Relationships are the biggest factor in our well-being, and yet we often struggle to have the quality of connections that we need. In this episode I talk with Dr. David Richo about his excellent book, How to Be an Adult in Relationships: The 5 Keys to Mindful Loving.

As we discussed, mindful loving consists of what Dave calls “the Five A’s”: attention, acceptance, appreciation, affection, and allowing. When we provide these essential ingredients, we help others (and ourselves) feel valued and loved.

Dave and I talked about several important related issues, including:

• The role of our early relationships in shaping our experience of love
• The connection between self-love and love of others
• What prevents us from giving and receiving love
• The ability of loving relationships to heal earlier wounds
• The importance of the spiritual in our closest relationships
• The challenge of self-loathing
• The impact of technology on our relationships
• Related books that he has written

I got so much out of How to Be an Adult in Relationships, and was really grateful that Dave agreed to come on the podcast. I hope you get a lot out of our discussion.

David Richo, PhD, MFT, is a psychotherapist, teacher, workshop leader, and writer who works in Santa Barbara and San Francisco, CA. He combines Jungian, poetic, and mythic perspectives in his work with the intention of integrating the psychological and the spiritual. His books and workshops draw from Buddhist and Christian spiritual practices.

You can find Dave online at his website.

David is the author of 20 books, including three we discuss in this episode:

How to Be an Adult in Relationships
How to Be an Adult in Love
The Five Things We Cannot Change

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