The Playdate: An (updated) Symposium on Love
After being ranked the worst city in the world for dating—NYC, we need to talk. What is happening!? Can we blame the cost of living and the nonstop hustle? Yes. AND - there’s got to be more to the equation. What is it about big-city life that sucks the fun out of dating? What self-fulfilling prophecies are we bringing to the table, and how do we reframe our experience of love and romance to bring some joy back into the field?
Join Think Olio, depth psychologist Dené Logan and relationship coach Jeremie Lotemo for a night of reflection, learning, and playful experimentation. Drawing from Jungian psychology, relational archetypes, and the experiences in the room, we’ll look at the deeper patterns shaping our dating lives, the unconscious scripts we might be following, and hopefully some realizations to help us break free. Whether you’re feeling stuck, skeptical, or just curious, this is a space to rethink the way we connect—less pressure, more possibility, and (finally) some actual fun.
*We’ll be hosted by the Lightning Society in their vibey Blue Room and have capacity for just 40 people. While this is not a dating event per se, our goal is to foster genuine connection so, hey... you never know.
More from our facilitators, Dene and Jeremie:
Jeremie Lotemo:
"The goal of The Playdate is simple: to completely transform the way you approach dating so it stops feeling like a chore or another job and starts feeling fun and exciting again.
We’re here to teach you how to break free from the stress, overthinking, and rigid “rules” that hold you back from making real, meaningful connections. Dating in New York is hard—it’s fast-paced, guarded, and often feels like another thing to deal with on top of everything else on your plate.
This event is designed to address those specific challenges and give you tools to navigate the chaos with confidence, curiosity, and ease.
We’re going to challenge you to get out of your comfort zone, break unhelpful dating patterns, and explore your desires in a way you haven’t before. You’ll learn practical strategies to identify what you truly want, limiting beliefs that sabotage what's possible, and shift your mindset so dating feels fun—not stressful. Whether it’s learning how to attract the right kind of people, having better conversations, or letting go of rigid dating rules,
The Playdate is here to help you leave with clarity, confidence, and excitement about dating again. This isn’t about more work, more concepts or more rules to follow—it’s about helping you become more free to date with intentionality and joy."
Dene Logan:
"We are living through a unique moment in the exploration of connection, partnership, and what it truly means to love one another. As technology has become such a prominent facet in all areas of our lives, the need to formulate connections that feel inspiring, life-affirming, and like a safe space to show up as our most authentic self, feels more vital than ever before.
With so many relational experts sharing their perspectives on pitfalls of attachment wounding, how to avoid red flags, and what it means to create 'healthy' dynamics, it can feel like some of the fun - and honestly THE LOVE - has been stripped from the conversations surrounding our love lives. In response to the lack of actual fun we've noticed in the love and relationships sphere, we've created The Playdate."