Fourteen years ago when I met my husband, we were both failures. Relationship failures, that is. He was divorced twice and so was I. We were in our early forties, fearful of making another mistake, yet still hopeful that maybe this relationship would be the right one. We both had a healthy dose of skepticism, but we forged ahead. Good thing we did because meeting him has definitely turned out to be the best thing that has ever happened to me! If you are single and over forty, odds are you have at least one big relationship failure in your life. Singles often ask me about the people they are dating and whether or not they are worth the risk. He’s been divorced and single for ten years. Is he ready? She’s never been married but lived with a guy for fifteen years. Does she have a problem with commitment? The twice divorced person may look like a long shot, but it turns out that there are some real advantages to dating relationship failures. If [...]
Continue Reading April 8th, 2013
Why is the book Fifty Shades of Grey still topping the bestsellers list? Why is it such a huge phenomenon? What is the emotional chord that it touches in so many women? This Love Strategies show is all about the book and why it is that we - women - love Fifty Shades of Grey. It’s not what you think! It’s not just the sex, it’s the bad boy fascination. Also on the show - a brand new study that reveals what makes women so attracted to bad boys. You will be shocked at the answer to that age old question. Also on this episode of Love Strategies, listen to the questions that other listeners ask. Your story may be a lot like someone else’s! Angela wonders why she runs away from relationships and toward her career. Linda follows up on her dilemma with her secretive and absent boyfriend. Listen Now You can download this podcast as an MP3 file: Right click on “Listen Now,” choose “save target as” and save it to your music folder on your computer. Sync with your MP3 player [...]
Continue Reading April 8th, 2013
Women ask me all the time: how can I meet someone who is ready for commitment? How do I find a guy who is actually interested in marriage, not just fun and games? My answer is simple but not easy: figure out what you need to do to attract a commitment minded guy. Some of that is the inner work you need to do so that you are not attracting emotionally unavailable guys. Good relationships are always an inside job. The rest of it is understanding what to do on your dates so that you set the stage for real love, commitment, and a journey to marriage. In this podcast, featuring the questions I get from real people, you’ll learn why it is so vital that you DO talk about marriage with the men you date. Secondly, you’ll learn how to talk about it without scaring away [the right kind of] men. Listen Now You can download this podcast as an MP3 file: Right click on “Listen Now,” choose “save target as” and save it to your [...]
Continue Reading February 20th, 2013
The big news over the past couple of weeks is Manti Te’o – the elaborate hoax that put him in the media spolight in the most uncomfortable way possible. As the bizarre tale unfolded of how he fell in love with a woman he never met, the revelations seemed stranger than fiction. How could this famed Notre Dame player fall for something so outrageous? Here’s the scoop on how it happened to him, and why you must protect yourself from the risk of dating someone online. (For the Fox 4 story in which I was interviewed about Manti Te’o, click here.) The Victim A Catfishing victim doesn’t want to be hurt, but he (or she) may have some built-in issues that make him vulnerable. First, he is typically in a time of great transition such as recovering from a breakup or divorce. In Manti’s case, he was dealing with the transition from being just another player to being the famous player who was in line for the Heisman. Second, the Catfishing victim is unusually needy, craving affirmation. It’s [...]
Continue Reading January 28th, 2013
What is an internet dating catfish? And how can you protect yourself from having your heart broken by one? The new reality show on MTV is “Catfish” – it’s two guys who investigate the online daters who fall in love, have relationships sometimes for years, without ever meeting the other person! This is a shocking deep look at something that has been going on for years, but about which you hear little. Here we’ll take a deeper look at it – why the victims allow it to happen, and why the perpetrators do it. Then, you’ll hear the three things you MUST do when you date online to protect yourself. You’ll want this show if you date on the internet or plan to do so. You’ll want to recommend this show to any of your friends who are dating someone online that they haven’t met. Click on the arrow below to listen now, or download and listen to this podcast later. Listen Now You can download this podcast as an MP3 file: Right click on “Listen Now,” choose [...]
Continue Reading November 30th, 2012
Dear Nina: I truly feel I’m addicted to my wife. We have been separated for 3 years and we have 3 children together that I have full custody of (yes I’m a male). She lives with another man, and still sees me and a third guy who is the reason we split up in the first place. I keep telling myself that I’m through, I’m done, yet find myself right back in the same situation a few days later. It’s a vicious cycle. I’m literally on the verge of complete insanity. I love her and I want our family back together. She claims she wants the same yet she continues to hang out with this younger guy AND still lives with the other guy who I honestly don’t think has a clue about what she is doing. We’ve been together for 15 yrs, separated for 3 of them. I really just don’t know how or what to do anymore. Please help me. – Dave, age 39 Dear Dave: You are definitely in the throes of love addiction, defined as the inability to get basic relationship needs met, yet [...]
Continue Reading November 30th, 2012
Did you know that too much materialism can kill your (future) marriage? A new study highlights the problems when one or both partners focus too much on having more things. We now know the personality traits that are associated with materialism, and with the downfall of marriages as a result. As a single person, you may want to know what to look for as you date and consider someone for marriage. There are clear signs in a new relationship that you may not be financially compatible. Since conflict over money (how to spend, save, and debt) is the number one reason for divorce, it pays to be savvy about it as you date and discover. Click on the arrow below to listen now, or download and listen to this podcast later. Listen Now You can download this podcast as an MP3 file: Right click on “Listen Now,” choose “save target as” and save it to your music folder on your computer. Sync with your MP3 player or iPod, and listen to Nina Atwood, the Singlescoach®, anytime! [...]
Continue Reading November 19th, 2012
You’re on a date and it’s time to order a beverage. Should you order alcohol? The answer is: it depends - on which date it is and on your personal goals for a relationship. Alcohol fosters illusion and false chemistry, and that can lead to falling into some of the worst temptations. Having a drink or two with your date should be enjoyable, fun, and never dangerous. It pays to know when to say “yes” to alcohol and when to say “no.” Listen to this podcast for the four dating and drinking etiquette rules that will help you stay on the right path to a great relationship. Click on the arrow below to listen now, or download and listen to this podcast later. Listen Now You can download this podcast as an MP3 file: Right click on “Listen Now,” choose “save target as” and save it to your music folder on your computer. Sync with your MP3 player or iPod, and listen to Nina Atwood, the Singlescoach®, anytime! Amazon.com Widgets
Continue Reading October 21st, 2012
This week’s hot Hollywood news item is that the stars of the blockbuster Twilight series, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, may be getting back together. Why not? One affair doesn’t have to be the end of a relationship. In fact, it can be a new beginning and actually bring a couple closer. But there are things to watch out for along the way if you want a healthy, lasting relationship post affair. Here’s my advice for Robert and Kristen, and all couples in this situation. Also in this podcast: How to recover from break-ups powerfully so that you can return to being open to the possibility of a loving, lasting relationship! Listen Now You can download this podcast as an MP3 file: Right click on “Listen Now,” choose “save target as” and save it to your music folder on your computer. Sync with your MP3 player or iPod, and listen to Nina Atwood, the Singlescoach®, anytime! Amazon.com Widgets
Continue Reading September 21st, 2012
Online dating web sites constitute a billion dollar industry, and the big sites – Match.com, eHarmony, and others – will tell you that they possess secret algorithms that increases your odds of finding the right person. But now a large study published by the Association for Psychological Science reveals what’s really happening. Among their findings: 1. Dating sites give you greater access to more potential partners, but the act of browsing and comparing large numbers of profiles can create a mindset of commoditizing potential partners and reduce the willingness to commit to any one person. 2. Communicating online works well in the short run, but is detrimental if carried on for too long. It can lead to unrealistic expectations and disappointment when potential partners meet in real life. 3. Although many dating sites claim superior results matching partners through the use of “scientific algorithms,” there is little evidence that these algorithms can predict whether people are good matches or will have chemistry with one another. The authors of the study found that utilizing these matching schemes via online dating sites [...]
Continue Reading September 16th, 2012
