Long-Term Relationships
S6. Episode 1: Moving In: Listen to our first “live studio audience” recording at the Tucson Hop Shop! Corey and Tracy banter about all things moving in – U-hauling, cohabitation agreements, as well as open drawers, ugly pictures, and other pet peeves. As usual, they are at opposite ends as Tracy says to speak up about all the little things, whereas Corey says to choose your battles. Hear Tracy share about how moving in together is the best way to get to know someone and Corey discuss the perils of the bag, which stays packed by the front door to move back and forth between houses before moving in. But, the best part of this episode is the audience participation, where the questions from others push both Corey and Tracy to skirt the issue of bed death and instead, mic drop for an off-air mix and mingle!
S6. Episode 2: Marriage: Is It For Me? Join us for a lively discussion on the 20 questions to ask yourself before getting married. For example: Would for better or worse make me better or worse? What am I doing to hold us back? Is this relationship balanced? What is my gut telling me? Listen as Corey and Tracy talk about their opinions on each of the questions, why they are important, and what questions might be missing from the list. As usual, both of them have vastly different opinions. But, one thing they agree on is that these questions should be asked far earlier in a relationship than before considering marriage!
S6. Episode 3: Blending Families with Dr. Nicole Odom-Hardnett: Tune in to hear Dr. Nicole Odom-Hardnett’s personal story about blending families and parenting “bonus children.” Learn about how she embraces the practice of constant communication and parenting as a team. She also offers recommendations about dealing with each other’s exes and on what to do if you are the one coming into the relationship without your own children. Tracy pipes in with her stories of “I’ll be fine. I was a babysitter approach” to parenting, and Corey shares her thoughts on being the partner with the child.
S6. Episode 4: Intimacy with Julie Hall: Tune in for an insightful discussion about intimacy with licensed marriage and family therapist, Julie Hall, as she shares about the three Cs to developing intimacy – Curiosity, Compassion, and Courage. She describes what threat response behaviors, negative interaction cycles, and competing attachments are and how they can get in the way of intimacy in a partnership. Corey brings up watering the garden from season one, talking about what can happen when you shift intimacy away from your partner, and Tracy jumps in with her own revelations about how having been the “pursuer” impacted intimacy with her partners. If you are looking for ways to break down your intimacy walls or develop a closer connection with your partner, you won’t want to miss this episode!
S6. Episode 5: Supporting Your Partner Through Challenges: Wondering how to best support your partner through challenging times? Listen as Corey and Tracy discuss how minimizing, comparing, judging, fixing, and silver lining can create a negative impact on the relationship, despite one’s helpful intention. Instead, consider asking about your partner’s needs, validating, encouraging, supporting, listening, and affirming as they can go a long way in showing love. Hear Tracy discuss her journey through perimenopause and Corey talk about the support she received after the heartbreaking loss of her mom. Whether dealing with the death of a loved one, a toxic job, health issues, or caretaking for others, a supportive partner can make all the difference.
S6. Episode 6: The Root of Conflict with Dr. Satira Streeter Corbitt: Tune in for an amazing conversation with clinical psychologist and certified relationship therapist, Dr. Satira Streeter Corbitt, about addressing the root causes of conflict in relationships. She discusses how we, as adults, engage in conflict in ways that were modeled for us as children. Corey shares about how her parents’ relationship, and ultimate divorce, modeled some unhealthy patterns she didn’t want to repeat. Tracy pipes in about the challenges many in marginalized communities face in seeking out and getting therapy, with messages she heard as a child about keeping “our business in our family.” This is a fascinating episode, great for anyone in a relationship, parenting, or just wanting to learn how to uncover how they approach conflict.
S6. Episode 7: Self-Forgiveness with Barbara J. Hunt: Join us as we hear from forgiveness specialist, Barbara J. Hunt, on the importance of self-forgiveness in relationships, the connection between grief and forgiveness, and how people often get something out of holding onto their own resentment. Tracy talks about how she lets herself off the hook quickly after making a mistake, while Corey shares about taking far too long. Listen as Barbara shares strategies to get to the heart of what needs forgiving and move on in a healthy way.
S6. Episode 8: Forgiving Others with Katharine Giovanni: Listen as we chat with bestselling and award-winning author, Katharine Giovanni, as she talks about her book, The Ultimate Path to Forgiveness. Katharine shares valuable tools for forgiving people, places, and things…along with the energy surrounding them. Discover how to use her ranking exercise of the painful memories you want to forgive, mantras for helping you move forward, and ideas for gratitude and visioning to release negative anger tied to these experiences. Learn more about what she means by, “you don’t have to forgive the unforgiveable.” And, hear from Corey about wanting to spreadsheet her way into forgiveness while Tracy shares about reimagining an alternative ending to a real-life scenario so she can let things go.
S6. Episode 9: Keeping the Spark Alive: How can you keep the spark alive in your relationship? Well, it takes more than just flowers and chocolate. Tune in as Corey and Tracy discuss spark killers, time blocking, question cards, and tough or fluff. And, hear their thoughts on vulnerability, wellness checks, gratitude, surprises, and intimacy. While there are many ways to keep that spark, Tracy is more of a love poem, talk about everything in the relationship, kind of partner, whereas Corey enjoys making new memories and having adventures in her relationships. One thing they both agree on is the 555 approach: 5 thoughtful questions, 5 gratitude statements, and 5 touches a day.
Episode 10: Can our Relationship be Saved? with Claire Afua Jorgensen: Tune in for an amazing conversation with Claire Afua Jorgensen, marriage and relationship coach, as she shares the key to saving your relationship during troubled times. She says, “A relationship is only as healthy as the two people in it” and believes that both partners have to be willing to do the work. Listen as she shares ideas for where to start. Rest assured, Tracy pipes in with her experience trying to save a past relationship, and Corey questions whether you can fall back in love with someone after having fallen out of it. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!
S6. Bonus Episode: Creating Relationships with Colette Barajas: Listen as we talk with long-time civil rights activist, Colette Barajas as she offers ”a voice for those who haven’t found their voice yet.” Learn about the backstory of Colette’s, the first lesbian bar in Tucson, Arizona. But, Colette’s was more than just a bar; it was a place for lesbians to socialize, connect, and feel like they were part of a bigger community. Through our conversation, rest assured, we get a peek behind the scenes of Colette’s own relationship with her longtime partner and the advice she has for those in younger generations.