Dr Pam : Love

Don't Let the Exam-Season Become a Disaster...Here's my advice to...

Title

Two People, But One-sided...

Some thoughts on people with love Plan-Bs

Passion Fatigue...

How to Walk Away from an Unhappy Relationship...

Subconscious Sabotage...

Whatever Makes You Happy...

Money does matter...

Body Image Nightmare...

Understanding and Overcoming Your Pre-Wedding Jitters and On-the-day Nerves �

Age-gap anxiety...

Friends Connected at the Hip & Dating...

Marriage SOS...

Dating Again after a Breakup...

Laughed straight between the sheets....

Too Good to be True...

Beware the Mention of the Exes...

Murder on the Dance Floor....

Lusting after Another Love...

The Rise of the Plan B Pact...

How Romance Can Be like Extracting Teeth...

Credit Crunch Couples...

Christmas time advice for struggling couples...

Third-Party Interference...

Opposites That Don't Attract...

The Female Self-Destruct Button

The Convenience of Compartments...

Unlikely Apologies...

Masculine Confidences

The Chill Look of Contempt...

He/She Isn't the Person That I Settled Down With....

Dating at a Distance...

The Imperfect Perfectionists...

Why He Doesn't Ring When He Says He Will...

The Curse Of The Competitive Couples...

It Seemed So Right, Now It�s So Wrong....

I married my mother...

Never Under-estimate a GSOH...

Don't Get Too Comfortable...

Why Not Indulge Him?

Bickering Versus A Good Old Barney....

Pre-Wedding Jitters? Join the Crowd...

Do They Really Mean It?

Never Underestimate The Power Of Affection And Touch ...

The Facts About Flirtatious Behaviour...

He Has A Nose Like Groucho Marx

What Do We Lose When We Gain A New Lover?

When your partner reflects on you...

How to Get Things Started When You Meet Someone New

Advice for struggling couples:...

A Guide to Having A Happy Engagement ...

Use the days between Xmas and New Year to recharge your relationship

How to Get Back into the Dating Game

Whose Chat-up Line Is It Anyway?

10 Steps to Overcome the Green Eyed Monster

How Love Unrequited Links so Many of Our Hearts

How to Breakup Amicably...

Beware of the Love Pirates...Here is a warning about the lads who will capture your heart

Love is in the air - seven signs that say he's attracted to you!

The Best Dating Tips Ever...

Whirlwind Weddings � Too Much, Too Soon!

Adultery and betrayal, here are some things you might want to consider

Does Your Relationship Need Resuscitation? Welcome to the crowd...

Has Your Man Disappeared into His Communication �Cave�?

Kissing tips that work!

When the Internet Comes between You

Bridge That Glaring Age Gap

The Ultimate Couple's Communication Guide

QUIZ: What's Your Love Profile?

Try these love challenges (1)

Understanding Men

A Few Points About Some Male Personality Types -

Try these love challenges (2)

Become An Action Woman To Find Love

Try these love challenges (3)

Single Women - Personal Growth

Try these love challenges (4)

"Couple time" at the weekend is crucial!

When You and Mr Right Want Different Things

Relationship damage-limitation: quick fix communication tips -

The three tell tale signs you aren't quite over your ex

Some points about men who might give you "mad cow disease"

A Few Thoughts on Successful Relationships

Five Top Tips for Long Distance Relationships

Notes on when to talk about BABIES -

The Stages of Relationships

A few top communication tips!

Dating after a break-up

Keeping positive when you want to start dating again!

Finding love and fun on holiday!

When you "down date"

Dating "firsts"

Beware - the problems with Internet dating!

First dates - some dos and don'ts!

More thoughts on first dates!

Some top dating tips!

Couples - put your relationship through an MOT!

Top speed dating tips!

The key to looking interested not desperate when dating!

My Thoughts on Pre-Marital Counselling

Do You Recognise Yourself in These Romantic Profiles?

Making Compromises or Being under Someone's Thumb?

Some Thoughts on Adolescent Relationship Worries

A Few Thoughts on Broken Hearts

When He Pays Too Much Attention to TV, Computer Games or gadgets!

Are You Staying with Him or Her Because of Your Lifestyle?

Some Questions And Things Men Wonder/Worry About

From platonic relationship, to one night stand, to affair

An Affair Doesn't Necessarily Spell The End

Nine Things You Should Never Say To Your New Love!

Get Some Va Va Va-voom for Valentines!

What Happened To The Innocence Of Valentine's?

QUIZ: What Every Woman Who Wants To Marry Should Know!

Christmas-proof Your Relationship For The Fraught Holiday Season!

Why Mismatched Couples Should Beware!

You Can Get Out Of An Abusive Or Violent Relationship!

Just How Manly A Man Do You Want?

Understanding The McCartney's War Of Words When They Divorced

Toy Boys - The Latest Celebrity Girls� Fashion Accessory

What's the real meaning behind his Valentine's gift to you?

Guys - some top tips for buying her a fabulous present!

Stop Worrying About Your Wedding! Beat those wedding-day nerves!

Dating tips for MEN - The Secrets Of Her Body Language

Dating tips for MEN - Your First Date, First Phone Call and First Kiss

Dating tips for MEN - Surefire Ways and Where to Meet Women

Dating tips for MEN - Don't Be a Romantic Loser

Dating tips for WOMEN - Capturing His Attention

Dating tips for WOMEN - What to Do When Things Go Wrong

Dating tips for WOMEN - The Wise Woman's Guide to The Art of Flirting

Dating tips for WOMEN - Love at First Sight

Thoughts on Why Infidelity Is on the Rise

Four Fabulous Steps To Improve Your Relationship!

MEN: You behaved badly - what to do!

Suspect He's Cheating?

Seven Secrets of Successful Long-Distance Relationships

Find Love For Valentine's Day!

QUIZ: Is It Love or Is It Lust?

How To Decipher Male- Versus Female-Speak

QUIZ: Are You A Man's Woman Or A Woman's Woman?

How Marriage Changes Through The Decades

Relationship Guaranteed: 10 Little Tricks To Stay Together

Marriage SOS � Seven steps to save your relationship!

QUIZ: Are You Marrying For The Right Reasons?

The Great Matchmaker Guide

Prevent A Mid-Life Crisis In Your Marriage

The Millisecond Marriages � Too Much, Too Soon!

Money, Men And You

Why Do You Have Repeated Relationship Failures?

Are You Too Needy In Relationships?

The Unique And Quirky Guide To Finding Love In The New Year!

The Nine Signs of a Non-committer

Eight Things You Should Never Say To Your Partner

Has Your Relationship Suffered Over Summer?

The Ten-Minute Window in Relationships

Prevent an Affair!

The Secrets of Seduction

A Warning Call To The Lonely And Single Generation!

QUIZ: How Likely Are You To Have An Affair?

QUIZ: How Insecure Is Your Love?

Could He Be A Natural-Born Cheat?

QUIZ: How Well Do You Know Your Man?

Seven Secrets of Successful Long-Distance Relationships

The New Dating Dilemmas - And How To Cope With Them

The Deal Breakers That Threaten Your Relationship

QUIZ: Don't Ditch Your Relationship Too Soon!

Warning - Divorce Is Dangerous To Your Health!

The Fabulous Flirt Guide

QUIZ: Great EX-pectations - Is Your Ex Jeopardising Your Relationship?

QUIZ: Harness Those Wedding Day Doubts And Nerves

QUIZ: Are You Still Haunted By The Ghost Of Your Ex?

Beware - Your Broken Heart Should Come With A Health Warning!

Heal Your Xmas Holiday Break-up!

A QUICKIE FOR YOU: My top five tips for a long relationship

Some crucial tips to avoid money related arguments!

Top Relationship Tips For Preventing Christmas Stress

Couples: Be careful what you bicker about

QUIZ: Are You Bored To Tears With Your Relationship?

Separated But Still Under The Same Roof!

Six Signs Your First Date Could Signal Love!

The Seven Deadly Signs Your Relationship Is In Trouble

Seven Ways to His Heart You Probably Haven't Thought Of!

QUIZ: The Great Guide To Having A Second Go!

Find Love In A Few Weeks!

Story

Beware the Mention of the Exes...

31/03/2012

Beware the Mention of the Exes...

A client, Ellen, 39, [all personal details changed for anonymity] complained that her boyfriend of three months dropped her because she had a few too many exes. When everything else was going well in their young relationship she couldn't understand what his problem was.

Ellen had many questions plus theories of your own. She wondered if maybe he wanted an ‘easy life’ and feared she might be high maintenance because she'd gone through many relationships. Of course Ellen protested she wasn’t so and there were many different reasons why her relationships had failed.

She also wondered if he might’ve been a traditionalist and felt she'd slept with too many men, or could he even have felt threatened as a lover? Ellen became quite annoyed wondering just ‘how many’ exes would’ve been too many?

It's incredible how a statement about ‘having too many exes’ can throw up so many theories as we also discussed whether he thought Ellen might simply have "poor judgement" and this might impact on their relationship.

As we discussed such reasons Ellen became more philosophical. Though we didn't settle on one particular answer as to why her exes had troubled him she’d unburdened some of her anxieties.

I also suggested that because he hadn't wanted to go into his reasons for breaking up - bar her many exes - it reflected on his inability to express himself. And that this could be taken as a lesson that a few months into a relationship some people don't feel they have to explain their reasons.

The biggest lesson of all for Ellen was that with hindsight she felt ‘less was more’ when discussing exes in future. I suggested that being selective about mentioning past relationships when she met someone new was usually a good thing as you forged a new one. After all, in the early phases of a relationship it should be about the here-and-now and you and the new person -- and not all about the past.

An edited version of this was published in The Times