Age-gap relationships are often met with judgment.
Here, experts debunk the common stereotypes that surround them.
I was 24, and he was 47.

Mel Riley is a senior accredited psychotherapist based in the United Kingdom.
And based on my experience, its not simply benign inquisitiveness propelling the interest.
I dont believe so.

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In either scenario, its the woman in a heterosexual relationship who is stigmatized, Dr. Morrison says.
Gigi Engle, sex educator
Additionally, there could be a big imbalance in life goals.
But none of the younger parties I spoke with throughout my reporting felt this way.

I think it gives us complementary perspectives, Alexa says of their age gap.
In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth.
Pretending that there isnt [a power imbalance] is where you might run into problems, Engle says.

It takes communication, self-awareness, and a lot of difficult and often awkward conversations.
She describes herself as a youthful, high-energy person who has always gotten along well with younger people.
As with any relationship, we all have strengths and weaknesses.

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Learning to accept help from each others strong points is important, regardless of age.
Whether its judgment from family, or criticism from outside, that can cause a real sense of shame.
That was the case for Emily, 37, and her husband of 14 years, Ben, 56.

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