Reimagining Love with Dr. Alexandra Solomon "My Partner Wants to Take a Break. What's Next?"
Mar 24, 2026
A deep dive into what makes relationship breaks so painful and why culture offers few roadmaps. Research on ambiguous separations and the risks of breakup-reunion cycles gets highlighted. Practical seven-step best practices are outlined for structuring a purposeful separation, including time limits, clear agreements, therapy, and self-reflection.
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Study Finds Separation Often Leaves Couples Still Unclear
- A 2019 study of 20 separated couples found separation felt private, lonely, sometimes helpful, but often unsustainable and unclear.
- Participants cited reducing arguments, gaining clarity, and showing seriousness as separation reasons.
Three Possible Outcomes After A Break
- Reunion outcomes fall into three paths: purposeful ending, purposeful re-entry, or reactive re-entry (cycling).
- Solomon emphasizes avoiding reactive re-entry, which adds attachment rupture fallout onto existing problems.
Separation Is An Attachment Injury That Can Clarify
- Separations are attachment injuries that increase stress and may make breakup likelier, but structured separations can yield clarity.
- Solomon stresses a structured pause may improve closure whether couples reunite or separate.
