Love in Practice with Emily Gough and Kelly Gardner

Emily Gough & Kelly Gardner
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Hosted by married couple Emily Gough, a relationship coach, and Kelly Gardner, an embodied leadership coach, Love in Practice explores the real, raw, and messy work of love. We share stories from our own relationship and guide you through building emotional intimacy, navigating conflict, co-creating interdependence, and healing wounds to create deeply loving partnerships rooted in trust, respect and growth. Love isn’t perfect, but showing up for it daily is always worth the practice.

  1. 6D AGO

    When Business Meets Marriage

    Do you work with your partner? Today we're exploring the complex intersection of professional ambition and romantic partnership. We unpack the "Success Identity," discussing how personal achievement (the "reaching of the mountaintop") can create silent tension at home when it is tied too closely to one's sense of self and dignity. In this episode, we unpack: * The "Hat" Problem: Why compartmentalizing business and marriage is often an impossible "glitch". * The 100/100 Dynamic: Moving past 50/50 equality to a model of total shared responsibility. * Doing vs. Being: Valuing the "unseen" emotional labor as much as the visible financial wins. * The "Trad-Wife" Modern Evolution: Navigating the desire for being provided for while maintaining individual edge and ambition. Let's dive in! 🧭 Audit your relationship with the Relational Compass: https://www.lipcouples.com/compass 💛 Build your visionary relationship at Love in Practice: https://www.lipcouples.com/ Connect with Us Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner

    49 min

  2. APR 1

    14. Why He Just Shuts Down Instead of Talking

    We recently discussed the complexities of relationships while watching Love is Blind Season 10, specifically focusing on a contestant's behavior. This particular individual, Devonte, showcased a pattern of distrust in his own decision-making, which led to emotional fatigue and analysis paralysis. In this episode, we deep-dive into the "West" direction of the Relational Compass. When a partner feels they can't make the "right" choice, they often choose to make no choice at all, leading to a state of internal collapse and relational withdrawal. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for personal growth and developing emotional intelligence in any relationship. If you’ve ever felt like you’re "buffering" during a conflict or if your partner describes you as an "impenetrable wall," you are likely stuck in a West-pattern "system glitch". We break down how to move from emotional shutdown to high-level skills of self-regulation and calm presence. Let's dive in! 🧭 Audit your relationship with the Relational Compass: https://www.lipcouples.com/compass 💛 Build your visionary relationship at Love in Practice: https://www.lipcouples.com/ Connect with Us Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner

    41 min

  3. MAR 25

    13. The Hidden Reason Intimacy Disappears in Relationships

    Does "being honest" with your partner constantly lead to defensiveness? In this episode, we dive into the East direction of the Relational Compass to explore why expressing needs in relationships often gets misconstrued as criticism. We break down the "Shadow East" pattern of Holding Authority—where the need to be right outweighs the need to be connected. You’ll learn how to shift from aggressive protest to the high-level communication skills of courageous vulnerability. Whether you feel misunderstood or find yourself "policing" your partner’s behavior, this conversation offers practical relationship advice and self-improvement strategies to move from partner-blame to pattern-mastery. In this episode, you’ll discover: -The difference between "Protest" and "Powerful Request." -Why your "truth" might be a defensive strategy in disguise. -How to use the "That’s Right" game to end circular arguments. -The biology of the pause: How to regulate before you communicate. 🧭 Audit your relationship with the Relational Compass: https://www.lipcouples.com/compass 💛 Build your visionary relationship at Love in Practice: https://www.lipcouples.com/ Connect with Us Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner

    35 min

  4. MAR 18

    12. Your Childhood Survival Strategy is Killing Your Relationship

    In this discussion, we explore how one's childhood experiences, particularly growing up with a single mother, can profoundly shape their perception of others' needs. For many high-achievers, "people-pleasing" or being "easy-going" was originally a survival strategy. However, in a committed partnership, this "South" pattern becomes a system glitch that leads to a slow erosion of trust. We dive into the subtle mindset shift required to move from merely observing to truly understanding, highlighting crucial life lessons learned along the way. By applying emotional intelligence and self-awareness, you can stop the cycle of "going with the flow" and start building a high-trust, visionary team. If you’ve ever felt like you were "carrying the weight" of the relationship or that your partner is an "invisible burden," this episode provides the framework for effective communication and lasting conflict resolution. In this episode, we unpack: Why "Nice Guy" and "Nurturer" archetypes struggle with relational honesty.The psychology of hyper-attunement and scanning for needs.How to move from an "Adaptive Child" response to a Mature Adult partnership.Breaking the spiral between North and South identities. 🧭 Is your relationship stuck in a loop? Audit your "Operating System" with the Relational Compass: https://www.lipcouples.com/compass 💛 Join a community of growth-oriented visionary couples: https://www.lipcouples.com/ Connect with Us Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner #communicationskills #conflictresolution #emotionalintelligence #highperformancecouples #visionarymarriage #loveinpractice #personalgrowth #selfawareness #relationalintelligence #singleparenting #childhoodpatterns

    43 min

  5. MAR 11

    11. Why Being a Leader at Work Makes You a "Bully" At Home

    If you’ve ever been called a "know-it-all," a narcissist, or felt like you were "lawyering" your partner, this episode is for you. High-achievers often rely on authority and "being right" to succeed in business, but that same strategy acts like quicksand in a relationship. When you prioritize your dignity over the connection, you aren't leading—you’re bulldozing. In this episode, we break down the "North" on the Relational Compass. We explore the psychology of self-awareness and how effective communication is often derailed by the need to feel valued for our thinking. In this episode, we unpack: The "Wall of Words": How layering your partner with facts creates a barrier to intimacy.Adaptive Strategies: Why the "bully" or "know-it-all" is actually an old survival strategy from childhood.The Authority Axis: Moving from "holding authority" to "preserving peace" without losing your dignity.Objective Truth vs. Relational Truth: Why arguing about "facts" is anti-relational.Stop fighting the person. Start dismantling the pattern. 🧭 Is your relationship stuck in a loop? Audit your "Operating System" with the Relational Compass: https://www.lipcouples.com/compass 💛 Join a community of growth-oriented visionary couples: https://www.lipcouples.com/ Connect with Us Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner #highperformancecouples #visionarymarriage #communicationmechanics #leadership #loveinpractice #personalgrowth #selfawareness #relationalintelligence

    42 min

  6. MAR 4

    10. Is It Intuition...Or Is It Anxiety?

    So what's the deal? Is it intuition… or is it anxiety? This question shows up in nearly every relationship, especially when trust, fear, or old wounds get triggered. In this episode, we unpack: • The real difference between intuition and fear • Why your body can both guide you and mislead you • How old patterns masquerade as “gut instinct” • The danger of core negative beliefs about your partner • When to trust your alarm bell and when to interrupt it • How nervous system regulation changes everything We also share a personal story about sleeping in separate rooms, abandonment triggers, and how to interrupt the “whiny voice” before it hijacks connection. Because here’s the truth: Your intuition is calm. Your anxiety is urgent. And your relationship depends on knowing the difference. 🧭 Take the Relational Compass https://www.lipcouples.com/compass 💛 Explore coaching + programs https://www.lipcouples.com/ Connect with Us Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner #relationships #intuition #attachmentstyles #nervoussystem #relationshipadvice #emotionalintelligence #marriagegrowth

    51 min

  7. MAR 4

    9. If I Heal My Trauma, Will My Relationship Finally Work?

    So if you heal your trauma, will your relationship finally be "fixed"? Not necessarily. In this episode of Love in Practice, we unpack why trauma work alone doesn’t automatically heal your relationship, and how the real issue often isn’t what happened to you, but the survival strategies you built around it. We explore how patterns like holding authority, preserving peace, control, defensiveness, and righteousness quietly shape your dynamic, even after years of therapy and self-awareness. You’ll learn: • The difference between trauma and the strategy you built to survive it • Why repeating patterns doesn’t mean you’re broken • How “holding authority” creates separation in love • What happens when vulnerability gets weaponized • How dignity triggers fuel conflict • Why compassion, not righteousness, interrupts patterns • How shared language (like “it smells like yellow”) rewires connection • What real relational healing actually requires If you’ve done the work… but still find yourself in the same fights, this conversation is for you. Because the goal isn’t just awareness. It’s embodiment. 🧭 Take the Relational Compass https://www.lipcouples.com/compass 💛 Explore coaching + programs https://www.lipcouples.com/ Connect with Us Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner Leave a Review If this conversation resonated, please share it with someone you love and leave a review wherever you listen. It helps this podcast reach more people who are ready to practice love...and that's what the world needs most right now. #relationships #traumahealing #relationshippatterns #attachmentstyles #marriagegrowth #relationshipadvice #emotionalintelligence

    40 min

  8. FEB 18

    8. Why Communication Won't Fix Your Relationship And This Will

    Why communication won’t fix your relationship and how nervous system regulation, trust, and pattern work actually create lasting change. 🧭 Take the Relational Compass https://www.lipcouples.com/compass 💛 Explore Together in Practice https://www.lipcouples.com/ Most couples believe they have a communication problem. They don’t. They have a nervous system problem. In this episode, we break down why better scripts, clearer language, and communication tools often fail to create real change. When protectors, childhood conditioning, and emotional triggers are running the conversation, no amount of “healthy communication” fixes the underlying pattern. We unpack: • Why communication tools fail under stress • Nervous system regulation vs communication skills • Emotional safety and chosen trust • The difference between reaction and response • The 3-step process we use: Reveal → Rewire → Relate • How to interrupt repeating relational patterns • What actually builds lasting intimacy If you’re in your 30s or 40s, building a life, raising kids, growing a business, and determined not to repeat your parents’ relationship dynamics, this conversation is for you. Communication matters. But it only works when the nervous system shifts first. Connect with Us Work with Emily and Kelly for Couples Coaching Connect with Emily on IG @emilygoughcoach Connect with Kelly on IG @iamkellygardner Leave a Review If this conversation resonated, please share it with someone you love and leave a review wherever you listen. It helps this podcast reach more people who are ready to practice love...and that's what the world needs most right now. #relationships #relationshipadvice #communicationproblems #attachmentstyles #emotionalsafety #marriagegrowth

    52 min
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About

Hosted by married couple Emily Gough, a relationship coach, and Kelly Gardner, an embodied leadership coach, Love in Practice explores the real, raw, and messy work of love. We share stories from our own relationship and guide you through building emotional intimacy, navigating conflict, co-creating interdependence, and healing wounds to create deeply loving partnerships rooted in trust, respect and growth. Love isn’t perfect, but showing up for it daily is always worth the practice.

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