"What are you looking for in a relationship?” It’s something we ask and are asked right at the beginning of a relationship – when we are dating. Perhaps even sitting in a restaurant sharing a first meal together. It comes up again, in the background, when we ask: is this the right person to marry. Do they have the qualities I want? At life review points and perhaps when a marriage is at a sticky point, we return to the same basic question: What do I need to be happy.

So today, I am going to try and answer the BIG question. What do women want, what do men need? Because we THINK we know what our partner really, really wants, but are we listening to what they actually say?

Claudia Loewen is a practitioner in somatic body work and a couple’s coach with a particular interest in helping women rebalance. Ignacio Jarquin is a Men’s Group Leader, a Singing Teacher with an interest in archetypal psychology and how creativity can unlock personal growth.

If You’re Looking for More….

You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50

This week supporters will hear:

• How to get out of your head and into your body
• Three Things Claudia and Ignacio know to be true.
• AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.

Follow Up

Attend Andrew’s couple’s retreat near Berlin in June 2026 or men's retreat in April 2026: details here

Get Andrew’s free guide to difficult conversations with your partner: How to Tell Your Partner Difficult Things

Take a look at Andrew’s new online relationship course: My Best Relationship Tools

Join our Supporters Club to access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50.

Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall