Demystifying Limerence and Romantic Love: Extended Edition

Title of Event: Demystifying Limerence and Romantic Love: Extended Edition

Description of Event:

What is limerence, and how does it shape the way we understand romantic love and attraction?

This six hour continuing education training examines the concept of limerence as originally described by psychologist Dr Dorothy Tennov. Drawing from Tennov’s foundational research, the course explores the distinctive characteristics, progression, and outcomes of this intense emotional and cognitive state often associated with romantic attraction.

Limerence occupies a curious cultural position. For some, it represents the highest form of romantic love, the feeling that proves a relationship is real or destined. For others, it is treated as a kind of emotional distortion or false love, marked by obsession, idealization, and instability. Returning to Tennov’s original work reveals a far more nuanced account of how limerence operates and why it has been interpreted in such different ways.

Participants will examine the psychological patterns Tennov identified, including intrusive thinking, emotional dependency, idealization, and the powerful feedback loops that sustain limerent attachment. The training also explores how cultural narratives about romance amplify or normalize these experiences and how they have come to define what many people believe romantic love should feel like.

Particular attention will be given to Tennov’s observation that not everyone experiences limerence. Her inclusion of individuals who reported never having experienced this state was woven throughout her work and is arguably one of the first inclusive frameworks for understanding some positions on the Aromantic Spectrum.

By examining limerence through both historical and contemporary frameworks, participants will gain tools for understanding how romantic attraction and romantic love is described, interpreted, and socially positioned within psychological and cultural discourse.

This training is designed for clinicians, sexuality educators, researchers, and other professionals who want a deeper understanding of romantic attraction, limerence, and the diversity of experiences surrounding romantic love.

In addition to conceptual and historical analysis, the course connects these ideas to real world clinical and educational contexts so participants can better recognize the psychological mechanisms, cultural narratives, and social positioning that shape how limerence and romantic love are understood.

At the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

1. Define limerence as described in Dorothy Tennov’s research and explain its relationship to romantic love and romantic attraction.

2. Identify and describe at least four common characteristics of limerence.

3. Name and organize the stages of limerence from Readiness and Longing through the Moment of Mutuality.

4. Apply the mechanisms of hope and uncertainty to predict potential developmental trajectories or outcomes of limerent experiences.

5. Contrast culturally coded elements of romance with the intrinsic experience of limerent romantic attraction.

6. Evaluate how the experiences of aromantic and non-limerent individuals challenge cultural assumptions that romantic love and limerence are universal human experiences.

Date of Event: 11/15/26

Time of Event: 10am-5pm PT

Location: Online Synchronous

Presenter/Speaker: Aubri Lancaster

Contact Name: Aubri Lancaster

Contact Email: aubrilancaster@gmail.com

Event Website: demystifyinglimerencenov2026.eventbrite.com/

AASECT Approved CEs: 6