Ep71 Understanding Communication Breakdowns Starts With Naming Your Needs

You can communicate calmly, clearly, and thoughtfully — and still feel unheard, misunderstood, or stuck.

In this episode, Dr. Dar Hawks explains why communication breaks down in relationships when core relationship needs feel threatened, and why talking more often makes things worse instead of better.

You’ll learn:

• Why communication works for logistics but fails when something emotional is at stake
• How unmet needs — not poor communication skills — drive conflict
• The five core (sovereign) relationship needs and how each one disrupts communication differently
• Why you keep repeating yourself even when you’re being clear
• What actually helps communication soften and shift

This episode goes deeper than communication tips and offers a framework to finally understand what’s really happening underneath the words.

✨ Take the Relationship Needs Quiz
Discover which needs are most active for you and why communication keeps breaking down:
👉 https://drdarhawks.com/relationship-needs-quiz

✨ Explore the Better Relationships Communication Toolkit
Learn how to communicate from clarity, safety, and self-trust — not exhaustion:
👉 https://toolkit.drdarhawks.com

🧾 Episode Show Notes (Short + Skimmable)

• Why communication breaks down when something important is at stake
• How unmet relationship needs shape conversations
• The 5 Sovereign Relationship Needs explained
• Why repeating yourself is a sign of unmet needs, not poor communication
• How clarity changes communication naturally

👉 Take the Relationship Needs Quiz:
 https://drdarhawks.com/relationship-needs-quiz

👉 Better Relationships Communication Toolkit:
 https://toolkit.drdarhawks.com

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Support the show

If you’re here because you care deeply, but feel confused, unseen, or like you’re carrying more of the emotional weight, you’re in the right place.

This podcast is for women who are thoughtful, self-aware, and trying to understand what’s actually happening in their relationship before making big decisions.

Start with clarity:

• Understand what you need to feel safe and supported → https://needs.drdarhawks.com
• Learn tools to steady communication and restore emotional safety → https://toolkit.drdarhawks.com
• Explore private sessions with Dr. Dar → https://drdarhawks.com/work-with-me

New episodes are released roughly every other week.

And if something resonated - or didn’t - you’re welcome to reach out.
You can leave a comment on your favorite podcast platform, or better yet, contact me through my website https://drdarhawks.com. Your questions and reflections matter here.