When your partner’s been away—whether for military deployment, long work travel, or anything else—life at home adapts. You figure out a new normal, even if it’s exhausting. And then, just when you’ve found your footing, they come home... and the transition isn’t always as joyful (or seamless) as you hoped.

Today, I’m answering a listener question about how to navigate the messy, emotional shift from solo parenting back to partnership—and how to help your kids adjust too.

Even if deployment isn’t part of your story, chances are you’ll face a family transition like this someday. Maybe it’s work travel. A kid leaving (or returning) from college. An aging parent moving in. Anytime the players in your daily life change, the routines, roles, and emotions have to be renegotiated—and it almost never happens automatically.

Inside this episode, I’ll share:

• How to name the transition out loud (and why that matters so much)
• The surprising trick that helps kids adjust to new family rhythms
• Practical strategies for rebalancing parenting duties without resentment
• Why emotional disconnection during transitions is normal—and how to move through it
• How to be gentle with yourself when the switch from “alone” to “together” feels harder than you expected

Transitions are hard—but they’re also a chance to build something even stronger. Let’s work through it together.

If you want to stay connected between episodes, make sure you’re on my email list—where I share thoughts, updates, and behind-the-scenes moments I don’t always talk about on the podcast. This is also where you can submit your own question for the show, or send me a note to let me know what's on your mind (yes, it's really me on the other end!)

🔗 Join My Email List: https://www.andreaburkly.com/signup

📣 Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and share it with a friend (or five!)

🎙 Tune in next week for real-life relationship questions, insight that builds empathy, and practical steps to create happier, healthier relationships.

Disclaimer: while this podcast sounds like therapy, it is not actually therapy nor is it a substitute for therapy, and while I am a therapist, I am not YOUR therapist. Please be entertained and encouraged, and seek appropriate mental health support from a licensed therapist in your community, if necessary.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Supporting someone with depression, addiction, or job loss isn’t just hard—it’s heartbreaking.

In this deeply moving episode, I sit down with Stephanie, a listener who has been carrying the crushing weight of her husband’s depression and long-term unemployment.

After 26 years of marriage, she finds herself working full-time, managing the home, and barely holding it together—while her partner barely gets out of bed.

We talk through:

• What it feels like to love someone who’s slowly disappearing
• Why you can’t rescue someone from depression—and what you can do instead
• The emotional and financial traps that keep people stuck
• Why connection (even small doses) is essential for survival
• The gentle reminder that you still get to choose

This isn’t a story with a tidy ending. It’s real life. It’s messy, and raw, and full of questions. But it’s also packed with insight, validation, and the kind of emotional support so many women in similar situations desperately need.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like no one sees the load you’re carrying—this episode is for you.

Just a reminder, in this busy season of life and business, I'll be releasing episodes every other week (want the deets? Listen here).

If you want to stay connected between episodes, make sure you’re on my email list—where I share thoughts, updates, and behind-the-scenes moments I don’t always talk about on the podcast.

🔗 Join My Email List: https://www.andreaburkly.com/signup

💌 Have a relationship question you’d like featured on the show? Fill out the Sounds Like Therapy Listener Survey - there is a submission box at the end of the short survey where you can write in your question.

📣 Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and share it with a friend (or five!)

🎙 Tune in in two weeks for real-life relationship questions, insight that builds empathy, and practical steps to create happier, healthier relationships.

Disclaimer: while this podcast sounds like therapy, it is not actually therapy nor is it a substitute for therapy, and while I am a therapist, I am not YOUR therapist. Please be entertained and encouraged, and seek appropriate mental health support from a licensed therapist in your community, if necessary.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This isn’t the episode I planned—but it’s the one I needed to record. As I hide from my to-do list and attempt to pack for spring break, I’m taking a few minutes to reflect on turning 43, what this season of life looks like, and how different it feels from the decades that came before it.

Your 20s are for striving. Your 30s? Dismantling. But your 40s? There’s something else entirely that starts to unfold. A cracking open. A returning to yourself. A strength that surprises you. In this episode, I share where I’ve been, where I am, and what I see so many women around me experiencing, too.

I talk about:

• Why early motherhood can feel like getting kicked in the teeth (and why you're not alone if you feel that way)
• The real emotional toll of the “dismantling” decade
• What begins to shift when the fog of early motherhood lifts
• Why the 40s bring clarity, confidence, and yes—more chaos
• How I’m learning to hold hope even as the world feels heavy

Whether you're in your 20s, 30s, 40s—or just trying to catch your breath—this episode is for you.

Just a reminder, in this busy season of life and business, I'll be releasing episodes every other week (want the deets? Listen here).

If you want to stay connected between episodes, make sure you’re on my email list—where I share thoughts, updates, and behind-the-scenes moments I don’t always talk about on the podcast.

🔗 Join My Email List: https://www.andreaburkly.com/signup

💌 Have a relationship question you’d like featured on the show? Fill out the Sounds Like Therapy Listener Survey - there is a submission box at the end of the short survey where you can write in your question.

📣 Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and share it with a friend (or five!)

🎙 Tune in in two weeks for real-life relationship questions, insight that builds empathy, and practical steps to create happier, healthier relationships.

Disclaimer: while this podcast sounds like therapy, it is not actually therapy nor is it a substitute for therapy, and while I am a therapist, I am not YOUR therapist. Please be entertained and encouraged, and seek appropriate mental health support from a licensed therapist in your community, if necessary.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know that moment when you're frustrated — at your spouse, your boss, your mom — and you just need to tell them how mad you are? Same.

But here’s the hard truth: venting isn’t the same as problem-solving. And if we don’t slow down and figure out what we actually want, nothing changes.

This episode is all about that one simple shift that can transform your relationships. I’m sharing a recent (and very real) argument with my husband that forced me to face my own bad habits—and the uncomfortable truth that emotional expression isn’t the same as fixing the problem. You’ll hear:

• Why knowing what you want before a tough conversation changes everything.
• The reason venting often backfires (even when you just need to be heard).
• How to ask for what you actually need — without getting shut down or ignored.
• The biggest mistake most of us make in conflict (and how to stop doing it).

If you’ve ever felt unheard, dismissed, or stuck in the same fights over and over, this episode is for you. Let’s talk about how to get real change—at home, at work, and everywhere in between.

Want to hear the original episode that inspired this reflection, listen here: I Feel Like I'm to Blame for Our Lack of Sex Life

Just a reminder, in this busy season of life and business, I'll be releasing episodes every other week (want the deets? Listen here).

If you want to stay connected between episodes, make sure you’re on my email list—where I share thoughts, updates, and behind-the-scenes moments I don’t always talk about on the podcast.

🔗 Join My Email List: https://www.andreaburkly.com/signup

💌 Have a relationship question you’d like featured on the show? Fill out the Sounds Like Therapy Listener Survey - there is a submission box at the end of the short survey where you can write in your question.

📣 Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and share it with a friend (or five!)

🎙 Tune in in two weeks for real-life relationship questions, insight that builds empathy, and practical steps to create happier, healthier relationships.

Disclaimer: while this podcast sounds like therapy, it is not actually therapy nor is it a substitute for therapy, and while I am a therapist, I am not YOUR therapist. Please be entertained and encouraged, and seek appropriate mental health support from a licensed therapist in your community, if necessary.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when you’re in love, but your family isn’t? If you’ve ever had to navigate family drama over a partner, this one’s for you.

This week, I’m joined by my sister Sharon (aka Sissy) to tackle a question from a listener whose introverted boyfriend is struggling to win over her extroverted family.

Her family thinks he’s too quiet—to the point that her sister says she forgets he’s even there. Meanwhile, she sees a totally different side of him and feels stuck between the people she loves.

So, what should she do? Push her boyfriend to be more social? Tell her family to back off? Or just hope things smooth out over time on their own?

In this episode, we cover:

✅ The real reason her family is struggling with her boyfriend’s personality

✅ Whether it actually matters if your family approves of your partner

✅ How to support an introverted partner in a loud, opinionated family

✅ What she can ask of him (and what she shouldn’t expect)

✅ Why it’s crucial to establish boundaries with family before marriage

Plus, Sharon and I share a few personal stories—including one where I was very skeptical of her now-husband. (Spoiler: I was wrong!)

Just a reminder, in this busy season of life and business, I'll be releasing episodes every other week (want the deets? Listen here).

If you want to stay connected between episodes, make sure you’re on my email list—where I share thoughts, updates, and behind-the-scenes moments I don’t always talk about on the podcast.

🔗 Join My Email List: https://www.andreaburkly.com/signup

💌 Have a relationship question you’d like featured on the show? Fill out the Sounds Like Therapy Listener Survey and share your story.

📣 Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and share it with a friend (or five!)

🎙 Tune in in two weeks for real-life relationship questions, insight that builds empathy, and practical steps to create happier, healthier relationships.

Disclaimer: while this podcast sounds like therapy, it is not actually therapy nor is it a substitute for therapy, and while I am a therapist, I am not YOUR therapist. Please be entertained and encouraged, and seek appropriate mental health support from a licensed therapist in your community, if necessary.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m doing something a little different today. Instead of answering a listener question, I want to bring you behind the scenes of my life and work—because there are some big changes happening.

For a long time, I’ve been balancing my therapy practice, this podcast, my family, and my dreams for what’s next. And honestly? It’s been a lot. Like so many of you, I’ve found myself trying to do everything at once, refusing to put anything down, and running into the same wall over and over again.

So today, I’m sharing why I’ve made a tough decision: for this next season - at least the next few months - this podcast will be airing every other week. I’m taking a step back—not because I want to do less, but because I want to do more in a way that’s sustainable and impactful.

And I want to invite you to reflect on your own life, too: Is there something you need to adjust, uncommit from, or rework so that you can move forward in a way that actually works?

In this episode, I’ll talk about:

✅ The reality of trying to build something big while managing real life

✅ The hard truth about why we resist scaling back

✅ A challenge for you to rethink what you’re holding onto

Plus: If you want to stay connected between episodes, make sure you’re on my email list—where I share thoughts, updates, and behind-the-scenes moments I don’t always talk about on the podcast.

🔗 Join My Email List: https://www.andreaburkly.com/signup

💌 Have a relationship question you’d like featured on the show? Fill out the Sounds Like Therapy Listener Survey and share your story.

📣 Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and share it with a friend (or five!)

🎙 Tune in in two weeks for real-life relationship questions, insight that builds empathy, and practical steps to create happier, healthier relationships.

Disclaimer: while this podcast sounds like therapy, it is not actually therapy nor is it a substitute for therapy, and while I am a therapist, I am not YOUR therapist. Please be entertained and encouraged, and seek appropriate mental health support from a licensed therapist in your community, if necessary.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Valentine’s Day is here, and if you and your spouse are feeling more like roommates than lovers, you are not alone.

In this episode, I sit down with listener Allie, who bravely shares her story of feeling disconnected in her marriage—something so many couples experience, especially after kids. She and her husband are caught in the classic standoff: she needs emotional connection to feel physical desire, and he needs physical intimacy to feel emotionally close. Sound familiar?

We unpack why modern relationships struggle in this way, why you shouldn’t blame yourself (or your partner), and—most importantly—how to move forward together. If you’re feeling stuck in the roommate phase, this episode is your roadmap out.

PLUS: I’ve created a free guide to help you and your partner start strengthening your partnership in just 20 minutes a week. It’s available exclusively for Sounds Like Therapy listeners, so grab it now!

🔗 Get the Free Guide: https://www.andreaburkly.com/partnerbetter

💌 Have a relationship question you’d like featured on the show? Fill out the Sounds Like Therapy Listener Survey and share your story.

📣 Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and share it with a friend (or five!)

🎙 Tune in next week for real-life relationship questions, insight that builds empathy, and practical steps to create happier, healthier relationships.

Disclaimer: while this podcast sounds like therapy, it is not actually therapy nor is it a substitute for therapy, and while I am a therapist, I am not YOUR therapist. Please be entertained and encouraged, and seek appropriate mental health support from a licensed therapist in your community, if necessary.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all want intimacy, connection, and partnership in our marriages—but what if we’ve been going about it the wrong way? In this episode, I break down why so many modern couples struggle after having kids, why emotional connection alone isn’t enough, and the one thing that must come first if you want a happier marriage. Spoiler: It’s not romance or communication—it’s good partnering.

If your relationship has felt unbalanced, if you’re keeping score, feeling resentful, or constantly arguing about “who does more,” this episode is for you. I’ll explain why we bring 21st-century desires to marriage with 20th-century skills, and why we must learn how to run our homes like a well-oiled team before we can ever hope for deep emotional intimacy.

PLUS: I’ve created a free guide to help you and your partner start strengthening your partnership in just 20 minutes a week. It’s available exclusively for Sounds Like Therapy listeners, so grab it now!

🔗 Get the Free Guide: https://www.andreaburkly.com/partnerbetter

💌 Have a relationship question you’d like featured on the show? Fill out the Sounds Like Therapy Listener Survey and share your story.

📣 Loved this episode? Leave a 5-star review and share it with a friend (or five!)

🎙 Tune in next week for real-life relationship questions, insight that builds empathy, and practical steps to create happier, healthier relationships.

Disclaimer: while this podcast sounds like therapy, it is not actually therapy nor is it a substitute for therapy, and while I am a therapist, I am not YOUR therapist. Please be entertained and encouraged, and seek appropriate mental health support from a licensed therapist in your community, if necessary.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.