Zach’s 17 and 13 year old daughters join him for this week’s podcast. They discuss what it’s like to be a teen today and how parents can better connect and encourage them. 

Zach and Laura recount their respective New Year’s Eve celebrations. Zach has a couple gripes and Laura isn’t quite sure about science. They go on to discuss a powerful practice that could reshape the way you relate with your partner. Putting into practice what there share in this episode would be a wonderful way to kick off the new year in a positive direction.   

Ladies: Be sure to sign up for Laura’s Experiment while you still can. 

Laura is dressed like an elf (sorry this is not a visual medium). Zach took a tumble. Vasectomy gets discussed at length. Laura introduces a cool experiment for wives to help improve their marriage. They go on to discuss death and sex. They really cover a lot on this holiday grab bag. 

Laura discloses that she has been feeling a bit down with the holidays and her current move. She and Zach discuss a bit of what might be behind that which leads them to a broader topic of figuring out ways to improve your relationship. It’s a bit more organic than some episodes, but you will be left with some great insight into your life and relationships.

What does “Your Face” have to do with a playful disagreement? Zach shares his strategies. He and Laura also talk about their relationships with you, the listeners. They go on to discuss the unique burdens men carry in their relationships. 

Laura is jogging from her son’s house to school and back twice a day. That’s about the same about of jogging Zach has done in the last year. They go on to discuss what happens in a relationship when one partner has carried the primary load of the relationship and what is now required when they want that to change.

Photo credit: jonathan mcintosh on Visualhunt.com / CC BY-SA

Zach just got out of therapy and is having all the feels. Laura’s thinking about starting her own therapy as well. They discuss the complexities of having a close friendship as well as a business relationship which leads to the unique issues addressed by couples that work together. The importance of boundaries and roles is advice any couple will find helpful. 

Zach and Laura discuss Halloween and the MANY parties that accompany. Zach thinks Laura would be a VSCO girl. Zach relays an eavesdropped conversation of first encounters. They move on to discuss Zach’s recent therapeutic training. 

Zach has limited his beverage choices. Laura is getting settled in her new town. After some interviews they reconnect and discuss the what it is to have a purpose as a couple. 

Zach & Laura sit down for a conversation with Certified Gottman Therapist, Master Trainer, Consultant, Speaker, and Master Addiction Counselor. His research has surfaced new ways to understand the role of relationships in the recovery process.