What if the biggest problem in your relationship isn't your partner, it's that nobody ever taught you how to be in one?

In this episode of Uncoupled and Unfiltered, host Ksenia Muench sits down with Coco Kowal, licensed counselor, relationship educator, and faculty member at the Imago International Training Institute. With over 40 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families, Coco brings rare depth and wisdom to the patterns that quietly shape and sometimes sabotage our closest relationships.

They get into what Imago therapy actually is (and why it's different from traditional couples therapy), why the honeymoon stage ends and what to do about it, and the relationship competencies most people never learn. They also go there on the hard stuff: affairs, divorce, high-conflict personalities, and whether love, once broken, can actually be rebuilt.

Whether you're single, coupled, or somewhere in between, this conversation will change how you see yourself in relationships.

Key Topics Covered:

• What Imago therapy is and how it works
• Why most relationships fail — and why it's not your fault
• The relationship skills no one teaches you
• How to stay curious about your partner long after the honeymoon ends
• Adultery: why it happens and whether a relationship can recover
• The mirroring technique for de-escalating conflict with a high-conflict partner
• Can Imago therapy change the outcome of a divorce?

“Within the power struggle is just the growth within us trying to happen, and if we don't learn the tools, people get tired of trying. They get worn out.” - Coco Kowal

About Our Guest: Coco Kowal

Colleen "Coco" Kowal, LPC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor in South Carolina and holds a Master of Counseling from the University of South Carolina. With over 40 years of experience working with individuals, couples, and families, Coco is a Certified Advanced Clinician in Imago Relationship Therapy and a Certified Getting the Love You Want Couples Workshop Presenter. 

Her passion for this work began with her own personal transformation through Imago therapy, and she has since become a faculty member of the Imago International Training Institute, where she trains other professionals to become Certified Imago Therapists. She brings both the clinical expertise and the lived experience that make her one of the most trusted voices in the Imago community.

Who This Episode Is For:

• Couples feeling disconnected or stuck in the same arguments
• Anyone who has experienced or is recovering from infidelity
• People considering divorce who want to explore every option first
• Singles who want to understand their relationship patterns before their next relationship
• Anyone curious about therapy but unsure where to start

Connect with Coco Kowal:

Website:  https://www.hiltonheadislandcounseling.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiltonheadislandcounseling/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HHImago 

Connect with Ksenia Muench:

Website: https://www.thriveagaindivorcecoaching.com/ 

Website: https://www.highconflictplaybook.com/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thriveagaindivorcecoaching/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvmuench/ 

Substack: https://substack.com/@thriveagaindc 

Email: [email protected] 

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Want to hear more podcasts like this one? Check out Dear Divorce Diary with Dawn Wiggins- https://mycoachdawn.com/divorce-podcast/

Want to work with Ksenia? The next cohort is forming now- https://www.highconflictplaybook.com/