54 - When Resentment Flares - Understanding and navigating through resentment in your relationship

From Relationship Renovation: Marriage Advice, Intimacy & Couples Communication EJ and Tarah Kerwin

Throughout an intimate relationship, couples face challenging times. Many of the burdens you face as a couple, result from difficult times, external stress, and how you and your partner cope. Oftentimes, the stress you face is a direct result of your partner's choices and how they succeed and fail to adapt to the ups and downs of life. Resentment is the uncomfortable emotion that individuals in a committed relationship feel when they blame their partner for the emotional discomfort they are feeling. Resentment is a result of pulling apart in challenging moments and beginning to feel alone and unsupported at a time when you would like to feel deeply connected and united in the face of adversity.

In this episode, Tarah and EJ discuss how resentment develops within a relationship and what happens when couples struggle to communicate this complicated emotion. They share their experience as therapists and a couple and share their insight into how couples may avoid falling into patterns of frustration and loneliness and instead stay emotionally present and intimately connected during difficult times.

Episode Transcript