By Dr. Amy Osmond Cook

We all know how great dogs are; no one can quite match your dog’s unique brand of love. While your fuzzy fur baby will always be the love of your life, did you know that your dog can also make your human relationships better?

According to my research, having a dog is good for you. Not only does having one in your life lower your stress levels and blood pressure, but your furry family member also boosts your immune system and brings added joy to your personal relationships. Here are four reasons being a dog person makes you a better people person.

Expert Relationship Advice On Dogs In Relationships Continue reading →

By Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D.

It seems Hollywood celebrities are famous not only for their creative work, but also for their personal lives. Everybody has a story about their road to success, but amid the sparkle of superstardom and robust social media platforms, there are a handful of celebrities like Emily Blunt, Jim Carrey, J.K. Rowling, and Shania Twain, who persevered despite personal obstacles and adopted a profoundly positive attitude. 

Now, studies show that not only is a positive attitude good for your career and relationship, but it is also good for your health. Here are four reasons from relationship expert Dr. Amy Osmond Cook why looking at the bright side of life is good for you. This expert relationship advice will help you build a happier life for you and your partner!

Expert Relationship Advice to Cultivate Positivity 

…Click to read more advice from Dr. Cook!

By Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D.

If you hope to build healthy relationships with other people, the best expert relationship advice is to start on your relationship with your body.

Body shaming is a real issue. Selena Gomez responded to it and so did Tyra Banks. Even celebrity Emma Stone wasn’t immune from an encounter. The repercussions of this are a soaring number of cases of eating disorders and depression. For instance, the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reports that at least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the US.

Social and political forums are scrambling to find ways to eliminate body shaming activities. One of the best defenses you can build against forming a negative self-image is to concentrate on building a healthy relationship with your body. “I am not a woman whose self-worth comes from her dress size,” says Kristen Bell when confronted with negative comments about her physical appearance. “Comparison is one long, agonizing death and does not interest me at all.”

Working on your relationship with your body will help you build healthy relationships with others. Here are four tips from relationship expert Dr. Amy Osmond Cook.

Expert Relationship Advice for Loving Your Body

…Click to read more expert relationship advice from Dr. Amy Osmond Cook!

By Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D.

When the smell of spring is in the air, it can only mean one thing. No, not the spring sale at Neiman Marcus. Instead, for many of us, the end of winter ignites a passion for cleaning. But along with hauling old furniture and clothing to the curb, let’s take a look at our emotional well-being and the relationship we have with others.

So, in the spirit of renewal, here are four areas where we can benefit from some mental and emotional spring cleaning. Don’t miss the expert relationship advice below!

Expert Relationship Advice for Spring Cleaning

…Want to know more? Click here to continue!

By Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D

Hollywood certainly has its share of dramatic endings — relationship endings, that is. Stars like Laurence Fishburne, Fergie, Chris Pratt, Jennifer Hudson, and Danica Patrick, to name a few, were invested in a long-term celebrity relationship and either personally or professionally called it quits. But what happens when a couple’s livelihood relies on maintaining a relationship after the marriage is over?

Christina and Tarek El Moussa can relate. After becoming household names as co-hosts of HGTV’s hit reality TV show Flip or Flop, they publicly announced their celebrity divorce just over a year ago. Despite moving on in their personal lives, both are committed to working together to make their successful business grow.
…Want to know more? Click here to continue!

By Amy Osmond Cook

Hello, holidays! Aside from the huge boon this season is to retailers, there’s no other time of year when online dating sites see their biggest spikes in activity. Romance-seekers start wondering: Who do I bring to my company party? Who should I enroll in my family’s festivities? Who’s my plus-one to my coupled best friends’ snowsport weekend? And who’d be in for the ride if they knew I couldn’t have intercourse?

Make no mistake: There are millions of people who remain silent and grapple with that question, and it’s confidence-shattering enough to cause them to dodge dating altogether. Health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, cancers and related treatments, traumas, congenital abnormalities, and even PTSD can preclude individuals from engaging in sexual intercourse — as would be expected in the course of a romantic relationship.

Dating Advice for the Holidays

Related Link: Expert Relationship Advice: First Comes Love – Now What? Creating Intimacy Without Intercourse

This makes modern-day dating especially tough. There is one online dating site, RomanceOnly.com, that completely eliminates the need to disclose this dilemma. Afterall, Sex-C (sexually-challenged) men and women are no different from anyone else in their needs for affection, companionship, and attraction-based physical connection. Sex-C individuals are also in the same holiday-ting quandary as the rest of singledom. Rather than sidelining the pursuit of someone special, here is some dating advice to improve the Sex-C adult’s chances of kindling a real connection this season.

Jingle, Jingle: Get Out and Mingle!

A person who sees themselves as different in a shameful way can experience crushed self-confidence, which in turn can cause them to avoid social interactions. But in truth, getting outside of oneself, if even just to smile at a stranger, can really make a difference in restoring self-confidence. Talk to that person in line next to you at the grocery store. Accept invitations to parties — and don’t hesitate to go alone! Join a local Meetup group. You’ll not only meet fascinating people, but by being open to being out there, you’ll increase your chances of meeting someone special.

Related Link: Expert Relationship Advice: Four Survival Tips When Bah Humbug Meets Father Christmas

“Remember it’s a numbers game,” says Laura Brashier, the visionary behind the world’s premier Sex-C dating website. Any measure that helps you to be open and upfront from the beginning about the awful quandary of “when and how do I share my secret” serves as one less stressor in dating. But it all starts with building confidence, and that starts with meeting people and finding a common interest. Shared commonalities are the cornerstone of any fulfilling relationship. “True pleasure can be found in a variety of social connections and relationships.”

Spread Holiday Cheer: Go Volunteer!

When people desire a deeper and more satisfying relationship, character counts. You’re not defined by your inability to have intercourse! The holidays abound with opportunities to work alongside other volunteers looking to help those in need. It’s another wonderful chance to get out and do something good for others that will make you feel even better about yourself. If the person next to you is attractive or interesting, don’t hold back in asking them out! Start with something simple, like a coffee date — you’ll know in 30 minutes if there’s a connection.

Date ideas like hiking, dancing, attending concerts, pairing up to take an art or cooking class, spending a couple hours at a museum together, or trying a restaurant that’s new to both people are all ways to gauge common interests. They’re great avenues by which two people can share interesting and meaningful things together, which are building blocks for a solid relationship — friendships and romantic partnerships alike!

“The benefits of such activities extend beyond the immediate pleasure of being together,” says HealthyWomen.org. “The new interests will stimulate your brain and provide numerous new opportunities for conversation.” Finding things in common makes for a nice beginning.

Related Link: Dating Advice: New Year’s Resolutions to Rekindle Your Relationship

Naughty or Nice: Sex-C Delights

Once you feel you’ve found that special someone to take beyond the mistletoe, there are plenty of options for physical delights outside of intercourse. When you think about sexiness, the authentic allure of a desired person goes beyond the temporal desire of sex itself and rests on a physically sensual connection. It’s a spark, an undeniable urge to share yourself physically with another. RomanceOnly.com offers articles that cover alternatives to intercourse that can spice up any couple’s physical connection.

According to Michael Castleman, M.A., great sex without intercourse means experimenting, which can feel strange. But he says, “Novelty is key to sexual zing. Doing things differently stimulates the brain to release dopamine, and dopamine heightens erotic intensity. Once you get on board with sex without intercourse, it’s pretty easy. It involves the same leisurely, playful, whole-body touching, caressing, and massage that sex therapists recommend to all lovers.”

So for all you Sex-C people, make your holidays merry and bright by putting yourself out there. You have nothing to lose but being alone! Go to some of your local community events, listen to music, and just put yourself out there. Say yes even if you’re tired! When you do meet someone, and even if that the person doesn’t seem like The One, go and just have fun. Always date safely with exit options. The bottom line is that you deserve the companionship you’re after, and you can’t find it until you connect with others.

Cheers to 2018!

For more information about and articles by our relationship expert Dr. Amy Osmond Cook, click here.

By Amy Osmond Cook

The power of love can never be underestimated, but it is also often misunderstood. As one of the leading Google search topics, the matter of love and how it pairs with sex is on most people’s minds. It’s possible to have sex without love, but can love survive without sex?

Most people say yes. A study conducted at San Diego State University reported that couples who reported having a satisfying relationship also reported having less sex as the relationship progressed. In an era where sex is used to sell everything from perfume to bathroom cleaner, this study shows that people may be buying it, but they aren’t necessarily “doing it.”

Relationship Advice on How Sex Relates to Love

…Want to know more? Click here to continue!

By Dr. Amy Osmond Cook

When Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) took the job as an assistant for the infamous Miranda Priestly, (Meryl Streep) in the 2006 hit, The Devil Wears Prada, viewers knew things would get rough in the workplace. But this movie also illustrates the impact a stressful work environment has on a relationship. Studies conducted by relationship experts show that more than half of women are kept awake at night by job-related stress, according to Metro.co.UK. Fortunately, not all bosses have this negative influence on employees, and many leading companies place employee engagement and job satisfaction as top priorities. Here are three things to look for in a company that values your personal life as well as your work life so you can avoid relationship problems.

Relationship advice that will help you balance work and love!

…On the edge of your seat? Read more!

By Dr. Amy Osmond Cook

Katy Perry has a new look, and her new attitude is the cherry on top. Between her sassy new song dissing Taylor Swift and her poorly reviewed album that just came out, Katy Perry has taken some heat in the past few weeks. Say what you will about Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and any of the other celebrities caught up in the drama relationship problems, *cough Nicki Minaj cough;* but there are a few notes we can take to apply in our lives about being petty. Think about these four key pieces of relationship advice before you take any rash actions against your significant others, especially when it comes to breakups.

Relationship advice that will help you be the bigger person.

…On the edge of your seat? Read more!

By Amy Osmond Cook, Ph.D.

What do actresses Bonnie Hunt, Julie Walters, and recording artists Paul Brandt and Tina Turner have in common? They were all trained as nurses! In honor of the “Year of the Healthy Nurse,” now is a great time to recognize the role nurses play in our lives. The demands placed on nurses every day are huge. Our nurses are committed to providing the best care possible, and they try their hardest to meet that challenge every day. And sometimes that commitment means being brutally honest about a patient’s symptoms or habits. Your friends may not tell you that your moodiness has hung around for weeks, or your jeans are fitting a bit tight — but a nurse will tell you. In the spirit of good health and valuable relationship advice, here are five things your nurse is willing to discuss that your friends aren’t.

Relationship Advice That Come Straight From Nurses

…On the edge of your seat? Read more!

By Dr. Amy Osmond Cook 

Congratulations on your new relationship! It’s an exciting time to join two lives together to build a bright future. You brought the pets and furniture while your partner brought along a big screen television—and bad credit history. Is this union doomed from the start? Not always. But the road to repair can be rocky. A bad credit history can be fixed, but it takes time, patience, honesty, and a lot of self-discipline to change the habits that got you in this financial situation in the first place. If you want to avoid relationship problems and change your spending habits, here are three ways bad credit can impact your love life. With the following relationship advice and dating tips, you can prevent heart ache and an empty wallet.

Relationship advice that history is wrecking your love life with the following relationship advice.

…On the edge of your seat? Read more!

By Dr. Amy Osmond Cook

More people do this than you may think.Taylor Swift does it. Kendall Jenner does it, too. Some people have caught Katy Perry and Demi Lovato doing it, and supermodel Heidi Klum credits it as one of her best beauty secrets. What are they doing? They nap. And they make sure to get a good night’s sleep. With less than40 percent of Americans getting a satisfactory amount of sleep each night according to gallup.com, it is evident we have a love/hate relationship with sleep. What happens when we sleep? And why is it so important for our well-being? “While we doze, our brains and bodies aren’t slacking off, they’re at work, repairing us after the day’s battles and refueling us for tomorrow’s slog—in more ways than you likely realize,” prevention.com writer Sarah Klein says. The brain and heart are recharging, the liver is detoxifying the day’s activities, and skin cells are reproducing and repairing. With the role of sleep being such an important part of our wellness, it’s time we build a healthy relationship with sleep. Here are four ways to do it.

Want to feel less tired during the day? Then follow this relationship advice about sleep.

…On the edge of your seat? Read more!