The coronavirus outbreak may pose one of the greatest challenges to romantic relationships in modern memory. For those of us living in close quarters with spouses or partners, how do we live our day to day without resorting to hollering, stony silence, or violations of local and federal statutes? For those of us living alone, what are the rules around online dating? Esther Perel is on the front lines of this battle. She is a renowned psychotherapist who continues to do couples counseling even as the pandemic rages. Much of this work can be heard on her popular podcast Where Should We Begin? She’s also the author of the awesomely-entitled, bestselling book Mating in Captivity. In this episode, we cover the benefits of sex (even if you’re not in the mood), humor, and a specific kind of "thank you." She also holds forth on anticipatory grief and a concept I found particularly compelling: "ambiguous loss."

Where to find Esther Perel online:
Website: https://www.estherperel.com/
Podcast: https://whereshouldwebegin.estherperel.com/
Podcast: https://howswork.estherperel.com/
Upcoming Live Broadcasts with Esther: "The Art of Us: Love, Loss, and Loneliness Under Lockdown” - https://events.estherperel.com/april-2020-webinar/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstherPerel

Other Resources Mentioned:
Tanya Selvaratman: Where Can Domestic Violence Victims Turn During COVID-19? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/opinion/covid-domestic-violence.html
Pauline Boss - Ambiguous Loss - https://www.ambiguousloss.com/
John Gottman - The Gottman Institute - https://www.gottman.com/
Megan Flemming - https://greatlifegreatsex.com/

Additional Resources:
Ten Percent Happier Live: https://tenpercent.com/live
Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide
Free App access for Health Care Workers: https://tenpercent.com/care

Full Show Notes: https://tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/esther-perel-236