Dr Karin Love & Life

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.

Dr. Shannon Warden, co-author of the book Things I’d Wish I’d Known Before We Became Parents, joins Karin to discuss solutions to today’s most pressing parenting challenges. We delve into the importance of boundaries in family relationships and examine ways to nurture your marriage in the midst of pressing parenting responsibilities. Dr. Karin’s Love & Life hack reveals the MOST important job of a parent! Hint: it has nothing to do with how you treat your children! www.drkarin. me

Author Jon Birger joins Karin to delve into today’s most frustrating dating dilemmas. What’s going on with the “hook-up culture” and why is it so much harder to have a solid relationship in the new millennium? Jon’s book, Date-onomics, sheds light on these questions and provides suggestions for increasing the odds of finding love. As always, Dr. Karin leaves listeners with a Love & Life Hack—strategies for thriving in love and life!www.drkarin.me

In this episode, Dr. Karin answers questions from all the single ladies! Listeners ask, "After being single so long, is it possible to become so independent that I'll end up stuck in my ways and unable to find love?" and "How do I get my mom to stop bugging me about my love life (or lack thereof)?" and "Why do I keep getting back with my ex even though I know we're not 100% right for each other?" Dr. Karin answers these questions, provides resources for further support, and, as always, leaves listeners with a Love & Life hack!

We all want to be great parents—but how? Actually, science points us in the right direction! This week Dr. Karin and her husband, Dan, discuss a well-established theory of parenting from the developmental psych literature—Diana Baumrind’s parenting styles take the guesswork out of parenting. It’s simple! Not easy, but simple!

Dr. Karin welcomes Kira Sabin of The League of Adventurous Singles to the podcast. Kira shares her philosophy for thriving while flying solo and reveals methods from her coaching practice, The Owner’s Manual. Spoiler alert: you will NOT learn the mysteries of the male mind (because Karin and Kira are women, after all) nor will you discover the secret to finding The One (because sadly, there’s no magic bullet) but you WILL learn strategies for loving yourself and loving your life—because as Kira says, “great relationships start with ourselves!”

How do you grieve the loss of something you never had? This week Dr. Karin welcomes to the program Nichelle Polston and Alisha Jones of the blog, Give Me a Ring and a Baby. We discuss the pain associated with a life that refuses to play out as planned—whether we’re longing for a husband but flying solo to yet another wedding or receiving a baby shower invitation the day we learn our IVF cycle has failed—for the third time! Nichelle and Alisha share their stories—their frustration (often exacerbated by insensitive, unsolicited input from friends and family) and their triumph—how they’ve managed to find peace, joy, and purpose in the midst of their unique grief.

Enduring the loss of a loved one is horribly painful, but experiencing a unique grief can prove difficult in unexpected ways. In this episode, Dr. Karin examines how we process loss when our culture provides neither protocol nor terminology for our distress. She interviews Christine Infanger of Thirty Roses about the tragic, sudden passing of her 30-year-old fiancé. In addition to the pain of losing the love of her life, Christine dealt with an onslaught of ridiculous and absurd comments from well-intentioned friends. Dr. Karin and Christine leave listeners with recommendations for how to approach those who are grieving in a kind, sensitive manner.

Dr. Karin always says, "Marriage is great, but only if it's a great marriage." So how do we keep the sparks alive? In this episode, Dr. Karin and her husband, Dan, discuss Helen Fisher's research on lasting attraction. She looks at couples whose brain chemistry evidences they're still "in love" despite spending 20+ years together and raising children. Dr. Karin leaves listeners with science based Love & Life hacks for keeping the sizzle in your marriage! #marriage #sex #inlove #lastinglove #couples #therapy #psychology #anthropology www.drkarin.me