Current reporting, research and professional developments across Family & Relationships, curated for psychologists and behavioral-health professionals.
For many people, the idea of planning sex sounds rather unsexy. Planning takes away the spontaneity, and putting sex on the schedule might make it feel like more of a chore or duty. For some, it might even increase…
Relationships can feel like both a blessing and the bane of your existence, a source of joy and a source of frustration or resentment. At some point, each of us is faced with a clingy child, a ...
What makes couple relationships last? Many people strive to form and maintain mutually fulfilling intimate partner relationships ...
When you’re short on sleep and your focus suddenly drifts, your brain may be briefly slipping into cleanup mode. Scientists discovered that these attention lapses coincide with waves of fluid washing through the brain, a…
Anal sex is often treated as a taboo topic, even for those who engage in it and, at times, amongst healthcare professionals. And this stigma has real consequences. Anal sex has been practiced for centuries, can be…
Scientists have discovered that the adolescent brain does more than prune old connections. During the teen years, it actively builds dense new clusters of synapses in specific parts of neurons. These clusters emerge only…
BDSM practitioners place a huge emphasis on consent and safety during their practices, and for good reason. Certain kink behaviors can pose great risk to someone’s health and well-being if not done correctly and/or if…
Researchers in Japan built a miniature human brain circuit using fused stem-cell–derived organoids, allowing them to watch the thalamus and cortex interact in real time. They found that the thalamus plays a decisive role…
In my last post, we looked at why willpower-based parenting resolutions fail. Intentional parenting offers a different approach ...
Dr. Liu Qiao, when was the last time you felt lonely? That feeling comes over me after big events like conferences. When I ...
Teens who sleep in on weekends may be giving their mental health a boost. A new study found that young people who made up for lost weekday sleep had a significantly lower risk of depression. While consistent sleep is…
A long-running debate over Tamiflu’s safety in children may finally be settled. Researchers found that influenza, not the antiviral medication, was linked to serious neuropsychiatric events like seizures and…
The New Year is often a time when people set intentions for self-improvement, whether it’s setting a new goal, changing an old habit, or strengthening relationships with important people in our lives. In a recent podcast…
Feeling warm or cold doesn’t just register on the skin—it changes how connected we feel to our own bodies. Research shows that temperature sensations help shape body ownership, emotional regulation, and mental…
Your daily rhythm may matter more for brain health than previously thought. Older adults with weaker, more disrupted activity patterns were far more likely to develop dementia than those with steady routines. A later…
Attention depends on the brain’s ability to filter out distractions, but new research suggests this works best when background brain activity is quieter. Scientists found that lowering certain versions of the Homer1 gene…
When a new year approaches, the gathering of both local and federal lawmakers isn’t far away. Deseret News asked a variety of ...
Categorizing a year through the lens of relationship tropes is more than a creative framing device. It provides a structured ...
Social media has a name for a transformation many people believe they have observed. A man, often non-Black, enters a long-term ...
As 2025 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on some of the dating trends we saw this past year. We’re also discussing what these trends might mean for the dating landscape in 2026. The data we’re diving into is from the…
A major international review has upended long-held ideas about how top performers are made. By analyzing nearly 35,000 elite achievers across science, music, chess, and sports, researchers found that early stars rarely…
Let’s be honest, almost everyone has found themselves scrambling for a last-minute holiday gift at some point. If you’re still searching for a memorable gift for your partner this year, why not think a little differently…
More than 20% of young adults say they use cannabis or alcohol to fall asleep, with cannabis leading by a wide margin. Researchers warn this strategy can backfire, disrupting sleep quality and increasing the risk of…
A Virginia Tech study shows that ultra-processed foods may influence adolescents differently from slightly older young adults. Participants aged 18 to 21 ate more at a buffet and snacked even when not hungry after two…
** Note: This post is sponsored by Firmtech. ** Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most common sexual health issues experienced by men. [1] It becomes increasingly prevalent as men age, and is typically defined as…
Kids with an anxious attachment can be clingy, sensitive, and have low-esteem. Anxious attachment requires healing—parents ...
Researchers discovered that unusually high temperatures can hinder early childhood development. Children living in hotter conditions were less likely to reach key learning milestones, especially in reading and basic math…
As this year comes to a close, we’re reflecting on all of the incredible books we’ve covered on the podcast and blog in 2025. We have learned a ton about sexuality, bodies, pleasure, and empowerment this year! In this…
Researchers studying people with major psychiatric disorders found that drinking up to four cups of coffee a day is associated with longer telomeres. This suggests a potential slowing of biological aging by about five…
A large study of brain scans shows that our neural wiring evolves through five major stages from birth to late old age. These phases are separated by sudden turning points that mark big shifts in how the brain is…
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