Human relationships are complex, unpredictable, impossible to control, and ultimately resistant to logic or reason.  However, the concept of the "shadow" is a key organizing principle that provides a way to understand the dynamics between two people and, more specifically, the circumstances that enable romantic love to flourish or falter.  According to this view, any romantic relationship is impacted by the shadow presence of previous events, experiences, and significant others that remain alive in the fiber of one's being, resulting in the simultaneous investment in, and resistance to, intimacy.  In the next meeting of The Dating and Relationship Group on Saturday, October 3, 2015 (12:00 to 1:15 PM), I will describe the specific elements of the "shadow" and illustrate how its components influence nearly every aspect of attraction and romantic love.  At the core of the shadow concept is the view that all persons relate to and love others based on an unconscious continuum of self-concern and concern-for-the-other.  Influencing a person's typical relational tendencies, the shadow may result in the predominance of one pole of the continuum over the other, and therefore make it difficult to synthesize the two. To register to attend this group on Saturday, October 3, 2015, please see the directions below.