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.

This episode originally aired in February 2024 on Emily's podcast, Room to Grow as we unpacked a conflict we literally had in real time as we were trying to record this episode.

Yes, seriously, we couldn’t even record this podcast without a small conflict of our own. Yes, it was something super small (how to decoratively light this episode for video) which we playfully recount, but then take you through our thorough resolution and beautiful potential of the conflict repair process.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why conflict is so often over small things
• One partner taking leadership on certain things in a relationship
• Compassionate communication
• Assuming positive intent in others
• Trusting your partner through conflict
• Expressing your needs and asking for your needs to be met
• How to fully resolve a conflict in a relationship
• The repair process of conflict
• Discovering breakthroughs through conflict
• The essential elements of repairing conflict in a relationship
• How conflict is an opportunity to deepen your relationship

Stay tuned for so much more to come - we're shifting gears a bit next week and sharing more about the tools we use with our couples and how you can bring this into your own relationship for deeper connection and intimacy.

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Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching

Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach

Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner

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Every strong couple has them. Those tiny, invisible battles that shape connection, safety, and trust. In this episode we break down the unspoken power dynamics that show up in even the healthiest relationships: the triggers, shutdowns, leadership clashes, and moments where love meets old wounds.

This conversation is honest, grounded, and real. You’ll hear how two strong partners navigate emotional intensity, masculine/feminine energy, nervous system activation, and that push-pull dance between independence and intimacy.

In this episode, we're getting into:

• The micro power struggles couples overlook and why they matter
• The strong independent woman dynamics and how they impact emotional safety
• What men truly want from a woman in partnership and how you can both tap into each others' unique strengths
• Having difficult conversations about relational agreements and asking for what you want
• The idea of "feminine expression" and what Instagram influencers get wrong about it...especially when it comes to real-life relationships
• Why couples get stuck in the same reactive loop of spiraling or shutdown
• How nervous systems collide and what creates instant safety
• Shared leadership and taking fully ownership and responsibility, even when it means pushing through fears

You’ll walk away with:

A clearer understanding of your relational patterns and the dynamics that might be playing out in your own relationship, along with some of the major shifts strong couples must master to grow together.

Connect with Us

Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching

Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach

Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner

Leave a Review

If this conversation resonated, please share it with someone you love and leave a review wherever you listen. It helps this podcast reach more people who are ready to practice love...and that's what the world needs most right now.

We're taking you back in time! This episode originally aired in December 2023 on Emily's podcast, Room to Grow as we unpacked two of the patterns of over-functioning that can show up in relationship and keep us from true intimacy. Longtime Room to Grow listeners may recognize these archetypes from an earlier, more playfully named episode.

It’s tempting to want to play the role of “superhero” in a relationship – the guardian, the savior, the teacher, or the fixer. But over-prioritizing their needs over your own often has a villainous effect on a healthy relationship. Because if all of your focus is on their safety, wellbeing and nurturing, you then neglect what’s more important – your own. And over-functioning for someone else often creates power imbalances that quietly erode intimacy.

In this episode, we unpack two common over-functioning archetypes that show up in relationships:

• The Savior/Fixer, who feels most valuable when rescuing or healing a partner
• The Improver, who over-invests in helping a partner “level up” while neglecting her own needs

We explore why these dynamics form, how they impact desire and polarity, and what it actually looks like to prioritize yourself without abandoning your relationship.

In this episode, we're talking about:

• Why men often want to feel like a “savior” in a relationship
• Power dynamics in relationships
• Why women often put aside their own needs in a relationship
• How to balance giving and receiving in a relationship
• Expanding your sense of self in a relationship
• Waiting to be chosen by someone
• How prioritizing yourself first contributes to a better relationship
• Managing sexual energy inside and outside your relationship
• Including your partner in your life
• How to make your partner feel chosen

Stay tuned for more episodes weekly, including some upcoming episodes that truly help you get to the root cause behind so many relational patterns to help you heal and open to real love.

Connect with Us

Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching

Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach

Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner

Leave a Review

If this conversation resonated, please share it with someone you love and leave a review wherever you listen. It helps this podcast reach more people who are ready to practice love...and that's what the world needs most right now.