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Desire and Intimacy in Long Term Relationships with Esther Perel February 8, 2007

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Esther Perel

Category: Love & Romantic Relationships, Sexuality & Desire

Passion thrives on uncertainty, and too much closeness can kill it. Esther Perel, MA, LMFT, psychotherapist and author of “Mating in Captivity,” joins Armand to explore why desire needs distance, how fantasy differs from perversion, and what surrender, dominance, and the body’s hormonal rhythms reveal about erotic life.

The Many Shapes of a Relationship Undated

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Giullian Gioiello, Ora Yemini Morrison

Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

Romantic partnerships rarely fit a single mold. Armand DiMele and co-hosts Ora Yemini-Morrison, LCSW and Giullian Gioiello map over a dozen relationship styles, from fantasy and lies to dominance, competition, and enabling, arguing that most couples fall into rigid patterns and that recognizing yours is the first step toward something better.

Competitive Cooperative and Dominant Submissive Love with Dr. Peter Hogan Undated

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Dr. Peter Hogan

Category: Identity & The Self, Love & Romantic Relationships

Which relationship style actually lasts? Armand DiMele draws on research by Dr. Peter Hogan using a train game experiment to map three relationship modes: competitive, cooperative, and dominant-submissive. The counterintuitive finding is that clearly defined dominant-submissive pairs outlast the rest.

Negotiating with Your Partner Undated

Host: Armand DiMele

Category: Communication & Conflict, Love & Romantic Relationships

Men and women enter relationships with radically unequal negotiating tools, and most couples never realize it. Armand DiMele traces how this imbalance breeds resentment, then walks through a practical step-by-step framework for making requests, brainstorming solutions, and reaching agreements without resorting to threats or withdrawal of love.

Dominance and Submission with Melissa Febos Undated

Host: Armand DiMeleGuests: Melissa Febos

Category: Identity & The Self, Sexuality & Desire

Melissa Febos, author of the memoir “Whip Smart,” describes her four years as a professional dominatrix in Midtown Manhattan and what it taught her about power and fear. Armand DiMele and co-host Dr. Sherry Siegel probe why high-powered men seek submission, and Febos reflects on how therapy finally let her see the work clearly.