when considering a relationship with a significant age gap, it’s important to be aware of the power dynamics at play and the potential for friction around your different life stages. as johnson points out, the first thing to consider is the age of consent in your state. johnson says that all of these sexual health principles can be applied to relationships and should be considered when dating someone with an age difference.

if you are with a partner who is …

this article was co-authored by sarah schewitz, psyd. is a licensed clinical psychologist by the california board of psychology with over 10 years of experience. from the florida institute of technology in 2011. she is the founder of couples learn, an online psychology practice helping couples and individuals improve and change their patterns in love and relationships.

dating is a great way to meet potential partners and have a good time with new people, but it is daunting to start …

when you start dating someone new (or even if you’ve been together a while), it’s important to make sure you always feel comfortable in the relationship and are being true to who you are. and what about if you’re already in a relationship? “a hand on the arm can be a welcome source of intimacy and comfort to one person or a privacy violation to another,” she explains. take time apart from the person or people you’re dating to think …

it’s easy to get caught up in all the butterflies when your date walks in and seems to be every bit as cute and charming as you hoped they’d be, but setting clear boundaries from the beginning is a great dating habit to have. “but you need to be sure to use the best building blocks. from the beginning, you should both make it clear how you prefer communication to be. you just want to make sure that you’re both …

i tend to keep my walls up for too long and then let them come crashing down entirely all at once instead of gradually. and letting your boundaries come crashing down all at once instead of giving trust in little bits at a time is setting yourself up to get hurt. one of the problems i’ve figured out about myself is that my gut gave me signs not to trust certain people, and i ignored it. actually listening to your …