Private, Psychological Advisory
 
Individuals, Couples, & Global Professionals 

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Shaifali Sandhya, PhD

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST FOR COUPLES I COMMUNICATION, TRUST AND INTIMACY

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I Confidential, insight-oriented psychological consultation for couples navigating intimacy, equality, ambition, and family harmony

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An intimate relationship like marriage or a live-in partnership is a deeply personal one. Some couples have a bicoastal relationship; some, have an open relationship; some rely on God and religion for their anchors, others on family and friends or might find themselves in an unconventional relationship arrangement they had never imagined for themselves.

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This Work is Designed For​

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    •    High-achieving professionals and global individuals

    •    Couples navigating emotional distance, conflict, or recurring arguments

    •    High-conflict couples, those not in visible crisis, and premarital couples

    •    Partners facing infidelity, trust rupture, or intimacy breakdown

    •    Intercultural or interracial couples navigating identity and values

    •    Individuals in relationships that feel functional—but not fulfilling

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What Brings Couples to Therapy

 

You may recognize your relationship here:

    •    Conversations escalate into conflict—or silence

    •    Old issues resurface without resolution

    •    Emotional or physical intimacy has shifted

    •    You feel misunderstood, unseen, or alone within the relationship

    •    You are “functioning as a couple”—but not deeply connected

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Goals Couples Therapy Helps You Achieve​​/ Our Work Will Focus on

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• Building honest and precise communication

• Building a partnership around trust and common values

• Incorporating multicultural values (bringing Eastern and Western paradigms) to create  values and drive decisions

• Recovering from jealousy and rebuilding trust after infidelity 

• Enhancing sexual connection and communication around emotional needs

• Navigating difficult phases (illness, fertility issues, and postpartum depression) with compassion

• Resolving body image concerns interfering with confidence

• Blending families as a step-parent or divorced parent

• Collaborating on parenting to provide positive discipline for children

• Understanding relational patterns at their root

• Reconstructing trust and emotional safety

• Developing empathy and psychological insight

• Breaking repetitive cycles of conflict or withdrawal

• Navigating cultural, familial, and identity-based tensions

• Understanding disorders like narcissism, to lessen dysfunction in the relationship

• Creating healthy boundaries around social media sites

• Challenging established beliefs to create personal growth 

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 Apply for a confidential couples consultation to begin structured, insight-oriented work

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Our Work is Different Because It Will Go Deeper

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Our work will focus on psychological history, cultural influences, identity tensions, emotional blind spots, and more (at your pace). Most relationship problems are not about the argument— but about the meaning beneath it.

 

Over time, couples learn not just how to communicate—but how to understand each other differently. This is not surface-level communication coaching. It is a process of examining patterns, challenging assumptions, and building new relational habits. 

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My Approach to Couples Therapy

 

My approach to couples therapy includes emotionally focused therapy, evidence-driven research, use of attachment-based frameworks, psychodynamic insights, and family systems theories. As a former professor of Clinical Psychology, I will break down complex ideas into easy-to-understand and digest forms for you to bring about newer communication styles and relatedness with each other. It is recommended that clients engage in twelve appointments to receive an optimal dose of coaching, preparation, and collaborative work.​​​​​​​​

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My work sits at the intersection of:

    •    Clinical psychology

    •    Cross-cultural identity

    •    Relationship dynamics under pressure

 

This is:

    •    Structured and insight-driven

    •    Confidential and deeply personal

    •    Designed for individuals ready to engage seriously

 

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Process: The Initial Couples Consultation 

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The initial couples consultation session lasting about 50 minutes invites you to relate each of your stories that may differ in perspectives, history of your concerns, outlines goals that you may have for yourself and your relationship, with some treatment options. As coaching progresses and based on your unique journey/ history, the therapist will collaborate with you to determine your favorite learning method and offer recommendations of books, articles, exercises, questionnaires, and other resources enjoining learning through different senses. You will also learn useful couples techniques such as but not limited to: active listening skills, perspective taking, reframing, relational dances, and so forth to expand your relational lexicon and strategies. Therapy can help open up such challenging dialogs both within yourself or with your partner to create the relationship you will both flourish in. 

 

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Present-Day Stressors for Modern Couples

 

Couples find themselves navigating many different kinds of stressors in our world today - racial justice; being a person of color; understanding white fragility; what constitutes flirtation on social media; feminism; sexism; preexisting mental health concerns like anxiety or depression; different philosophies on parenting or friends, and others. There may be many new conversations to be had that are ignited by Covid-19 that may have exacerbated familiar but nagging hot spots, dragged you down the same rabbit holes with perhaps, diminished capacity of healthy supports you may have previously relied on. There may be many  dialogs that are difficult to engage with, but ones that are important to have with each other for the vitality of their relationship and for greater empathy.

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​​​​​​Have you wondered what would make your relationship work better? Do you find yourself confused or stuck in your relationship? Can you fight without leaving blood on the floor? Close relationships bring us profound joy and hope but when they get awry, there seems to be little you can do to stop the downward spiral. The advantages of relationship success are manifold, research shows: Couples who are intimate are happier, healthier, better off financially and enjoy better physical and mental health. 

 

Some of the best aligned couples may flounder at some point in their lives together in the face of some problems such as differences in: their desire for sexual engagement; parenting strategies and values; extent of involvement of friends and in-laws; or disagreements arising from addiction, infidelity, expression of affection, parenting, and so forth. 

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My work is best suited for individuals and couples prepared for depth-oriented psychological exploration. 

Apply for your private consultation ​​​

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Other Services

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Premarital Couples Counseling 

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Prior to their wedding, couples join a skilled couples' therapist for carefully designed consultations to gain a better understanding of the psychological underpinnings of their relationship and any conflicts, conscious or unconscious, that may affecting their relational dynamics, texture and tone of their relationship in the initial months of their marriage. Following a detailed assessment, tailored sessions are designed to enable better communication around in-laws, family, finances, personal goals of career and home, and sexual intimacy so couples can be better equipped to navigate impending stressors, plan for any "red flags," and are able to achieve consensus and acceptance around any open -yet anxiety provoking- matters.

 

Sex Therapy

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A regular, healthy sexual engagement with their partners can lead to positive well-being for couples. However, it is not abnormal for couples to experience a disconnection sexually despite their best intentions or deep intimacy. We provide counseling for intimate sexual matters for individuals and couples for issues related to: building a better sexual connection, sexual dysfunction, compulsive sexual behaviors, sexual orientation, and reproductive issues causing impotency. 

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Doctors divide normal sexual function into 3 phases for both men and women: desire (you want to have sex), arousal (your body undergoes the physical changes that allow you to have sex), and orgasm. Sexual dysfunction occurs when your health, your relationship, or your ideas about sex cause problems in any of these phases.

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Sometimes, there may be considerable psychological stress accompanying infertility and sexual dysfunction. Feelings like anxiety concerning potency, stress, fatigue, relationship anxiety, depression, and sexual adequacy may affect both the individual challenged by such concerns, and their partners. Such feelings can cause psychogenic impotence, which heightens the feelings of inadequacy that already accompany infertility or dysfunction. High levels of stress in turn, can harm your recovery and healing as they have been shown to affect sperm parameters in significant ways that may further contribute to difficulties with erectile potency.

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Counseling for sexual dysfunction or while undergoing treatment for reproductive issues like infertility is especially important. Men who acknowledge infertility, articulate the sources of their anxiety, and are able to express their waning confidence in sexual adequacy, and who deal openly with their partner's disappointment and anger, also show improved sperm counts and healing. Individuals and couples who seek counseling during infertility treatments can come out more connected and show faster improvements in their medical treatments.​

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CASE STUDIES

*names/identifying details have been changed

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Vignette 1

Carolyn: Sexting With Another Interferes With Personal and Marital Happiness

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“Send me 'a picture of your boobs,’ Roby texted me,” Carolyn, 46-year old married for ten years, told me in our therapy session when her husband Michael was not present. “Have you been sexting, again?” I asked Carolyn. “I texted Roby, first about an unrelated matter, to which he responded like this" Carolyn said, matter-of-factly. Indeed, that evening when Michael "checked" Carolyn's phone surreptitiously, he found that culprit text, and said to Carolyn , ‘I see there’s a friend you’re writing inappropriate texts to.' Carolyn said to him,  “You were looking at my phone.”

 

Michael replied, “Is that really the issue? I love you so much. It’s all about being committed. Marriage is about fighting through those valleys.” On rare other days, in a fit of impatience and anger he would say, “You’re a piece of shit. You’re going to be sorry you're behaving in a way that will end our marriage."

 

Carolyn and Michael sought couples therapy to end their marriage, but in the course of therapy discovered more about themselves, the factors that colluded to bring their marriage to this low point, and their love and respect for each other. 

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Vignette 2

Chidi: "If One Loves Their Family, Are They Selfish?"

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Chidi is 35-years old, neurosurgeon, an American with roots in Cameroon. He came to the US for medical school and decided to stay here after meeting an African-American attorney, he fell headily in love with. Things started to change in their relationship however, when Chidi's mother from Cameroon came to stay with him. It is not unusual in nonwestern families to have parents visit with their adult children for long periods of time, from a  few days up to six months. Soon, Chidi's mom's involvement in his life along with his extended family members unannounced visits started to bother his girlfriend. "I love her very much," says Chidi of his girlfriend, but there was a new side to his girlfriend he started to see when she started to accuse him, "You always put your family first. You're so selfish." As a result, the period of their relationship that ought to have been loving instead, became stormy and nasty. "Socially, I'm still from Cameroon," Chidi realizes, and wonders if his girlfriend "could ever become one of us." Therapy focuses on understanding the crucial elements of cultural elements that are important to Chidi and his girlfriend as they attempt to create a new culture of relatedness between them, that emphasizes respect, family, and love.

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Vignette 3

Bunny and Tirzah: How to Express Frustrations in a Constructive Manner

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Bunny, 43-year old, hospitality/service industry professional is of Bangladeshi descent and is married to Tirzah, African-American with a child from a previous relationship. Bunny and Tirzah struggle with Bunny's "explosive temper" during which he "breaks things," "yells abusive, mean, and hurtful things," and leaves their home. Bunny has struggled with anger issues since his childhood. "Once I get angry, it's not so easy for me to control my blow-ups," agrees Bunny. "I have a lot of frustrations that I carry in my head and even when I know I'm getting upset over something silly," I cannot seem to think my way out of my reactions." Bunny and Tirzah seek therapy to gain a greater awareness into the roots of Bunny's anger, channel their frustrations in constructive manner, and to grow more in the positive ways they already connect with each other. 

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Vignette 4

Maggy and Doug: Do Our Sticky Gender Roles Cause Shaky Intimacy?

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Maggy and Doug, Caucasian, in their 40's have been married 10 years. Although they both hold secure jobs and have successful careers, Maggy earns more than Doug. As a partner in her architectural firm, her paycheck brings in 50% more than Doug does. "Our roles are problematic," shares Maggy, "although Doug wouldn't admit it, it does make him uncomfortable that his paycheck is far less than mine." Doug believes it is not their salary gap rather, he is not where he thought he once would be. Doug is an engineer by training, has been with the same company for thirty years and wishes he were somewhere else. He believes he has the experience and network to run his own company although he has faced some obstacles. Maggy and Doug want to find time for each other after their sixty hour week; they want to figure out "how to better get along with each other"; and "how to divide up housework without making it a world war 3 between them."

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Vignette 5

Brin: "I'm doing everything to ensure fertility and family planning. All he has to do is perform." 

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Brin and Stephan, both neurologists in their 30's have been married 5 years. Brin is Korean-American and Stephan is first generation German. In their married years, they have shared much: they have bag-packed through South America journeying through Amazon forests, bought a home, cared for an ill parent and are coparenting a dog and a toucan. Recently, they decided they were both ready to have a child. However, "although we are on the same page with things, our approaches to arrive there are very different that lands us into massive arguments." For the last few months, Brin has diligently logged her fertility cycle on apps like Glow Cycle and Fertility Tracker. Previously a voracious coffee drinker and oenophile, she has stopped her intake of coffee and wine but feels "Stephan is not doing enough to help with the fertility."  The evenings when "we are supposed to be having sex he is either too sleepy or has eaten too much or has had too  much wine." Failed fertility attempts is creating much tension and ill-will at home for Brin and Stephan. One day when Stephan shared with Brin "You are always so cranky" and "you are not too much fun" she just "lost it." The couple are seeking therapy to make the "task of pregnancy fun and enjoyable as it's supposed to be," "learn to communicate in a way that the other person is listens and doesn't check out." 

 

Vignette 6

Neal and Sonia: "How do I create a path for greater love and passion that bridges my Eastern values with a Western lifestyle?" 

 

Neal and Sonia are Indian-Americans who have been married for 15 years. They met in graduate school in France and decided to marry once each of them "checked all the boxes" for their respective families. In the last decade of their lives they set up a home, had two children, tended to their demanding careers, and managed health issues for their parents who live abroad. They were impeccable in dealing with demands from their home and work fronts: Neal kept the "trains running on time" and Sonia managed their social calendar, their children's extracurricular activities while also excelling in her career. "We have a beautiful life, beautiful kids, and a happy life." However, the years "witnessed us putting aside our own issues of emotional and physical compatibility," says Neal. "To be honest we probably faced these issues early on in our relationship too," reflects Sonia,"psychotherapy is not typically how we had imagined working through our issues." And she continues, "We probably imagined we would talk through things, but the difficulty arises when the same struggles erupt in different domains."  Grown up with cultural values that emphasize duty over romantic love, how can they bridge their quest for love and passion with stability? And if they did, what trade-offs would they encounter? In therapy one of their goals is to create a more emotional and affective basis for communication, and exploring previous barriers, as a foundational step for a more passionate connection. 

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Vignette 6

Puja and Nick

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Puja and Nick are second-generation Indian-Americans, married for ten years in their forties with two toddlers. When Puja met Nick, she didn't instantly fall in love with him; neither did Nick who had a "history of falling for difficult, powerful and brainy women." Before her met Puja, "I was dating like a storm and all kinds of women, Indian, Asian, African...but I never wanted to get serious," shares Nick. "If a girl was getting serious, I would be upfront, 'this is not what I want,' even though I didn't really know what I wanted. "At this they would say, 'When you're ready will you let me know?' or 'Do you still want to come over for whatever..' When I met Puja I never thought "She's the one. I was never 100% about her but then I thought 'She is nice and besides I'm never going to get my ideal.' Puja once-divorced was finding her footing again in life when she met Nick; she had left a controlling marriage where her ex-husband had called her 'stupid,' 'dumb' and told her 'you're nothing without me.' "I was just tired of being walked over," she says. In Nick "I saw someone who was sensitive, caring and someone who could love me for who I am." Currently, "they make each other laugh" and "have fun together" and "neither can imagine life without the other." However, "when things get bad they get very bad." And "before we know we are in a fight." There are "below-the-belt attacks leaving us both feeling disappointed in the relationship." Both Puja and Nick want to address: long pending issues that are often shelved but never resolved, why they have learned to expect less, seek to understand how their deepest feelings can get attention and how to lessen their emotional disengagement.​

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For Partnerships Worth Examining Deeply Apply for a private couples consultation

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COUPLES COACHING Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 2026 

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Below are the questions prospective clients most often ask when they are looking for evidence-based couples therapy or relationship-focused life coaching. Each answer is grounded in peer-reviewed current research. 

 

1. What exactly is couples therapy?

 

Couples therapy (also called “couple, marital, or relationship therapy”) is a structured, short-term psychological treatment in which both partners meet with a licensed clinician—typically a clinical psychologist, LMFT, or social worker—to strengthen the relationship, resolve conflict, and improve individual well-being. Modern approaches are integrative and draw on systemic, attachment, cognitive-behavioural, and emotion-focused theories.   

 

2. Is there solid evidence that it works?

 

Yes. A 2025 umbrella review of systemic and couple-based interventions found medium-to-large improvements in relationship satisfaction and communication, with gains sustained at follow-up periods of 6–24 months.   Meta-analyses show similar effect sizes across modalities such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Integrative Behavioural Couple Therapy (IBCT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) for couples, and Gottman-based programmes.    

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3. How many sessions do we really need?

 

A consistent “dose-response” curve emerges across studies: the steepest gains occur between 8 and 12 sessions, and ~50 % of couples reach clinically significant improvement by session 12. A 2025 scoping review of routine clinical data placed the average at 12.7 sessions.    Brief protocols (4–8 sessions) target specific skills; longer plans (16–20 sessions) are reserved for complex or co-morbid issues (trauma, addiction). Weekly scheduling produces faster change than bi-weekly pacing.  

 

Weeks 1-2

Intake & Goal-Setting

Weeks 3-4

Relationship history, attachment mapping, assessment tools (e.g., Gottman Connect, DAS).

Psycho-education & Skill-building

Weeks 4-6

Communication coaching, conflict de-escalation, empathy exercises.

Core Change Work

Weeks 7-10

Emotion processing (EFT), behavioural exchange (IBCT), values alignment (ACT), trauma or addiction modules if relevant.

Consolidation & Relapse-Prevention

Weeks 11-12

Future-oriented rituals, repair strategies, booster-session plan.

 

5. How do we know which model (EFT, Gottman, ACT, CBT) is right for us?

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    •    EFT excels at strengthening attachment bonds—particularly after trauma or medical crises.  

    •    Gottman Method emphasises skill drills backed by 40 years of observational coding; recent RCTs show equal efficacy in person or online.  

    •    ACT-for-couples integrates mindfulness and values clarification and performs well for emotion-avoidant pairs.  

    •    CBT/IBCT targets entrenched negative cycles with cognitive restructuring plus acceptance work. Meta-analytic effect sizes mirror EFT.  

 

A competent therapist will tailor techniques rather than force a single school.

 

6. Is couples therapy different from life- or relationship coaching?

 

Yes. Coaching is unregulated, future-oriented, and goal-setting heavy, whereas therapy is a licensed health service that can diagnose and treat mental-health or relational disorders and is subject to HIPAA and other privacy rules. Therapy can incorporate coaching techniques, but not vice-versa. Look for credentials (PhD, PsyD, LMFT), state license and evidence of evidence-based training. 

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7. What if only one partner wants therapy?

 

Individual sessions can still identify interpersonal patterns and build skills that positively influence the relationship. Many couples in distress begin with one partner in therapy; success often motivates the other to join later.

 

8. Can teletherapy be as effective as in-person sessions?

 

Current RCTs of video-based Gottman “Seven Principles” courses and mindfulness-based couple interventions show outcomes equivalent to face-to-face delivery when privacy and stable connectivity are ensured.   

 

9. Will insurance cover couples therapy?

 

Coverage varies by plan and jurisdiction. In the U.S., couples sessions are often reimbursed when one partner carries a DSM-5-TR diagnosis (e.g., Adjustment Disorder) and therapy targets that condition. therapy or coaching may not be covered by your insurance carrier. Always understand your HSA plans, obtain a pre-authorisation code and understand deductibles. Couples

 

10. How do we measure progress?

 

Most clinicians use validated scales every 3–4 sessions: the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), Couples Satisfaction Index (CSI), and session-by-session feedback (e.g., ORS/SRS). Data-driven feedback loops reduce dropout and improve outcomes.

 

11. What if we’re dealing with addiction, infidelity, or violence?

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    •    Addiction: Alcohol Behavioral Couple Therapy (ABCT) paired with medication or, experimentally, intranasal oxytocin, shows promise but oxytocin adds no statistical advantage over placebo.   

    •    Infidelity: A 2023–24 pilot RCT found Gottman Trust Revival Method superior to treatment-as-usual for rebuilding trust.  

    •    Violence: Safety planning and individual sessions are prerequisites; mediation without safety is contraindicated.

 

12. How do we choose a therapist? Key checklist

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    1.    Licensure & Credentials – PhD/PsyD/LMFT/LCSW in good standing.

    2.    Evidence-based Training – Verified completion of methods cited above.

    3.    Experience with Your Issue – Infidelity, parenting, blended families, etc.

    4.    Structured Assessment – Uses intake questionnaires, not just open chat.

    5.    Clear Treatment Plan – Explains goals, session frequency, homework.

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13. What results can we reasonably expect?

 

Across modalities, 65–70 % of couples report significant gains in satisfaction or conflict reduction; roughly 20 % show partial improvement; 10–15 % see little change or decide to separate. These figures are stable across follow-ups up to two years post-treatment.  

 

14. How can we maximise our investment in therapy?

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    •    Attend weekly and complete skill homework between sessions.

    •    Practise daily 5-minute check-ins to consolidate gains.

    •    Schedule boosters (month 3, 6, and 12) after the main 12-session block.

    •    Engage in individual self-care—sleep, exercise, mindfulness—to support relational health.

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15. Where can we read more? (Selected 2024-25 open-access articles)

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    •    Voldstad A. et al. (2025) “Mindfulness Interventions & Relationship Satisfaction.” J. Consult. Clin. Psychol.  

    •    “Couple Therapy & Systemic Interventions for Adult-Focused Problems.” J. Fam. Ther. (2025).  

    •    Pathak S. et al. (2024) “Acceptance & Commitment Therapy for Couples: A Systematic Review.” Clin. Psychol. Rev.  

 

OTHER RESOURCES​

 

“Why I Lied About Being Married,” Ashley Wilcox (Apr 4 2025) – Facing a life-threatening illness, a Quaker pastor invents a husband during medical intake because she longs for the legal and spiritual legitimacy the title confers. The white lie jolts her and her long-time partner into confronting unfinished vows, leading them to marry quickly before a circle of friends. Wilcox frames the story as a meditation on mortality, care-taking, and how communities bear witness to love’s final commitments.  

 

“Ode to a Gen-Z Situationship,” Anna Salinas (Mar 28 2025) – A thirty-something narrator chronicles her months-long “situationship” with a 24-year-old, oscillating between ABBA-themed dance nights and unspoken definitions. As friends settle into mortgages and babies, she realises the allure of ambiguity is really anxiety about adulthood’s permanence. The essay ends with a gentle push toward clarity: naming a relationship is itself an act of self-respect.  

 

“Is My Husband a Doormat?” Lidija Hilje (Mar 14 2025) – After a pop-psych personality test labels her husband an “Obliger,” the author worries his kindness masks unhealthy self-erasure. An explosive argument reveals that “niceness” is often a truce that postpones honest conflict. Re-negotiating boundaries turns the quiz into a catalyst for a more reciprocal marriage.  

 

“Rules for Staying Close to Exes,” Laura Esther Wolfson (Jan 2025) – Wolfson lays out a survival manual for post-romantic friendship: keep sex off-limits, honour new partners’ feelings, and accept that emotional intimacy will ebb and flow. She argues that former lovers can evolve into a chosen family if nostalgia is tempered by clear ground rules. The piece reframes “moving on” as expanding—rather than erasing—the circle of connection.  

 

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“The Anti-Social Century,” Derek Thompson (Feb 2025) – Americans now spend record hours alone, a shift accelerated by take-out culture, streaming, and remote everything. Thompson ties this solitude to rising political extremism and declining social skills, dubbing the 2000s “the anti-social century.” He calls for rebuilding third places and rituals that force us off the couch and back into one another’s company.  

 

“The Link Between Happiness and Social Connection,” Isabel Fattal (May 3 2025) – Synthesising positive-psychology studies and Harvard’s eight-decade longevity project, Fattal argues that close friendships beat money and status as predictors of life satisfaction. Young adults, she notes, struggle to form communities amid digital overuse and declining civic groups. Her takeaway: schedule analogue contact first, then design the rest of life around it.  

 

“Please Don’t Make Me Say My Boyfriend’s Name,” Shayla Love (Jan 20 2025) – The piece introduces “alexinomia,” the quirky anxiety of speaking a loved one’s name. Drawing on sociolinguistics and clinical anecdotes, Love shows how names carry vulnerability, power and cultural taboos that can make intimacy feel oddly formal. She concludes that pushing through the discomfort signals care more than awkwardness.  

 

“The Agony of Texting With Men,” Matthew Schnipper (Jan 6 2025) – Schnipper explores why many men ghost group chats and ignore friendly pings, tracing the behaviour to “side-by-side” socialisation styles ill-suited to text-based intimacy. Communication scholars warn that digital silence worsens male loneliness and friendship decay. The article ends with a plea for guys to treat texting as a relationship skill, not a chore.  

 

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“Your A.I. Lover Will Change You,” Jaron Lanier (Mar 22 2025) – Lanier imagines a near future where millions date bespoke chatbots, asking whether silicon partners will serve as safe rehearsal spaces or deepen mass isolation. He warns that commercial incentives will push bots toward addictiveness, turning affection into data mining. Yet he concedes that for some, synthetic love might offer therapeutic scaffolding otherwise out of reach.  

 

“How I Learned to Become an Intimacy Coördinator,” Jennifer Wilson (Jun 9 2025) – Reporting from a week-long sex-choreography workshop, Wilson details modesty garments, “instant chemistry” exercises and consent check-lists now standard on film sets. The job, born of #MeToo, balances actors’ psychological safety with directors’ creative visions while fending off complaints of corporate sanitisation. The piece captures a profession still defining its boundaries even as it becomes Hollywood orthodoxy.  

 

“The New Business of Breakups,” Jennifer Wilson (Dec 9 2024) – After being dumped by text, the author audits a booming breakup economy of coaches, ketamine-assisted therapy, and “Heartbreak Hotel” retreats. She traces the lineage from Ovid’s love-melancholy cures to TikTok grief gurus, asking whether monetised mending helps or merely commodifies pain. Ultimately she finds comfort less in pricey programs than in ordinary rituals of mourning and renewal.  

 

“Are Young People Having Enough Sex?” Carter Sherman (Jun 30 2025) – Reviewing two new books, Sherman dissects the so-called Gen-Z “sex recession,” linking it to porn ubiquity, dating-app fatigue and economic precarity. One author prescribes conservative restraint, the other empathy for youth disoriented by conflicting cultural cues. Sherman suggests the real crisis is not libido but loneliness.  

 

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“Living Apart: Is This the Secret to a Happy, Lusty Sex Life?” (Jun 23 2025) – Surveying “Living-Apart-Together” couples, the article finds they have more frequent sex and fewer petty fights thanks to preserved personal space. Researchers caution, however, that men in LAT unions may miss out on health monitoring traditionally provided by co-habiting partners. The piece frames LAT as a privilege that works best when chosen, not forced by circumstance.  

 

“Cheating Means the End’—and Eight Other Relationship Myths Ruining Your Love Life” (May 23 2025) – Relationship experts dismantle nine stubborn myths, from “soulmates are destiny” to “separate beds spell doom.” Conflict, they argue, can forge intimacy; affairs, while devastating, need not be irreversible; and good partnerships allow individuality alongside togetherness. The takeaway: successful love thrives on flexibility, not folklore.  

 

“What Happens When Love Tips Over Into Limerence?” Dr. Tom Bellamy (Apr 12 2025) – Neuroscientist Bellamy recounts how an obsessive workplace crush upended his marriage and propelled his research into limerence’s dopamine-fuelled highs. By limiting contact and reframing thoughts, he recovered and launched a blog supporting others trapped in the cycle. His data show about half the population experiences limerence, especially those with anxious attachment.  

 

“I Felt Like I Was His Carer’: Why Straight Women in Relationships Lose Interest in Sex” (Mar 1 2025) – Interviews reveal that unequal household labour and emotional caretaking can smother female desire, replacing erotic energy with maternal fatigue. Experts explain that when a partner becomes a dependent, an unconscious incest taboo often kills libido. Restoring balance—through shared chores, solo time and honest talks—is proposed as the path back to intimacy.  

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Ready to get started?  Contact Dr. Shaifali Sandhya for an initial, paid, consultation to map out your personalised 12-session pathway towards a stronger partnership.