Coupled With...

Host: Dr. Rachel Orleck

Guest: Alicia Webber, Reproductive and Perinatal Therapist

Infertility can feel like one of the most isolating experiences a couple can face — but it doesn’t have to push you apart. In today’s heartfelt episode, Dr. Rachel Orleck is joined by reproductive and perinatal therapist Alicia Ferris to explore how couples can stay connected and support each other through the emotional, relational, and physical toll of infertility.

After a 10-year journey of wanting to become a mother and two years of fertility treatment, Alicia experienced the joy of having two miracle babies through embryo donation. Inspired by her own path and backed by 20 years of clinical experience, she now specializes in infertility and reproductive health counseling, helping individuals and couples navigate the unforeseen roller coasters of this phase of life. She is trained through the American Society for Reproductive Medicine and uses evidence-based practices to guide her work.

This conversation offers powerful tools for building emotional closeness, sharing the mental load, navigating tough decisions, and protecting intimacy during a time when everything can feel fragile. Whether you're actively facing infertility, preparing for future family planning, or supporting someone you love, today’s episode is filled with insights to help couples feel more seen, heard, and valued through the journey.

1. Why infertility often leaves couples feeling like they're on parallel tracks instead of working together
2. The pivotal ways infertility can either fracture or strengthen a relationship
3. How to stay emotionally connected during fertility treatments (and beyond)
4. Small but powerful ways to share the mental and emotional load
5. Tools to navigate different comfort levels with fertility treatments, including the "ruler test"
6. How infertility impacts intimacy, and ways to protect emotional and sexual closeness
7. Why it's critical to keep living your life — even while you're hoping for your future family
8. The hidden emotional struggles male partners often face and how to offer better support
9. Tips for deciding whether to seek individual counseling, couples counseling, or a combination
10. How proactively partnering in the fertility process can set the foundation for a stronger future as parents

Alicia Webber, LPC

1. Website: simplejoycounseling.com
2. Instagram: @reproductivehealthcounselor
3. Facebook: Simple Joy Counseling
4. TikTok: @reprod.healthcounselor

ABOUT RACHEL

Dr. Rachel Orleck is a psychologist, EFT couples therapist, and Relationship Educator & Strategist. Through her educational business, The Attachment Revolution, and her private practice, Meaningful Journey Counseling, she helps people understand the attachment patterns underneath their relationships and change the patterns they actually have the power to change.

Got a question or a topic you'd like me to cover? Want me to coach on your topic? Share your request and if selected, I'll address it on an upcoming episode. [Submit Here]

If this landed for you, leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts makes it easier for people who need this to find it. It takes less than a minute and it genuinely helps.

Resources

• Free 7-Day Relationship Challenge: 7 short emails and daily challenges that you can do with your morning coffee. You'll never see your relationship the same way again.
• Work with Me - Individualized Guidance: High-touch, individualized support for deep relational pattern change.
• Meaningful Journey Counseling (WA residents only): Licensed therapy services for individuals and couples in Washington State.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for mental health treatment, therapy, diagnosis, or medical advice. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you are experiencing significant distress, please seek support from a licensed mental health professional or medical provider.

Why You Lose It in Love: The Truth About Self-Regulation and Connection

Learn how attachment, nervous system wiring, and co-regulation shape your relationship dynamic.

Why do we lose it when we care the most? In this episode, Dr. Rachel Orleck breaks down the real reason self-regulation feels impossible in close relationships. You’ll learn how your attachment style wires your nervous system for protection, why codependence keeps couples stuck, and how co-regulation helps you build the connection you actually want. Packed with real-life examples and practical tools, this episode will help you stop reacting—and start relating.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why staying calm in conflict is harder than it looks
2. How early experiences shape emotional regulation
3. The difference between codependence and co-regulation
4. How dysregulation fuels your relationship cycle
5. Three tools for regulating in the moment
6. Two ways to repair if things went off the rails
7. One simple daily habit to build your regulation muscle

ABOUT RACHEL

Dr. Rachel Orleck is a psychologist, EFT couples therapist, and Relationship Educator & Strategist. Through her educational business, The Attachment Revolution, and her private practice, Meaningful Journey Counseling, she helps people understand the attachment patterns underneath their relationships and change the patterns they actually have the power to change.

Got a question or a topic you'd like me to cover? Want me to coach on your topic? Share your request and if selected, I'll address it on an upcoming episode. [Submit Here]

If this landed for you, leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts makes it easier for people who need this to find it. It takes less than a minute and it genuinely helps.

Resources

• Free 7-Day Relationship Challenge: 7 short emails and daily challenges that you can do with your morning coffee. You'll never see your relationship the same way again.
• Work with Me - Individualized Guidance: High-touch, individualized support for deep relational pattern change.
• Meaningful Journey Counseling (WA residents only): Licensed therapy services for individuals and couples in Washington State.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for mental health treatment, therapy, diagnosis, or medical advice. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you are experiencing significant distress, please seek support from a licensed mental health professional or medical provider.

In this powerful and intimate episode, Dr. Rachel Orleck sits down with coach and infertility warrior Urvi Shah to explore how healing from vaginismus not only changed her body, but deepened her relationship. Together, they explore the emotional toll of vaginismus, the mind-body connection, the power of pelvic floor therapy, and how opening up to her partner helped Urvi reclaim intimacy, trust, and love.

Urvi’s story is one of courage, vulnerability, and transformation—and it’s also a reminder that healing doesn't just happen within us, but between us.

You’ll hear about:

1. Urvi’s 9-year fertility journey and discovery of vaginismus
2. How shame and silence created distance in her relationship
3. The healing power of pelvic floor therapy and mindfulness
4. How reconnecting emotionally rebuilt intimacy
5. The impact of spirituality and energy awareness in healing
6. Tools she and her husband use now to stay connected through parenthood

This episode is for you if:

1. You've struggled with intimacy or pain during sex
2. You or your partner have felt isolated during fertility challenges
3. You want to understand how emotional and physical healing go hand in hand
4. You're curious how couples can come back stronger after crisis

Connect with Urvi Shah:

🔗 Website: innersurroundinglifecoaching.com

📸 Instagram: @innersurroundinglc

📺 Youtube: ⁠⁠https://youtu.be/Ux0z8aOjfCA⁠⁠

ABOUT RACHEL

Dr. Rachel Orleck is a psychologist, EFT couples therapist, and Relationship Educator & Strategist. Through her educational business, The Attachment Revolution, and her private practice, Meaningful Journey Counseling, she helps people understand the attachment patterns underneath their relationships and change the patterns they actually have the power to change.

Got a question or a topic you'd like me to cover? Want me to coach on your topic? Share your request and if selected, I'll address it on an upcoming episode. [Submit Here]

If this landed for you, leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts makes it easier for people who need this to find it. It takes less than a minute and it genuinely helps.

Resources

• Free 7-Day Relationship Challenge: 7 short emails and daily challenges that you can do with your morning coffee. You'll never see your relationship the same way again.
• Work with Me - Individualized Guidance: High-touch, individualized support for deep relational pattern change.
• Meaningful Journey Counseling (WA residents only): Licensed therapy services for individuals and couples in Washington State.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for mental health treatment, therapy, diagnosis, or medical advice. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you are experiencing significant distress, please seek support from a licensed mental health professional or medical provider.

Hosted by Dr. Rachel Orleck, Couples Therapist & Coach

Do you find yourself overthinking every text before you send it? Or rehearsing exactly what to say so your partner doesn’t get upset—or so the conversation stays “calm”? That’s not just communication anxiety. That’s relationship perfectionism.

In this episode of Coupled With…, we’re talking about:

1. Why perfectionism shows up in your relationship (especially if you’re thoughtful, responsible, or highly self-aware)
2. How trying to “get it right” can actually make your partner feel more disconnected—not more supported
3. The emotional cost of over-functioning in love
4. A mindset shift to help you move from performance to presence

If you're tired of trying to say everything the right way, and you just want to feel more yourself in your relationship again—this episode will show you where to begin.

ABOUT RACHEL

Dr. Rachel Orleck is a psychologist, EFT couples therapist, and Relationship Educator & Strategist. Through her educational business, The Attachment Revolution, and her private practice, Meaningful Journey Counseling, she helps people understand the attachment patterns underneath their relationships and change the patterns they actually have the power to change.

Got a question or a topic you'd like me to cover? Want me to coach on your topic? Share your request and if selected, I'll address it on an upcoming episode. [Submit Here]

If this landed for you, leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts makes it easier for people who need this to find it. It takes less than a minute and it genuinely helps.

Resources

• Free 7-Day Relationship Challenge: 7 short emails and daily challenges that you can do with your morning coffee. You'll never see your relationship the same way again.
• Work with Me - Individualized Guidance: High-touch, individualized support for deep relational pattern change.
• Meaningful Journey Counseling (WA residents only): Licensed therapy services for individuals and couples in Washington State.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for mental health treatment, therapy, diagnosis, or medical advice. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you are experiencing significant distress, please seek support from a licensed mental health professional or medical provider.

Hosted by Dr. Rachel Orleck, Couples Therapist & Coach

Ever find yourself having the same argument on repeat? Or walking away from a conversation wondering, “How did we even get here?” You're not alone—and there’s a reason for that.

In this first episode of Coupled With…, we’re diving into:

1. What attachment theory actually is (in everyday, real-life terms)
2. Why conflict isn’t just about what you’re fighting about, but how you’re wired
3. The pursuer–withdrawer dynamic that keeps couples stuck
4. One powerful mindset shift to start breaking those frustrating patterns

Whether you’re anxiously overanalyzing every text or quietly shutting down when things get intense, this episode will help you start seeing your patterns—and your partner’s—with more clarity and compassion.

Because you don’t need perfect words or the “right” tone—you just need to understand what’s really going on underneath the surface.

ABOUT RACHEL

Dr. Rachel Orleck is a psychologist, EFT couples therapist, and Relationship Educator & Strategist. Through her educational business, The Attachment Revolution, and her private practice, Meaningful Journey Counseling, she helps people understand the attachment patterns underneath their relationships and change the patterns they actually have the power to change.

Got a question or a topic you'd like me to cover? Want me to coach on your topic? Share your request and if selected, I'll address it on an upcoming episode. [Submit Here]

If this landed for you, leaving a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts makes it easier for people who need this to find it. It takes less than a minute and it genuinely helps.

Resources

• Free 7-Day Relationship Challenge: 7 short emails and daily challenges that you can do with your morning coffee. You'll never see your relationship the same way again.
• Work with Me - Individualized Guidance: High-touch, individualized support for deep relational pattern change.
• Meaningful Journey Counseling (WA residents only): Licensed therapy services for individuals and couples in Washington State.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for mental health treatment, therapy, diagnosis, or medical advice. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapist-client relationship. If you are experiencing significant distress, please seek support from a licensed mental health professional or medical provider.

Hosted by Dr. Rachel Orleck, Couples Therapist & Coach

If you’ve ever felt like your relationship takes too much effort for how much you care about each other—this podcast is for you.

In this short trailer episode, I’m giving you a peek into what you can expect from Coupled With…

Whether you're feeling stuck in repetitive arguments, walking on eggshells trying to say things “the right way,” or just craving a deeper connection with your partner—you’re not alone. And you’re not doing it wrong.

This show is here to help you:

• Understand your relationship patterns (especially the ones you keep repeating)
• Learn practical tools based on attachment theory and emotional safety
• Break free from conflict cycles and overthinking
• Feel more seen, heard, and valued in your relationship

I’ll be sharing honest solo episodes, insightful interviews, and zero “just communicate better” advice. Expect real talk, research-backed tools, and a little humor to make it all feel human.

Subscribe now and come along—I’m so glad you’re here. 💛

Resources:

💬 Get the free guide: How to Start a Hard Conversation

💌 Free 7 Day Course to Break the Cycle of Conflict

📲 Follow on Instagram: @drrachelorleck

📌 Relationship Check-Up at www.drrachelorleck.com.