The benefits of healthy relationships are not only derived for your connection with your spouse and lover(s). The benefits of healthy working relationships and friendships are also well-documented, so investing in multiple connections will allow you to reap the rewards. Jess joined Carolyn and Jeff this morning on Global TV's The Morning Show to answer a few questions about friendships and share insights on research in the field.

Check out the video and summary below.

Tina asks:

Help! My fiancé doesn’t have any friends. I have a big group of friends and they’re welcoming of him into our group. But shouldn’t he have his own friends too?

Research suggests that men have fewer friends than women and that their ties are less intimate. However, we are seeing change with younger generations — one small scale study found that college men rate their friendships as more intimate than their relationships with their sexual/romantic partners. Read more about the...

After a week on the seas with Desire Experiences, Jess retuned to Toronto today to join Carolyn and Vicki on The Morning Show and answer viewer questions about fighting in relationships. Check out the video and recap below.

We got married in the Spring and fought with and about his parents during the whole wedding planning process. Now it seems like we’re fighting about every little thing every day - chores, work, time with friends. How can we nip this fighting in the bud as newlyweds?

A new study found that couples who fight about the more manageable resolvable issues fare better in the long run.

Rather than trying to resolve all of your feelings related to his family, start with the little things: household chores, where/when you work and how you spend time with friends. When you take a solution-oriented approach to more concrete resolvable issues, you’ll likely achieve success together and this can help you to build trust and security.

As you develop this...

Not all relationships are worth saving. And the measure of a relationship is not necessarily its longevity, but the quality and fulfillment experienced by all parties involved. 

Jess joined Carolyn and Jeff on Global TV 's The Morning Show to share her insights on how to start the conversation if you’re currently struggling in your relationship(s). Check out the three conversations to save an ailing relationship video and notes below.

1. Why?

• Why do you want to work on this relationship?
• Why do you value it?
• Why do you care about me (what are the qualities you admire)?

This lays the foundation for a shared goal (improving the relationship as a team) and allows you to state your intention to invest in the relationship. If you are simply trying to resolve multiple issues without clearly highlighting the reason for doing so, it’s easy to lose sight of your goal: to work together for a more fulfilling relationship.

The same approach can be helpful when you...

When people hear that I’m a sexologist, they assume that I talk about orgasms, blow jobs and sexual dysfunction. And while I do talk about the big ohhh, sexual skills and overcoming common sexual problems, in reality, I spend most of my time talking about relationships because sex doesn’t occur in a vacuum and not all relationships are sexual.

In the upcoming month, for example, I’ll be working with corporate groups and private groups of entrepreneurs who want to improve their relationships — in their homes and in their workplaces, because they know that investing in relationships in the workplace is essential to sustaining and fuelling growth in their businesses.

Whether you run a small bakery or a transnational consulting firm, the who often matters more than the what and how much when it comes to thriving businesses — including the bottom line. 

This morning, I sat down with Jeff and Carolyn on The Morning Show to discuss the effect of...

Jess joined Vikki and Jeff this morning to discuss the role celebrity relationships play in our lives. They also talked about how to “future-proof” your relationship. Check out the summary and video below.

1. Why are we so concerned about celebrity relationships when we don’t even know these people?

We feel as though we know them because social media offers what seems like an intimate glimpse into their world. Snaps and stories, in particular, create a false sense of connection because they’re behind-the-scenes glimpses of the mundane or everyday habits.

Perceived relationships with celebrities or online personalities can seem to fulfill major factors of relationships:

Intimate sharing which results in an emotional reaction and endures over time.

But this relationship only goes one way and is a parasocial interaction.

2. Why are we so affected when celebrities (total strangers) break up?

We see celebrities as aspirational and we idealize their lives —...

Gwyneth Paltrow has announced that she and her husband, Brad Falchuk, are ready to move together full time after a year of marriage. And while you might not be interested in Paltrow’s love life (I’m know I’m not), her arrangement offers a reminder that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to happy relationships.

Jess joined Carolyn and Jeff to discuss the LABT trend and transitions into blended families on The Morning Show.

Check out the video and notes below.

1. Can you really be married if you’re living apart half of the time?

I sure hope so! I’ve spent years of my marriage in a part-time long-distance relationship and couples across the globe do this out of necessity. Domestic workers come to Canada to raise other people’s kids and they’re forced by financial hardship to leave their own kids and spouses back at home. Two of my friends who work as nannies were just reunited with their husbands and kids in the past few months after years...

If you read forums online or sign onto Reddit’s "How many relationships did your wedding ruin?”, you will be consumed by the thousands of ways in which weddings adversely affect friendships.

My friend didn’t invite my kids or my partner to the wedding.

My best man got drunk and gave an obnoxious speech.

My MIL stole one of our cash gifts.

My friend showed up with extra guests.

My brother got engaged on stage during his speech.

All types of relationships can be redefined at a wedding — oftentimes because tensions and expectations are simply too high. Jess joined Jeff and Carolyn on The Morning Show to discuss how you can manage sticky situations related to finances and nuptials.

Check out the summary and video below.

How does the cost of weddings negatively affect friendships?

A recent study found that the financial stress of the wedding can also take a toll on close friendships with one third of bridesmaids reporting that the money associated with a...

Good morning! Earlier today, I joined Cheryl Hickey and Jeff McArthur on The Morning Show to talk about the Marriage Pact — an app designed to help students find a backup plan in case they don’t find a forever partner in time to align with their life goals.

Check out the summary and video below.

Important note: Of course, not everyone wants one forever partner, so check out last week’s podcast on Toxic Monogamy and our recent interview on Consensual Non-monogamy if you want to consider alternative approaches to relationships.

1. What is the marriage pact?

The Marriage Pact is a multi-year study out of Stanford designed to match people up in stable partnerships using economic theory and cutting-edge computer science. But it’s not designed to help you find the one — its goal is to help you find a backup plan. The program analyzes core values as opposed to interests and attraction (which can change) and since it was designed for college students, they...

One in five Canadians reports being lonely and research suggests that loneliness plagues Torontonians and folks in big cities across the nation. Loneliness not only affects our quality of life, but is associated with higher rates of depression and anxiety which are tied to physical health issues including heart disease and high blood pressure.

If you’re looking to spark new relationships — intimate or platonic — in Toronto, there is no better time to get started than the present. Jess joined Jennifer Valentyne on Global News Morning Toronto to share five ways to find love and friendship in the city.

Check out the summary and video below and make a commitment to trying one of these approaches today:

Why is it so hard to meet new people in big cities?

The density of our living conditions leads to anonymity as the norm. We don’t take the time to get to know people because we’re surrounded by so many folks that we’re never ever alone. Think about...

Gossip and trash talking in the workplace…sometimes it bonds employees but is it ever worth it? What should you do if you know that you are the subject of it? How do you stop trash talking and gossiping if you’ve developed a bad habit of it? Plus strategies for encouraging co-workers to tone it down. We all know how contagious and toxic it can be, so Jess sat down to discuss with Jeff and Carolyn on The Morning Show.

Check out the summary and video below.

We all gossip from time to time, so what is it’s appeal?

Gossip can be damaging, but research suggests that it can also produce personal and group benefits. For example, some folks report that it eases anxiety to talk about a negative interaction or observation as a means of warning others. Research at Stanford University suggests that when you learn about potentially negative behaviour from others, you can avoid negative interaction and foster collaboration with those...