According to the U.S. Census Bureau, married couples now represent 48 percent of all U.S. households. That’s down from 52 percent in the last Census. The reason is twofold: The fast-growing older population is more likely to be divorced or widowed later in life, and 20-somethings are putting off their nuptials for longer stretches. Experts say fears of not keeping a job, a widening labor market for women and a shift away from having kids at a young age are some of the reasons people in their 20s and early 30s are not joining the ranks of married people, at least […] Read More...

Hi Nina: I am attracted to emotionally unavailable men. However I am also emotionally unavailable; I always look for an escape clause. I watched my parents, who loved each other, have a miserable marriage for over 30 yrs (they divorced when I was 26). I swore that if I cared for someone & he or I wasn’t happy I would be strong enough to leave. I was in a relationship with a man for 6 yrs & as usual I left. I believe this was the right thing to do, for both of us. Now when I meet someone I am […] Read More...

When a single dad is dating, how long should he wait before meeting the woman’s children and vice versa? And how should the father describe the relationship with the woman before the kids meet her? It depends. The timing varies depending on the age of the children and the circumstances of the Dad’s single life. Most children fantasize that their divorced parents will reunite. Meeting someone new crushes that hope, and that can be difficult for them. There are no hard and fast rules about the timing of introducing someone new to your children. What’s important is to consider all […] Read More...

Recently a journalist called and wanted to discuss the impact of texting on relationships – not the first time I have been asked that question. It’s highly relevant given the prevalence of social medial and how it’s used. Here are the questions asked and my answers: Do you think that texting creates insecurity and misunderstanding in a relationship? And does it give a man more power? Texting is just a tool, and like any other tool, it can be used constructively or destructively. If you have an issue in your relationship, texting is not the avenue to solve it. Face-to-face interaction is better […] Read More...

…And What to Do About It Fourteen years ago, the holidays came around but I was not in a festive mood. Everywhere I looked, there were constant reminders of what was supposed to be happening in my life: happy couples strolling along in the mall, television commercials featuring the guy giving the girl a gorgeous diamond ring, not to mention those holiday songs of love. I was divorced, had broken up with my latest boyfriend, and what I wanted most for Christmas was for it to be over, already. I know firsthand what it feels like to feel left out, and […] Read More...

Dear Singlescoach: There is a guy I had a crash on five years ago but I was busy with my first year at university; I was only 22 years old. He is very good looking and appears to be from a nice family. He is also very secretive about his life and age but I am guessing he is about 35 years old. Now after five years I added him on my facebook and he gave me his number. He told me recently he broke up with his fiance. We have been SMSing each other for the past 2 weeks; we even had […] Read More...

Did you know that you have one of the most powerful tools ever created at your fingertips – one that could literally have you happily in love in sixty to ninety days? It’s a little thing called THE INTERNET, and INTERNET DATING is now a 650 million dollar business. As I’m writing this, thousands of couples are deciding to marrying, and they MET ON THE INTERNET! If you don’t know someone who is happily married who met their soul mate on the internet, you will. I personally know half a dozen happily married couples in my friendship circles who met […] Read More...

Men want to know from women: if you don’t want me staring at your body, why are you dressed so that major parts of it are showing? Everything we do and wear telegraphs something – and lots of today’s women are sending a loud message to men, but is it the right one? Are you really wearing that? Cleavage and belly buttons exposed do not serve women. It almost guarantees that they will be appreciated for their bodies and not for who they are; that they will be objectified rather than seen as intelligent and accomplished. Young women today seem to wear less and less, […] Read More...

Elisabetta Canalis, the latest in a long string of George Clooney’s ex girlfriends, says it’s a “personal failure” that the relationship didn’t work. This gorgeous, apparently sweet woman believes it’s her fault that George, a confirmed bachelor who has publically stated many times that he will not marry, inevitably broke up with her because she wanted more. No big surprise there, but Elisabetta’s faulty conclusions mirror those of many of the hundreds of women I have coached over the years. Here’s the truth of these kinds of scenarios. She’s NOT guilty that the relationship ended. She is RESPONSIBLE for making […] Read More...

Dear Nina: I just started reading your book [Temptations of the Single Girl] again after one year. I find it fascinating how it’s actually a work-book, and so many thing I didn’t get when I first read it, I’m starting to understand more now. My question is simple: After you’ve broken up a relationship and the guy comes around again trying to patch things up and start fresh, what is the attitude that you have to have with him, in order to avoid past patterns and eventually a second broken heart? What do you come to the table with, in order […] Read More...

Did you lose a guy you really love? Did you drive him away, or break up with him and now regret it? If so, there are some things you can do to maximize the odds of a reunion, and also to better aim for a long-term relationship success. Learn about cyber-stalking, and what you need to do to protect yourself. Also, find out what is the impact on your health of the ways that you communicate (or don’t). Click on the arrow below to listen now, or download and listen to this podcast later. Listen Now [Audio clip: view full […] Read More...

Let’s see. If you take suggestive emails, sexually explicit texts, and pornographic tweets and add them up, then substract the physical contact (because we never actually met or had sex), that equals NO CHEATING. Yeah, right. That’s fuzzy relationship math, and it doesn’t add up. If you believe in monogamy, then Congressman Weiner’s “cyber cheating” really is cheating. Get the whole scoop from me in this Fox 4 interview. Read More...

Dear Nina: I have been dating my boyfriend for about one year. We live in Hong Kong. He is Chinese and grew up in Switzerland. I am from Britain. I am 27 and he is 10 years older than me. He is thinking of having children and I am not ready for children yet. I feel I really respect him and like the companionship with him. We make each other laugh and he is unique and kind.  I have sick elder family in the UK who I have responsibility to. One day I will return. I feel this is on my mind […] Read More...

Hello Ms. Atwood: I have recently started reading your book Temptations of the Single Girl. Everything rings so true!  I have been able to find healing and closure knowing the mistakes I have made and how to correct them. Two months ago I was dumped by a man that promised to marry me and love me forever. He was one of those emotionally unavailable guys who was insecure. I digress. Recently, I started dating. I was hesitant, but thought what the hell! He is polite, thoughtful, intelligent, punctual…but, we have been on three dates now to eat and/or drink (he always wants to grab a bite […] Read More...

Dear Nina: I met a really attractive and intelligent woman at a party a few weeks ago. It was a public event at an art gallery. She seemed very educated and sophisticated; we’re both in our late 20s. We had been talking for about a half hour and really seemed to develop a great rapport. We had even made tentative plans to meet for coffee sometime. Then, things suddenly went downhill. There was a pause in the conversation and I commented that she had a really nice, hourglass figureť. I thought she would take it as a compliment but instead she became deeply offended. She said, […] Read More...

Can you date someone who is not at your level? If you have ever dated someone who you feel is not at your level, or you are not at theirs - financially, or lifestyle – listen up! Financial mastery makes a big difference in relationships, and we all need to address this tough issue. Maybe you have suffered financially in recent years, or maybe your heart hasn’t been as open as it could be. If you look in the mirror and you don’t feel entirely great about what you see, it’s time to take a second look. Or, you may feel like you repeatedly choose people […] Read More...

You’re dating someone new and he’s wonderful! You think he may be “the one” but before you start buying bridal magazines, listen up! Nina informs you of the top four unconscious ways you may sabotage your new relationship. Also in this show: dating violence and how to protect yourself or your daughter. Discover: How you REALLY choose your relationships and how to get control of the process so you only date high quality good guys How to keep yourself emotionally balanced while you are falling in love How to maintain his interest over time while you build a bridge to […] Read More...

If you are over twenty one and you have had your heart broken, you know what it’s like to need some recovery time. Nina dubs this “relationship rehab” and gives you the tools to effectively manage yourself through this very necessary life stage. The temptation is to skip over it, but that puts you on the “serial monogamist” pathway – the names & faces change, the issues remain the same. Learn: How to know when you need relationship rehab  To identify the patterns that need changing in order for you to attract a good, loving relationship What it means to put your […] Read More...

Are you leading an intentional life? Do you listen to your inner compass – that part of you that tells you what is in your highest and greatest good? Nina tells you why it is so important to develop a strong inner compass and to listen to it. When you do, you are more empowered to make choices and to behave in ways that move your life forward on the path you truly desire. Here’s what helps: Emotional intelligence – the source of intuition and gut feelings that inform us about people and situations that are good for us, and […] Read More...

When I was growing up, we were the only family in school that we knew about whose parents were divorced. It made us feel odd and different from others, stigmatized. Turns out we weren’t alone – many people from divorce felt that way growing up in the nineteen fifites and sixites. Now, being from a divorced family isn’t unusual, but you may find that you are stigmatized in today’s dating world. Studies tell us that if you grew up in a family of divorce, you’re more likely to be divorced. The reasons for that are not clear. Lack of stability in family […] Read More...

Some situations in life you cannot control, but during those that you can, self-inflicted situations we’ll call them, how do you handle yourself? Do you listen to your inner compass? Our bodies can pick up emotional energy from other people, and the whole field of emotional intelligence has shown us that there’s a reason that we have a feeling known as intuition- knowing what kind of situations and people are good or bad for us. So as you move through life, listen to that instinct. Some people ask me why it’s so important to not drink alcohol on the first […] Read More...

When was the last time you looked for employment? Think about how that search felt. Did you sit at home dreaming about your ideal job and for someone to walk in and offer you bundles of money to do something you love? Or did you send out hundreds of resumes, go on several job interviews, get a couple of second interviews and finally an offer? Most people who spend time and effort in search of something they love to do are successful (in whatever terms they define success). And you guessed it, dating is the same way. Dating is about […] Read More...

The number one cause of divorce is MONEY! Problems with money, issues regarding spending and saving, fights over money issues – the list is endless. Most of these issues could be avoided simply by being smart about money BEFORE you marry or commit to someone. Nina takes on the subject with her guest on Love Strategies, bestselling author and guru Barbara Stanny. Most dating couples are extremely hesitant to talk about money. The irony is that most people have less emotional comfort talking about money than talking about sex. Both subjects are critical in the early stages – to discuss openly and honestly. For […] Read More...

Do you ever meet someone and then friend them on facebook? “Friending” has become the new text, which replaced the phone call- the first step after meeting someone. Whether you friend colleagues, new friends, old friends, potential love interests or your relatives, “friending” is a now a definitive step in any relationship. After that first date, do you rush home to see how long it takes a guy or girl to “friend” you? Well, now that facebook has connected some 500 million people, researchers are discovering what makes people decide to disconnect. A study by the University of Colorado Denver […] Read More...

What do you get caught in that pulls you off the path of a great relationship? Do you date men who are high risk? Men who take you on a roller coaster ride that ends in heartbreak? How do you determine a guy’s character? Do you have a well-defined picture of what you’re looking for in a relationship? Are you committed to your vision? You have to figure out what your vision is and stay true to that. I want you to sidestep settle-for relationships and eventually avoid them altogether. Don’t waste your time on dates and men who are […] Read More...