Once upon a time, the goal was clear: grow up, move out, never look back—except maybe for Thanksgiving dinner.

But times have changed.

Thanks to skyrocketing rent, student loan debt, and job market uncertainty, adult children are moving back home in record numbers.

For blended families, this transition can be even trickier.

If your stepchild is suddenly your roommate, or your partner’s adult son just took over the garage, you’re likely navigating a whole new level of family dynamics.

So how do you keep the peace, set boundaries, and make this work without losing your sanity? Let’s dive in.

For decades, modern dating has been fixated on compatibility quizzes, text chemistry, and the fine art of decoding emoji usage.

But what if the real key to lasting connection wasn’t in perfectly matched values or love languages, but in shared experiences that create intimacy through action rather than analysis?

Welcome to experiential intimacy-led dating—a relationship model that prioritizes doing things together over talking about doing things together. If past dating trends were about defining relationships, this one is about living them.

What Is Experiential Intimacy?

If there’s one dating trend that absolutely needed to happen, it’s this: setting boundaries as an act of self-love.

And not just the flimsy, “I don’t text after 10 PM” kind of boundaries, but real, enforced, and deeply respected emotional limits that keep your relationships (and mental health) intact.

For years, boundaries have been treated like a rude inconvenience—something to be negotiated away in the name of romance.

But as more people realize that love without limits is just codependency in a trench coat, the culture is shifting. Setting boundaries isn’t just responsible; it’s the sexiest thing you can do for yourself.

The dating world, much like an overcaffeinated startup, has spent the past decade operating at maximum intensity.

Fast matches. Instant chemistry.

Texting back in 30 seconds or be deemed emotionally unavailable. The sheer pace of it all left most people exhausted, confused, and just a little bit feral.

Enter the latest and perhaps most necessary relationship trend: soft dating—a gentler, more mindful approach to romance that prioritizes connection over pressure.

What Is Soft Dating?

In the long and sordid history of what makes a person attractive, we’ve worshipped brawn, wealth, and the ability to grow a passable mustache. But in 2025, a new trait has officially taken the top spot in the dating marketplace: emotional intelligence (EQ).

Yes, dear reader, it turns out the sexiest thing a person can do is not bench press 300 pounds or own a yacht—it’s handling a disagreement without turning into a toddler in a business suit.

What Is Emotional Intelligence, and Why Is It Suddenly Hot?

Once upon a time—by which we mean, the 2010s—relationships were a grim battleground of overanalysis. "Are we exclusive? Should we keep talking to other people? Should we split the check? What does their therapist say about me?"

Love, somehow, became homework. But now, a refreshing new movement is sweeping the dating world: pleasure-centered love.

Gone are the days when ‘hard work’ was the gold standard for a good relationship. Instead, people are now asking, "What if my relationship made me feel good?" Shocking, right?

By now, we’ve all encountered the ghostly wisp of a relationship known as a ‘situationship.’

That liminal space between ‘we’re seeing each other’ and ‘I just liked your Instagram story but haven’t texted back in three days’—a territory fraught with ambiguity, emotional whiplash, and, let’s be honest, bad communication.

But fear not, weary daters, and gentle readers, because a new sheriff is in town: intentional dating.

What is Intentional Dating, and Why is It Trending?

Nowadays self-actualization is often portrayed as a solo journey (cue the self-help gurus and their endless listicles).

The Michelangelo Phenomenon reminds us that we are, at our core, communal creatures. Our most intimate relationships don’t just comfort us—they shape us.

And like any sculpting process, the outcome depends on the skill, vision, and patience of the hands involved.

This blog post will take you on a journey through the history, psychology, and real-world impact of the Michelangelo Phenomenon.

Buckle up—this is love, but with chisels.

In the great digital petri dish of social media, neurodiverse relationships are evolving in ways both fascinating and only occasionally mildly dystopian.

It turns out, when you connect billions of people through glowing rectangles, strange and wonderful things happen. Some of those things, miraculously, are even good. Others? A grand social experiment in real-time identity formation.

The Great Gathering of the Neurodivergent Tribes

Once upon a time, neurodivergent souls had to navigate the minefield of social interaction in person, where things like "eye contact" and "tone of voice" could make or break an entire relationship.

But now, thanks to the magic of the Internet, there exist sprawling digital landscapes where one can build meaningful relationships through memes, Discord servers, and long, heartfelt Twitter threads about executive dysfunction.

Welcome to the algorithmic family.

Once upon a time, families fought about curfews and who got the last slice of pizza. Now, they fight about excessive screen time, doomscrolling, and why Dad keeps posting Minion memes on Facebook.

Welcome to the 21st century, where social media has rewritten the rules of human interaction, including the delicate ecosystem of family life.

As a couples therapist, I watch social media function as both a relationship catalyst and a nuclear device. What once passed for passive-aggressive holiday dinners has been refined into a digital art form—subtweets, vaguebooking, and emoji-laden guilt trips.

But before we all resign ourselves to dystopian family group chats, let's examine three ways social media is reshaping family therapy and how we might, against all odds, still survive it.

Individual growth plays a critical role in the success and longevity of romantic relationships. When both partners commit to personal development, they not only enhance their own well-being but also contribute positively to the partnership.

Research underscores the importance of continuous learning, emotional intelligence, and self-efficacy in fostering resilient and fulfilling relationships.

Fostering a Growth Mindset

Adopting a growth mindset—the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed—encourages continuous learning and adaptability.

In relationships, this mindset helps partners perceive challenges as opportunities for mutual growth, leading to more constructive interactions and greater relational satisfaction (Dweck, 2006).

When couples embrace the idea that their relationship is dynamic rather than fixed, they become more willing to engage in conflict resolution and long-term commitment.

Congratulations! You’ve entered a long-term relationship, which means you’ve voluntarily signed up for an ongoing collaborative project with another human being, one that involves constant adjustments, occasional malfunctions, and the ever-present threat of obsolescence.

Many people assume that once they find “the one,” love should work automatically, like a self-cleaning oven or a Roomba.

This is somewhat incorrect. Love is more like an operating system, prone to crashes if left unpatched.

So today, let’s talk about why relationships are dynamic systems, not static agreements, and why treating them as such is the key to keeping them alive.