Episode 84

March 23, 2026

Terry Real

Why Love Requires Skills Most People Never Learn

Why Love Requires Skills Most People Never Learn

Why do so many relationships lose intimacy over time, even when love is still there?

In this episode of Midlife Chrysalis, Chip Conley talks with renowned couples therapist Terry Real, creator of Relational Life Therapy and bestselling author of Fierce Intimacy and The New Rules of Marriage. For decades, Terry has helped couples understand why connection fades—and how to rebuild it.

In this conversation, he explains:

  • Why love requires skills most people were never taught
  • How childhood patterns quietly shape adult relationships
  • Why traditional masculinity often blocks emotional intimacy
  • How couples can reignite connection in midlife

Terry argues that relationships don’t fail because people stop caring, they fail because no one teaches us how to do intimacy well. Watch the episode to learn the relationship skills that can change everything.

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