Defensiveness vs Gaslighting - What’s the Difference & How to Stop Both: Episode 362
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Release Date: 09/24/2024
How to Make Intimacy a Priority This Year (Both Emotional & Physical): Episode 374
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
No one gets married to feel like roommates, so let’s talk about being romantic partners. In this episode, we’re diving into how to reignite the spark, stay emotionally connected, and make intimacy a priority—even in the midst of busy schedules, kids, and daily responsibilities. By listening you'll hear practical ways to overcome complacency, keep the romance alive, and create moments of connection that strengthen your bond. Whether it’s through small gestures or intentional conversations, you’ll leave with actionable tips to feel closer and more in love with your partner this year....
info_outline
What Really Makes a Good Partner & a Great Marriage: Episode 373
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Marriage is both challenging and rewarding. One of the reasons for this is that it takes evolving into a better and better partner as the years pass. If both people accept this evolution then it leads to a great marriage, even through the inevitable challenges that a couple will face. With all the marriage content out there it can seem overwhelming, complex, or even uncertain about how one can become a better version of themselves in terms of the relationship. In this episode you will be given the acronym COMMITTED to outline the 9 things that an individual needs to do over the course of...
info_outline
Moving From a Functional Marriage to Being Fulfilled and Emotionally Close: Episode 372
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
If you are not experiencing this already, having a structured, reliable, and well functioning marriage is definitely a goal. This brings a great sense of relief, peace, and being a team. However, at different times for each of you, there will be a feeling that something is missing, that there is something more that is needed. A marriage is meant to go beyond the function and to strong connection and closeness. What can make this slightly complicated is the timing for each of you, but also the activities that have you each feel connected are going to be different. This is where...
info_outline
A Fundamental Reason That Small Topics “Blip Moments” Turn Into Bigger Conflicts: Episode 371
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Every couple experiences this particular moment of decision making when a small topic can turn into a bigger conflict. Here you are, minding your own business, your partner says or does something that frustrates you… this is the moment that can keep it as a “blip” or turn the tides towards escalating into a conflict. Surely you can look back at moments like these and think it would be so simple to keep the conversation constructive. So why do these moments get the best of us and go the way of conflict? In this episode we dive into the topics of the subconscious, memory, and...
info_outline
How We Each Played a Role in Overcoming AVOIDANT & ANXIOUS Tendencies to Create a Secure Marriage: Episode 370
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Yes we have a secure relationship and marriage now. But we certainly had to overcome our initial anxious and avoidant tendencies early on. Even now, those tendencies can still show up; we have just done the work to handle situations, emotions, and conflicts in healthy and secure ways to stay on the same team. In this episode you will hear us tell our relationship story as the background for how you can overcome any of your own insecure attachment patterns. You will hear the quick reminder of: the 4 attachment styles, the 5 core pillars within each style, and then the things...
info_outline
3 Conversations to Have as a Couple Before the End of the Year (to Start 2025 Off GREAT): Episode 369
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
info_outline
Lost in Translation From What’s SAID to What’s HEARD (Unpacking a Root Cause of Miscommunications): Episode 368
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Imagine a scenario where you and your partner are having a conversation. In the middle you begin to feel as if what you are saying is clear, but your partner doesn’t seem to be getting it. You start to get frustrated, your tone or volume changes, so then they get annoyed or irritated and the conversation begins to escalate. This episode is all about how the meaning of conversations can easily get misunderstood and misinterpreted. The longer you are in a relationship the higher chance there is of this happening. Now you do have two choices, you can keep trying to get your partner to...
info_outline
Remembering the Reasons for Being Married (That Also Get You Through the Hard Seasons): Episode 367
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Whenever you meet an obstacle it is common to ask “why” it happened or even “why” you started down this particular path. You might even ask yourself why you got married or why you should continue when it feels particularly challenging with your partner. There are different ideas (and even studies) that give reasons for why people get married. The top ones are for love and companionship while the next on the list are to have kids, followed by financial and legal reasons. In this episode you will hear us propose our reason for getting married, which is different from any you will...
info_outline
The Role of Emotions in Marriage & How to Better Hold the Space For Each Other: Episode 366
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Is feeling emotion within yourself something you welcome or try to avoid? What about when emotion is expressed by your partner, do you experience that as a sign of something bad starting up or as an invitation to listen? Emotion is at the root of relationships, it is what makes it satisfying and fulfilling as well as the starting point of conflicts. So what is the role of emotion and does it have a real place in a relationship? In this episode you will hear the answer to this question as well as the common barriers and challenges to “holding space for” your partner’s emotions? This...
info_outline
Forgiveness & Letting Go of the Past: Episode 365
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
In marriage, unresolved hurts can pile up over time, creating distance and eroding trust. That’s why forgiveness is one of the most crucial (yet challenging) elements to maintaining a healthy, connected relationship. But what does true forgiveness actually look like? And what blocks it from happening? In this episode, we dive into the depths of forgiveness: what it is and what it isn’t, why it’s essential for moving forward, and how it affects your closeness as a couple. We’ll also explore real-life examples of where forgiveness may be needed in marriage, what keeps couples stuck in...
info_outlineIt’s important for all of us to admit that we have defensive mechanisms and that we do get defensive with our partners at times. Let’s allow ourselves some grace here. Many of you would probably relate to getting even more defensive about getting defensive! It is common to go on the offensive through deflection or blame, which can leave another feeling that their experience is being invalidated.
However that does not mean that someone is being gaslighted. Gaslighting is a much more serious pattern when it is happening, and is a strong accusation to make that can quickly escalate a conversation or conflict. In this episode you will hear the clear distinction between defensiveness and gaslighting so that you can use the terms properly and reduce escalation. By the end of the episode you will hear 6 different actions to take to reduce both defensiveness and gaslighting in your relations. Both of these lead to erosion of connection, love, and emotional closeness.
Relationship Resources:
Join one of the 30 Day Couples Challenges starting Oct 1st, 2024 - select either one with this link: https://www.meetthefreemans.com/challenges. Or see the individual details below:
Level 1 details: “Prioritizing Us” is focused on strengthening your connection, communication, and fun “Love Deposit” ideas. LINKED HERE
Level 2 details : “Rebuilding Us” is focused on repairing and rebuilding after a harder season of marriage. LINKED HERE