Love & Relationships

February always seems to arrive with chocolate-coated advice on how to have more steamy romances. Are you looking for something deeper that will bring insights into your relationships, past, present, and future? The staff of Therapy Austin has some recommendations! Check out these tried-and-true podcasts and audiobooks handpicked by our counselors to help you learn about healthy relationships, attachment styles, and connection.

Valentine’s Day in a pandemic has even more potential to be fraught with challenges than usual. Some of you may be struggling to find ways to make new romantic connections during this time, and some may be feeling the frayed nerves of TOO. MUCH. CONNECTION. ALL. THE. TIME. Still others may be put off by the holiday—or by the idea of love—altogether. No matter what camp you’re in (or even if you’re doing just fine!), Krista Tippett’s interview with Alain de Botton, author of the most-read New Yor...

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and although many brush off the holiday as a Hallmark holiday, there are also those with high expectations for this special day. The expectation might be that your partner remembers something you subtly or not so subtly hinted at six months ago or it might be that you are finally going to be treated like the royalty you really are. Whatever the expectation might be—if your focus is on your individual needs or what your partner needs to do—you are likely ...

In this video from PsychAlive.org, Dr. Stephen Porges discusses how polyvagal theory is involved in forming romantic relationships. (If you haven’t heard of polyvagal theory yet, start here.) The formation of safe, healthy, successful romantic relationships works a little like a combination lock that takes a specific order of code to unlock it. The first step of the code is the activation of the social engagement system, which allows the potential partners to feel safe and comfortable with each ...