If you were going on a vacation, would you simply get in your car with no GPS or maps and start driving? Both host Pat Barbarito and featured guest Dr. Duana Welch scoff at the very idea and question why society continues to embrace the myth that, when dating, blindly trusting to luck is the only way to find true love. Focused on the science of human attraction and connection, the duo reassure listeners that understanding the process of successful partnering will never ruin the thrill of falling in love. It just might enhance the journey!

Listen and learn: 

• how using science-backed strategies will improve your odds on finding love; 
• how to ‘prime your brain’ to seek out candidates that match your desired traits list;
• the two non-negotiables for every relationship (no, really, no exceptions); 
• whether it's truly necessary to having the same or a similar capacity and desire for love;
• the relevance of chemistry – either instant or eventual – when entering into a new relationship;
• how bad behaviors excused during courtship are usually the very behaviors that land couples in divorce court;
• the danger of assumptions and the power of difficult conversations; and so much more. 

This is the first in a series of conversations with Dr. Duana Welch, author of the original Love Factually: 10 Proven Steps from I Wish to I Do, and its sequel, Love Factually for Single Parents.

Dr. Welch is a relationship coach and is known for using social science to solve real-life relationship issues. She has served as a professor at universities in Florida, California, and Texas across 20 years, and has contributed to NPR, PBS, Psychology Today, and numerous other outlets, podcasts and videos. To learn more about Dr. Welch, please click here. 

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