Room to Grow Podcast with Emily Gough

Hope takes discipline.    Hope takes believing in what you can't see.    And hope takes an incredible amount of energy.    Often when we start to lose hope, it's because we're tired - tired of all the waiting, trying, failing forward, manifesting, and maintaining belief that we'll one day achieve the things we want to in our relationships, career, lives etc.   So where do we find the energy to sta...

When I heard about this woman who runs a healing centre offering touch starvation and cuddle therapy for men out of her own home, I knew I had to invite her on this podcast.    Her name is Kat. And not only is her own story super inspiring, but her approach to helping men and couples heal from symptoms of touch starvation - lack of intimate, physical contact with others - is remarkable.    Physica...

When it comes to relationships, I see two major issues with fixating on "red flags": they're often unfairly judgemental, and can get in the way of the compassion and forgiveness needed to grow and move on - be it in your current relationship or your next one.    So here, I want to reframe how we look at - or look back at - these relationship warning signs. Because remaining sensitive and open to l...

"What's hard about being a man?" This is a question I've been asking a lot of (those who identify as) men lately. And while so many of our modern conversations are rightfully focused on helping marginalized communities heal and be supported after generations of oppression, men are often under-supported in the realm of mental and emotional health, and the results impact the entire collective.   Thi...

The root cause of every argument or disagreement in a relationship almost always goes deeper than what triggers the argument in the first place. For instance, if there's a breakdown over the dishes not being done or a messy house, it's never really about chores.    In this quick episode, I'm going to explain how to get to the root cause by using one simple question to ask both yourself and them. ...

A love language is how one expresses and receives love through actions or words. The term was popularly coined in the book "The 5 Love Languages" by Gary Chapman.   But I want to take that list way deeper.   Because to me, how we express love also includes some even smaller, but vastly underrated actions, inactions (I'll explain) and levels of vulnerability and openness that are necessary for buil...

My dear friend Claire Falconer is a literal ray of sunshine and one of the most knowledgeable humans I've come across when it comes to helping women (and couples) get the most out of their hormones and menstrual cycles. Once we deeply understand the phases and signals of a woman's cycle, we can then leverage it not just for conception and pregnancy, but for every aspect of women's daily lives, hea...

The deepest foundational layer of any relationship is respect. Respect means honouring someone's most genuine self, despite imperfections or differences. Respect provides the base for which feelings of trust, safety and well-being grow upon.   But gaining someone's respect can feel like a massive challenge. When we get caught in the trap of people pleasing and perfectionism, we're not our authenti...

We talk a lot about managing our time, but not managing our energy. Truth is, energy is a far more valuable resource than time. Energy propels us toward the life and relationships we truly want.    But we only have so much of it.   So how do we stop giving our energy to things that are draining us and holding us back? It starts by recognizing what you may not even realize is depleting your energy...

Cam Fraser is a Men's Sex Coach who teaches men how to have better sex. I mean, he literally teaches a course called "Out Perform a Porn Star." But not surprisingly, learning better sex has nothing to do with the typical male metrics of penis size and sexual duration. Instead, Cam's sex coaching comes down to increasing pleasure and deepening the physical and emotional relationship men have with t...

We've all been there: that awkward time where we're working on our next thing, but we're not quite there yet. It can test our patience to the limit, and it's also a beautiful opportunity to create clarity on what you really want focus your energy towards everything you're working towards with intention, discpline and self-compassion.   In this episode, we're talking about:   Creating balance & foc...

At 83 years old, Joy Elliott set out to travel the world the way most graduate students do: staying in youth hostels, buying one-way tickets to spontaneous destinations and drinking with strangers. Heartbroken by the loss of her husband, her trip not only "kept her from dying too" but helped her heal from loss, overcome extreme shyness and prove that we can all live an exciting life at any age.  ...

Here's something you won't read much on Instagram, hear from Relationship Coaches or see in Disney movies: not everyone gets the relationship they want. It's an uncomfortable truth (and I'm all about no BS). But the real truth is that so many people spend so much energy seeking out their "happily ever after" that they compromise or neglect their relationship with themselves.   And not having a gre...

I'm so excited for you to meet today's incredible guest. This episode has been awaiting release in the archives for far too long and it's an extra special treat! Mike Campbell is a Man Coach who helps nice guys become good men. In his own words, he "helps everyday men get their shit together so they can get what they want in their life and relationships." In a world that's idealized the man's role...

Yes, it's possible to break up with someone without being making the situation more hurtful than it already is. And while every break up will have degrees of messiness and pain, today we're talking about how to end a relationship in a way that helps everyone involved hopefully heal and move forward in a healthier way. The key to not being an asshole: honesty. To both your ex and yourself. Even if...

A big part of our growth is knowing our limitations.  Sounds ironic, I know. But setting boundaries is one of the areas we often struggle with most, for one simple reason: we hate disappointing others. Truth is, we're not always going to have the energy or capacity for everyone who wants access to us all the time. And the more we deplete our energy trying to be everything to everyone, the more we...

Every single relationship in our life can teach us something.  Even the ones that end badly. By reframing each challenging experience as a lesson, rather than a setback, helps us grow and move on with much less resistance.   "Thank them for the lesson and move forward."     If you find yourself still feeling resentment or anger about a person or situation - normal and healthy emotions - here we're...

Today, we're talking about abortion. Because as women, men, all genders, all nationalities, all abilities, all income levels and beliefs, we don't talk about it enough. Or seemingly ever. Even as a Canadian, I was overwhelmed with emotion this week following the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that made abortion a constitutional right. The news and ensuing wave...

Every single experience teaches us something. But what we choose to do with those lessons is what sets us apart. Integrating the wisdom we gain from every mistake, challenge, trauma and heartbreak is how people grow, heal and move forward. Otherwise, life can be a scary hamster wheel of repetitive behavior and continued pain and suffering. Integration is change. But in order to positively change,...

The things we really want in life often, ironically, prevent us from being truly happy. When we spend more time thinking about what we don't have rather than what we do, we get impatient and often dejected.   And always thinking about the future means we're not living in the present moment. This is why we need to let go of our desires.  Yes, you read that right. And no, I'm not implying you should...

Today's episode is a very quick but important reminder: life can change in an instant. You never know when you might say goodbye to someone for the last time. I don't mean this to take a morbid left turn, but I also truly believe contemplating death is a really important part of any fulfilling life. In terms of relationships, it may mean swallowing your pride to ensure no conversation leaves off i...

Breaking up with a friend isn't something we think about often. While most of us accept that a romantic relationship may not last forever, we seem to think every friendship should last for life. But as we grow older and our lives take on new needs, paths, interests and beliefs, the type of people we consider friends needs to evolve too.  Otherwise, hanging onto a friendship that no longer serves y...

The feeling of regret can weigh us down for life. People often spend a lifetime wishing they could turn back time and make a different decision about something in the past. But I came across a quote recently about regret and it hit me like a freight train:    "When we are living authentically, there is no regret. Regret is just shame disguised as maturity. Don't apologize for lessons learned or lo...

I call my dear friend Alea Lovely the "Manifestation Queen" because I swear she can manifest anything. But what I truly love about Alea is that she's all about "grounded spirituality" which isn't about staring at your vision board all day asking the Universe to send you all your hopes and dreams in a basket.    Instead, she teaches how manifestation starts with surrendering and letting go of resis...

Because  "I've got this" doesn't leave room for allowing anyone else to show up for you. We have a culture of minimizing our needs to preserve our vulnerability and try to prevent rejection. I played that game for many years, trying to make sure I needed less and less from others. Becoming more and more independent, until I realized I was pushing people away to make sure I minimized the risks of g...