Keyword: intimacy

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The Fear of Being Loved July 11, 2012

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Audrey Clark, Lisa Arnone
Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

What if part of you refuses to be loved? Armand DiMele and studio guests Lisa Arnone, LCSW, and Audrey Clark dig into the paradox of lovability: how people unconsciously push away love, choose cruel or unavailable partners, and replay childhood wounds in adult relationships. A listener letter about borderline personality anchors the discussion.

Love is the Grease on the Gears of Life December 27, 2011

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Linda Vanella, Michael Jessen
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Love & Romantic Relationships

Love, Armand argues, is what keeps us moving through life, and sex is what keeps love alive. With Linda Vanella, LCSW-R and Michael Jessen, Armand explores why the very traits that draw us to a partner eventually become their most irritating qualities, and what it takes to push through that reversal into a deeper connection.

The Nature of Trust December 14, 2011

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Linda Vanella
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Personal Growth & Change

Trust is not a virtue to be automatically granted but a skill built through experience and self-knowledge. Armand DiMele and Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, argue that rage, self-doubt, and fear of one’s own reactions are the real barriers to trust, and that radical honesty in relationships matters more than blind faith in others.

Why We Fall in Love with a False Self June 14, 2011

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Kenny Baron, Lauren Sykes, Linda Vanella, Sherri Siegel
Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

What if people don’t fall in love with who you really are, but with the polished self you perform? Armand DiMele argues that revealing your true self often drives partners away, and that therapy’s push for authenticity can backfire. A caller’s story of kibbutz bullying, suicide, and bulimia recovery gives the theory raw, unexpected weight.

Freedom from Definitions of Love January 27, 2011

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Love & Romantic Relationships

No therapist can hand you the right formula for love, and Armand argues that freedom from definitions is the real gift. Neurotic love, dishonest love, unconventional love can all work. What matters is noticing your own sensations, from longing to satisfaction, and trusting what fits you.

The Need for Affection January 18, 2011

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Love & Romantic Relationships

Touch is not a luxury but a biological and emotional need, and its absence quietly drives depression, disconnection, and longing. Armand DiMele surveys how affection works across cultures, life stages, and temperaments, from the bonding chemistry of parent and child to what elderly people lose when their partners die.

How Attachment Styles Shape Our Love Lives December 5, 2010

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Linda Vanella
Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

Armand DiMele and Linda Vanella, LCSW-R, trace adult romantic patterns back to Mary Ainsworth’s infant attachment research, mapping secure, anxious, avoidant, and disorganized styles onto grown-up love. Callers share fresh breakups and repeating patterns, revealing how hard it is to outgrow the attachment wounds of childhood.

Exit Strategies in Love and Relationships April 29, 2010

Host: Armand DiMele
Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

Most people enter relationships with an unconscious escape plan already in place. Armand DiMele argues that children, debt, sexual withdrawal, hobbies, and infidelity all serve as built-in exit strategies, and that the people who suffer most after a breakup are those who never had one.

The Chemistry of Kissing March 11, 2010

Category: Love & Romantic Relationships, The Mind & Neuroscience

Kissing turns out to be a rich biochemical event. Armand DiMele and co-host Stephanie break down how testosterone, pheromones, dopamine, oxytocin, and even carbon dioxide exchange shape attraction and pair bonding, and why a single kiss can make or break a romance.

Why Love Fades Over Time December 22, 2009

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Stephanie D'Ambra
Category: Emotions & Inner Life, Love & Romantic Relationships

Love doesn’t just end, it erodes through unmet needs and biological programming. Armand DiMele argues that fading attraction follows a natural but not inevitable course, drawing on evolutionary drives and caller stories, including one man’s struggle with touch after years of violation.