Get a sneak peak and learn more about Dr. Orbuch's work and upcoming PBS special in the video below.
For nearly three decades, Dr. Orbuch has followed hundreds of married couples as part of an ongoing, landmark study funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Unlike other relationship experts in the media, Dr. Orbuch blends her years of experience as a therapist with practical advice based on her own scientific research. She has written five books, published more than 40 articles, and been quoted frequently by prominent publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Reader’s Digest.
In her upcoming PBS special, “Secrets From The Love Doctor,” Dr. Orbuch will translate science into accessible and simple strategies for improving and enhancing relationships at every stage. The secrets are based on findings from her study, which has followed the same 373 married couples for 27 years. Although 46 percent of the couples have since divorced, the study continues to follow individuals and to utilize their experiences and insight.
“The PBS experience in and of itself, in terms of rehearsals and meeting with all of the PBS staff, crew and producers, was fun and interesting,” Dr. Orbuch continued.
“I had to first condense all of the really interesting findings from the study and from my books into 60 minutes, and that was really hard because there are so many things that are interesting about what keeps people together and happy and what leads to divorce.”
This fall, Dr. Orbuch will submit a new grant to continue NIH funding for her study -- the 28th year of the project. She plans to research the changes and challenges of relationships in the later years, an area of sociology of which little is known.
“The original goal of the project was to research what keeps people together and happy in terms of marriage. The project is called the Early Years of Marriage Project,” Dr. Orbuch said. “The first grant was only four years, and that is all we planned to do. Now it is the longest-running study of its kind. So every single time we interview the couples in their 16th or 22nd year of marriage, there are new questions to ask.”
“Secrets From The Love Doctor” is scheduled to air nationally in November. Check back to
oakland.edu for more information as it becomes available.
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