Q. I've been single for about six months now. Granted, COVID has complicated "dating," but aside from the interesting conversation, the attention, and, in one case, decent sex, why do I feel so blah? Am I missing something? - Casual Dating Blues

Dear CDB,

It might be the added obstacles of pandemic dating or you might have low-level malaise or...Read more

During the first lockdown in spring, many people got very creative with how to deal with life, work, family, and staying healthy. We adapted pretty well -- so well, in fact, that many people are changing their lifestyles to get out of cities and live a cleaner and simpler life.

Now that working from home is part of the new normal, people who ...Read more

I was an early adopter of online dating. I started in 2001, when no one did online dating. Rather than hoping I'd meet my future partner, my poor parents just hoped I wouldn't meet a psychopath! (Years later, they caught on and begged me to let them buy me a membership. My, how times change.) Over the years, I started to come at online dating ...Read more

Right now we all have more than our fair share of problems, not just the pandemic, inequality, and the economy but also interpersonal issues, which can loom much larger with all of this. Here are some tips for staying emotionally balanced and getting those annoying problems solved.

1. Step away from a problem that is vexing you at the moment, ...Read more

I find myself giving this advice on an almost daily basis: "If you don't know, then ask."

I once got an email from a male client who had met a woman at a party the previous weekend (you know, when we were allowed to go to parties). She promptly found him on Facebook and suggested meeting for a drink. (Good for her for taking the initiative!) He...Read more

Q: Erika,

I'm diving into the COVID era of online dating and wanted to get your professional take on "ghosters"/"breadcrumbers" during COVID. Is it okay to give men I'd normally cut off when they fail to follow up/make plans an extra pass given everything that's going on right now? Long story short, went on a great (masked) first date two weeks...Read more

For the past couple of decades, we have been hyperfocused on "happiness." What it is, how to find it, who has it, how they got it, and where can I get mine? Is it meditation, visualization, diet, exercise, therapy, journaling, creating -- and yes, all of these help, but right now, I don't think there's any way to manufacture happiness when there...Read more

I went to my high school reunion last year (remember when there were in-person events?). At the reunion, I ran into a friend whom I hadn't seen, well, since high school. Out of the blue, he started telling me about a woman he was seeing -- and whom he had brought as his date. (Because of my job as a dating coach, people tend to open up to me ...Read more

We've all seen the cop movies. The situation is tense, the fate of the free world hangs in the balance, and instead of waiting for backup (as called for by the commanding officer), the hero plunges in headfirst to save the day.

In my case, it wasn't so dramatic. I had to carry a 50-pound bag of kitty litter upstairs, and I just wanted to get it...Read more

I got this question recently from a client:

"I wanted to share the details about my date on Saturday. It was OK – nothing to write home about – just OK. He's not someone I would like to get to know further, but he sent me a text a couple hours after I got home asking if I'd like to do it again. Do I have to answer it, or can I just let it ...Read more

Nothing lasts forever, a fact that the coronavirus has driven home very hard. But what happens to each of us when something creates global change? The obvious external changes can be easily seen, but what about the internal ones?

You may become depressed, anxious, traumatized, sleepless, or even just stop caring. If you recognize that this is ...Read more

You're swiping through Bumble. You see a handsome and well-spoken gentleman. You swipe right. You match!! You message him (on Bumble, the woman has to write first)... only to get no response. The 24-hour period where responses are allowed is up, and -- poof -- your match goes away just as quickly as he got there.

The question is this: If ...Read more