Got a question, comment, or just want to drop some encouragement? Send us a text.How has the global pandemic impacted your parenting partner relationship? Dr. Stephen Mitchell and Erin Mitchell, MACP discuss the importance of couples understanding their stress response to the pandemic and how it has shaped their couple relationship. 

Got a question, comment, or just want to drop some encouragement? Send us a text.It's February and many parenting partners will be thinking about Valentine's Day. Sometimes it's the special days that can bring the most pressure to meet your partner's expectations and can leave many couples disappointed when expectations are not met.  However, these "big" days can simply be a reflection of how parenting partners communicate about expectations in their day-to-day. In this episode Dr. Stephen Mitchell and Erin Mitchell, MACP talk about how to discover what your expectations are, how to communicate them, and how to get out of the cycle of conflict that unmet expectations can create. 

Got a question, comment, or just want to drop some encouragement? Send us a text.It happens all the time for parenting partners, you hear what your partner is not saying. They say, "I'm tired" you hear them say, "I'm more tired than you." Why does this happen for parenting partners and what can they do to stop hearing what their partner is not saying? In todays episode Dr. Stephen Mitchell and Erin Mitchell, MACP give parenting couples a clear strategy for actually hearing what your partner is saying.  

Got a question, comment, or just want to drop some encouragement? Send us a text.Parenting is a massive transition and change that can stir up fears for partners. Fears about failure, losing someone you love, feeling confused, feeling alone etc. Many times couples don't know how to talk with one another about these fears because they are afraid it will sound foolish, make their partner angry, or they just don't know what to say. This can lead to a feeling of disconnection. In this episode we talk about how partners can talk with one another about their fears and stay connected. 

Got a question, comment, or just want to drop some encouragement? Send us a text.For many parenting couples physical touch can be complex and a topic of conflict. In fact it can feel like a daily opportunity to feel rejected, abandoned, disrespected, ignored, and controlled. How does the parenting context influence touch in your couple relationship? How can you and your partner communicate respectfully and honestly about your needs related to touch?  

Got a question, comment, or just want to drop some encouragement? Send us a text.Parenting couples are tired and stressed. How do you communicate respectfully and productively as a parenting couple when you are exhausted and stressed? This context is hard to change during the parenting years so couples have to learn to communicate in the midst of feeling tired and stressed. In this episode we give you 4 practical steps you can take to develop an "open" communication posture that can help you through the tired and stressful times, and improve your couple communication. 

Got a question, comment, or just want to drop some encouragement? Send us a text.What happens when you hear your partner snap at your kid? Many couples find that this scenario leads to conflict and disconnection in their couple relationship. In this episode we  explore some of the deeper psychological factors that are at play in this scenario and give couples practical scripts to use to reduce conflict and enhance communication.  

Got a question, comment, or just want to drop some encouragement? Send us a text.Grandparents can be such a wonderful and vital part of your kids lives! Also, grandparents can be a significant support and help to your couple relationship. The loss of healthy, involved grandparents can be a profound grief for couples. This loss can be due to death, mental illness, distance, toxicity, conflict, etc. Whatever the reason, partners need to understand how this grief impacts them individually and their couple relationship. Without understanding, the grief can create disconnection between partners. As the holidays draw near and idyllic time with family is in every song and movie, this episode can help you and your partner navigate your story of loss. This can help you both feel understood and connected this holiday season. 

Got a question, comment, or just want to drop some encouragement? Send us a text.The contextual pressure cooker of pregnancy and postpartum can challenge a couple's capacity for coping with stress. As each partner struggles individually with stress, they can miss their partner's experience. This can be felt in countless little moments of feeling overlooked, misunderstood, or invalidated by one another, and these little moments can grow into big feelings of resentment between partners.  How can partner's work through resentment that was birthed in pregnancy and postpartum and still impacts their relationship weeks, months, and years later? Dr. Stephen Mitchell and Erin Mitchell, MACP have lived this experience and helped countless couples navigate resentment birthed during pregnancy and postpartum. Hear their story and what they have learned from helping other couples overcome resentment. For more from Stephen and Erin check out their website createyourcouplestory.com and follow them on Instagram @couples.counseling.for.parents