Libsyn Directory

ERP 481: Taking Control Together: Financial Preparedness for Real-Life Challenges — An Interview with Donna Jean Kendrick

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

Release Date: 06/17/2025

ERP 482: Naming What Matters: How Couples Can Align On Priorities — An Interview with Nick Brancato

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

About this Episode Ever feel like you and your partner are speaking different languages when it comes to what truly matters? Maybe that seemingly minor argument about weekend plans or household chores is actually a sign of deeper, hidden misalignments. In many relationships, conflicts arise not just because of surface-level disagreements, but also because we haven’t taken the time—or found the right language—to name and share our genuine priorities. In this episode, you’ll discover practical tools and insightful strategies to help couples identify, understand, and communicate their...

ERP 481: Taking Control Together: Financial Preparedness for Real-Life Challenges — An Interview with Donna Jean Kendrick

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

About this Episode What would happen to your family or loved ones if life threw an unexpected curveball tomorrow? Would they feel protected, supported, and prepared, or left to navigate a stressful maze of financial questions and paperwork on their own? In a world where change is the only constant, financial preparedness is an act of love that too often gets pushed aside for another day. But when the unimaginable happens, being unprepared isn’t just stressful—it can have lasting effects on your sense of security, your relationships, and your peace of mind. In this episode, you’ll...

ERP 480: Understanding Pathological Partners: How to Break Free from Toxic Relationships — An Interview with Dr. Nadine Macaluso

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

About this Episode When love turns toxic, it can be almost impossible to see clearly through the confusion, self-doubt, and emotional chaos that follow. If you've ever found yourself trapped in a cycle of hope, heartbreak, and uncertainty within a relationship, you’re not alone—and there’s a reason why breaking free can feel so overwhelming. The hidden dynamics of pathological partnerships and trauma bonds often keep people stuck, questioning their worth, and struggling to understand why things never seem to get better. In this episode, listeners are offered insight and validation as the...

ERP 479: Super Psyched About Love: Applying the Science of Connection to Couplehood — An Interview with Dr. Adam Dorsay

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

About this Episode Are you truly alive in your relationships, or just going through the motions? In a world overflowing with distractions, many of us drift into autopilot—checking boxes, chasing benchmarks, and hoping real connection will fall into place. But without genuine presence and intention, lasting intimacy becomes elusive, leaving us depleted, disconnected, and wondering why meaningful fulfillment always seems out of reach. In this episode, discover how the science of connection can transform the way you approach your closest bonds. Through a blend of psychological insight and...

ERP 478: When The Future Feels Uncertain: Tools for Couples Considering Divorce — An Interview with Dr. Becky Whetstone

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

About this Episode Is your relationship quietly unraveling, and you’re not sure what to do next? Facing the possibility of divorce can feel like your world has been turned upside down, leaving you trapped between fear, uncertainty, and the heartbreak of not knowing what comes next. Too often, couples get lost in a whirlwind of painful emotions, making rushed decisions that can have long-term consequences for themselves, their children, and their extended families. In this episode, you’ll discover practical tools and compassionate insights designed to support couples sitting at the...

ERP 477: Redefining Intimacy & Sexuality: Breaking Myths and Embracing Your Truth — An Interview with Dr. Erika Schwartz

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

About this Episode Do you ever feel like intimacy and sexuality come with a set of rules no one can quite explain, and yet everyone expects you to follow? So many of us find ourselves struggling to meet society’s expectations around relationships, sex, and what it means to be fulfilled, only to discover that the realities of our experiences rarely match the myths we’ve been told. From changing hormones to evolving desires and the pressure to fit into cultural norms, finding authentic connection while honoring our true selves can feel overwhelming and, at times, isolating. In this episode,...

ERP 476: Radical Acceptance & Real Connection: Navigating Differences in Relationship — An Interview With Carolyn Sharp

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

About this Episode Conflict in relationships isn’t just inevitable—it’s normal, healthy, and, perhaps most importantly, an opportunity. Yet, the tension between wanting deep connection and authentic acceptance, while also holding onto individuality, can feel like a tightrope walk. How do couples move beyond judgment and misunderstanding to experience radical acceptance and true intimacy, especially when old patterns, unresolved hurts, and competing needs seem to pull them apart? In this episode, listeners are guided through the complex terrain of navigating differences in long-term...

ERP 475: How to Balance Career Ambition with Love & Relationship — An Interview with Katarina Polonska

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

About this Episode Can you really have it all—an ambitious, thriving career while also nurturing a deeply satisfying romantic relationship? Or does chasing professional success mean sacrificing love and connection at home? For many high achievers, pursuing career goals brings unexpected loneliness, relationship strain, and an exhausting sense of self-abandonment. The pressure to perform at work often leaves little time or energy for building intimacy, leading countless professionals to quietly wonder: Why does succeeding at work come so much easier than succeeding at love? In this episode,...

ERP 474: How to Build More Emotional Health & Resilience — An Interview with Rachel Kaplan

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

About this Episode Ever feel like you’re going through life with an invisible weight holding you back—old hurts, unspoken fears, or emotional “constipation” clogging your sense of connection with yourself and others? Many of us are conditioned to avoid our discomfort, stuff down our feelings, or simply muscle through, only to discover that real joy and closeness remain just out of reach. The struggle to feel truly seen, cared for, and emotionally vibrant isn’t just personal—it’s a modern epidemic. In this episode, you’ll discover how to build emotional health and resilience by...

ERP 473: How to Experience More Embodied Pleasure Sexually – An Interview with Susan Taylor

Empowered Relationship Podcast: Your Relationship Resource And Guide

About this Episode Are you feeling disconnected from your own pleasure, physically present but emotionally absent during intimate moments? For many, the path to sexual fulfillment can feel blocked by a haze of stress, routine, numbness, or the pressure to reach a specific end goal. In a world where busyness and performance often take center stage, it’s all too easy to lose touch with the authentic, embodied experiences that deepen intimacy and bring lasting joy to our relationships. In this episode, listeners are guided through the steps to rediscover and reclaim embodied pleasure in their...

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About this Episode

What would happen to your family or loved ones if life threw an unexpected curveball tomorrow? Would they feel protected, supported, and prepared, or left to navigate a stressful maze of financial questions and paperwork on their own?

In a world where change is the only constant, financial preparedness is an act of love that too often gets pushed aside for another day. But when the unimaginable happens, being unprepared isn’t just stressful—it can have lasting effects on your sense of security, your relationships, and your peace of mind.

In this episode, you’ll discover how to take control and approach financial planning as a tool for caring for yourself and those you love. With honest stories from personal experience, practical checklists, and expert strategies for navigating life’s transitions like widowhood, blended families, and sudden loss, you’ll learn why clarity is the best gift you can give to your family. This episode offers actionable steps for organizing vital documents, starting tough conversations, and building the kind of foundation that keeps everyone cared for—no matter what the future holds.

Donna Jean Kendrick is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner and founder of Sephton Financial. After losing her first husband suddenly in 2013, Donna navigated widowhood with three young children, inspiring her to support families in transition through financial planning. She is the host of the Wisdom and Wealth Podcast and author of A Guide to Widowhood, and A Guide for Blended Families.