Advice on love, dating and more

Everyone wants to be in love, and no one wants to talk about what it’s really like to find your way there — or what it’s really like when you finally get there. Whether it’s petty disagreements, existential crises, heartbreak or finding a new partner, love isn’t all fairy tales and couch cuddles. Building a partnership is real work.

We love the following sex, dating, and relationship podcasts because they’re some of the few places that truly explore the reality of relationships—the good, the bad, the painful, and the confusing. Whether they’re advice columns or real stories from people in the trenches of heartbreak or falling in love, each of these relationship podcasts helps us understand what it means to be intimate with others and what it teaches us about ourselves. (PS: if you’re looking for podcasts on more romantic sidewe’ve got you covered there, too.)

Modern Love

If you are a fan of The New York Times column of the same name about how people fall in love – and don’t, you’ll love it Modern Love podcasts too. It’s the columns you love, narrated by voices you recognize, plus interviews with writers and others NYT voices for all things love.

Love is like a plant

A podcast about dating, loneliness, love, breakups and making it work, Love is like a plant explores the central question of how we make love grow. While the last episode was in 2022, it’s great to revisit no matter where you are in your relationship.

Relationship Advice

Whether you’re learning to be more intimate, managing stress, handling the holidays, or coping with infidelity, Relationship Advice discusses everything a married couple — or any couple in a long-term relationship — can face. Hosted by a divorced co-parenting couple who have been through it all and are ready to share their knowledge while continuing to learn from experts.

The Holderness Family Podcast

Newscasters-turned-content-creators-turned-Amazing match Winners Kim and Penn Holderness host this podcast that falls under the marriage and family side of relationships, exploring topics such as navigating ADHD and anxiety in a relationship and how to ask your partner for what you want.

My pleasure

Presented by sex coach Danielle Savory, My pleasure encourages women to explore their pleasure however and wherever they find it. The focus is on embracing intimacy and pleasure in bed, and episodes range from hour-long deep dives to super-sized starters, so you can play whatever fits your schedule.

Couple Friends

A lighthearted podcast, Couple Friends is a podcast hosted by a married couple who discuss silly and mundane topics, all with a wonderful respect for each other. It will make you want to strive for a kinder, more fun relationship with your partner.

Absolute with Anna Faris

It might seem strange to get love advice from a celebrity, but Anna Faris does a remarkable job with it Absolute. Characteristics Bachelorettes, actors, artists, writers and more, this pod gives celebrities a chance to talk about their relationship ups and downs and share some sage advice with listeners in need, all while keeping it fun and light.

Where should we start? with Esther Perel

If you’ve ever considered couples therapy but haven’t bitten the bullet, Where should we start? it could be a breakthrough. Esther Perel is best known for her controversial TED talks on infidelity. In this podcast, each episode is a one-time couples therapy session in which Perel helps the couple work through a problem.

Tthe heart

The heart it’s more than just a podcast. it’s experience. Each episode is described by the hosts as “exciting performances and sound design that [make] you feel like you’ve entered a magical dream world.” Stories about love, identity and sexuality come from a diverse group of people, guided by an all-queer behind-the-scenes staff.

Dear Sugars

Dear Sugars it’s not just a relationship podcast. is a “how to live your life” podcast. With all the compassion of the original advice column, the Sugars (aka writers Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond) read letters from people in all sorts of crises, including whether to get married or divorced and what it’s like to cheat — and be cheated on .

We met at Acme

A little more on the dating side than the relationship side, We met at Acme approaches sex, relationships and finding a partnership that works for you with humor and self-awareness. Plus it talks about all the ways apps/technology have changed courtship and a dash of astrology for fun.

Instead, you date yourself

Loving yourself is the first step to finding a loving relationship, and that’s the focus of this empowering podcast from social media personality Lyss Boss. Instead, you date yourself it’s part first-person dating diary, part advice column, part therapy session, and a must-hear for those of us desperate for the current dating pool.

A version of this story was published in January 2018.

Looking for something romantic to watch with your SO? Check out our favorite movies for a little more exciting date night: