Thrive Again - Your relationship podcast

Michael & Amy
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Guiding a positive redesign in the relationship we have with our partner and ourselves. Offering tools, strategies and personal insights to bring your relationship from barely surviving to thriving.We are Michael and Amy, your couples connection coaches. Our mission is to help relationships to THRIVE again! A bit about us...We met in 2005 and married in 2009, welcomed two children in 2010 and 2012. Our relationship has had many ups and downs since we first met.-  Mental breakdowns from work overload- Massive stresses from a premature baby- Scare with ovarian cancer- Dealing with financial pressures- Not knowing ourselves!This led us to experiencing:- A communication breakdown- Arguments and not understanding each other- Living separately under one roof- Exhaustion! This podcast is for couples and singles who want to unlock their relationship potential using a conscious and holistic approach that brought us back to a state of beautiful harmony. One of the basic human needs is to feel LOVE and CONNECTION but our modern life has led us to feel disconnected and isolated more than ever before. This podcast is all about helping you to RECONNECT as a couple at a deeper, more meaningful, soul level.  Now, both working as coaches we share insights, client breakthroughs and personal stories to move your relationships from barely surviving to absolutely thriving!  www.michaelandamy.com.au

  1. 18H AGO

    From the Vault: Navigating Holiday Stress - Strengthening Your Relationship Through Effective Communication

    Navigating the festive season with your partner can sometimes feel like a tightrope walk through social obligations, family gatherings, and holiday stress. Imagine having a toolkit to maintain harmony and connection even amidst the chaos. That's exactly what we explore in this episode, where we share personal anecdotes and insights into tackling relationship challenges that often arise during the holidays. From dealing with increased socialization and the stress of family visits to managing anxiety and past traumas, discover how proactive communication and teamwork can turn potential pitfalls into opportunities for deeper connection and support. Building on this foundation, we highlight the transformative power of effective communication in nurturing your relationship's growth, particularly during the bustling holiday season. Learn how to set aside dedicated time for meaningful conversations, using techniques like "I" statements, to express personal feelings and needs without triggering defensiveness or conflict. We introduce a program designed to foster safety, clarity, and intimacy, helping to reignite passion and reduce burnout. Finally, as we look toward 2025, we encourage you to savor each moment of presence with loved ones, embracing the growth and thrilling new opportunities the new year promises. Join us on this journey as we share our experiences and insights, aiming to enhance your festive experience and strengthen your relationship. Thankyou for listening, if you liked it, please remember to subscribe. Join our Private "Thriving relationships - Deepening connection to self and others" community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107209283451758/ Website: https://michaelandamy.com.au/ Join our free 7 day relationship challenge: https://michaelandamy.com.au/free-relationship-challenge If you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

    20 min

  2. DEC 11

    Why Nice Guys Silently Ruin Relationships

    Ever felt like kindness is your superpower, yet your relationship still feels flat, tense, or strangely distant? Michael goes solo to unpack the quiet patterns that so many men mistake for love: covert contracts, conflict avoidance, and the endless chase for approval that looks like connection but drains desire. Through candid personal stories and clear frameworks, he lays out why these strategies once kept you safe, why they now sabotage intimacy, and how to trade people pleasing for honest, grounded presence. We explore the five core behaviours that silently erode trust: giving with hidden expectations, smoothing over every disagreement, seeking validation instead of being known, suppressing direction out of fear of being controlling, and overgiving that creates pressure rather than warmth. You’ll hear what happens inside a partnership when needs go unnamed, why “I’m fine” breaks trust, and how a lack of clear leadership forces your partner into roles she never wanted. Michael shows how authenticity and simple, steady direction can restore polarity, safety, and attraction. Expect practical steps you can use today: naming a need without defensiveness, inviting healthy conflict without escalation, offering plans with room for choice, and giving without a ledger. If phrases like “I say yes when I mean no” or “I give so much and feel unseen” ring true, this conversation offers a path back to truth, clarity, and real closeness. For more support, check out No More Mr. Nice Guy by Robert Glover and our coaching options for one‑on‑one or group work where you can practise these shifts in safety. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review so more couples can find these tools. Your stories and questions shape future episodes—message us on Instagram or Facebook to keep the conversation going. Thankyou for listening, if you liked it, please remember to subscribe. Join our Private "Thriving relationships - Deepening connection to self and others" community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107209283451758/ Website: https://michaelandamy.com.au/ Join our free 7 day relationship challenge: https://michaelandamy.com.au/free-relationship-challenge If you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

    16 min

  3. NOV 25

    Sexual Performance Anxiety - How To Fix Erection Problems with Shay Doran

    Ever felt like the bedroom turned into a stage and you forgot your lines? We sat down with men’s coach Shay Doran to explore why performance anxiety is so common, how it hijacks the body’s physiology and what it really takes to restore ease, desire and connection. Shay’s lived experience brings rare honesty to a topic many couples avoid: erection challenges, premature or delayed ejaculation and the shame-laced stories that grow around them. We trace the roots where they often begin—early pressure to perform, moments of sexual shame, and the dopamine flood of porn that trains the brain to expect instant novelty and zero rejection. Shay explains the science in plain terms: calm parasympathetic tone helps you get and keep an erection, while healthy sympathetic arousal carries you over into orgasm. When anxiety spikes, blood moves to survival systems, not g******s, and everything gets harder, literally and figuratively. Pills can boost firmness, but they don’t create calm but mindset and nervous system skills do the heavy lifting. This conversation is practical and relational. We talk about how partners can respond without blame, why appreciation and non-goal touch rebuild trust, and how communication outside the bedroom fuels desire inside it. We look at the “performance anxiety loop”—a cycle of bad experiences, anxious questions and fixed beliefs—and how to break it with clearer understanding, slower pacing and more presence. Along the way, we unpack why “duty sex” deadens desire and how shifting from proving to feeling turns sex into lovemaking again. If you or your partner are navigating erection anxiety or intimacy that feels stuck, this episode offers relief, language and next steps. Check the show notes for Shay’s YouTube channel and a free 10‑question performance anxiety quiz to map your personal triggers. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a friend and leave a quick review to help more couples find their way back to connection. Find Shay Doran on Youtube: www.youtube.com/@shay-doran Take the quiz: https://shay-doran.com/free-quiz/ Here's his website: shay-doran.com Thankyou for listening, if you liked it, please remember to subscribe. Join our Private "Thriving relationships - Deepening connection to self and others" community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107209283451758/ Website: https://michaelandamy.com.au/ Join our free 7 day relationship challenge: https://michaelandamy.com.au/free-relationship-challenge If you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

    54 min

  4. NOV 11

    Softening The "Strong Woman"

    What if the “strong one” is secretly exhausted and aching to exhale? We dive into the hidden pattern of hyper-independence, why control often masks fear, and how couples can rebuild trust by trading silent resentment for steady leadership and genuine surrender. Drawing on our own journey and the breakthroughs from our recent couples retreat, we unpack the subtle, everyday moments that push partners apart: micromanaging, avoiding, redoing, and retreating to work because it feels safer than getting it “wrong.” We share a simple roadmap that actually works in real homes. For men, it starts with accountability and presence: manage your energy, meet intensity with calm, and follow through on what you say. Think benevolent King energy—grounded, reliable, and in service to the relationship. For women, the shift begins with awareness and allowance: notice where you jump in, let imperfect attempts stand, and offer appreciation to reinforce what you want more of. When he leads with integrity, her body relaxes. When she softens, he feels accepted and steps in more. That loop turns roommates into teammates and restores the polarity that fuels intimacy. You’ll hear practical language to use during tense moments, how to recognise the fear beneath control, and why “coming closer” beats “walking away” when spikes are out. We also explore origin stories—childhood roles, working patterns, and the moment kids arrive—and how these shape adult dynamics without us noticing. If you’re one or two tools away from a better rhythm, this conversation gives you the cues to start today: ground, allow, appreciate, and act with consistency. Love feels different when safety returns. If this resonated, share it with a friend who needs relief, subscribe for more grounded relationship tools, and leave a review to help others find the show. Your story might be the nudge another couple needs to thrive again. Thankyou for listening, if you liked it, please remember to subscribe. Join our Private "Thriving relationships - Deepening connection to self and others" community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107209283451758/ Website: https://michaelandamy.com.au/ Join our free 7 day relationship challenge: https://michaelandamy.com.au/free-relationship-challenge If you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

    35 min

  5. OCT 28

    From Hustle To Heart: Rewriting Masculinity with Andrew Boniface

    What if the life that proves you’re winning is the same life that’s quietly draining the colour from your home, your body, and your heart? We invited our friend of 20 years, Andrew Boniface—dad to twin girls and former helicopter pilot—to share how the grind he once wore with pride became an addiction to stress that cost him his marriage and nearly his sense of self. His story isn’t polished; it’s honest. And in that honesty sits a map for any man who suspects constant urgency has replaced real connection. Andrew takes us from the cockpit to the lounge room, showing how hustle culture rewires the nervous system, shrinks emotional range, and turns relationships into background noise. He explains the shift from fight or flight into rest and digest, and why slowing down is leadership, not laziness. We dig into men’s work, somatic practices, and the discipline of feeling what’s uncomfortable so joy can return. Along the way, we tackle people pleasing and the “covert contracts” that sabotage trust, replacing them with a simple, brave practice: know your needs and say them out loud. We also walk through the realities of co‑parenting after separation, dating with kids in the mix, and setting timelines and expectations with care. Andrew shares how skills from high‑risk aviation—communication, teamwork, leadership—translate at home when guided by presence and heart. He’s now building programs for fathers and male‑dominated workplaces, and hosting dad retreats on the Sunshine Coast to lift men’s emotional fitness and family leadership. If you’ve ever felt successful and strangely empty, this conversation offers language, tools, and hope. Listen to reframe performance around joy and connection, and to hear how a man can become the steady, loving presence his family craves. If it lands, subscribe, share with a mate, and leave a review—then tell us: what’s one place you’ll slow down this week? Contact Andrew here: https://www.facebook.com/andrew.boniface.50 Thankyou for listening, if you liked it, please remember to subscribe. Join our Private "Thriving relationships - Deepening connection to self and others" community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107209283451758/ Website: https://michaelandamy.com.au/ Join our free 7 day relationship challenge: https://michaelandamy.com.au/free-relationship-challenge If you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

    48 min

  6. OCT 14

    What Sex Really Means For Men VS What It Really Means For Women

    Ever wondered why “I want sex” often really means “I want to feel close”? We open up about the different meanings men and women attach to intimacy and how those hidden needs—safety, reassurance, being desired, and presence—shape desire more than timing or technique ever could. Starting with our simple P.I.E. check‑in (physical, intellectual, emotional), we show how everyday connection becomes the quiet foreplay that makes intimacy feel natural instead of pressured. We talk honestly about mismatched libido, rejection spirals, and duty sex that drains energy. For him, sex can be a deep signal of acceptance and belonging, not just a physical release. For her, desire often grows from safety, emotional attunement, and a pathway out of the mental load and back into the body. You’ll hear practical ways to bridge that gap: appreciation that’s specific and genuine, non‑sexual touch that builds trust, and language that invites closeness—“I want to feel closer to you”—instead of demands. We also explore curiosity around kinks and preferences, asking why certain dynamics matter so partners can meet each other with empathy and clear boundaries. If resentment, busyness, or past hurt are dulling your spark, these tools help you rebuild intimacy as a shared practice. Think week‑long foreplay, slower pacing, consent that’s enthusiastic, and post‑intimacy care that leaves you both resourced. By talking about what sex truly provides, couples can move from misunderstanding to a kinder, more connected sexual culture at home. If you’re ready to move from disconnect to deeper intimacy, apply for our one‑day Couples Connection retreat in Agnes Water—limited spots. Subscribe, share this with a partner, and leave a review with your biggest insight so we can keep creating what helps most. Thankyou for listening, if you liked it, please remember to subscribe. Join our Private "Thriving relationships - Deepening connection to self and others" community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107209283451758/ Website: https://michaelandamy.com.au/ Join our free 7 day relationship challenge: https://michaelandamy.com.au/free-relationship-challenge If you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

    30 min

  7. SEP 30

    What if your partner isn’t the problem—but the cycle is?

    A sink full of dishes isn’t just a chore—it’s a crossroads. We unpack why couples keep fighting about the same small things and reveal the bigger pattern underneath: a cycle of criticism, defensiveness, and withdrawal that quietly erodes trust. Drawing on two decades together and hands-on work with couples, we break down a real-life moment—one partner needing order to relax, the other needing a short break to reset—and show how mismatched needs create stories like “you don’t care” or “you control me.” When you learn to see the cycle as the problem, not your partner, everything changes. We map a simple, powerful debrief: identify the trigger (what happened), the behaviour (what each of you did), and the emotion (what it touched in you). That clarity helps you move past the surface fight—dishes, shoes, the messy shed—and into what really matters: feeling seen, supported, and free. You’ll hear practical, easy scripts that turn blame into vulnerability: a 15‑minute decompression boundary, a five‑minute tidy before rest, and a calm check‑in plan that reduces uncertainty. We share how family-of-origin echoes can amplify conflict, why timing matters (talk when calm, not in the heat), and how to build micro-agreements that prevent the same argument from replaying tomorrow. Think of this conversation as a toolkit for repair. You’ll learn how to observe your pattern like teammates watching game footage, ask smarter questions, and design tiny, testable agreements that rebuild trust. And if resentment has already taken root, we talk about getting in early before the “tumour” of unspoken hurt becomes harder to heal. Listen for the step-by-step mapping method and grab the free cycle worksheet and Triggers-to-Trust guide we mention to make it easier to practice at home. If this helped, follow the show, share it with a friend who’s stuck in a loop, and leave a quick review to tell us what cycle you’re ready to break. Thankyou for listening, if you liked it, please remember to subscribe. Join our Private "Thriving relationships - Deepening connection to self and others" community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107209283451758/ Website: https://michaelandamy.com.au/ Join our free 7 day relationship challenge: https://michaelandamy.com.au/free-relationship-challenge If you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

    26 min

  8. SEP 16

    3 Ways to Revive the Spark Before It’s Too Late

    Have you and your partner drifted into feeling more like roommates than lovers? You're not alone. That feeling of disconnection—where conversations revolve around logistics rather than love—can creep into even the strongest relationships. In this heartfelt episode, we open up about our own journey through the "roommate phase" and how it nearly derailed our marriage. We share the painful reality of feeling isolated despite sharing a home, the resentment that built as Michael retreated into work while Amy shouldered parenting responsibilities, and the loneliness that grew in the silence between us. These personal stories set the foundation for understanding how easily couples can drift apart when overwhelmed by life's demands. The heart of this episode focuses on three transformative rituals that helped us reconnect on a deeper level. We break down the daily check-in ritual that takes just five minutes but creates profound connection, the weekly adventure ritual that breaks monotonous routines with simple novelty, and the intimacy ritual that rebuilds physical closeness without pressure. These practices aren't time-consuming or complicated—they're designed for real couples with busy lives who want to prioritize their relationship before it's too late. What makes these rituals work? They address the fundamental human needs for emotional safety, novelty, and physical connection that often get neglected when we're in survival mode. By intentionally creating space for these experiences, couples can break out of relationship autopilot and remember why they chose each other in the first place. Ready to revive your connection? Try just one of these rituals this week and notice how it shifts the energy between you. Your relationship deserves this investment, and you might be closer to the loving partnership you desire than you realize. Thankyou for listening, if you liked it, please remember to subscribe. Join our Private "Thriving relationships - Deepening connection to self and others" community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1107209283451758/ Website: https://michaelandamy.com.au/ Join our free 7 day relationship challenge: https://michaelandamy.com.au/free-relationship-challenge If you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

    17 min
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Guiding a positive redesign in the relationship we have with our partner and ourselves. Offering tools, strategies and personal insights to bring your relationship from barely surviving to thriving.We are Michael and Amy, your couples connection coaches. Our mission is to help relationships to THRIVE again! A bit about us...We met in 2005 and married in 2009, welcomed two children in 2010 and 2012. Our relationship has had many ups and downs since we first met.-  Mental breakdowns from work overload- Massive stresses from a premature baby- Scare with ovarian cancer- Dealing with financial pressures- Not knowing ourselves!This led us to experiencing:- A communication breakdown- Arguments and not understanding each other- Living separately under one roof- Exhaustion! This podcast is for couples and singles who want to unlock their relationship potential using a conscious and holistic approach that brought us back to a state of beautiful harmony. One of the basic human needs is to feel LOVE and CONNECTION but our modern life has led us to feel disconnected and isolated more than ever before. This podcast is all about helping you to RECONNECT as a couple at a deeper, more meaningful, soul level.  Now, both working as coaches we share insights, client breakthroughs and personal stories to move your relationships from barely surviving to absolutely thriving!  www.michaelandamy.com.au

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