Ep 123: Decoding Couples: Surviving Parenthood without Losing Your Partner

Host: Cindy Hovington

GUEST: Rachel Facio & Stacey Sherrell

Rachel Facio and Stacey Sherrell are both licensed marriage & family therapists with a combined 20 years of experience in the field of relationships & marriage. 

Their mission is to take the complications out of communication, help you break unhealthy patterns and connect in a way that makes your grandma blush. 

Jokes aside, they are your one stop shop when your relationship needs change and support  and therapy just isn’t accessible. They help end cyclical fights, extinguish hot spots and breathe life back into the bedroom. They also walk you through how to know for certain a relationship is worthy of moving to the next step or not. Wherever you are in your relationship journey (post break-up, single life, situationship, long term partnerships or marriage), they got you! They are known for ditching the fluff and giving you no-BS tools that allow you to see and FEEL tangible change.

Summary

Do you ever feel like your relationship takes a backseat once kids come into the picture? I'm Cindy Hovington, and I promise you, by the end of this episode, you'll be equipped with the tools to ensure your relationship doesn't falter while you're navigating parenthood.

With the insights shared by our esteemed guests,Rachel and Stacey, two licensed marriage and family therapists from Decoding Couples, you'll learn how to regulate emotions, handle heated conversations and model these behaviors for your children. We also discuss how to maintain a solid connection with your partner during challenging times like a pandemic.

As the conversation unfolds, we journey into uncharted territories of relationship communication and emotional intelligence. Our experts share valuable advice on ensuring respect during disagreements, the pivotal role of accountability, and offer a lifeline to repair communication when it seems irreparable. But what about listening? Often overlooked, we discuss the power of effective listening and the benefits of nurturing a 'we' mindset in parenting.

In the final part of our discussion, we tackle the tough stuff - unhealthy relationships, signs of an abusive relationship, dealing with narcissism, and navigating through a divorce. We provide strategies to ensure children aren't negatively affected by a divorce and wrap up with valuable advice on maintaining a healthy relationship, particularly when transitioning from a two-parent household to a single-parent home. So buckle up for an enlightening journey on striking the perfect equilibrium between parenting and keeping your relationship robust and healthy.

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Resources:

Time Stamps:

6:41 - How did Decoding Couples start?

8:05 - How do you re-evaluate emotional intimacy within a relationship?

11:05 - Are parents “damaging” their child by arguing in front of their children? Is there a way to fight “properly”?

14:16 - The key to a healthy relationship is “communication” but how do we learn to listen to our partner?

18:50 - What advice do Stacey and Rachel have for new parents struggling with their relationship?

22:35 - How can parents deal with resentment towards their partner for their parenting style?

28:09 - What are some signs that couples are not in a healthy relationship?

33:40 - As a parent, is there a “best” time to separate or divorce?

36:50 - What are some tips for parents to maintain a healthy relationships in the home?

podcast, fathers, mental health, relationshipsCurious Neuron PodcastclinicianComment