Why Labeling Your Spouse is More Damaging Than You Think: Episode 405
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Release Date: 07/15/2025
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...
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What Marriage Challenges Are 'Normal' and What’s Not Okay: Episode 403
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Just because something is common in marriage doesn’t mean it’s healthy. We’ve heard countless couples ask: “Is this just a hard season… or is something actually wrong?” “Are we still okay, even though this feels hard?” In this episode, we unpack those questions using anonymous submissions from real couples. You’ll hear what challenges are normal in long-term relationships—and what behavior or dynamics cross the line into unhealthy territory. We cover emotional disconnection, mismatched intimacy, recurring conflict, parenting stress, and more. Plus, we share clear next steps...
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Your Brain’s Default Settings Could Be Sabotaging Your Marriage (How Neuroscience Reveals Your Blocks) with John Assaraf: Episode 402
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Why is it so hard to change the way we show up in marriage, even when we know what we want to do differently? In this special episode, we sit down with John Assaraf, a renowned global leader in success and performance coaching, decades-long behavioral neuroscience researcher, and CEO of MyNeuroGym.com. He’s authored 4 bestselling books (including 2 New York Times bestsellers) and has been featured in 11 films. Together, we explore the science behind why we get stuck in patterns like defensiveness, withdrawal, or reactivity and how to finally break free. Whether you’re trying to communicate...
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Double Standards in Marriage: When It Feels Like the Rules Are Different for You: Episode 401
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Few things create more frustration in a marriage than the feeling of a double standard—when it seems like the rules are different for you than for your partner. Whether it’s around emotional regulation, how long you’re “allowed” to feel upset, or what tone is acceptable from whom, these invisible imbalances quietly erode trust and connection over time. In this episode, we unpack the real-life double standards men and women often feel in marriage—and how those dynamics are deeply tied to core fears like unfairness, rejection, or not being heard. We’re not here to point...
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Types of Boundaries You Must Establish to Protect Your Marriage: Episode 400
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
You want your marriage to feel like a place of joy, momentum, and shared purpose—not just survival mode. Just like in any great sport, the most fulfilling performance only happens inside clear, agreed-upon boundaries. In this episode, we explore the invisible lines that protect your connection, prevent slow erosion, and allow your relationship to thrive through both play and pressure. Whether it’s how you handle conflict, manage emotional energy, or protect your marriage from outside influences, these boundaries are non-negotiables for couples who want to go the distance. You’ll walk...
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What is Co-Regulation and How to Do It Effectively (So You Don’t Dysregulate Each Other): Episode 399
EmPowered Couples with The Freemans
Your emotional state doesn’t just affect you—it affects your partner, too. In fact, if you don’t learn how to co-regulate, you’ll unintentionally become each other’s stressor instead of each other’s support system. This episode goes beyond managing your own emotions and explores how to stay grounded together, especially in high-stress moments. We’ll break down what co-regulation really means in marriage, how your nervous systems influence each other in subtle but powerful ways, and how to stop spiraling into fights about the fight. You’ll learn 5 practical steps to co-regulate...
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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...
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