Couples in crisis

I'm 37 and I have been in a relationship with my 35 year old boyfriend for the last 6 months. We get on very well and have a lot of things in common.
      I suppose the issue for me is that I just have no idea of how he feels about me, or of where (if anywhere) the relationship is going. We've never had "that" kind of conversation - I don't know how to bring up such topics without making myself sound like a Bridget Jones clone who is desperate to get married!
      I'm not particularly desperate but I would like a future with this man. So if he doesn't feel the same way about me, I feel that I should protect myself and get out now before I waste more of my life.
Alicia, Hatfield

I think the heart of your problem doesn't lie in whether this man is committed to you or not. You're wonderfully sussed about the fact that if he isn't, though it would make you deeply unhappy to move on, you would be able to do that and still survive.
      I think the heart of your problem lies in the fact that you don't want to ask him about commitment for fear of being seen as a Bridget Jones. But I think that, after six months, you have every right to ask this man how he feels about you. You're not being 'desperate', but simply clean and clear, if you do that.
      After all, if you're going to have a future together, you should be able to tackle these questions - even if the answer is that he doesn't know what he feels and you have to stick with that.

Here are three extracts from Love Coach that will help you to cope with other typical couples' crises.