12 Relationship Podcasts You and Your Partner Should Listen To

Everybody wants to be in love and nobody wants to talk about what it’s really like to find your way there — or what it’s really like once you finally get there. Whether it’s petty arguments, existential crises, heartbreak, or finding a new partner, love isn’t all fairy tales and couch cuddles. It’s real work to build a partnership.

We love the following sex, dating, and relationships podcasts because they’re some of the few places that really explore the reality of relationships — the good, the bad, the painful and confusing. Whether it’s advice columns or real stories from folks in the trenches of heartbreak or falling in love, each of these relationship podcasts helps to illuminate what it means to be intimate with others and what it teaches us about ourselves. (PS: if you’re looking for podcasts on the more erotic side, we’ve got you covered there too.)

Modern Love

If you’re a fan of The New York Times column by the same name on how people do — and do not — fall in love, you’ll love the Modern Love podcast too. They’re the columns you love narrated by voices you recognize, plus interviews with writers and other NYT voices on all things love.

Love Is Like a Plant

A podcast about dating, loneliness, love, breakups and making it work, Love Is Like a Plant explores the central question of how we make love grow. While it’s last episode was in 2022, it’s one that is great to revisit no matter where you are in your relationship.

Relationship Advice

Whether it’s learning to be more intimate, managing stress, handling the holidays or dealing with infidelity, Relationship Advice discusses everything a married couple — or any couple in a long-term relationship — might face. It’s hosted by a divorced, co-parenting couple who have been through it all and are ready to share their knowledge while continuing to learn from experts.

The Holderness Family Podcast

News anchors-turned-content creators-turned-Amazing Race winners Kim and Penn Holderness host this podcast that falls on the marriage and family side of relationships, exploring topics like navigating ADHD and anxiety in a relationship and how to ask your partner for what you want.

It’s My Pleasure

Hosted by sex coach Danielle Savory, It’s My Pleasure encourages women to explore their pleasure, however and wherever they find it. The focus is on embracing intimacy and joy in bed, and the episodes range from hour-long deep dives to bite-sized thought starters, so you can hit play on whatever suits your schedule.

Couple Friends

A lighthearted podcast, Couple Friends is a podcast hosted by a married couple who discuss silly topics and mundane ones, all with a wonderful respect for each other. It will make you want to strive for a kinder, more fun relationship with your partner.

Unqualified with Anna Faris

It might seem strange to get love advice from a celebrity, but Anna Faris does a remarkable job with Unqualified. Featuring Bachelorettes, actors, artists, authors, and more, this pod gives celebs the chance to open up about their own relationship ups and downs and share some sage advice to listeners in need while also keeping it fun and lighthearted.

Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel

If you’ve ever considered couples therapy but didn’t bite the bullet, Where Should We Begin? could be a breakthrough. Esther Perel is best known for her controversial TED talks on infidelity. In this podcast, each episode is a one-time couples therapy session in which Perel helps the couple work through an issue.

The Heart

The Heart is more than a podcast; it’s an experience. Each episode is described by the hosts as “immersive performances and sound design that [make] you feel like you’ve walked into a magic dream world.” The stories about love, identity, and sexuality are from a diverse group of of people, guided by the all-queer staff behind the scenes.

Dear Sugars

Dear Sugars isn’t just a relationships podcast; it’s a “how to live your life” podcast. With all the compassion of the original advice column, the Sugars (aka writers Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond) read letters from people in all kinds of crises, including whether to get married or divorced and what it’s like to cheat — and be cheated on.

We Met at Acme

A bit more on the dating side than the relationship side, We Met at Acme approaches sex, relationships and finding a partnership that will work for you with humor and self-awareness. Plus, there’s talk of all the ways the apps/technology have changed courtship and a dash of astrology thrown in for fun.

Date Yourself Instead

Loving yourself is the first step to finding a loving relationship, and that’s the focus of this empowering podcast from social media personality Lyss Boss. Date Yourself Instead is part first-person dating diary, part advice column, part therapy session, and it’s a must-listen for those of us despairing over the current dating pool.

A version of this story was published January 2018.

Looking for something romantic to watch with your SO? Check out our favorite steamy movies for a bit more date night excitement: