In this episode, I talk with Luke about a dynamic many of us know intimately: what happens when one person in a relationship asks for change, and the other begins to feel forced.

What starts as a conversation about therapy quickly reveals a deeper tension: autonomy vs connection.

How do we stay true to ourselves while also being responsive to the people we love? And what happens when a partner’s need for safety starts to feel like pressure, control, or a condition we didn’t choose?

In this episode, we unpack:

•Why “doing the work” can sometimes create resistance

•How requests quietly turn into demands

•What a double bind is and why it’s so destabilizing

•The hidden emotional needs underneath control and withdrawal

•How power struggles emerge (even when both people care deeply)

This is a nuanced, honest look at what it means to grow in relationship without losing yourself in the process.

Read more on the blog.

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