Room to Grow Podcast with Emily Gough

What if the thing standing between you and the relationship you want isn't your partner's behavior... but your unwillingness to fully own your part? The truth that most people don't want to hear is that awareness of your wounds isn't enough. Real transformation can only happen when you're willing to stand in the raw vulnerability of seeing exactly how you've contributed to a dynamic and taking own...

"The liminal space is the in-between, the transitionary period, that awkward and uncomfortable phase when you're on the precipice of moving towards the new, but haven't quite arrived yet. These are the sacred grounds upon which transformation is created, when you're closer than ever to find what you've been searching for, letting go of everything that's been holding you back, or being more open to...

This episode is raw, tender, and so deeply personal that I seriously considered not publishing (more on that in the next one). It's my reflection of the past two years and how this transition into all of these big, beautiful things that have come into my life, including marrying my incredible man, moving countries, and building a whole new life has also come with a lot of challenges I didn't expec...

If your relationship feels like it's always about communication, processing, and "doing the work," this episode is for you. Yes, relationships take effort, but they're not meant to feel heavy all the time. In this episode, I'm breaking down why playfulness is one of the most advanced relational skills, and why it can feel surprisingly hard to access. Because play requires vulnerability. It asks yo...

You say you want to trust yourself more. To feel consistent, confident, and grounded. But then you don't follow through. Again. You avoid the thing, break your own promises and move a little farther away from building the life you say that you want. Worse yet, you slowly stop trusting yourself. In this episode, we're reframing self-discipline, because it's not about punishment or forcing yourself...

The most addictive feeling is the one that confirms that you are who you think you are when you receive feedback - for better or for worse. Because what if your life isn't repeating the same story, but the same stories keep creating your life? For example, why do you keep finding yourself in the same relationship dynamics, even when you know better? In this episode, I'm breaking down one of the mo...

We talk a lot about boundaries, but almost always in the context of protecting ourselves from other people. This episode is about the boundary no one talks about : the one you hold with yourself. I'm diving into containment, which is the ability to feel your emotions fully without discharging them onto someone else, and why lack of containment quietly destroys intimacy, even when you think you're...

2025 didn't ask for transformation, it demanded it. For me, that meant shedding so many layers of protection and armor to let myself be truly seen. In today's episode, we go deep on the difference between performing vulnerability and actually letting someone in. Because you say you want intimacy…but are you actually bringing your vulnerability, or are you throwing it like a weapon and calling it c...

Today I'm sitting down with my incredible former client Haley, who very bravely volunteered to share some of her story publicly and to allow me to coach her while you get to listen in. Haley was part of the last round of my women's group Grown A$$ Woman Era, and you get to hear directly from her how much of a massive impact the group had on her. It was truly a joy for all of us in the group to get...

So often we choose safety over purpose — pulling back, isolating, or waiting for the "right" moment instead of leaning into the uncertainty of what our soul is calling us toward. True safety isn't found in control or certainty, but in the trust we create within ourselves and the connections we nurture with others. Playing it small might feel comfy and familiar, but it keeps you from the aliveness,...

"When you make your partner your entire world, you slowly stop being YOU. And the very things that drew them to you in the first place, your energy, your passions, your independence, your joy, they all begin to dim." Today I'm giving you the tools you need to not just keep the spark alive in your relationship, but to keep the fire thriving - and it's not about the latest polarity trend.    CONNECT...

The next round of the Grown Ass Woman Era group is here! We start May 21st, 2025 - get the details HERE . Next steps: Book a call with me and we'll make sure it's a great fit! This is an intimate and curated group, and I personally chat with each person before joining so everyone has the best possible experience. ************************** I'm bringing you this powerful conversation with my best f...

Are you familiar with the ways (both conscious and more often subconscious) you source your value in relationships? In the past, I often fell into the trap of thinking it's about what I could do for another person, or what they could do for me in terms of meeting my needs and filling some sort of void. Instead, start asking yourself different questions about the person or people you have relations...

There has been a lot going on behind the scenes over here the past 6 months, and I've remained quiet about most of it. So many beautiful manifestations coming to fruition along with some major challenges. I'm excited that I'm finally giving a MAJOR life update today, along with how to embody being bold in 2025. In this episode, we're talking about: -Choosing a word (or words) to use as an anchor p...

I certainly never expected to be coming to you with an episode about living through a devastating natural disaster and yet, here we are. Joining me is my beloved partner Kelly Gardner, a relationship coach and men's work facilitator, as we come to you recording from Kelly's childhood bedroom after evacuating from Asheville, North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. As we've witnessed events...

It's often said that fear is simply "the unknown." But the unknown is a void - it hasn't happened yet, therefore, we can't fear what doesn't exist. Instead, fear is us projecting past experiences or other people's stories of what we think might go wrong into the future. Today, I'm going to share a different way to approach the "the unknown" in a way that creates excitement and intrigue instead of...

If we don't properly heal wounds of our past, they can easily get carried into our future relationships and show up, unprovoked. These can be traumas from childhood, school, past relationships etc., that activate our inner defences and, inadvertently, shield us from opening up to the love, joy and happiness of our new relationships - both with our partners and ourselves. Today, we're talking with...

After a very unintentional break, this is the first new podcast episode I've released in four months. And I want to give some insight into why. Firstly, I want to let you know that we are back with weekly episodes moving forward, and I'm very excited about it! I love the podcast so much. There is a very healing quality to it for me personally, just being able to speak things out loud. And here, I'...

REGISTER NOW: "Your Grown A$& Woman Era" 12-week group program (starts May 15, 2024) I've never released an episode like this before. Today, you're going to hear the first-hand story of one of my private coaching clients, Melissa. Melissa has generously agreed to talk intimately about our six months working together as she worked to overcome the shame, heartbreak and pain of being the "other woman...

The balance of personal growth and contributing to a thriving romantic relationship is all about being comfortable in your own skin, without seeking external validation, yet embracing our innate need for connection. It's independence and interdependence…but not co-dependence.  I'm such a believer in this that I co-wrote an entire book about it called "You Grow Me" (link to buy below).  This episod...

When it comes to our personal growth and development, many people get caught in a trap of "doing" instead of "being." Doing is when we learn the things, do the homework, and then force our actions based on doing exactly what we think we're expected to…even if it feels inauthentic.   But in order for the work to actually work, we have to embody it. We have to literally BE it. And to do that, we hav...

When we talk about how safe and secure we feel with someone we're in a relationship with - romantic or other - we're talking about emotional intimacy. It's that deep connection we create and maintain with the truest version of both they and ourselves. Today, I'm going to list 16 surprising signs of true emotional intimacy. Surprising because they involve levels of both strength and vulnerability t...

Conflict is going to happen in a healthy relationship. And more often than not, conflict starts with something laughably small - from doing dishes, to making food, and even how to decoratively light a podcast. But underneath the menial cause of conflict always lies a much deeper need that isn't being met.  I'm joined on this episode by my partner, Kelly Gardner, a Relationship Coach and Men's Grou...

Today, I am so thrilled to announce the release of my first book "You Grow Me: The Next Level Human Philosophy of Love, Sex and Romantic Connection" co-authored with my dear friend, Dr. Jade Teta. It's all about creating growth-oriented relationships, rather than getting caught in the trap of "you complete me" and relying on other people, particularly our romantic partners, to fulfill our needs an...

Fear is basically uncertainty. It's having no idea or proof of our own capability to handle the unknown. So how do we learn to overcome fear and simply trust ourselves that we have everything we need to handle any uncertainty? That's where coaches like Lisa Carpenter come in. Lisa Carpenter is a remarkable coach who has changed my life in so many ways. She's the host of the Full Frontal Living pod...