DEAR NATALIE: My girlfriend of seven years and I recently broke up. We share a lot of mutual friends and several of our friends are playing “Switzerland.” It ended pretty badly and I have noticed that... more
DEAR NATALIE: I am “dabbling” in an open marriage with my wife of four years. I am not pushing for this situation, but she said that our sex life was boring and that she wanted to try something new. W... more
DEAR NATALIE: I recently made a comment online that was taken out of context and blew up on social media in my small town. Now, I’m facing backlash from people in my community. My daughter says that t... more
DEAR NATALIE: I’ve been mostly a stay-at-home mom since my kids – ages three and five – were born. I’m an artist, and I work at a studio in my home, but I’m primarily available for our kids. My husban... more
DEAR NATALIE: It was my 30th birthday and my boyfriend forgot all about it. I was hoping for a surprise party with my friends, or at the very least a dinner that he organized, but instead? I got nothi... more
DEAR NATALIE: My 22-year-old son and his girlfriend want to move in with us to save money. They both work in the food industry and just can’t seem to make ends meet. They’ve been living together for a... more
DEAR NATALIE: My sister got out of a bad marriage about a year ago and her ex-husband was verbally abusive. They married straight out of high school. She’s about to turn 28 and has started dating agai... more
DEAR NATALIE: I am a straight woman in my mid-30s with no desire for a romantic partner. This has been a challenge for my very traditional family who doesn’t understand why I would ever want to be sin... more
DEAR NATALIE: I’ve been dating this guy for about nine months and he is divorced (no kids) but with terrible trust issues. His ex-wife cheated on him more than once and he only found out because she l... more
DEAR NATALIE: My wife died of complications from COVID in 2022 and it’s been horrible moving forward without her. We have two small children and juggling being a single dad and a small business owner ... more
DEAR NATALIE: My boyfriend (well, fiancé) just proposed and my mom is less-than-impressed with the engagement ring he chose. She is also mad that he didn’t come to her first and ask her for her help w... more
DEAR NATALIE: How do I know when to fire someone? I consistently have problems with one of my employees who needs way more supervision than anyone else at my company. She’s older than I am, and I thin... more
DEAR NATALIE: I’ve been in a consensual non-monogamous relationship for several years. My husband and I have actually never acted on it, but we knew that having another romantic partner wouldn’t be a ... more
DEAR NATALIE: One of my daughter’s friends recently reached out to me to express concern about her own drinking. She is only 17 and I know this is a cry for help because her parents don’t know that sh... more
DEAR NATALIE: I keep running into an ex’s mom around town. My ex moved years ago, and we are not in contact – I have no interest in a relationship with him. I didn’t spend a ton of time with his mom, ... more