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If Your Partner Is Perfect, Don’t Get Married

August 27, 2019 by Jill Whitney

When you hear someone say the person they’re dating is perfect, you might be happy for them. Me, I’m happy they’re happily in love—but my second thought is, please don’t get married. At least, not yet. Because no one is perfect. Someone might be an awesome person and an excellent fit for you, but they […]

Filed Under: Everyone, Featured Tagged With: commitment, dating, love, marriage, relationships

TalkStarter for Adults: How Do You Rate the 3 Parts of Romantic Love?

May 30, 2019 by Jill Whitney

We all have a sort of vague idea of what “romantic love” means. But there are folks who think about love for a living (really!) who can help the rest of us find language to understand and express what we feel—and what we want. Cornell professor Robert J. Sternberg developed what he calls the “Triangle […]

Filed Under: Everyone, Featured Tagged With: commitment, dating, intimacy, love, marriage, relationships

Casual Sex: Is It Right for You?

January 22, 2019 by Jill Whitney

Sometimes it seems like everyone is having sex with lots of people they hardly know. That’s actually not the case; many people choose physical intimacy only when they feel emotionally intimate. Other people have sex casually and love it; others hook up and don’t really like it. One size does not fit all. The key […]

Filed Under: Everyone, Featured, For Parents of Teens and Preteens Tagged With: casual sex, dating, hookups, sex, sexuality

Ghosting, Other Dating Trends, and Humans

October 30, 2018 by Jill Whitney

Halloween ghosts I’m good with. On real ghosts—spirits who haven’t crossed to the other side—I try to keep an open mind. But ghosting in relationships? That brings out the judgmental in me. In case you’ve missed it, “ghosting” is a “dating trend.” (More later on why I put that in quotes.) It’s when a person […]

Filed Under: Everyone, Featured, For Parents of Teens and Preteens Tagged With: breakups, dating, dating trends, ghosting, relationships

Should I Wait for “The One”?

April 3, 2018 by Jill Whitney

People who are looking for a relationship often wonder how they’ll know when they’ve found the perfect partner, The One of all the people in the world with whom they’ll have years of bliss. We’ve all seen the movies; we know how it’s supposed to go. You may be dating, even engaged, to a pretty […]

Filed Under: Everyone, Featured Tagged With: dating, love, relationships, sex, soulmates, TheOne

The Under-Appreciated Joys of Anticipation

March 6, 2018 by Jill Whitney

We live in a world of immediate gratification. We want to watch the next episode now, we want our package delivered today, we get antsy if we have to wait in line for more than a few seconds. I understand the feeling; there’s always so much to do that waiting can feel like a waste. […]

Filed Under: Everyone, Featured, For Parents of Teens and Preteens Tagged With: couples, dating, relationships, sex, teen dating

When Your Body Language Says “No”

January 25, 2018 by Jill Whitney

In the recent case involving Aziz Ansari, his date said she used “clear non-verbal clues” to indicate that she wasn’t comfortable with the sexual activities they engaged in. But those clues may not have been clear to Ansari. No one who wasn’t in the room that night can know what really happened. Maybe she was […]

Filed Under: Everyone, Featured, For Parents of Teens and Preteens Tagged With: body language, consent, dating, non-verbal, sex

Dating? How Not to Blow Gift-Giving

December 12, 2017 by Jill Whitney

I started dating my S.O. about a month before Christmas—talk about an awkward situation for gift-giving. I don’t remember what I gave him, but I still remember what he gave me: frozen peaches. To which you are quite reasonably saying, “Seriously??” He gave them with some trepidation; I remember he said something about them having […]

Filed Under: Everyone, Featured Tagged With: dating, gifts, relationships

The Key Fact Women Need to Know about Hook-Ups

November 28, 2017 by Jill Whitney

If you’re a young woman, you may embrace your sexuality. You know your sexual feelings are healthy and beautiful, nothing to be ashamed of. You know how awesome your body is and how wonderful it can feel. Just like the guys, you’re free to experiment with both relational and casual sex. Having the option for […]

Filed Under: Everyone, Featured, For Parents of Teens and Preteens Tagged With: dating, hookups, sex

3 Things You Must Know Before You Commit

September 19, 2017 by Jill Whitney

When you’re in love, you’re happy. You see all the great things about your darling. Even things that might irritate you if other people did them are endearing when your honey does them. It’s just great. Finally you’ve found the one. And you think about taking it to the next level. At the risk of […]

Filed Under: Everyone, Featured Tagged With: commitment, dating, engagement, living together, relationships

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About the Author

Jill Whitney is a licensed marriage and family therapist dedicated to improving communication about relationships, sexuality, and intimacy. Learn more about her and her practice at Green Tree Professional Counseling.

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