Complex Couples Podcast

When Something Doesn’t Add Up in Your Relationship: “The Mouth of Regression”

Interested in private coaching? Learn more ➡ https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/coaching-application [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/coaching-application] What do you do when something in conflict genuinely doesn’t feel right, and you want to deal with it in a way that you respect? In this episode, I walk through how I slow conflict down, recognize what is going on (the “mouth of regression”), and work to respond in ways that help to stay grounded, honest, and self-respecting instead of reactive.   WE TALK THROUGH: * When something has triggered you, learning how to pause and ask yourself, “What just happened?” * The questions to ask yourself to help identify what just happened * What it looks like to respond in a way that shows you see the other person without shaming them, abandoning yourself, or losing self-respect   THIS WEEK’S INVITATION The next time you feel emotionally hooked during conflict, pause and ask yourself, “What just happened that triggered me?”  Give yourself the time to understand the feeling before responding.   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Living at the Bottom of the Ocean [https://www.crucible4points.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Living_at_the_Bottom_of_the_Ocean.pdf] by David Schnarch- free PDF   CONNECT & LEARN MORE: Join me on my YouTube channel Complex Couples Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@complexcouplespodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@complexcouplespodcast]  If you need further help with this, this is the work that I do and I’m passionate about. If you’d like to learn more, I created a Free Guide called "When Your Spouse Comes Out: 9 practical tools to help you navigate the aftermath of disclosure or discovery." You can download it here [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/guide].  Share your story with me here: complexcouplescoaching.com/questions [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/questions] Email me at: heidi@complexcouplescoaching.com [heidi@complexcouplescoaching.com].  I love to hear from you. Your emails help shape future episodes. You don’t have to face this alone.

Daniel's Perspective: How We Decided When and How to Tell Our Kids & What We Would Do Differently

How do you decide whether to tell your kids about same-sex attraction, mixed-orientation marriage, or other deeply personal family realities?  In this episode, we share how we navigated those conversations with our own children, what we would do differently, and why understanding each child individually mattered more than we expected. WE TALK THROUGH * Why we told our kids * How we told them * What we would have done differently THIS WEEK’S INVITATION As you navigate difficult conversations, notice how easy it is to become focused on your own perspective.  This week, try asking: “If both of us matter here, what would it look like to make space for both experiences?” MENTIONED Terry Real CONNECT Join me on my YouTube channel Complex Couples Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@complexcouplespodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@complexcouplespodcast]  Have questions? Have a story to share? Share it here: complexcouplescoaching.com/questions [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/questions] If you need further help with this, this is the work that I do and I’m passionate about. If you’d like to learn more, I created a Free Guide called "When Your Spouse Comes Out: 9 practical tools to help you navigate the aftermath of disclosure or discovery." You can download it here [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/guide].  Your emails help shape future episodes. You don’t have to face this alone. Email me at: heidi@complexcouplescoaching.com [heidi@complexcouplescoaching.com]

What It Means If You're Fighting All The Time

If you’re fighting all the time and wondering what it means for your relationship, I want to offer a different perspective. Conflict itself isn’t the problem, but how we move through it really matters. WE TALK THROUGH * Conflict isn’t the issue and what actually shapes relationship * When we’re overwhelmed, we tend to react in ways that protect rather than connect and how to fix that * Real change starts with our own awareness and choosing to respond differently, even when your partner doesn’t THIS WEEK’S INVITATION The next time you feel completely justified in your reaction, pause and ask yourself how you want to respond instead. Practice “swimming for the surface” by choosing one small thing to do differently. RESOURCES MENTIONED Living at the Bottom of the Ocean [https://www.crucible4points.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Living_at_the_Bottom_of_the_Ocean.pdf] by David Schnarch- free PDF! CONNECT & LEARN MORE Join me on my YouTube channel Complex Couples Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@complexcouplespodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@complexcouplespodcast] If you need further help with this, this is the work that I do and I’m passionate about. If you’d like to learn more, I created a Free Guide called "When Your Spouse Comes Out: 9 practical tools to help you navigate the aftermath of disclosure or discovery." You can download it → here [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/guide]. Share your story with me here: complexcouplescoaching.com/questions [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/questions] Email me at: heidi@complexcouplescoaching.com. I love to hear from you. Your emails help shape future episodes. You don’t have to face this alone.

My Spouse Wants To Stay But Says He’s Not Attracted to Me. Now What Do I Do?

What do you do when you’ve worked on yourself, shown up well, and your spouse still isn’t attracted to you but says they want to stay?  Learn how to stop waiting for clarity, read your partner’s actions, and decide how you want to show up in the relationship. WE TALK ABOUT * The difference between asking “Why don’t they want me?” and “How do I want to show up given reality?” * Why pressure and neediness decrease attraction even when you’ve “done everything right” * How your spouse’s actions, not their words, reveal what’s actually happening * The role of courage in relationships, especially around sexuality and honesty * How testing your partner keeps you stuck * Why suppression, affairs, or pornography may reflect lack of sexual integration and has nothing to do with your worth * The importance of self-respect and choosing how you engage, rather than waiting to be chosen THIS WEEK’S INVITATION Notice where you are waiting for your spouse to decide something. Ask yourself if their actions have already given you an answer.  Then consider how you want to show up, given that reality. BOOK MENTIONED * To learn more about high desire and low desire partners, read this! Intimacy and Desire by David Schnarch [https://a.co/d/03FzrlFd] LET’S CONNECT Join me on my YouTube channel Complex Couples Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@complexcouplespodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@complexcouplespodcast] Have questions? Have a story to share? Share your story with me here: complexcouplescoaching.com/questions [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/questions] If you need further help with this, this is the work that I do and I’m passionate about. If you’d like to learn more, I created a Free Guide called "When Your Spouse Comes Out: 9 practical tools to help you navigate the aftermath of disclosure or discovery." You can download it here [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/guide].  Email me at: heidi@complexcouplescoaching.com [heidi@complexcouplescoaching.com] Your emails help shape future episodes. You don’t have to face this alone.

How Can I Ever Be Enough For My Spouse?

How can I ever be enough for my spouse — especially in a mixed-orientation marriage?  In this episode I challenge that question and explore a more grounded, self-responsible way to think about worth, attraction, and intimacy.  WE TALK THROUGH * Why “being enough for your spouse” is the wrong question and how it keeps you dependent on their validation * The reality that no partner can meet every need, and why expecting that creates pressure and disconnection * A personal story of learning to accept one’s own body and how self-acceptance changes sexual and relational dynamics * The shift from “Am I enough for them?” to “Am I enough for me?” * Differentiation in action: addressing what you can change, accepting what you cannot, and allowing your partner their response THIS WEEK’S INVITATION Choose one area where you feel “not enough” and turn toward it.  Ask yourself honestly: can I change this, or do I need to learn to accept it?  Then take one step in that direction without asking your partner to validate it for you. FOR MORE INFORMATION… *  Passionate Marriage [https://a.co/d/021HiRrZ] – David Schnarch • Come As You Are [https://a.co/d/00pG7v6F]– Emily Nagoski • Esther Perel [https://www.ted.com/talks/esther_perel_the_secret_to_desire_in_a_long_term_relationship] Ted Talk • Free guide: When a Spouse Comes Out [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/links-1] CONNECT Join me on my YouTube channel Complex Couples Podcast https://www.youtube.com/@complexcouplespodcast [https://www.youtube.com/@complexcouplespodcast]  Have questions? Have a story to share? Share your story with me here: complexcouplescoaching.com/questions [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/questions] If you need further help with this, this is the work that I do and I’m passionate about. If you’d like to learn more, I created a Free Guide called "When Your Spouse Comes Out: 9 practical tools to help you navigate the aftermath of disclosure or discovery." You can download it here [https://www.complexcouplescoaching.com/links-1].  Email me at: heidi@complexcouplescoaching.com [heidi@complexcouplescoaching.com] Your emails help shape future episodes. You don’t have to face this alone.