General Dating Questions/Expert Profile

Expertise

Examining human behavior, conflict, the psychology behind people's actions and the dynamics of relationships. Behavior is often about unspoken feelings, underlying motives and patterns. Learning to recognize what you're seeing in others and how to interpret the meaning will tell you what people are really thinking and why they're acting as they are. Understanding others is also about what is said and what isn't, what words are used and which ones aren't. The devil, it is said, is in the details. Subtleties matter. If you are educated, focused, experienced and perceptive, you are far more empowered to successfully and safely navigate human interactions and you can predict with far greater certainty what is coming next. You will be able to take in information and think on the move with numerous stimuli without even realizing you're doing it. Please share what state or country you live in. Please also do me a little favor with a big-time impact -- type your message in more than one paragraph. It will make it easier to respond to you more quickly.

Experience in the area

Research and interviews. Answering questions around the world. Discussing behavior in work, family, friendships and romantic relationships.

Publications

Newspaper and radio reporter, talk show host, freelance magazine writer on psychology, behavior and dating as well as an online feature writer on psychology and our daily lives; talk show guest in Atlanta, Georgia, San Francisco, California and Canada.

Education/Credentials

B.A. in communications/public relations. Additional coursework and three radio internships in speech /broadcasting. Study in conflict and emotional intelligence. Fieldwork and library of relationships, psychology literature and conflict resolution. Have worked with over 1,000 people, in 25 countries, at AllExperts as well as working with people through personal email, on the phone and face-to-face.

Past/Present Clients

College and high school students, military, divorced people, office workers (romance on the job), substance abuse in relationships, emotional abuse in relationships, more.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

Continue to learn the subtleties about human interaction, the words and actions that occur that tell stories of someone's feelings and needs. There is so much that is unspoken that determines whether a relationship will thrive or go bust. Learning those nuances and sharing them with others is highly rewarding.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

We may be slow or unable to pick up dating or relationship clues. We may also be, sadly, selfish -- both men and women. No one gender has the market cornered on that one. In the end, many people are out for themselves. We are, and should be, highly selective in who we associate with and date. The people we choose to be with can be the frosting on our cake or the poison in our drink.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

We can focus on the risk or reward in stepping out and meeting someone. In the end, I find the reward drives me forward and outweighs the chance of meeting someone who isn't the ideal match. Read your situation quickly, ask yourself if you're interested and then take a deep breath and be bold in going for gold.