Esther is a therapist who spent years studying intimacy, monogamy and sexuality. She became the world's most well-known expert on modern love

When Esther was a teenager she was voraciously curious about human behaviour.

She thought she'd become a journalist or a translator, but instead she grew up to become the world's most famous contemporary psychotherapist.

Esther became known around the world after the release of her podcast "Where Should We Begin?" in which she counsels real-life couples who are on the brink of marital breakdown.

In her sessions she's often exploring the tension between the need for security in a relationship, and the need for some distance and a sense of adventure, to keep the spark alive.

Esther says when you choose a partner you choose a story, and by doing so, you're often recruited for a part you never expected to play.

Further information

The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity is published by Yellow Kite Books

Listen to the podcast Where Should We Begin?

To binge even more great episodes of the ‘Conversations podcast’ with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, singers, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.