Ben and Heather welcome Dr Atina Manvelian, a psychologist and clinical scientist. As a postdoctoral researcher at Stony Brook University and Stanford University, she studies how our relationships impact our mental health and conducts research on how we can improve the quality of our relationships. Of particular interest for our listeners is Dr Manvelian's specialty in adjustment following a breakup or divorce. So she is the perfect guest to help tackle the topic of how to make separation actually work.

This episode deals with the following questions:

1. What does a "good" separation look like?

2. How separations can get off on the wrong foot when one person has been thinking about separation for a long time and the other is taken by surprise.

3. How can couples avoid getting into a spiral of anger and blame that will be hard to unwind.

4. Managing a solo life and dealing with loneliness.

5. Is it possible to re-partner too quickly?

6. How to cope with the emotions that arise when your ex re-partners.

7. How separating couples should talk to their children about separation.

8. The importance of boundaries, how to set them and stick to them.

At the end of the episode, Dr Manvelian gives us her top three tips on making separation work. Not to be missed!