MAKING LOVE

"Making Love^® is an exciting
contribution to relationship
building in America. Love
and marriage are too pre-
cious to be left to chance.
Epstein offers a much
needed corrective.”
—Diane Sollee, MSW, founder &
director, Coalition for Marriage,
Family and Couples Education

In a 2002 editorial in Psychology Today, distinguished research psychologist Dr. Robert Epstein — then editor-in-chief of the magazine — announced his intention to embark on a daring personal experiment: He and a relative stranger would sign a Love Contract in which they committed themselves to deliberately falling in love with each other with the help of skilled counselors. His "love project" generated more than 200 news stories in more than a dozen countries, as well as requests from more than 1,000 women to sign the Love Contract! Dr. Epstein's assertion that people can be deliberate about creating love certainly struck a nerve. Is he correct?

To read "How Science Can Help You Fall in Love," Dr. Epstein's Jan/Feb 2010 cover story in Scientific American Mind, click here. And to read a recent commentary on Dr. Epstein's work on love in the Washington Post, click here.

“Dr. Epstein reveals the
practical skills people need
to deliberately create love–
and not just fleeting love,
but love that will grow
deeper over time.”
—John Gray, Ph.D.,
Men Are from Mars,
Women Are from Venus

Based on scientific studies, interviews he has conducted with couples in happy, loving arranged marriages, and his own research and experiences, Dr. Epstein believes that people can indeed learn to love—that we don't need to leave our love lives entirely to chance, as most Westerners do now. He rejects the love myths perpetuated by Hollywood movies: that we have a single "soul mate" or that couples live "happily ever after." Healthy love relationships, he believes, are built on Four Pillars: Commitment, Realistic Expectations, Intimate Knowledge, and Essential Relationship Skills. To learn about Dr. Epstein's landmark relationships course at the University of California, click on his photo (left) to see a relevant story on CBS News.

“Making Love® is a remarkable and
much needed departure from the
usual reality TV format. It will empower
millions of people to take control
over their love lives.”
—Janice R. Levine, Ph.D., couples therapist;
co-author, Why Do Fools Fall in Love?

Dr. Epstein is helping to create a new proactive kind of counseling—Love Counseling—that will help people build solid, lasting love relationships supported by the Four Pillars. He has also created an innovative, comprehensive new test of Love Skills—the seven essential skill-sets we need to be successful in long-term love relationships. The test, the Epstein Love Competencies Inventory (or ELCI, pronounced like the name "Elsie") can be taken free of charge by clicking here or by visiting MyLoveSkills.com.

“Epstein starts with psychology and
a simple idea. While love can sometimes
be a ‘coup de foudre,’ a thunderbolt, it
often grows over time and with
experience. He’s right, of course....
This will be appointment viewing.”
—Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO,
Saatchi & Saatchi

To read Dr. Epstein's "Answers to 50 Questions from the Media" regarding his Love Project, click here. To download a copy of Dr. Epstein's essay, "The Truth About Online Dating" (Scientific American Mind, February 2007), click here. To read "From Russia With Love"—an essay about how Dr. Epstein was deceived by a sexy online computer program—click here.

“Love doesn’t have to rely on the
click of Cupid’s wand; it can be
‘made,’ says the author of the
upcoming book, Making Love. Just as
mainstream culture has absorbed
the notion that we can work to
improve our physiques and our
careers, says Dr. Epstein, we’ll
come to accept that we can ‘work’
on marriage and love.”
—Christian Science Monitor

To get an advanced peek at MAKING LOVE®—a reality TV show Dr. Epstein is developing with a production company in Los Angeles—check out the recent article from Advertising Age here. The show has drawn praise from thought leaders around the country, including Kevin Roberts, Worldwide CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, one of the world's top advertising firms; click here to read Roberts' article.

“Making Love® will have more
audience participation than ‘American
Idol’ and more product tie-ins than
‘The Price Is Right,’ and it also might
just change the way people find love
in the western world.”
—Michael Levine, publicist;
author, Guerilla PR 2.0

Dr. Epstein is also currently working on a book on this topic called Making Love: How People Learn to Love, and How You Can Too, based in part on interviews he has been conducting in recent years with couples in loving, successful arranged marriages around the world. To participate in his ongoing study, click here.

"Making Love® won’t be just another
reality TV show. It will change the
whole love game completely.”
—Suneet Wadhwa, founder, Engage.com

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