Featured Contributors
Marcia Naomi Berger
Marriage and Relationship Expert
Marcia Naomi Berger (née Fisch), MSW, LCSW, is the author of Marriage Minded: An A to Z Dating Guide for Lasting Love, and of Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love: 30 Minutes a Week to the Relationship You’ve Always Wanted.
She leads dynamic marriage and communication workshops and is a popular speaker at conferences. In addition to working as a clinical social worker with a private psychotherapy practice in San Rafael, California, she’s taught continuing education classes for therapists at the University of California Berkeley Extension, Alliant International University, and online and in person for various professional associations.
While employed by the City and County of San Francisco, Berger held senior-level positions in child welfare, alcoholism treatment, and psychiatry. She also served as a lecturer on the clinical faculty at the University of California, School of Medicine, and as executive director of Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the East Bay.
Marcia Naomi Berger lives in Marin County, California, with her husband, David Berger. She gives their weekly marriage meetings major credit for their lasting happiness together. She may be contacted at mnaomiberger@gmail.com or via www.marriagemeetings.com.
Dr. Marisa T. Cohen
Relationship Researcher
Dr. Marisa T. Cohen is a relationship coach, researcher and teaches college-level psychology courses. Her research focuses on peoples’ perceptions of first date success and consensual non-monogamy. She is the author of From First Kiss to Forever: A Scientific Approach to Love, a book that relates relationship science research to everyday experiences and real relationship issues confronted by couples. She is passionate about discovering and sharing important research from the field and her lab, and has given guest lectures at the 92nd Street Y, Brooklyn Brainery, Strand Bookstore, WeWork, and many other locations.
Dr. Cohen is also the author of Finding Love: The Scientific Take, a Psychology Today blog and Love Lessons, a Long Island Weekly newspaper column. She has been quoted in publications such as Bustle, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post, Man Repeller, Men’s Health, and Women’s Health. She is also the subject of an upcoming documentary, which will air on BRIC TV. For more information about her and her work, please visit marisatcohen.com. Marisa’s favorite thing to do on a first date is to come upon a beautiful hidden treasure while out exploring a new area.
Erika Ettin
Dating and Relationship Coach
Erika Ettin is the Founder of A Little Nudge, a consulting company that helps people navigate the world of online dating, from first click to first date. She is also the author of the book Love at First Site and the co-host of the popular dating podcast So, We Met Online…
Erika studied economics at Cornell University and received her MBA from Georgetown. She started A Little Nudge in 2011 (after a seven-year career as an economist). She is responsible for many relationships, marriages, and the confidence some people simply need to “get out there.”
A Little Nudge has been featured in media around the country, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, and Ask Men, and she currently writes a weekly syndicated dating column.
Erika’s favorite thing to do on a first date is try a new (to her) whiskey bar.
Sarika Jain
Love and Relationship Coach
Sarika Jain is a leader in love strategy and transformational coaching, and is the creator of the Sacred Soulmate System. She’s been called a “Relationship Sorceress”. Over the last 10 years, Sarika has dedicated her professional life to helping savvy and successful women heal their relationship with their inner selves and get on the path to finding love that lasts. Her unique approach encompasses everything from uncovering relationship patterns to practicing yoga, all with the goal of inspiring women to live the lives they’ve dreamed about – the lives they deserve.
Sarika can reach women like no one else because she has been where they are. After experiencing the ups and downs of dating in NYC for years, and even a broken engagement, she began a journey of healing and self love, and met her husband soon after.
Sarika‘s background includes training in energy healing, yoga, meditation, conscious communication, psycho-spiritual counselling and relationship coaching.
Sarika lives with her husband in New York City and leads a playful, passionate life. On a first date, Sarika loves walking through hidden gardens and parks. More information can be found at sarikajain.com.
Ilysse Rimalovski
The CaregiveHer Coach
Ilysse Rimalovski is a life coach and master retreat leader living in Maplewood, NJ, dedicated to helping women feel heard, supported and celebrated.
In 2018, she transitioned her ThriveWell Coaching practice of nearly 20 years into CaregiveHer to focus exclusively on improving the quality of female interpersonal relationships. Teaching next-level empathy, she makes it easier for women to communicate their needs, especially when confronted with difficult situations. Her approach is heartfelt and healing, fostering thoughtfulness, facilitating meaningful connections and building sisterhood.
Ilysse is recognized by Coach University, the Retreat Coaches Network, the Life Blueprint Institute and the International Coaching Federation. She graduated from The John Hopkins University with a degree in Writing Seminars.
She is an empty-nesting mother of two college-aged daughters, a wife, dog owner, and lover of seas, spas and adventure travel. Her favorite first date is outdoors and active–hiking, biking, or walking along the beach.
Her ideal clients are motivated women in pursuit of self-care and discovery, who seek to lovingly reconnect with themselves, with others, and with nature. For more information about coaching and upcoming retreats, please contact ilysse@caregiveher.com or visit ilysserimalovski.com.
Dr. Marie Thouin
Mindful Dating Coach
Dr. Marie Thouin, PhD, is the founder of Love InSight, a Mindful Dating Coaching practice where she helps people of all ages, genders, and sexual/relationship orientations navigate the path of intimate love. As a psychology researcher and online dating expert, she assists her client in developing personalized winning strategies for today’s dating landscape. Her holistic toolbox encompasses sound, practical advice with the ability to support her clients into deep inquiry and growth.
Through her own dating journey, Marie gained the ability to live with a heart wide open. This process revealed her mission to help others navigate the path of modern love & relationships, and led her to the gorgeous man—both inside and out—who became her husband.
Marie’s favorite thing to do on a first date is a walk through a botanical garden, because an appreciation for the natural world is a must-have in a potential partner.
Marie earned her MBA from Golden Gate University and her PhD at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, where she studied sexuality and romantic relationships. Her research was featured in ELLE and COMMON GROUND magazines, as well as the EMOTIONS podcast.
You can find out more about Marie at www.LoveInSight-dating.com.
Gail Weiner, LMFT
Relationship Coach
Gail works with women in midlife and beyond who want a deeply satisfying romance that lasts. In addition, she combines her training as a writing coach with psychological assessments to guide women in crafting authentic online profiles that attract their best matches. In Datewise, Gail has designed a process combining the insights of therapy with the action based tools of coaching so that her clients gain the self-awareness, skills and healing that empowers them for lifelong intimacy.
She sees clients in the East Bay and Marin County, CA, and via Zoom. Gail is also the creator of a Meetup Group for women 40 and up in San Rafael, CA called Creating the Life You Want and she hosts Empowered Dating workshops in the Bay Area.
Gail has over three decades of experience treating youth, women, couples and groups in various settings – from an inpatient psychiatric unit, ER and day treatment, to schools, agencies and private practice.
She lives with her partner in beautiful Novato, loves seeing her grown son, the oregano thriving on the back porch, and ocean waves just before diving in. Her best first date includes that fresh oregano, any ocean and a live blues band before the night is done.
For more information, please visit www.datewisenow.com or contact Gail at datewise@icloud.com.
Jennifer Wexler
Dating Coach
Jennifer Wexler, MA, is a certified life coach and the founder of Find Real Love After 40.
Jennifer is passionate about helping women break through their inner blocks, skyrocket their confidence, and start using new tools so they can attract their life partner. She believes that dating doesn’t have to be so hard. Jennifer is empathic, has a straight-forward approach, and gives her clients specific techniques to attract higher quality men.
Jennifer offers an individualized one-on-one coaching program for women 40 and over that’s rooted in the belief that for a person to find a loving partner, she must first learn to love and accept herself. She teaches her clients how to let go of their past, boost their confidence, and skillfully use tools so they can choose and attract their ideal partner.
Jennifer has been featured in such publications as Rolling Stone, Good Housekeeping, Shape and Pure Wow.
Jennifer studied psychology at the University of Southern California and received her Master’s Degree from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Jennifer’s favorite thing to do on a first date is to meet for a walk, a laugh and to share stories.