Marriage & Motherhood - How To Reconnect With Your Spouse After Kids

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Is your marriage feeling the "New Year" weight?

The holidays often have a way of shining a spotlight on the gaps in our relationships—the tiny resentments, the communication breakdowns, and that quiet voice wondering, "Shouldn’t we be further along by now?"

In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on why the "New Year, New Me" mentality can actually backfire in your marriage. Instead of trying to wipe the slate clean and ignore the past, I’m sharing how to treat your relationship like a beautiful experiment where every "failure" is actually just valuable data. If you're ready to stop feeling "behind" and start building a marriage that feels like home, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, I cover:

- How to handle the uncertainty about your marriage that often hits in the new year
- A new perspective to view your marriage with that helps you see progress

Ready to see how marriage coaching can help you bridge the gap? Book a clarity call here!

Thanks for listening!

Connect and send a message letting me know what you took away from this episode: @michellepurtacoaching

If you would like to support this show, please rate and review the show, and share it with people you know would love this show too!

Additional Resources:

• Ready to put a stop to the arguments in your marriage?  Watch this free masterclass - The #1 Conversation Married Couples Need To Have (But Aren't)

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Have you ever wondered why you’re suddenly repelled by someone’s energy, or why your partner seems more drawn to you after you’ve spent the day working out or doing something you love? In this episode, I am joined by Matchmaking Love Coach Leah Mitchell to explore human pheromones and chemical compatibility. 

Leah breaks down her signature PheroGlow Method, a neurological strategy designed to move women out of survival mode and into a state of magnetic attraction. We dive deep into the neuroscience of love, discussing how high cortisol (the stress hormone) can literally block your pheromone production and lead to anxious-avoidant relationship cycles. 

Connect with Leah:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/leah.mitchell.3914
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/goddess-of-love/id1723559624

Thanks for listening!

Connect and send a message letting me know what you took away from this episode: @michellepurtacoaching and follow me on threads @michellepurtacoaching!

If you would like to support this show, please rate and review the show, and share it with people you know would love this show too!

Additional Resources:

• Ready to put a stop to the arguments in your marriage?  Watch this free masterclass - The #1 Conversation Married Couples Need To Have (But Aren't)
• Want to handle conflict with more confidence? Download this free workbook!
• Wanna make communication feel easy and stop feeling like roommates so you can bring back the romance and excitement into your marriage? Learn more about how coaching here!

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Most couples don’t struggle because they don’t love each other. They struggle because they were never taught how to communicate, regulate, and stay connected under stress.

As I close out the year, I wanted to give you a gift. Instead of another tip or hack, I’m sharing the patterns and lessons I saw come up again and again in my client sessions this year.

These are lessons learned in the midst of busy lives and chances are, you’ll recognize yourself in at least one of them.

In this episode, I break down six of the biggest takeaways that helped my clients transform their marriage in 2025.

If you feel stuck in the same cycles or unsure what to focus on next in your marriage, this episode will help you zoom out, reflect, and choose a more intentional path forward.

Resources mentioned:

• Download the Marriage 360 Review to gain clarity on what areas to focus on in your marriage
  Book a Clarity Call if you want support for your marriage

Thanks for listening!

Connect and send a message letting me know what you took away from this episode: @michellepurtacoaching and follow me on threads @michellepurtacoaching!

If you would like to support this show, please rate and review the show, and share it with people you know would love this show too!

Additional Resources:

• Ready to put a stop to the arguments in your marriage?  Watch this free masterclass - The #1 Conversation Married Couples Need To Have (But Aren't)
• Want to handle conflict with more confidence? Download this free workbook!
• Wanna make communication feel easy and stop feeling like roommates so you can bring back the romance and excitement into your marriage? Learn more about how coaching here!

Support the show

Let us know how you enjoyed this episode!

There’s a quiet grief many parents carry that no one really prepares you for.

You’re still raising kids. You’re still managing a marriage, a home, and work.
And suddenly, you notice your parents slowing down.

In this episode, I am joined by life coach and mom of three, Christine Anastasia, for a raw, honest conversation about anticipatory grief—the emotional weight of knowing loss is coming, even when it hasn’t happened yet.

Together, we unpack:

-What anticipatory grief actually is and why it hits so hard in this stage of life
- Why watching your parents age can bring sadness, anxiety, guilt, or emotional numbness
- How grief, caregiving, and burnout quietly take up mental and emotional real estate
- The impact this season has on marriage and partnership
- Why “pushing through” makes everything heavier
- How to care for yourself without guilt when life already feels like too much

This episode is especially for parents who feel stretched thin, emotionally overloaded, and unsure how to hold everything without losing themselves.

Connect with Christine:

Website: https://christineanastasia.com/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/villagecoachmamma
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineanastasia
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCATfcyjf4cCXMynxmfeZs_w

Thanks for listening!

Connect and send a message letting me know what you took away from this episode: @michellepurtacoaching and follow me on threads @michellepurtacoaching!

If you would like to support this show, please rate and review the show, and share it with people you know would love this show too!

Additional Resources:

• Ready to put a stop to the arguments in your marriage?  Watch this free masterclass - The #1 Conversation Married Couples Need To Have (But Aren't)
• Want to handle conflict with more confidence? Download this free workbook!
• Wanna make communication feel easy and stop feeling like roommates so you can bring back the romance and excitement into your marriage? Learn more about how coaching here!

Support the show

Let us know how you enjoyed this episode!

As the year comes to a close, it’s easy to start mentally grading your marriage. You notice other couples at holiday gatherings. You scroll past smiling family photos online. And before you know it, comparison creeps in.

In this episode, I break down why comparison is so damaging to your relationship—and what actually helps instead.

You’ll learn:

- What comparing sounds like in your marriage

- How comparing your marriage keeps you stuck instead of helping you grow

- Why your marriage should be viewed in seasons, not years

- The difference between judgment and curiosity in conflict and connection

- How reflection—not comparison—creates clarity and forward momentum

- A practical way to assess what’s working, what feels hard, and what needs attention

This episode is for you if:

- You’ve been feeling disconnected or “behind” compared to other couples
- The holidays have amplified frustration or self-doubt about your relationship
- You want to start the new year with clarity instead of shame
- You’re craving partnership, direction, and a shared focus moving forward

Resources & Next Steps:

Download the Marriage 360 Review to reflect together and identify what matters most right now

Book a Clarity Call if you want support for your marriage

Thanks for listening!

Connect and send a message letting me know what you took away from this episode: @michellepurtacoaching and follow me on threads @michellepurtacoaching!

If you would like to support this show, please rate and review the show, and share it with people you know would love this show too!

Additional Resources:

• Ready to put a stop to the arguments in your marriage?  Watch this free masterclass - The #1 Conversation Married Couples Need To Have (But Aren't)
• Want to handle conflict with more confidence? Download this free workbook!
• Wanna make communication feel easy and stop feeling like roommates so you can bring back the romance and excitement into your marriage? Learn more about how coaching here!

Support the show

Let us know how you enjoyed this episode!

Invisible labor has a well-known phrase amongst modern women and unfortunately, it's a new concept to a lot of their partners. One that has been challenging to explain and change.

This episode is a special treat because for the first time ever, I interviewed a man for the show! When it comes to invisible labor, I thought it would be so valuable to hear from the male's perspective since the female narrative is so often shared. So in this episode, I am joined by Zach Watson, an Invisible Labor Coach for Men.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re carrying the weight of the household, the decisions, the logistics, and the emotions on your own… this conversation is a must listen!

In this episode, we talk about:

- What invisible labor actually is

- Why so many men don’t see it

- How men can step up without needing to be told what to do

- The phrase "weaponized incompetence"

- How to move away from "just tell me what to do"

If you’ve been waiting for an episode you can forward to your husband that won’t shut him down — this is the one.

Connect with Zach:
IG: @zachmentalloadcoach
Mental Load 101 PDF: Guide for husbands to quickly understand and implement strategies and for women to improve convo starters to talk about it

Thanks for listening!

Connect and send a message letting me know what you took away from this episode: @michellepurtacoaching and follow me on threads @michellepurtacoaching!

If you would like to support this show, please rate and review the show, and share it with people you know would love this show too!

Additional Resources:

• Ready to put a stop to the arguments in your marriage?  Watch this free masterclass - The #1 Conversation Married Couples Need To Have (But Aren't)
• Want to handle conflict with more confidence? Download this free workbook!
• Wanna make communication feel easy and stop feeling like roommates so you can bring back the romance and excitement into your marriage? Learn more about how coaching here!

Support the show

Let us know how you enjoyed this episode!

Bringing up something that’s bothering you doesn’t have to turn into a fight.
Most couples assume arguments are inevitable after you get married — but the truth is, arguing is actually a choice. It's conflict that is inevitable.

In this episode, I break down a real example from her own marriage: a stressful morning routine, growing frustration, and how I stopped myself from slipping into an old cycle of reactive communication that would have led straight to an argument. You’ll hear the exact process I used to reflect, process what was really going on underneath the frustration, and bring it to my husband in a way that actually strengthened our partnership (and saved us from arguing).

Inside this episode, you’ll learn:

- The common mistake most women make when they bring up issues (and why it backfires)

- What happens in your partner’s brain when you bring something up reactively

- How tone, timing, and nervous system regulation determine whether you get connection or defensiveness

- The self-coaching questions I used to get clarity before engaging

- Why urgency is usually a trauma response, not a relationship necessity

- How to choose an approach that preserves partnership instead of triggering survival mode

- A real-time play-by-play of how Michelle navigated a morning routine conflict with emotional maturity

If you’re tired of feeling unheard, if conversations escalate quickly, or if you keep looping in the same cycle of “I try to bring things up but he gets defensive,” this episode is your roadmap to a better way.

Most couples don’t struggle because they have problems. They struggle because of how they talk about them. Let’s change that.

For starters, grab my Conflict to Connection Guide.

If you'd like to take it a step further, book a clarity call with me so we can talk about how marriage coaching can help you!

Thanks for listening!

Connect and send a message letting me know what you took away from this episode: @michellepurtacoaching and follow me on threads @michellepurtacoaching!

If you would like to support this show, please rate and review the show, and share it with people you know would love this show too!

Additional Resources:

• Ready to put a stop to the arguments in your marriage?  Watch this free masterclass - The #1 Conversation Married Couples Need To Have (But Aren't)
• Want to handle conflict with more confidence? Download this free workbook!
• Wanna make communication feel easy and stop feeling like roommates so you can bring back the romance and excitement into your marriage? Learn more about how coaching here!

Support the show

Let us know how you enjoyed this episode!

The holidays are meant to be enjoyed, but what if you have health goals? Being around tempting food and having more to do can make it challenging to stick to those goals.

In this episode, I’m joined by health and wellness coach Tess Cheng to talk about how you can take care of your body during the busiest, most chaotic season of the year without guilt, shame, or unrealistic expectations.

We cover the real challenges parents face—school breaks, disrupted routines, holiday parties, family commitments—and how all of that impacts sleep, stress, eating habits, and emotional capacity.

Inside this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why holiday overwhelm makes healthy habits feel impossible
• The mindset shift that helps you stop feeling guilty about holiday foods
• How to build a stronger mind–body connection so you can make intentional choices
• The simplest way to stay active even when you’re stuck indoors with kids
• Why sleep should be one of your top priorities (and how to protect it)
• What “light dinners” actually mean and why they matter
• How to stay grounded when you’re overstimulated, overscheduled, and overtired
• Practical ways to recognize how food affects your energy, mood, and clarity

This episode is especially helpful if you’re tired of feeling stretched thin during the holidays and want to feel more connected—to your body, your family, and yourself.

Connect with Tess!

https://glowithtess.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tess-cheng-ms
https://www.instagram.com/glowithtess/
https://www.facebook.com/Glowithtess

Thanks for listening!

Connect and send a message letting me know what you took away from this episode: @michellepurtacoaching and follow me on threads @michellepurtacoaching!

If you would like to support this show, please rate and review the show, and share it with people you know would love this show too!

Additional Resources:

• Ready to put a stop to the arguments in your marriage?  Watch this free masterclass - The #1 Conversation Married Couples Need To Have (But Aren't)
• Want to handle conflict with more confidence? Download this free workbook!
• Wanna make communication feel easy and stop feeling like roommates so you can bring back the romance and excitement into your marriage? Learn more about how coaching here!

Support the show

Let us know how you enjoyed this episode!

Struggling with anger in your marriage? Feeling overwhelmed, resentful, or questioning whether you even want to stay? You’re not alone — and your anger may be telling you something important, but not in the way you think. In this episode, I break down what really happens in your brain during anger, why it narrows your perspective, and how to bring clarity back into your relationship before making big decisions.

You’ll learn:

• Why anger is a secondary emotion and what’s really underneath it
• How your brain hijacks your perception and amplifies the negative
• A powerful question to help you regain perspective
• The three choices you have when facing recurring frustrations
• How to tell the difference between fixable issues and deal-breakers
• When it’s time to get support from a marriage coach
• Why many couples separate over issues that are actually solvable with the right tools

If you’re feeling stuck in resentment, emotionally checked out, or unsure whether your frustrations are temporary or permanent, this episode will help you slow down, zoom out, and reconnect to the full picture of your marriage — not just the parts your anger highlights.

Looking for clarity and support as you navigate this season?
Book a free Clarity Call to understand what’s happening, what you want, and what working together can look like.

Thanks for listening!

Connect and send a message letting me know what you took away from this episode: @michellepurtacoaching and follow me on threads @michellepurtacoaching!

If you would like to support this show, please rate and review the show, and share it with people you know would love this show too!

Additional Resources:

• Ready to put a stop to the arguments in your marriage?  Watch this free masterclass - The #1 Conversation Married Couples Need To Have (But Aren't)
• Want to handle conflict with more confidence? Download this free workbook!
• Wanna make communication feel easy and stop feeling like roommates so you can bring back the romance and excitement into your marriage? Learn more about how coaching here!

Support the show

Let us know how you enjoyed this episode!

Kids today aren't struggling because they’re “lazy,” “dramatic,” or “entitled.” They’re struggling because the world they’re growing up in is fundamentally different — and their mental health is reflecting that.

In this powerful conversation, therapist Keri Cooper breaks down the real reasons kids are lacking grit and resilience — and what parents can shift today to better support their emotional health.

We explore how conveniences, screens, gaming, overstimulation, permissive parenting, and constant adult intervention have unintentionally robbed kids of the experiences they need to grow into resilient, capable, grounded humans.

Connect with Keri:
Website: https://kericooperholistictherapy.com/
IG: @kericooperholistictherapy @sleepsolutionsbykeri

Grab her book, Mental Health Uncensored: 10 Foundations Every Parent Needs To Know here!

Thanks for listening!

Connect and send a message letting me know what you took away from this episode: @michellepurtacoaching and follow me on threads @michellepurtacoaching!

If you would like to support this show, please rate and review the show, and share it with people you know would love this show too!

Additional Resources:

• Ready to put a stop to the arguments in your marriage?  Watch this free masterclass - The #1 Conversation Married Couples Need To Have (But Aren't)
• Want to handle conflict with more confidence? Download this free workbook!
• Wanna make communication feel easy and stop feeling like roommates so you can bring back the romance and excitement into your marriage? Learn more about how coaching here!

Support the show