Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Although co-dependence is often referred to as being unhealthy, to some extent, it is beneficial in marriages. Deeper connections are made when partners lean on one another and give and receive as acts of generosity rather than as acts of service. In this episode, John David and Ana Gabriel Mann discuss conflict resolution using their five secrets to success, which are condensed versions of their...

There is no such thing as a perfect relationship. No matter how great your relationship with your partner is, conflicts are inevitable, and that is not always a bad thing. Depending on how well you manage them, they can either weaken or strengthen your relationship. Most people don't even realize that they are responding to conflicts out of fear. When a problem arises, they automatically arm up to...

Every one of us struggles with something that impacts our relationships. We were raised to believe that whatever we struggle with—be it self-worth, emotions, or body image—is a flaw. Despite the fact that we are heavily influenced by our society, we are taught that we are all unique individuals who have the power to make our own decisions. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Gunsaullus discusses how to...

Marriage entails a commitment to support one another through both good and bad times. The traditional vow goes along the lines of, "For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death do us part," which means the couple stays together no matter what. The truth is that most couples hope for a bright future and a long-lasting romantic relationship, but they don't expect or prepare to go...

Making the choice to leave an abusive relationship can be one of the most difficult things a person has to do. Without the right resources and support, it would be hard to move on even after you have cut your ties with your abuser. Being in an abusive relationship causes you to constantly pay more attention to your surroundings than is necessary. So, in this episode, Dr. Amelia Kelley discusses so...

It is incredible and worth celebrating that this generation is actually the first in all of human history to make an attempt to establish equality in marriage. However, we simply lacked the skills necessary to successfully navigate the terrain of long-lasting intimacy, which led to fights over fairness. While the traditional marriage was wildly unfair, it is worth recognizing that couples were mor...

A strong relationship requires human connection. Ironically, though, when you seek connection from a place of scarcity, the universe tends to take it away from you. Enrique Delgadillo asserts that the only way to get it is to first find the connection within yourself. In this episode, Enrique discusses how our thoughts manifest in different areas of our lives. As the law of attraction suggests, wh...

If you've been listening to the Empowered Relationship Podcast, you've probably heard Dr. Jessica Higgins talk about criticism and how it affects relationships. The goal here is to collaborate with your partner to co-create a fulfilling and passionate relationship. However, leading with criticism can make you or your partner feel defensive or attacked, diverting the entire communication to this cr...

Before the age of two, children seek unconditional love, but not a lot of parents are able to provide it, resulting in unmet needs, fear of rejection, and fear of dying. These childhood experiences can now manifest as fears and sabotage your current relationships. That's what Tracy Crossley realized after a series of dysfunctional relationships. In this episode, Tracy talks about insecure attachme...

We all know that disagreements are an inevitable part of every relationship, but would you agree that they are not personal? According to Drs. Michael and Barbara Grossman, conflicts between partners are not personal but rather part of a healthy development process. In this episode, they share their own experiences, struggles, and attempts to figure out how to keep their relationship thriving as w...

Frequencies such as WiFi and radio are all around us. Although our brains are not equipped to see or hear these, we know that they exist. In the same way, frequency, also known as lifeforce energy, runs through our bodies at all times. In this episode, Dr. Elsbeth Meuth and Freddy Zental Weaver discuss how to work consciously with the lifeforce of sexual energy as a transformational vehicle to mak...

People who care for loved ones suffering from addiction or mental health issues are frequently labeled and even pathologized as part of the problematic and addictive cycle. Dr. Robert Weiss would like to honor, validate, and acknowledge the love and effort of these people who choose to stick around and help their loved ones get better, whether or not they are doing it correctly, because the truth...

Different factors, such as social, political, and cultural, influence parenting styles. While one parent may be more concerned with their child's sense of agency, whereas the other might be more attentive to their child's sense of feeling supported . These differences can pose conflicts that not only confuse children about how to behave and what to expect in response but can also destroy a marriag...

It's amazing how couples can function as two distinct individuals in a relationship. Maintaining your own identity while encouraging your partner's interests and personal goals is gold. On the other hand, individual independence can be toxic too. It can make you feel like you're competing with your spouse, getting into a power struggle, and everything else that comes from these two individual pers...

There are a lot of moving parts in relationships, such as your background, having children, career, previous relationships, and so on. So, how can you cultivate a more secure and intimate relationship with your partner? Should you lower your standards and expectations in order to avoid disappointment? Linda Bloom strongly disagrees with this notion.  In this episode, Linda talks about how she and...

Conflicts are opportunities to learn more about your partner, and depending on how you handle them, they can either bring you closer together or lead to a toxic dynamic, or worse, an abusive relationship. If it's the latter, how do you determine whether to stay or leave the relationship? While some people recognize that they should leave an unhealthy relationship early on, others choose to stay. D...

One of the benefits of knowing your family history is that it can help develop a strong sense of who you are, but did you know that it can also reveal some dysfunctional patterns that may be affecting your relationships? If you're having difficulties and/or feel stuck, ask yourself the following questions: What was the pattern? Who else in the family system was stuck? Am I borrowing that pattern f...

Many professionals believe that fantasy is perfectly normal and harmless. They can be a reliable source of comfort, stimulation, escape, or relief. It can also be used to address long-standing relational needs and activate unconscious feelings of loss and emptiness. Unfortunately, people who utilize sexual fantasy as a primary coping mechanism may become disconnected from reality. Fantasies can be...

Most of us hope to find that one true love that would stand the test of time but that is not the case for everyone. Some people jump from one relationship to the next without fully understanding why the previous ones failed in the first place. If the majority of the people you've dated turned out to be cheaters or abusers, you may be wondering what is wrong with you? Most importantly, how do you b...

Every relationship goes through five developmental stages. The first stage is typically the romance stage, also known as the honeymoon stage. However, as you become more acquainted with your significant other, you will begin to notice some differences between you and your partner. Then, as either of you attempts to return to the early ideal phase or pushes forward into some imagined future that ne...

Growing up, men are taught, either directly or indirectly, that showing emotion is a sign of weakness, and that if they do, they will be mocked. Vulnerable is almost a derogatory term for men. As a result, the vast majority of men have low emotional IQ, which correlates with low relational IQ because we need that emotional component to make the relationship more vibrant and exciting. In this episo...

Sexual infidelity is one of the biggest issues in long-term relationships and failing to address it will only make the problem worse. Most people find sexual communication difficult. It's easy to believe that we can't do it because we just don't have the necessary resources to do so. We understand the importance of communication, but how do we become more comfortable with it? In this episode, Dr....

Most of us know something about reproductive health yet almost nobody knows anything about pleasure. Pleasure is frequently associated with sex and like sex, it's an uncomfortable subject to discuss for a lot of people. But it is so much more than that. In this episode, we cover some of the reasons why we don't experience pleasure in our lives and how to work through these complexities of sexual d...

Are you one of the three Americans who have a step relationship today? Demographers expect that one out of every two Americans will be in a step relationship at some point in their lives. It's not easy being a part of a blended family. There are way too many factors to take into account. In fact, external step-family-related variables generate a high divorce rate in the US. It might be a lengthy a...

Sex is an expression of our love and passion with our significant other but over time our desire for it tends to fade away. According to Esther Perel, what makes sex really hot is the mystery. However, when we enter long-term partnerships, we lose that mystery. We understand the importance of maintaining sex in a long-term relationship, yet it's frequently a taboo subject to discuss. So, in this e...