Why Labeling Your Spouse is More Damaging Than You Think: Episode 405
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Release Date: 07/15/2025
10 Lessons From 10 Years of Marriage: The Highs, Lows, and What No One Prepares You For: Episode 413
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
This week marks our 10-year wedding anniversary and if we’re being honest, the months leading up to it weren’t easy. Research even shows that around the 10-year mark, couples hit peak dissatisfaction. But here’s the truth: challenges don’t mean your marriage is broken. They’re invitations to grow, reconnect, and come back stronger. In this episode, we’re opening up about the 10 most powerful lessons from our 10 years together — the highs, the lows, the laughter, and the lessons that have shaped us as individuals, as partners, and as parents. Whether you’ve been together 2...
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The Power of a Shared Vision in Marriage (And Why It Keeps You Strong Through Every Season): Episode 412
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
What keeps couples united through all the ups and downs? A shared vision. In this episode of the Empowered Couples Podcast, we break down why having a vision together is essential, how to define your values as a couple, and the practical steps to keep you connected in both everyday life and during challenges. Whether you’re in a hard season or just feeling stuck in routine, your vision as a couple is what pulls you out of the mundane and gives deeper meaning to your marriage. In this episode you will hear: -Why self-focus leads to more negativity (and how vision shifts that) -The 4 steps to...
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Don’t Learn This Too Late: Ways to Stay Connected After Kids: Episode 411
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Marriage after kids can feel like survival mode. Once out of the immediate chaos, it can settle into a state of function. Between diapers, school runs, shuttling to sports practices, your work, and endless to-do lists at home, it’s easy to put your relationship on the back burner. But here’s the truth: your kids don’t just thrive on how well you care for them—they thrive on how connected YOU are as a couple. In this episode of the Empowered Couples Podcast, Jocelyn & Aaron (“The Freemans”) share practical, real-life ways to stay emotionally and physically connected after kids....
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Marriage Intimacy Q&A: Mismatched Desire, Dry Spells, Emotional Safety & Reigniting the Spark: Episode 410
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
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How Intimacy and Desire Change as You Age and How to Evolve With It (Not Drift Apart): Episode 409
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
The problem isn't that your desire or drive is changing. The problem is that you're not talking about these changes and finding solutions on how to evolve with them and stay connected. In this vulnerable and eye-opening episode, we share the real reasons intimacy shifts over time (especially after kids, through peri-menopause, or with stress and aging), and how couples can adapt together rather than growing apart. In this episode you’ll hear: -A raw confession from a wife/mom at a retreat Jocelyn spoke at recently -The difference between spontaneous and responsive desire -Why intimacy...
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When Intimacy Feels Like Another Task in Marriage — How to Shift the Energy & Reignite Desire: Episode 408
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Is it normal for intimacy to feel like another item on your to-do list? You love your partner, but between parenting, exhaustion, and unspoken resentment… desire can fade. In this episode, we're unpacking why intimacy feels like an obligation — and how to shift the emotional and physical energy in your marriage so that you both actually want it again. We share real stories, emotional dynamics, and practical shifts that help couples go from feeling like roommates to rekindling passion — even in the busiest seasons of life. Topics we cover in this episode: -Emotional disconnection vs...
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Emotional & Physical Turn-Offs in Marriage (and How to Create More Attraction Again): Episode 407
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Attraction in marriage doesn’t just disappear overnight, but it can fade through the habits, energy, and unspoken patterns you fall into over time. In this episode, we reveal the biggest emotional and physical turn-offs (and turn-ons) based on anonymous submissions from real couples. This episode is for couples who want to feel that spark again—without needing to go back to the beginning. In this episode you will hear: What’s quietly draining desire in your relationship Five patterns that slowly erode attraction How to reignite emotional connection and physical intimacy—without...
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Stop Reacting and Start Responding (How to Take Control of Your Emotions in Marriage): Episode 406
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
You want to feel peace, love, and connection—especially in your marriage. But when something disrupts that inner calm, it’s easy to slip into old patterns: snapping, shutting down, blaming. Sound familiar? This episode is about how to stop being emotionally reactive—and start responding in a way that brings clarity, compassion, and connection (even in the tough moments). 🎧 What You’ll learn: Why controlling your partner won’t regulate your emotions How to take ownership without bypassing what you feel A 5-step process to go from reactive to responsive How to repair when...
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Why Labeling Your Spouse is More Damaging Than You Think: Episode 405
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Every couple has conflict. But when disagreements turn into labeling your spouse—with words like “selfish,” “dramatic,” or “narcissist”—it doesn’t just hurt in the moment… it chips away at emotional safety and long-term connection. In this episode, we unpack: Why labeling is so destructive (even if you didn’t mean it that way) How it rewires the way you see each other over time What to say instead that’s honest—but not hurtful Real-life phrases to express hurt without attacking character We also give you a simple script to use during tough conversations—so...
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Stop Tip-Toeing Around Each Other’s Triggers (How to Create Real Emotional Safety in Marriage): Episode 404
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
You don’t just marry your partner’s strengths—you marry their triggers too. If you’ve found yourself walking on eggshells to avoid setting them off… or shutting down because you feel like you’re too much… you’re not alone. But let’s be clear: tip-toeing isn’t emotional maturity—it’s disconnection in disguise. In this episode, we unpack how to create real emotional safety in your marriage—so you can stop spiraling and start feeling heard, seen, and safe again. 🎧 What You’ll learn: How to bring things up without triggering defensiveness What to do if your're the...
info_outlineEvery couple has conflict. But when disagreements turn into labeling your spouse—with words like “selfish,” “dramatic,” or “narcissist”—it doesn’t just hurt in the moment… it chips away at emotional safety and long-term connection.
In this episode, we unpack:
- Why labeling is so destructive (even if you didn’t mean it that way)
- How it rewires the way you see each other over time
- What to say instead that’s honest—but not hurtful
- Real-life phrases to express hurt without attacking character
We also give you a simple script to use during tough conversations—so you can still speak your truth without triggering shame or defensiveness.
If you want to feel closer and more emotionally safe in your marriage, even during conflict, this is a must-listen.
🛠️ Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
→ De-Escalating Conflicts Guide
→ Making Up & Moving Forward Guide
→ Family Meeting Guide
Episode Time Stamps:
00:00 – Why name-calling or labeling is never okay in a marriage
01:05 – What actually happens in your brain when you label your partner
02:13 – Pop psychology traps: labeling as “anxious,” “avoidant,” or “narcissist”
03:12 – Labels attack identity, not behavior — and here’s why that matters
04:01 – Labels don’t inspire change—they create shame and resistance
05:05 – The long-term damage: how labels rewire how you see each other
06:38 – How labels erode emotional safety and destroy repair opportunities
08:13 – The shift from “us vs. the problem” to “me vs. you”
09:42 – A moment of truth: do you and your partner ever label each other?
10:18 – What to say instead of labeling: label behavior, feelings, or boundaries
12:09 – Scripts to use: “When you ___, I feel ___, and what I need is ___.”
13:35 – Labeling your boundaries vs. punishing your partner
15:00 – Quotes to remember: “Name the impact, not their character”
16:02 – Why this episode is a wake-up call for every couple
17:13 – The 2 tools every couple needs to stop the label-repair cycle
18:05 – Final encouragement + how to find our best conflict resources