Dr Karin Love & Life

Dating apps—most of us have a love/hate relationship with them. Yes, they help us connect, but do these connections ever go anywhere? Too often the answer is no—until now! The good news is, a new option has hit the scene—Cove Dating App! Charles Messow, creator of Cove, joins me to discuss the radically different approach Cove offers. As Charles says, “People are starving for more depth. We’ve put together a product with a lot of love and thought behind it.” Listen to find out how a dating app CAN facilitate deep, meaningful relationships!www.drkarin.me

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 70% of remarriages involving children from a previous relationship end in divorce. Clearly, blended families face unique challenges. To further complicate matters, in some cases a husband brings children to the marriage while his new wife struggles with infertility. Kelly Palmquist, MSW, joins me to talk about raising his kids, while desiring our own.www.drkarin.me

It’s sad, but true. Young girls can be very mean, but what can we do about it? Katie Hurley, LCSW, author of No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls joins me to discuss this and other important developmental concerns. In Part 2 of my conversation with Katie, we discuss the profound impact of sleep deprivation (spoiler alert: your kids may not have anxiety or ADHD, they may actually just be sleep deprived!), the uber competitive nature of sports today, the “culture of busy,” and the three most important needs of the developing brain. We also delve into the debate surrounding praise (are kids receiving too much or too little praise?) and why you need to assess your child’s “self-esteem baseline.”www.drkarin.me

Girls can be mean—very mean. And in this modern era, “mean girl” dynamics start in the primary grades—or even preschool! Katie Hurley, author of No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls, joins me to share practical strategies for empowering girls! Learn the cognitive distortions that affect self-esteem and how to teach girls more realistic and positive ways of thinking. Find out what Katie believes is behind “girl drama” and what parents can do to equip their daughters to thrive in a variety of social contexts. We delve into research on SEL (social and emotional learning) and discover how it impacts not only social skills, but academic achievement as well! Finally, Katie provides the latest research on combatting bullying—we learn what really works!

According to US Census data, in the past 30 years there’s been a dramatic increase in the number of adult children (18-34) who remain living at home. Clearly, the path to adulthood proves somewhat daunting and circuitous for this generation. Dr. Brad E. Sachs, author of Emptying the Nest: Launching Your Young Adult Toward Success and Self-Reliance, joins me to discuss this “failure to launch” phenomenon. We look at the family dynamics related to a young person’s reluctance to leave home (spoiler alert: both the child and parents play a part!) and learn strategies for encouraging and supporting families as they navigate this developmental transition.

Getting back “out there” after a divorce can prove daunting and discouraging—but it doesn’t have to be! After a devastating divorce in her mid thirties, UK Dating Coach of the Year, Ané Auret, believed her life had veered horribly off course. But what seemed like her darkest hour, ended up transforming her life in every possible way! She rediscovered her identity, found true love, and embarked upon a new career as a dating coach. In this episode, we discuss how your “confirmation bias” affects your love-life and delve into the unique challenges of post-divorce dating in your 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond. Ané provides encouragement for divorcées—and others—who strive to maintain hope and belief in love!www.drkarin.me

There’s a lot of drama out there, but does there have to be? This week I answer three questions from listeners regarding complications in their relationships. Jessica wonders why her ex-boyfriend craves so much drama. Amanda isn’t sure if she should wait for Mark to get his life together—especially since he keeps telling her she deserves better. And Becky’s in a complicated situation with her boyfriend of three years. We delve into the reasons behind each “it’s complicated” scenario and discuss ways to extricate ourselves from unsatisfying, nebulous connections!www.drkarin.me

Raising emotionally healthy kids is no easy task and according to Dr. Leonard Sax, it’s infinitely more difficult for American parents compared to parents in Western Europe. In part 2 of my interview with psychologist, physician, and author, Dr. Leonard Sax we discover:•Why American kids are exponentially more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness than kids in Western Europe.•The brain damage that occurs from ADHD medications.•Sleep deprivation and how it affects kids’ cognition and motivation. •Why adult ADHD recently became a “thing” and why it’s not a legitimate diagnosis.•How boys and girls interact with social media differently and the impact on their emotional development.Dr. Sax provides research-based strategies for raising happy and successful kids in the midst of the collapse of American parenting. www.drkarin.me

Psychologist, physician, and author Dr. Leonard Sax joins me to discuss the many challenges of modern parenting. Dr. Sax has spent over 30 years treating children in his medical practice and has written four books on parenting and child development. Find out which childhood trait—intelligence, social skills, conscientiousness, or adaptability—best predicts success and happiness in adulthood. Learn proven parenting strategies (grounded in psych research) and discover why parenting is unquestionably more difficult today than it was 30 years ago (spoiler alert: it’s not just about technology!) Finally, hear why Dr. Sax believes we should not try to make our kids happy!www.drkarin.me

Why does it take so long for some of us to find The One? They say “timing is everything” but is that always the case? Or do some of us need to work through our "issues" before love will come our way? For Treva Brandon Scharf, getting married at age 50 revamped not only her love life, but her career identity as well. Her blog, The Late Blooming Bride, garnered her a book deal and radio show! We discuss these questions with Chip Gregory, my producer and late blooming groom, and share the challenges—and benefits!—of meeting The One with a few years under your belt.

Will and Grace may be the most famous, but they weren’t the first and they won’t be the last! To celebrate this special bond, I’ve invited my manager and BFF, Chip Gregory, to the program to help me examine the beautiful nuances of gay boy-straight girl love. We dig into the psych research on the topic—yes, we have data on this—and discuss stereotypes and terminology (i.e. “fruit flies” and “beards”). We close out the show with a question from Jared who’s had his heart broken so many times, he’s afraid he’ll never be able to trust anyone again. Join Chip and me as we delve into the unique dynamics of the gay boy-straight girl love affair!www.drkarin.me

Have you ever been ghosted? Or maybe you’ve been the one to ghost? In this episode, I examine the ghosting phenomenon and tackle the question, “Is ghosting the worst way to exit a relationship or is it perhaps, a kinder way to go?” I share how I responded to two times I was ghosted over my years of dating and bring in Dan and my 24-year-old niece, Amie, to share a millennial’s perspective on ghosting.www.drkarin.me

How do you cope when tragedy strikes? According to Valerie Giglio, lawyer, vocalist, and stroke survivor (at the way-too-young age of 42!), you maintain hope in the midst of despair by taking charge of your mindset! Hear how Valerie reclaimed her life after the stroke robbed her of her ability to walk, talk, and sing. Her triumphant recovery underscores the truth that our state of mind is a very powerful thing! Also on the episode, I introduce a new segment in which I’ll respond to listener’s emails. This week I answer Kelly’s question about whether or not she should try to be friends with her ex.www.drkarin.me

A museum dedicated to heartbreak? Yes, it’s a thing and I had to learn more! In this episode, I interview Alexis Hyde, director and curator of the Museum of Broken Relationships in LA. Who came up with this idea? What’s the museum’s purpose and mission? How can you submit an artifact? Alexis answers these questions and more and also shares how a walk through a heartbreak museum can prove healing and even uplifting! P.S. I think I’ve got a couple artifacts to submit myself!

Singles want to be in relationships, yet couples complain about how difficult relationships are. So why do we want relationships if they’re such hard work? But are they really all that hard? And do they have to be? This episode is the first in the occasional series called, “Let’s Get Real” in which I’ll dismantle relationship myths—starting with the bogus notion that relationships have to be hard! Dan joins me to discuss the research related to this topic and we share a song I wrote for him inspired by the idea that relationships should be as easy as breathing. www.drkarin.me

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—so why don’t we always feel the holiday cheer? In this episode I discuss reasons behind the Christmas blues and what science says we can do to make our spirits bright! Find out the things you do every day which lead to depression—and learn small adjustments that bring a big boost to your mood! As always, I leave us with a Love & Life hack for taking charge of your emotions this holiday season. Plus, I share an original Christmas song—you’re the first to hear it!

Are we losing the war on love? To begin the program, Dan and I play the “War on Love” card game created by this week’s guest, Alex Merritt, “The Love Engineer.” Alex then joins us to share the inspiration behind the game and what she’s learned about male/female communication when hosting her live events, “Dessert & Discussion.” Alex’s mission is to help men and women call a truce in the battle of the sexes and win the war on love!www.drkarin.me

In America today more than 33% of children grow up without a father in the home. Many of these children are left with a “father wound” which continues to impact them throughout their lives—often times without their awareness. John Finch of The Father Effect joins me to talk about the father wound he endured due to losing his father to suicide when John was just 11 years old. John shares his journey, what inspired him to launch The Father Effect (both a book and film), and how he was able to finally forgive his father and make peace with the reality of growing up without a dad.www.drkarin.me

Audrey Mann Cronin, creator of the LikeSo app talks with me about the importance of “saying it like you mean it!” We discuss how filler words (e.g. like, so, um, right) impede effective communication and we delve into the pitfalls of common speech tendencies such as up-talk and vocal fry. Find out what actress Lake Bell calls the “sexy baby voice” (even if you haven’t heard about it, you’ve definitely heard it) and discover how the LikeSo app can help you communicate with poise and confidence no matter the occasion—job interview, maid-of-honor toast, or presentation at work. As always, we leave you with a Love & Life Hack—a strategy to help you, like, be a better communicator, you know what I mean?

Why is it that so many people seem to have anxiety, depression, ADHD, or some other psychological disorder? Are we in the midst of a mental illness epidemic? Or, is it possible we've shifted our perception of what's "normal" such that what was once called shyness is now called Social Anxiety Disorder and grieving the death of a loved one is labeled as Clinical Depression? To examine this question, psychiatrist Dr. Allen Frances joins me to discuss his book, "Saving Normal: An Insider's Revolt Against Out-of-Control Psychiatric Diagnosis, the DSM-5, Big Pharma, and the Medicalization of Ordinary Life." Dr. Frances sheds light on the profound influence pharmaceutical companies have on the mental health landscape and provides us with strategies for approaching mental health from an informed and empowered position.