Thrive Again - Your relationship podcast

Fearless Inner Peace and Relationships - With Manna Abraham

What if trauma isn’t what happened, but the meaning you keep choosing right now? We sit down with transformational guide Mana Abraham to reframe trauma as memory plus meaning and trace how that lens quietly builds identities that run our relationships: the “nice guy” who avoids conflict, the achiever proving they can’t be rejected, the partner who controls intimacy to feel safe. When those roles are powered by fear, our strengths flip into triggers, and love turns into management.We unpack practical ways to meet each other’s minds instead of fighting each other’s behaviours. Curiosity beats certainty. One more question creates sense‑making: “You’re not dismissing me; you’re protecting us from scarcity.” We get into intimacy blocks, too, from mismatched libido to the giver‑receiver tangle that makes sex a performance instead of presence. Manna shows how sovereignty and non‑attachment shift desire from negotiation to genuine connection, and why congruence matters more than techniques. See your partner as a magical being and your energy invites that becoming.Here’s the liberating pivot: change doesn’t require digging through timelines. The past is a training wheel; the present is the steering. The mind holds memory, ego, subconscious and discernment, and discernment is the missing muscle. Consistent, conscious choice in this moment rewires patterns because the mind follows what’s repeated, not what’s righteous. Drop attachment to meanings, charge your own battery, and love becomes less transactional and more expansive. We wrap with Manna’s Finally Free framework and EMPR method, plus where to find her book and free trainings.If this conversation sparked something, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review telling us the one meaning you’re ready to drop.To access Manna's free resources, book "Finally Free" and her world-renowned EMPR method, visit: mannaabraham.comThankyou 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-challengeIf you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

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-challengeIf you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

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-challengeIf you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

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 genitals, 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-doranTake the quiz: https://shay-doran.com/free-quiz/Here's his website: shay-doran.comThankyou 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-challengeIf you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call

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-challengeIf you would like to book in a private discovery call with us, here is the link: https://michaelandamy.com.au/call