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Showing posts from September, 2025

How to Balance Life and Love; Strategies for Success

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How can you balance life and love? Dr. Margaret Cochran gives us actionable techniques to create more balance in your life. — How do you balance life and love? That’s what we’re discussing today on the podcast with Dr. Margaret Cochran. She is a transpersonal psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, educator, author, and media personality with 25+ years of experience. She blends traditional, transpersonal, and energy psychology to help clients heal and thrive. Featured on BBC, CBS, NBC, and more, she’s known for her whole-person approach to wellness and hosting programs like Wisdom, Love and Magic. In this episode of Last First Date Radio: How to know when things are out of balance in a relationship Is balance really possible? How to balance life and love if you don’t have healthy examples in your life How to talk to your partner about balance Tips you can use to achieve balance between life and love EP 679: Dr. Margaret Cochran – How to Balance Life and Love; Stra...

Hardballing in Dating: 5 Tips to Decide If It’s Right for You

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Curious about hardballing in dating? Discover the pros and cons of being upfront about what you want – without scaring off potential matches. — In the world of modern dating, a new buzzword has emerged: hardballing . It’s the practice of being upfront early on about what you want—whether that’s marriage, a long-term relationship, or no-strings-attached fun. For many people, hardballing feels refreshing after years of unclear signals and endless guessing games. But it can also backfire if done without tact. Here are five tips to help you navigate the pros and cons of hardballing so you can decide if it’s right for you. Hardballing in Dating: 5 Tips to Decide If It’s Right for You 1. Pro: Saves Time and Energy When you’re clear about what you want, you quickly weed out people who don’t align with your goals. That means fewer unproductive dates and less emotional burnout. If you’re dating with intention, especially later in life, this directness can feel empowering. Tip: Fr...

How to Heal Trauma in Yourself and Your Relationship

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If you don’t heal trauma in yourself, you will carry it into every relationship. Listen to this episode to learn how to begin to heal. — How do you heal trauma in yourself and in your relationship? Tarah and E.J. Kerwin, founders of Relationship Renovation in Tucson, Arizona, help couples build stronger, healthier connections through therapy and online programs. They co-host the Relationship Renovation Podcast and a YouTube channel, sharing actionable tools rooted in intentional communication and empathy to support couples worldwide.   In this episode of Last First Date Radio: Subtle signs that past trauma is influencing someone’s current relationship, even if they feel they’ve ‘moved on’ from it How to define emotional safety in a relationship, and why is it the foundation for lasting connection? A few key tools from your Relationship Renovation Model that couples can use to navigate trauma-related triggers The very first mindset shift to start healing EP 678: T...

Dating After 50: How to Let Go of the Fear of Getting Hurt Again

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Afraid of getting hurt again? Here’s how to release past heartbreak, rebuild trust, and open yourself to love again. — Are you afraid of getting hurt again? If you’ve experienced heartbreak (and who hasn’t?), it’s no wonder that opening your heart again can feel scary. Past breakups have a way of whispering, “Be careful. Don’t get hurt again.” Fear tries to protect us, but it can also keep us from the joy and connection we deeply crave. If you’re over 50, you’ve gathered wisdom, self-awareness, and resilience that your younger self didn’t yet have. Letting go of the fear of getting hurt again isn’t about being naïve. It’s about learning to trust yourself more than you fear what could go wrong. Here are five ways to begin. How to Let Go of the Fear of Getting Hurt Again 1. Acknowledge Past Pain — Don’t Bury It Fear is often a sign of unprocessed pain. Maybe a betrayal still stings, or a divorce left a mark on your sense of safety and trust. Instead of pushing it away, gent...

Why We Fall For People We Can’t Have

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Many of us fall for people we can’t have. In this episode, you’ll learn why we do that, and how we can start falling for people we CAN have. — Have you ever fallen for someone who was in a relationship, married, lived too far away — someone who was not available for a relationship? Listen to this episode with my son, Max, and learn why we fall for people we can’t have. EP 677: Why We Fall For People We Can’t Have Why We Fall For People We Can’t Have We perceive what we can’t have as having more value We like the challenge of trying to chase what we can’t get We have self esteem or trust issues We have fear of commitment We didn’t expect things to be like this because they gave us all the right signals We convinced ourselves this person was our only or best option How to avoid falling for people you can’t have Stop believing it’s the only person you can have Get the confidence and social skills to meet people anywhere Open up all your options, so you stop focusing o...

What We Can (and Can’t) Control in Dating — and How to Stay Grounded Through It All

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Learn what you can and can’t control in dating. Discover 6 practical tips to reduce stress, build confidence, and create genuine connections. — In dating, it’s very important to recognize the difference between what we can control and what is beyond our influence. When you know where your power lies, you can focus on what really matters and let go of the rest. Here are six practical tips to reduce stress, build confidence, and create genuine connections in dating. What We Can (and Can’t) Control in Dating — and How to Stay Grounded Through It All What We Can Control Dating success is determined by how you show up; your actions, attitudes, and intentions. You have agency over your choices, your energy, and the way you honor your values and boundaries. Three ways to use your power well: Present Yourself Authentically You get to decide how you want to be seen on dates, not by playing a part, but by showing up as you . Whether that’s choosing date activities that reflect ...

Live Coaching With Heather – How to Know When to Stay and When to Go

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Listen as I coach Heather live on the podcast. She wants to know how she can figure out early on when to stay and when to go. — Heather wrote in to the podcast: “I’ve been separated and divorced for 6 years. I’ve been in therapy and have been working on myself (listening to your podcasts and being a woman of value) but still spent the last two years in a relationship that was on and off again. How do you quickly find out if someone is a match? Instead of spending a few years trying to figure it out.” Listen as I coach Heather live on air on how to know…should I stay or should I go (and so much more)! When to Stay and When to Go? Heather has been separated for three years and divorced three years after a 13-year marriage. She discusses what she learned from her marriage that she’s bringing to the next relationship. She began by listing all of HER faults in the marriage; she felt she was harsh and controlling and had to always be right. I noticed that she put the blame on herse...