Relationship Advice
Thrive Therapy - Colter Bloxom, Lauren Mokarry, and Cayla Bozovich
Relationship Advice helps listeners uncover the stuck spots in their relationships by taking expert advice from three licensed professional counselors and boiling it down into digestible tips and tools. Colter, Cayla, and Lauren help people to see that the first step to connecting with somebody else is by connecting with you. They focus their show on understanding and navigating the cycles that couples face, how to practice individuation, and staying in an emotionally regulated state. Just them each week as they come with a jam packed agenda to help you thrive in your relationships.Looking for old episode from "Relatable"? Click here.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 28, 2026 • 52min
The Mental Load in Relationships (Why It Causes Stress)
They unpack the invisible cognitive work of planning, remembering, and organizing household life. Conversations cover who handles dishes, groceries, maintenance, and how unseen tasks create imbalance. They explore how executive function and capacity shape who carries the mental load. Practical steps include naming expectations, setting minimum standards, and turning understanding into clear agreements.
10 snips
Mar 20, 2026 • 55min
Navigating Friendship Conflict & Changing Friendship
They explore why friendships shift during life changes like new roles, values, and capacity. They describe common reactions such as withdrawal or trying to fix things. They discuss how asking curious questions and staying open can create space for grief and care. They highlight naming changes gently, setting healthy boundaries, and aiming to understand rather than control.
11 snips
Mar 13, 2026 • 52min
Motivation To Change In Relationships
They explore why wanting a partner to change so often fails and how change is usually a process, not a switch. Conversation covers how shame and unrecognized barriers block progress. They outline mapping obstacles first, then designing tiny, consistent systems and environmental supports to make change stick.
Mar 6, 2026 • 52min
Emotional Availability
They explore what emotional availability really means: presence, regulation, and holding space. The conversation covers the window of tolerance and how stress, neurodivergence, and trauma affect capacity. Attachment patterns, pursuer/withdrawer dynamics, and why we repeat familiar pairings are highlighted. Practical screening questions, communication strategies, and boundaries come up as ways to navigate timing and compatibility.
4 snips
Feb 28, 2026 • 54min
If I Have To Ask, It Doesn't Count
They unpack the belief that asking for needs means they do not count and how that breeds silent resentment. The conversation explores childhood wounds, shame, and the mind-reading myth that fuels painful meaning-making. They highlight everyday clashes like compliments and holidays, and suggest shifting to curiosity, noticing underlying needs, and valuing imperfect attempts.
Feb 26, 2026 • 15min
One Move To Deescalate Your Next Fight: QUICK ADVICE
They explore how small requests can balloon into big fights and why that happens. They role-play a canceled meeting conflict to show real dynamics. The main focus is on using reflective listening to mirror emotions and validate without defending. Practical demos contrast vague acknowledgments with precise reflections and encourage imperfect practice.
Feb 23, 2026 • 54min
Why Everyone Thinks Their Partner Is a Narcissist
A deep look at why people label partners as narcissistic and how impact, not labels, matters. They compare narcissism with insecure attachment patterns, withdrawer behavior, and neurodivergence. Rigidity versus flexibility comes up as the key difference. Practical mini-experiments and social checks are suggested to test willingness to reflect and change.
7 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 14min
Behind Every Criticism There Is A Request: QUICK ADVICE
They unpack how criticism often masks a request and explain recognizing protective reactions in relationships. Examples show passive-aggressive comments and why partners shut down. Listeners are challenged to pause criticisms and practice making clear, vulnerable requests with context. Conversation highlights finding the real need behind complaints and inviting joint problem-solving instead of blame.
Feb 16, 2026 • 51min
Psychology of the State of the World
A look at how nervous-system activation, bias, privilege, and defensive attribution shape reactions to major national events. They outline ten coping archetypes people use under stress. The conversation focuses on relational strategies like curiosity, finding safe spaces, and shifting from reactivity to values-based action.
Feb 12, 2026 • 16min
What Makes You Great At Your Job Makes You Suck At Relationships: QUICK ADVICE
They explore how skills that make you excel at work can backfire in romantic relationships. They discuss recognizing when you slip into professional habits, why we keep using familiar tools at home, and how to name and pivot away from those patterns. Short, practical prompts encourage spotting your go-to tactic and practicing vulnerability instead.
