The Mental Load is Hurting Your Marriage Attraction and Intimate Life (& How to Achieve a Better Share) With Dr. Morgan Cutlip: Episode 389
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Release Date: 04/03/2025
Navigating Stressful Situations Without Turning on Each Other: Episode 398
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Stressful situations are inevitable, but how you handle them together can either strengthen or strain your relationship. In this episode, we talk about the kind of external stress that sneaks up on you: sick kids, surprise job changes, financial curveballs, or even your dog throwing up after eating crayons. But the real breakdown doesn’t come from the stress itself, it comes from when that stress turns into tension between you. Suddenly, you're no longer teammates, you're opponents. That’s when decisions get harder, emotions run hotter, and connection takes a hit. We share...
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How to Become a Supercommunicator in Your Marriage and Deepen Connection with Charles Duhigg: Episode 397
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
What if the key to a deeper, more connected marriage wasn’t just about communicating more, but communicating in the right way? In this episode I sit down with Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and bestselling author Charles Duhigg, whose newest book Supercommunicators breaks open the science of how real connection happens. We explore how couples often end up having two totally different types of conversations — practical, emotional, or social — without even realizing it, and how that mismatch can quietly erode understanding and intimacy. Charles also shares how vulnerability and...
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Codependence vs Interdependence: What’s a Healthy Balance of Connection & Boundaries? Episode 396
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
With all the conflicting relationship advice floating around, like “you shouldn’t need your partner” versus “you should be able to lean on them emotionally”, it’s no wonder couples feel confused about what a healthy marriage really looks like. In this episode we unpack the real difference between codependence, hyper independence, and interdependence and why understanding where you and your partner fall on this spectrum could change everything. We also share our own journey through these patterns and explore how they show up in daily life, especially in conflict, under stress, and...
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5 Daily Habits That Make You a Happier Couple: Episode 395
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
What if being a happier couple had less to do with big changes—and everything to do with small, intentional daily habits? In this episode, we’re breaking down five simple but powerful actions that bring more connection, lightness, and emotional closeness into your marriage. These aren’t just “nice to do” ideas—these are the habits that shift the atmosphere in your relationship and help you feel like true teammates again. We’ll explore the daily patterns that shape how connected or distant you feel, and why certain overlooked moments carry more weight than you realize. Whether...
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What Women Want in Marriage, Especially Mothers: Episode 394
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Women’s needs in marriage evolve—and if you're not paying attention to those changes, disconnection can creep in even when there’s love. This is especially true in the seasons of motherhood, when emotional, physical, and mental demands are at their highest. In this week’s podcast episode, we break down the 5 key categories of needs most women have in marriage right now—especially mothers in the thick of parenting. Whether you’re navigating newborn life, toddler chaos, or school-age schedules, this conversation helps both partners understand what matters most for staying connected....
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The “Love Account” Principle and Why You Feel Connected & Attracted to Each Other vs Not: Episode 393
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
It’s easy to assume that love alone should keep you feeling connected, but day-to-day life has a way of pulling couples apart without them even realizing it. In this episode, we break down why feeling loved and being committed are two different experiences — and what really determines whether you feel close or distant from your partner. You'll learn the surprising factor that affects how you interpret everyday moments, why good intentions sometimes miss the mark, and what shifts help couples rebuild emotional closeness over time. If you want to feel more connected, seen, and understood,...
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When’s the Right Time to Bring This Up to My Partner? Knowing the Line Between Expression and Temporary Suppression: Episode 392
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Suppose that something is bothering you about your partner. The two options are to express it or to suppress it. Likely you have had moments where you have chosen both options. At times when you have expressed it your partner received it well, other times it caused tension or even conflict. Over time maybe you have started to hold things in instead for the sake of keeping the peace. But then down the line you end up reacting to another situation and you bring up your unhappiness and frustration with all you have been holding in. So when is the right time to bring things up? ...
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How to Be More Self-Aware to Break YOUR Patterns That Affect the Marriage: Episode 391
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Marriage isn’t static; it evolves, and to thrive in it, you have to evolve too. Often, it’s the resistance to this truth, not just the circumstances you face, that makes marriage feel more difficult. Satisfaction goes down, frustration goes up. That’s why personal growth and self-awareness are non-negotiables in a long-term marriage. In this episode, we unpack what “personal growth and development” actually looks like in a relationship. You’ll hear six key areas to reflect on and bring more awareness to within yourself, before turning to what you want your partner to change. Growth...
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Rebuilding a Marriage After a Hard Season: Episode 390
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
“Throughout the course of your life, you will be married 2–3 times. For some, this will be to the same person.”This sentiment is becoming more widely recognized, and it means you need to be ready for your marriage to evolve. Those who aren’t ready (or who don’t accept this) often go through harder seasons and are more likely to split from their partners. We will all face difficult chapters in the lifespan of a marriage, but those who accept the evolution are the ones who can re-make their marriage with the same partner. Today’s episode is about the importance of being able to...
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The Mental Load is Hurting Your Marriage Attraction and Intimate Life (& How to Achieve a Better Share) With Dr. Morgan Cutlip: Episode 389
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
You can love your spouse and still feel overwhelmed by the unspoken responsibilities constantly running through your mind. The mental load is the invisible to-do list in your head—and when roles and responsibilities feel imbalanced, it can quietly erode connection, create resentment, and impact intimacy. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Morgan Cutlip— author of the upcoming book A Better Share: How Couples Can Tackle the Mental Load—for one of the most important conversations couples need to have. Together we explore: • How to bring up the mental load in a way that unites...
info_outlineYou can love your spouse and still feel overwhelmed by the unspoken responsibilities constantly running through your mind. The mental load is the invisible to-do list in your head—and when roles and responsibilities feel imbalanced, it can quietly erode connection, create resentment, and impact intimacy.
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Morgan Cutlip— author of the upcoming book A Better Share: How Couples Can Tackle the Mental Load—for one of the most important conversations couples need to have.
Together we explore:
• How to bring up the mental load in a way that unites you, not divides you
• A simple but powerful question your spouse can ask instead of getting defensive
• What unspoken resentment actually sounds like in day-to-day marriage
• The surprising link between mental overload and decreased intimacy
• And how to reset your roles and reconnect as a team
Whether you’re the one carrying the weight or you’re not even sure what the “mental load” really is—this episode will open your eyes and strengthen your marriage.
📚And make sure you order her amazing book right here!
Here’s Dr Morgan’s IG, too!