valentines day

Episode 268: Relationships in the Pandemic - A Valentine’s Day Special with Samara Fabrick

“Part of what keeps eroticism alive in marriage is separateness. You need to be your own person and your partner needs to be their own person, and when you come together as the Venn diagram, that's where the sexy, spicy comes.”

- Samara Fabrick

Are you feeling the love this week? 🥰 Ahead of Valentines Day, we brought back previous guest, Samara Fabrick, a couples therapist who talks to us about relationships during the pandemic. So many of us are facing issues with our partners like never before and Samara is breaking down the pros & cons to our newly realized problems. She is sharing ways that we can get our sexy back with our partners during quarantine and when we need it in the future! 

Listen to our previous episodes with Samara that will help set the mood for Valentine’s Day:

More about Samara Fabrick: Samara Fabrick is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been in private practice as a psychotherapist in Beverly Hills for the past 20 years. Samara specializes in working with clients suffering from anxiety as well as a specialization in relationship and couples therapy. She taught the premarital course, Making Marriage Work, at the American Jewish University for 15 years.  As part of her extensive work with couples, Samara works with a variety of sexual issues including those related to dating and sexuality in the course of long-term relationships. Samara has been married to her husband for 26 years and has two grown children.

How to Get Your Groove Back 😉

  1. Make sure you are taking care of yourself and practicing self care. You need to feel good about yourself first before you focus on anyone else.

  2. Find something that feels novel, or new. Samara suggests a few dates ideas below.

Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

  • Get someone to watch the kids and take a night drive with your partner. Park somewhere and fool around a bit.

  • If you live close to to the beach, take a drive up the coast. Super relaxing.

  • Have a picnic in your backyard or the local park. Do the things that we used to do at the beginning of the pandemic that have become complacent.

  • Do what feels sexy and special - take a bath or hot shower together, read a book.

  • Make a date to have sex! It might not feel sexy to schedule it on the calendar, but it obviously matters enough. You NEED to make time for your partner! Lock the door and tell your kids it’s mommy & daddy time. Your kids will survive. 🤣

  • Paulina’s suggestion - Prior to covid, she and her husband used to visit sex shops together. Now her husband will buy her something sexy online and have it delivered. It’s a fun surprise for both of them.

LINKS

For more information on Samara and to book a session, visit her website at SamaraFabrick.com

Divorce Rates Spike in China due to Coronavirus Lockdown

Paulina mentions how not sexy these sock gloves are (her pick from last week’s episode) but they are SO nice for your feet!

Samara’s favorite books right now - Girl, Woman, Other: A Novel by Bernadine Evaristo and The Vanishing Half: A Novel by Brit Bennett

We’re all also loving with making cocktails at home, especially with Fortaleza tequila! Not sponsored.

Samara’s guilty pleasure is Below Deck on Bravo.

And yes, we’re still obsessed with Bridgerton. Can you blame us?! We’re getting in the Valentine’s Day mood.

V-Day Bonus Episode: Dating/Relationship Q&A with Dating Coach, Damona Hoffman

 
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Happy Valentines Day, ladies! We are bringing you a very special V-Day bonus episode with dating coach, TV personality and Dates & Mates podcast host, Damona Hoffman to answer YOUR dating/relationship questions submitted via Instagram.

We touch on single mom dating tips, warning signs to break up with someone, casual versus serious dating, flirting/dating tips, dating after a break-up, sleeping with someone on the first date, how to date your own spouse, plus so many more relationship/dating gems.

Q&A with Damona Hoffman

How did you get into being a dating coach?

Who should go see you?

What are your dating tips for single moms?

How long until they meet your kids?

Casually dating versus serious dating

Where can 40 somethings meet men when online is not working?

Flirting tips

First date tips

Sleeping with someone on the first date

How do you talk about becoming official?

What are the signs to break-up with someone?

Is there a right time to start dating after a big break up?

How do you deal with your own crazy exes in a new relationship? Do you tell your new partner about them?

Dating with you’re married (with your partner, not other people)

Like what you heard? Listen to Damona’s Podcast, Dates & Mates plus follow her on IG as @DamonaHoffman and visit her website DamonaHoffman.com for all the fun resources mentioned on the show, such as the Relationship Bootcamp course.

Pick or Tip of the Week

Damona’s tip is using TaskRabbit to outsource small tasks to free up your time! At the end of the day, it’ll reduce stress between you and your spouse AND allow that freed up time to be spent together

Paulina and her husband LOVE going to the movies for their date nights. She recommends using Fandango as a resource to book your own movie date. You can find a dine-in movie theater that serves food & drinks inside, plus select your seats before arriving. It’s super easy!

After our interview with water healer Rocio Navarro, Bricia booked her appointment and the results are in- IT’S LIFE CHANGING! She recommends you booking your appointment asap. You can use Steamy Chick as a resource as well.