The Couples Therapist Couch

Latest Episodes:

283: Compassion: The 4 Cs in Relationships with Shane Birkel Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more

Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/

Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new

Join The Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295562197518469/

In this solo episode, Shane dives into Compassion as part of his mini-series, The 4 Cs in Relationships. Hear why compassion is tied so closely to shame, how to view shame vs. guilt, what to do when a client is struggling with shame, the 3 ways of pursuing self-esteem, and how much is a healthy amount of comparing yourself to others.

282: Curiosity: The 4 Cs in Relationships with Shane Birkel Mar 19, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more

Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/

Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new

Join The Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295562197518469/

In this solo episode, Shane dives into Curiosity as part of his mini-series, The 4 Cs in Relationships. Hear why being a couples therapist can feel like being a judge, how to help shift your clients' mindsets to curiosity, how to work on the ability to slow down, why strong emotions are okay, and why timeouts can be great in couples therapy.

281: Consciousness: The 4 Cs in Relationships with Shane Birkel Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more

Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/

Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new

Join The Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295562197518469/

In this solo episode, Shane dives into Consciousness as part of his mini-series, The 4 Cs in Relationships. Hear what consciousness really is, the different types of awareness to explore with your clients, what to do when a client breaks down from their emotions, the role of a partner when it comes to consciousness, and how to navigate emotions from childhood.

280: The 4 Cs in Relationships with Shane Birkel Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more

Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/

Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new

Join The Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295562197518469/

In this solo episode, Shane shares the 4 Cs in relationships. Hear the common patterns couples get into, how to have compassion for each partner's reality, how to help your clients keep curiosity in their relationship, why it's okay for couples to disagree with each other, and what to say to your clients regarding each of the 4 Cs.

279: Why Do I Keep Doing This? with Kati Morton Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more

Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/

Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new

Join The Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295562197518469/

In this episode, Shane talks with Kati Morton about Why Do I Keep Doing This?: Unlearn the Habits Keeping You Stuck and Unhappy. Kati is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Media Personality, and Author. Hear why our inner dialogue isn't always correct, how to help your clients get unstuck, the importance of working on yourself, why it's okay to have healthy differences, and the difference between love & codependence.

To learn more about Kati Morton, her latest book Why Do I Keep Doing This?, and her podcast Ask Kati Anything, visit:

KatiMorton.com

@KatiMorton on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram

278: When Weekly Couples Therapy Isn't Enough with Shane Birkel Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more

Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/

Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new

Join The Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295562197518469/

In this solo episode, Shane talks what to do when weekly couples therapy isn't enough. Hear the pros & cons of therapy intensives, why 50-minute sessions are still the standard in couples therapy, how to get to the heart of the matter with your clients, how much to ramp up & wind down the conversation with your clients, and how to find what session length is right for your clients.

277: When Work Stress Impacts the Relationship with Guy Winch Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more

Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/

Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new

Join The Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295562197518469/

In this episode, Shane talks with Guy Winch about when work stress impacts the relationship. Guy is a Psychologist, Speaker, and Author who's a leading advocate for integrating the science of emotional health into our daily lives. Hear why it's hard to leave work at work, how work stress works, how to help your clients separate work stress from home life, how much to structure your week, and what we can learn from firefighters.

To learn more about Guy Winch, his latest book Mind Over Grind, and his podcast Dear Therapists, visit:

GuyWinch.com

Mind Over Grind

Dear Therapists

You can also listen to Guy Winch on Episode 202 of The Couples Therapist Couch

276: The Myth of Effortless Connection with Shane Birkel Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more

Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/

Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new

Join The Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295562197518469/

In this solo episode, Shane talks the myth of effortless connection. Hear how to help couples who just don't feel connected anymore, how to get each person to speak through their feelings, what the healthiest relationships do best, how to slow things down with clients, and how to create a sense of safety in relationships.

275: Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Couples with Liz Phillips Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more

Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/

Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new

Join The Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295562197518469/

In this episode, Shane talks with Liz Phillips about Internal Family Systems (IFS) & Couples. Liz is a therapist trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and IFS. Hear what's so unique about IFS, how it avoids common vicious cycles, how to move your clients to focus on themselves first, how to create clarity for your clients, and why every therapist should do their own therapy.

To learn more about Liz Phillips & IFS, visit:

LizPhillipsTherapy.Ca

IFS-Institute.com

274: 7 Steps to Move Beyond Your Painful Past with Katherine Woodward Thomas Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more

Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/

Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new

Join The Couples Therapist Couch Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/295562197518469/

In this episode, Shane talks with Katherine Woodward Thomas about What's True About You: 7 Steps to Move Beyond Your Painful Past and Manifest Your Brightest Future. Katherine is a licensed therapist, recognized pioneer in transformational psychology, and The New York Times bestselling author of Calling in "The One" and Conscious Uncoupling. Hear how consciousness plays into couples therapy, what to do when your clients feel stuck, how to prevent them from losing out on love, what you can learn from imagining yourself as a child, and where healing happens.

To learn more about Katherine Woodward Thomas, Conscious Uncoupling, and What's True About You: 7 Steps to Move Beyond Your Painful Past and Manifest Your Brightest Future, visit:

KatherineWoodwardThomas.com

ConsciousUncoupling.com

PenguinRandomHouse.com

You can also listen to Katherine Woodward Thomas on Episode 269 of The Couples Therapist Couch

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