The scenario is always the same–your aunt eagerly tells you she has a beautiful, eligible woman who would love to meet you and who comes from a wonderful family—she’s educated, charming and is adept at all household chores. So, you decide to meet; you think, “hey, I’ve got nothing to lose, right?” Well, she doesn’t exactly turn out to be how your aunt describes—she’s at least 10 years older, and doesn’t seem to be very interested in what you have to say. The first meeting goes disastrously, (at least it will make a good story for your buddies,) and you swear off anymore arranged dates.

I’m finding someone myself, you decide. I know what I like, and I’m perfectly capable of doing it on my own. That’s when you suddenly realize just how hard it can be to find someone that you connect with.

You’ve finally found that special someone—they seem pleasant, caring and you have a lot to talk about.  The conversation flows easily, they make you laugh, and as a plus, your friends love them. One little problem: they aren’t Muslim.  Or Christian, or Jewish, or whatever faith it is that you now practice or grew up with.  Maybe they’re Shiite as opposed to Sunni Muslim, or Catholic as opposed to Protestant.

The dilemma here is:  I don’t share the same faith with this person, but I really connect with them.  What to do?  Do you continue a possible relationship?  What would be the issues that arise from such a decision?  The following are things that both people should think about when contemplating going forward in a relationship:

Question: Dear Dr. Bousa!!
Is getting intimate with the person you love wrong??
I guess this is very sensitive question that Im trying to find out the answer for…..As you know, when you met someone on Arab Lounge most of them are long distance, and it’s very rare to find someone in your own town and click together [...]

Question: Dear Dr. Bousa,
I was forced to marry a man when I was 20 years old. Our marriage was brief and I’ve been divorced for 15 years. Over the years, many men have come forward from my community. However, I’m never really attracted to these men and find them incompatible. Also, these men seemed unstable [...]

Growing up my own mother used to repeat the simple words, “Know thyself, sweetheart, know thyself.” At the time I took these words for granted, and due to a complete lack of life experience, maturity, and wisdom, I brushed them off thinking to myself, “Well, of course I know myself, Mom! Duh!” Only decades of [...]

Question: Hello, Dr. Bousa. I’d first like to say that I am a big fan of your advice section and I am hoping you can help me with my dilemma just as you have helped others. My boyfriend recently ended our relationship, and I have been experiencing a wave of guilty emotion ever since. Here’s [...]

Communication is an enormous topic to address, and there will be many more articles to come with more elaboration and tips for healthy communication in relationships. But consider this an introduction to the topic that will encourage you all to begin evaluating your own relationships – romantic or not – and identifying areas that need improvement.