A day doesn’t go by that I’m not reading or thinking about the role AI is playing in modern lives and relationships. But a few headlines have taken up residency in my subconscious, including a study conducted by Vantage Point Counseling Services. After surveying 1,012 adults living in the U.S. about their interactions and relationships with artificial intelligence systems, Vantage learned that 28% of the adults claimed to have at least one intimate or romantic relationship with a chatbot…

A very wise friend recently asked me for a ‘tip of the day’ for long-term coupling success (despite the fact she’s been married to her husband twice as long as I’ve been married to mine. Hat tip to them!) I shared with her some of my recent learnings that I try to keep top of mind both with my clients and with my own spouse. But true to form, it was this same wise friend who ended up sharing the ‘tip’ that stuck with me throughout the evening…

But don’t take it from me.  In 2024, the sitting Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued a public health advisory. You know, like linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer. Or strongly discouraging alcohol use during pregnancy. Murthy’s advisory, titled “Parents Under Pressure,” declared that parental stress is a significant public health issue. Financial insecurity, social media, loneliness, and the pressure of balancing work and family demands (not to mention the lingering after-effects of the pandemic, social inequalities, political unrest, and the existential threat of climate change) are leading to alarming outcomes for parents.