Love Thinks Podcast

In this episode of the Love Thinks podcast, Dr. John Van Epp and Dr. Morgan Cutlip sit with Tricia Fox and Dave Ransom who are a married couple of two young children. Dave and Tricia share their experience transitioning from a couple to parents and what married life was like after kids. They share relatable moments and struggles and  how they navigated through growing stronger and more connected. 

Dr. John Van Epp and Dr. Morgan Cutlip share their story and how they began working together as a father-daughter team to help people in their relationships. They share stories of some of the earliest experiences of Dr. Morgan's life and how they shaped her interest in helping people develop healthy relationships and how Dr. John inspired and nurtured this interest.

This is our third podcast interview on the topic of the “mental load.” Dr. Brooke Weinstein joined Dr. John and Dr. Morgan to share how she has successfully learned to carry her mental load while keeping her own self-care a high priority. Her story is inspiring with many diverse and challenging chapters: a wife with a husband struggling with depression; a mother of two boys (now 8 and 5); a working mom with a thriving practice; an almost divorced and later, widowed solo-parent. And yet, through all these experiences she has been resilient to continue to deepen her joy and love of life. You can learn more about Dr. Brooke here or follow her on Instagram here.

It takes courage to share aspects of your life and marriage on a podcast, and something beyond courage to talk about personal failures. Peter and Alex personify this exceptional courage, as they share about a dark time of betrayed trust in their marriage and how they were able to build back their love and trust. Dr. John and Dr. Morgan sat down with Alex and Peter, parents of three kids, ages 5-9, and were amazed at the grace and wisdom they expressed in their relationship over the last few years of working through an emotional affair. 

Most parents will eventually face the day when their young kid admits that they have a crush or someone has a crush on them. Many parents feel anxious and unequipped for the conversations that may need to follow.   Dr. John and Dr. Morgan are a father-daughter team, and they are in a really unique position to discuss this often-overlooked area of how parents can engage with their elementary kids about their crushes... and yes, they said “elementary” kids! They discuss how to engage young kids in meaningful conversations when their child shares that either they have a crush, or someone has a crush on them.  And it was these types of conversations that happened between Dr. John and Dr. Morgan when Morgan was growing up that are the genesis of many of the helpful concepts they share in this podcast.

Dr. John and Dr. Morgan sat down with Charity and Ted to explore how they deal with their mental loads. They have been married 20 years and are in the hectic season of raising four kids, ages 9-16.  Although no one is perfect, they are a wonderful couple and through this interview they share several tips for tackling the mental load together throughout all stages of a relationship.

One of the biggest challenges faced by couples is how they carry and express their “mental loads.” In this first of several podcasts on the topic, Dr. John and Dr. Morgan sat down with Jonathan to explore how he handles his own mental load, and the ways he and his wife work together to support each other's mental loads as they raise their four kids, ages 7, 5, 3, and 1.

In this episode, Dr. John Van Epp and Dr. Morgan Cutlip have a conversation on what you can do to help yourself back down from an argument. Some of the topics discussed are: embracing humility, skills for calming yourself (aka self-regulation), tools for identifying your emotions as they begin to escalate, understanding your triggers, and so much more. 

We are honored to be joined with Kelly, a mother of two young kids aged 2 and 4 months old. Kelly has been married for seven years but is currently separated. She wrote in because her husband struggles with depression and anxiety and she's found that there's little space for her to express her own needs without him either taking it as a personal attack or spiraling into a depressive episode. We discuss solutions and approaches that could help Kelly and her husband to team up as one and treat depression as an intruder in their relationship.   We encourage Kelly and her husband to develop a plan for restructuring their relationship and learn skills to communicate better during the times that they  would normally escalate. 

Life after divorce can be a difficult and confusing experience to navigate. In this episode Dr. John and Dr. Morgan sit down with Marcus, a recently divorced individual who is learning how to develop a new sense of self after his marriage ended. Marcus discusses his anxious attachment style and Dr. John and Dr. Morgan share some ways his attachment style may show up in his future relationships as well as make suggestions as to what Marcus can do during this time of self-discovery to be more prepared for his next relationship.

Lindsey talks about her experience being single and entering the dating world again. She expresses difficulty setting boundaries and knowing when to invest more in the relationship versus when to cut ties. Dr. John and Dr. Morgan help Lindsey develop a game plan for her next relationship and discuss what blind spots she may have to pay more attention to.

Dr. John Van Epp and Dr. Morgan Cutlip discuss setting boundaries over minor issues. They explore ways expand your options beyond just boundary setting and factors to consider whether or not a boundary needs to be set. Dr. John and Dr. Morgan give practical ways of approaching boundaries over minor issues.