logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2025
53m 4s

The One Who Stays and the One Who Goes

Esther Perel Global Media
About this episode
They met in vet school and married just as they reached graduation. But now his work takes him around the world, forcing them to live apart for months at a time. He’s ready to start a family, but she’s hesitant: how can they think about children when they’re often separated by distance? As they wonder about their next phase of life, Esther helps them uncover ... Show More
Up next
Oct 26
Is My Fantasy Ruining My Love Life?
After years of struggling to stay present during sex, one caller wonders if her fantasies are keeping her from the intimacy she longs for. The more she depends on fantasies of domination and humiliation, the more she questions what they mean about her and her relationships. Esthe ... Show More
54m 2s
Oct 19
Can I Still Be a Good Man if I Leave?
After decades together, he wonders whether he can stay in a marriage where intimacy and connection has all but disappeared. He's touch-starved and lonely and questioning whether preserving the family unit for the sake of his young daughter, is worth the cost of losing himself. Es ... Show More
59m 59s
Oct 12
I Want You To Want Me
Couples often struggle with gaps in their sex drives, but what does a couple do when one person has no desire for sex whatsoever? A married couple comes to Esther with this question: one of them has recently discovered that she's asexual, while the other craves sex as a primary f ... Show More
53m 35s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2025
Encore: Ep. 4 - Ryan and Beth's Relationship Impasse
Hey, Fellow Travelers. This week, a married couple with kids struggles to come to a decision on where to raise their family. Ryan wants their kids to grow up near his family in Nebraska. Beth wants them to live near her mother in New York. We show them a new way to talk through a ... Show More
43m 34s
May 2025
Home is everywhere and nowhere
Getting real about how exhausting constant transitions can be. From Morocco to Lebanon to the U.S., I’ve loved every step of the journey, but it hasn’t been easy. As someone who gets attached to people, places, and little routines, starting over again and again takes a toll. So w ... Show More
34m 49s
Mar 2024
From Lust to Lasting Commitment | Esther Perel EP 561
<p>Esther Perel says monogamy is now a choice rather than a given, so we must thoughtfully negotiate needs instead of feeling entitled to fulfill every desire. She believes partners who share core values and life vision, not just attraction, create relationships that thrive long- ... Show More
9m 55s
Jun 2022
Long in the Front, Short in the Back
<p>When you come off The Bachelor, it&rsquo;s not always a fairy tale romance! Dean and Jared discuss the difficult first year that many Bachelor couples face after the show.&nbsp;</p> <p>Should Dean expect something from Caelynn if he gets her an engagement ring??&nbsp;</p> <p>P ... Show More
39m 48s
Dec 2023
How I Navigate the Distance in My Relationship (Anxious - Avoidant Dynamic)
In this week's podcast episode, I share my personal experience with navigating the distance in my relationship, as we tend to spend long periods apart due to the nature of his work. I also talk about the challenges of anxious-avoidant dynamics and how we make it work. ————— 1:1 ... Show More
27m 25s
Jun 2023
Between Two Worlds
<p>Determination, hard work and sacrifice are core ingredients in the story of the American dream. But philosopher <a href="https://jennifermmorton.com/" target="_blank">Jennifer Morton</a> argues there is another, more painful requirement to getting ahead: a willingness to leave ... Show More
46m 52s
Nov 2024
The World is Our Oyster
As a parent, how do you transcend the regular run of the mill parent/child relationship? How do you turn your bond into a real friendship? When Jessica's two kids were young, she pulled them out of traditional school, began homeschooling them and started traveling abroad. They le ... Show More
35m 42s
Sep 2021
"Right Person, Wrong Time"
On today's Unfiltered episode, I sit down with a 28-year-old guy from New York City named Sam. Sam walks us through his complicated relationship with Taylor that began right before covid started, resulting in an unexpected Long distance relationship. Sam shares the struggles that ... Show More
1h 13m