In this latest episode, Dr. Marcus C. Shepard revisits cuffing season and walks listeners through the key growth phases of committed romantic relationships. He frames cuffing season as a process (pre-cuffing (scouting), drafting, and tryouts) and explains how people use this time to test compatibility.

The episode breaks the growth phase into six steps: individuality (know your needs and non-negotiables), invitational communication (show interest clearly), explorational communication (discuss goals and dealbreakers), intensifying communication (build shared rules and relationship culture), revising communication (air grievances and evaluate fit), and commitment (decide and invest).

Dr. Shepard also explains important communication rules—regulative (when and where to talk), constitutive (what counts as affection or flirting), and shall-not rules (things you won’t tolerate)—and urges partners to define meanings rather than assume them.

Towards the end of the episode, he touching on later stages, he sketches navigation (working through problems) and deterioration (when patterns break down, leading to social fallout, grave-dressing, and eventual moving on).

Takeaways: know who you are, set and keep your non-negotiables, be explicit and ethical in communication, and don’t skip the conversations that build a solid foundation. To submit an Ask Dr. Shepard question, email offthedataprovided@gmail.com.