quit her job and bought a one-way ticket to Uganda. Fast forward to 2019, Liz is the CEO of Sseko Designs, a fair-trade, fair-wage fashion brand employing and empowering women in Uganda and the...

Sports anchor Laura Behnke had it all—high-powered career in NYC, fantastic friends, and amazing travels. The one thing she didn’t have? A husband. In fact, at 35 Laura had never been in a long-term relationship. And everyone wanted to know why. How could a bright, beautiful, successful woman like her be single? Over the years, Laura experienced her fair share of “single shaming” and frankly, she...

It’s definitely complicated in today’s dating scene—can we learn to date smarter, not harder? Of course, we can! In this Q&A episode, I respond to 3 questions from listeners striving to navigate the disorienting and often demoralizing dating landscape: 1. “Danielle” wants to know if she should go on a second date if she’s not feeling sparks during the first date. 2. “Sarah” wonders if after 5 ½ ye...

When a relationship breaks down, we want answers—especially when things end abruptly or we get ghosted. We feel hurt and confused, and we hope getting “closure” will somehow help us process our grief and move on. But will it? And perhaps the question most central to this conversation—is closure actually a thing? In this episode I delve into the concept of closure, addressing these questions and sh...

Strong, independent adults in our twenties, thirties, forties (and beyond!) sometimes still feel pressure from our families—pressure to conform to family expectations, pressure to be at a certain stage of our lives, pressure to make choices consistent with our family’s values. Moreover, establishing a distinct identity within the context of our families often proves even more challenging for adult...

Have you ever admired someone’s career and thought, “How did she do it? How did she make it happen?” That’s what I wondered when I met Showbiz Shelly, Chicago’s go-to entertainment expert. I always wondered how Shelly made a splash in this crowded media landscape, so when I started my occasional series about women making it happen in their careers, I knew I wanted Shelly to appear as one of the fi...

Dating is awkward and anxiety provoking—no question. So, if you’re dating with anxiety, it’s EXTRA awkward! Psychotherapist Alison Seponara, AKA “The Anxiety Healer” on Instagram, knows this all too well. On her Insta platform, Alison shares powerful cognitive behavioral techniques for managing anxiety, and just recently she’s started opening up to her over 45,000 followers about her pursuit of lo...

Clinical psychologist Steven C. Hayes suffered from panic disorder. He tried all the therapeutic techniques he’d learned in his training and had employed with clients. But the attacks persisted. So, Dr. Hayes created his own therapeutic orientation—Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Dr. Hayes describes how through ACT we can resonate in the fullness of who we are and turn toward what brings...