{"id":699682,"date":"2026-07-19T08:39:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T08:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/699682\/"},"modified":"2026-07-19T08:39:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T08:39:25","slug":"heres-what-psychologists-say-we-can-learn-from-love-island-usa-winners-bryce-and-trinity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/699682\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s What Psychologists Say We Can Learn From \u2018Love Island USA\u2019 Winners Bryce and Trinity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Take it From Me is a TODAY series where experts use their wisdom to explain trends or make recommendations within their fields. In this latest installment, psychologists and family therapists share the relationship gems from \u201cLove Island USA\u201d that viewers can implement in their own lives. <\/p>\n

Reality dating shows may not be the first place that come to mind when looking for role models, but experts say that the latest winners of \u201cLove Island USA\u201d<\/a> are conducting their relationship in ways from which we can all learn. <\/p>\n

Season 8 stars Trinity Tatum and Bryce Alakai<\/a> were crowned the winners of the dating competition show during its July 12 finale. <\/a>TODAY.com hit up some psychologists to hear about what the professionals think about the pair\u2019s romance that all started in their six-week drama-filled summer in Fiji. And it turns out, we can take a page from the couple\u2019s book on communication, patience and tackling hard conversations, the professionals say. <\/p>\n

\u201cFor a young couple in this context, I feel like they bring forth a lot of wisdom,\u201d Joanne Broder, media psychologist and fellow at the American Psychological Association, tells TODAY.com. \u201cThey\u2019re really honest and just very transparent.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"LoveThe “Love Island USA” Season 8 winners: Trinity and BrycePEACOCK \/ Ben Symons\/Peacock<\/p>\n

Since the show wrapped, the couple, who left the villa $100,000 richer in prize money, has been spending time together in Los Angeles. They joined TODAY on July 15 <\/a>to spill some details about their entry into the real world. So far, they told TODAY\u2019s Craig Melvin, they\u2019re dealing with a touch of separation anxiety. <\/p>\n

\u201cSomething we weren\u2019t anticipating was just how much our connection has affected us outside of here, too,\u201d Bryce said. \u201cAnytime she\u2019s like, \u2018I\u2019m gonna go run this errand,\u2019 I\u2019m like, \u2018Where\u2019s she going?\u2019 Like, my heart rate starts. I\u2019m like, \u2018What\u2019s going on right now?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Trinity also shared that she wants \u201cto be wherever Bryce is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like being away from him,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

While Trinity, 22, and Bryce, 30,<\/a> have developed an inseparable bond, their connection didn\u2019t necessarily start out hot and heavy. The two coupled up on their first night on the island, however they both expressed some concerns over their 8-year age gap. And when it came time to decide between locking in with one another or continuing to explore other options, they both chose to take the leap and see if they had chemistry with other incoming contestants. <\/p>\n

However, sparks failed to fly with the other bombshells and the pair quickly found themselves back together. At one point, Bryce wanted to see if he felt any potential connection with fellow cast member Kayda, telling Trinity that he hoped to test the waters. But when Kayda didn\u2019t return the sentiment, Bryce and Trinity continued to move forward, gradually getting to know one another and strengthening their physical and emotional bond. <\/p>\n

By the end of the season, the two not only cemented their titles as boyfriend and girlfriend, they were also the only couple to say the magic three words \u201cI love you\u201d to each other. <\/p>\n

As the winners of \u201cLove Island USA\u201d Season 8 begin to navigate the real world, here\u2019s what people can learn from their journey inside the villa, according to psychologists. <\/p>\n

Building a Friendship<\/p>\n

One of the most compelling aspects of the pair\u2019s relationship on the island was their pace, psychologists say.<\/p>\n

Tracy Meyer, a psychology professor at Collin College in Texas, tells TODAY.com that the couple proves \u201cslow and steady wins the race.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile it wasn\u2019t sunshine and rainbows for them at first sight, they were willing to see where the relationship would take them,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cTheir relationship mirrors real life more than the others on the show, as they were around temptation regularly, but chose not to let it affect them.\u201d <\/p>\n

Meyer adds that as the days went by, the couple continued to choose each other, making a conscious effort to understand the other. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn the end, even the other contestants on the island recognized that what Bryce and Trinity had was a deeper level of connection that went beyond physical attraction and initial lust,\u201d Meyer says. <\/p>\n

Apryl Alexander, a professor at UNC Charlotte\u2019s department of health management and policy, tells TODAY.com<\/a> that the \u201cslow burn\u201d of the couple\u2019s bond proved to viewers that friendship should remain central to peoples\u2019 romantic relationships. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re developing a friendship, you are taking the time to get to know one another, be curious, build that connection,\u201d Alexander, who has a background in forensic psychology and child and family therapy. \u201cAnd for them, their connection expanded to where we got in the finale \u2014 where they\u2019re expressing love for each other.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"LoveTrinity and Bryce on their date.Ben Symons\/PeacockTackling the Tough Stuff <\/p>\n

The experts also underscored how the healthy communication between Trinity and Bryce stood out, particularly as the pair tackled some difficult conversations. The couple\u2019s age gap was among the stickier topics that they openly discussed on the show. In some of the earlier episodes, Bryce expressed concerns over the age differential, mulling over the issue, even seeking advice from friends. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere is this weird thing with Trinity and the age gap,\u201d Bryce said, while confiding in fellow islander and bestie Zach Georgiou. \u201cI\u2019m the oldest one here, she\u2019s the youngest. You really fill into who you are from 22 to 26 when you get those experiences. I don\u2019t want to steal her youth.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pair also opened up about their concerns to their families during the July 9 episode of the show, with Trinity admitting that the age gap was initially \u201cscary.\u201d But as the couple\u2019s relationship evolved, her fears subsided. And in the recent interview with TODAY, Bryce told Craig that the issue ended up \u201ccompletely disappearing in my mind.\u201d <\/p>\n

Alexander said that the couple\u2019s consciousness and open dialogue around the issue was key to overcoming their concerns. <\/p>\n

\u201cBryce kept bringing up the age gap conversation \u2014\u00a0that he had some concerns around that, particularly whether or not Trinity, as the person who he perceived as significantly younger, wanted to take the time to explore and date more,\u201d Alexander said. \u201cI love the transparency in that \u2014 making sure that he wasn\u2019t being manipulative or exuding any kind of power dynamics because of his age and status.\u201d <\/p>\n

There was also the issue of the struggles around interracial dating. During the franchise\u2019s infamous Casa Amor episodes \u2014 in which the guys and girls are split up and tested with a slew of new bombshells \u2014 Trinity got vulnerable about her insecurity that Bryce could choose to couple up with another woman. It\u2019s a fear, she said, that\u2019s particularly daunting as a woman of color and one that she had previously surfaced to Bryce. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still really f—— scary, a woman of color talking to someone outside of their race and to see them go back to something that they\u2019re comfortable with,\u201d she told fellow castmate Aniya Harvey<\/a> through tears. \u201cIt\u2019s just one of my biggest fears, which he knows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LoveThe two became closer as they touched on real-life issues they had outside the villa. Peacock \/ Ben Symons\/Peacock<\/p>\n

Alexander explained that it\u2019s important for interracial couples to be open about their experience with race and remain upfront with any concerns they may have \u2014 especially because ignoring the topic can only have negative effects down the line. <\/p>\n

\u201cIn other reality shows, when interracial relationships are being introduced or tested, people try to take it with a colorblind approach. That can only last for so long,\u201d Alexander said. \u201cYou have to have these tough conversations on what does it mean to be able to navigate an interracial or intercultural relationship? It was a great start for them to be able to start this conversation and model it for viewers.\u201d <\/p>\n

Broder added that having difficult conversations can only bring couples closer. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s when you avoid those conversations\u2026 that\u2019s when you start experiencing cracks,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Advice for Their Relationship Outside the Villa<\/p>\n

Now that the two are out of the villa, the experts said that they hope the pair can continue to be transparent and avoid allowing their frequent communication from going by the wayside. <\/p>\n

\u201cLife is full of challenging moments. They made it off the island and they\u2019re in a good place,\u201d Broder said. \u201cI\u2019m rooting for them. I would tell them to keep doing what they\u2019re doing, and I wish them all the best, and keep having those hard, vulnerable conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n