“Low prices, high romance? A study of Craig’s List missed connections finds the superstore is a romantic hotspot in 15 States.” MSN Money*

While the above may not apply to an upscale New York City population, it highlights the fact that if one is open to it, one can find love almost anywhere, e.g., The Corner Bookstore on the Upper East Side or Barnes and Nobles on East 86th Street, NYC.

Like most New Yorkers, most of us have been programmed not to talk to strangers. We go about our daily lives buttoned up with tunnel vision. Is it any safer to answer an ad on Match.com or to talk to a stranger in Barnes and Nobles than it is to be introduced to someone by family or friends? I suspect not.

In a metropolis like New York City chance meetings can often occur. A couple I have been seeing met by chance while waiting for their respective dates outside the marquis of a play they were going to see. She took a chance and handed him her business card and he called two days later. What brought them into couple’s therapy, however, is unrelated to how they met. They are both from different religious and ethnic backgrounds. They expressed concern that their different backgrounds and religious beliefs would impede later in the relationship if they were to marry and have children. They wisely felt that they wanted to explore their differences with an expert in couple’s therapy before getting more deeply involved.

Premarital counseling in a situation like the above can be enormously helpful in seeing the difficulties that may arise were this couple to decide to marry and raise a family.

Dianne Heller Kaminsky, LCSW, BCD

* MSN Money 3/03/2013

Got thoughts or opinions on this topic? A helpful anecdote you want to share? Feel free to leave a comment below.

PARC © 2013. PARC (Park Avenue Relationship Consultants) is a group of highly skilled and experienced New York relationship therapists with private offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Riverdale and Long Island. Each PARC therapist is fully licensed and certified by New York State, and has extensive clinical training and experience working with couples, families and individuals. Privacy and confidentiality are guaranteed. Out-of-network only. For more information, please call PARC at (917) 340-7592 or visit parkavenuerelationshiptherapy.com.