The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

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   Number 1: 75: Stop Fighting Reality: What You Can (and Can't) Control in Your Relationship

   Send us Fan Mail Host: Jason Polk | Series: Solving Disconnection — Creating Connected Relationships for Couples and Parents Duration: ~5:30 Summary: Jason Polk, a couples therapist and coach with over 10 years of experience, breaks down a fundamental relationship reality: you can't control your partner — and trying to usually backfires. Drawing on a recent training for couples therapists, Jason introduces a simple but powerful framework: in any relationship struggle, you have two choices—change or acceptance. Using relatable examples (dishwashers, socks next to the hamper) and a personal story about his own marriage, he explores what healthy acceptance looks like, when it's the wrong move, and why focusing on your side of the relationship is where your real power lives. Key Topics & Timestamps:0:01 — Welcome and intro to the episode0:36 — Why trying to control your partner fails (pushback or temporary compliance)1:00 — The two-choice framework: change or acceptance1:25 — Everyday example: the dishwasher and the socks2:00 — The grief of acceptance: mourning the partner you imagined2:40 — Personal story: living with a partner who has ADHD3:35 — Acceptance isn't giving up — it's stopping the fight with reality3:45 — When acceptance is NOT the answer (abuse, betrayal, addiction without accountability)4:15 — Focusing on what's within your control empowers the relationship5:00 — Closing thought: your greatest power is how you choose to show upKey Takeaway: You can't make your partner become who you want them to be. But you can choose how you respond, what you ask for, and whether to stay, leave, or accept. That's where your power has always been. Learn more about Jason's core offering: Couples counseling in Denver.

   August 19, 2026·6min
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   Number 2: 74: Retaliation: The Disconnection Dance and Losing Strategy

   Send us Fan Mail Couples Therapist and coach Jason Polk explains how retaliation in relationships—making a partner feel bad because they made you feel bad—creates a negative pattern that keeps couples disconnected. He argues retaliation doesn’t build closeness, protect from hurt, or effectively teach, and can instead foster resentment, fear, and lead to controlling dynamics such as an “authoritarian dictator” stance met by a passive, submissive, or resistant rebel stance, increasing stress and disconnection. Polk notes retaliation may be learned in childhood from retaliating parents and urges listeners to recognize it as a reflex and respond as a mature, wise adult. He recommends working with the anger that protects hurt feelings and communicating calmly from a centered place, naming the hurt and making a clear request (e.g., asking the behavior not to happen again) to promote openness and connection. 00:00 Retaliation Defined 00:46 Why It Disconnects 01:51 Control And Stances 03:32 Where It Comes From 04:17 Wise Adult Response 04:54 How To Say It 05:47 Closing Encouragement Jason offers marriage counseling and couples intensives in Denver, CO. Click the link to his couples therapy practice.

   May 23, 2026·7min
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   Number 3: 73: Communication Tools Every Couple Needs (Part 1)

   Send us Fan Mail Every couple disagrees — the real question is how you handle it. In this episode, therapist and relationship coach Jason Polk shares practical communication tools he's developed over 10+ years of working exclusively with couples, drawing on the work of Terry Real and Stan Tatkin. In this episode, you'll learn:Why self-regulation is the single most important communication skillThe difference between speaking from your anger vs. as a representative of itHow to stay on your side of the street and avoid triggering defensivenessWhy requests work better than criticism — and how to make themThe Feedback Wheel tool (link below)How to create agreements around persistent issuesWhen and how to use a timeout before things escalateWhy accepting that reality is subjective can transform your conversationsResources mentioned:Feedback Wheel worksheetFair Play Card DeckWhether you're in couples therapy or working on your relationship on your own, these strategies will help you communicate more clearly, fight less destructively, and reconnect more quickly. This is Part 1 — stay tuned for Part 2! Learn more about our core offering: Marriage counseling in Denver & Colorado Springs

   April 20, 2026·11min
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   Number 4: 72: Discernment Counseling for Couples on the Brink w/ Lana Isaacson

   Send us Fan Mail Discernment Counseling: Should I Stay or Should I Go? Solving Disconnection Podcast with Jason Polk Guest: Lana Isaacson, Licensed Couples Therapist (CO & MA), Certified EFT Therapist Episode Summary Jason and Lana explore discernment counseling — a short-term, evidence-based process designed for couples on the brink of divorce or separation, where one partner is "leaning out" and the other is "leaning in." Timestamps0:00 — Introduction & guest overview2:20 — What is discernment counseling?2:33 — The leaning out vs. leaning in dynamic4:07 — Up to 5 sessions: how the process works5:09 — Does discernment counseling involve both partners?5:59 — What happens in the first session6:40 — Does the counselor have an agenda?9:44 — Top reasons couples consider divorce today10:58 — Growing apart: the #1 cause14:21 — What does success look like in discernment counseling?29:23 — The personal agenda for change34:04 — "Divorce is never an emergency" (Bill Doherty)36:12 — Research outcomes: the 3 paths (53% / 31% / 16%)44:52 — Script for the leaning-out partner: how to start the conversation46:29 — Script for the leaning-in partner: how to respond50:23 — Avoiding "half-hearted" couples therapy53:50 — Active affairs: how discernment counseling differs from couples therapy58:53 — How to get started: clarity call with LanaNotable Quotes"Success isn't whether a couple decides to stay together — it's whether both partners learned something really valuable about their relationship and themselves.""Divorce is never an emergency." — Bill Doherty"The natural drift of contemporary married life… is toward less spark, less connection, less intimacy." — from Take Back Your Marriage by Bill DohertyResources MentionedTake Back Your Marriage by Bill DohertyLearn more about Discernment Counseling at Colorado Relationship Recovery.Learn more about our core offering of Couples Therapy in Denver.

   March 23, 2026·1h 1min
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   Number 5: 71: Navigating High-Conflict Divorce: What's Best for the Kids?

   Send us Fan Mail Guest: Athena McCullough, LPC, LMFT When families are caught in high-conflict divorce—battling in courtrooms and struggling to communicate—Athena McCullough steps in. She's a licensed marriage and family therapist who specializes in the complex intersection of family therapy and the legal system. What We Cover In this conversation, Athena shares her expertise on helping families navigate high-conflict divorce, the real impact of parental conflict on children, and practical strategies for maintaining healthy relationships during difficult times. Timestamps [0:00] Introduction - Who is Athena McCullough? [1:30] Attorneys vs. mediation: What's best for divorcing couples? [4:45] Do therapists go to court? [6:15] The big question: Should unhappy parents stay together for the kids? [10:00] How high conflict affects children [13:30] Triangulation and emotional parentification [17:45] When kids become their parent's emotional support [21:00] Communicating with teens during conflict [24:15] Active listening: Hearing what's underneath the anger [26:30] Managing your own reactivity as a parent [29:15] What is reunification therapy? [31:00] Athena's journey into high-conflict divorce work [32:00] Final advice: Slow down and listen Key TakeawaysSlow down and listenAsk more questions than you give adviceBehavior is communicationProblematic behavior means your child is trying to tell you somethingYou can only control yourselfFocus on your own reactions, not controlling othersKids say important things in difficult waysLook past the tone to hear the message"There's no traffic jam on the high road"You don't get to keep misbehaving just because someone else doesAbout Athena McCullough Athena is a licensed therapist based in Littleton, Colorado, who owns a group practice specializing in high-conflict divorce and court-ordered family therapy. She works with families navigating complex court systems and provides reunification therapy for disconnected parents and children. Connect with Athena: McCulloughFamilyTherapy.com | Serving clients throughout Colorado Learn more about Jason's practice: Colorado Relationship Recovery

   January 23, 2026·34min
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