46 - Learning to Fight Well: Marriage Counseling Insights with Emily Baggett

Fighting isn’t the problem. Fighting badly is. Marriage and family therapist Emily Baggett joins Dr. Ethan Levine, Rob, and Mukund to explain how couples can turn conflict into connection. Emily specializes in couples work, using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy. About half her clients are not yet married: dating, engaged, or discerning marriage. She explains why conflict is healthy and how to see what’s really driving the fight. In this episode: Why opposites attract, then drive each other crazy Looking past the content of a fight (the dishwasher) to the context (what’s driving the bus) Green, yellow, and red flags for knowing when a fight is productive The pursuer-retreater pattern, and why “Cold War” couples are the hardest Attachment styles and turning self-awareness from knowing into doing Reflective listening: feeling heard calms a fight before it’s solved Working with people pleasers and the emotional labor they carry When couples therapy isn’t appropriate Why to start early: 5 to 8 sessions now vs. years of work later How kids, holidays, politics, and financial strain add pressure Rebuilding trust after infidelity or other betrayal, and why trust is a choice tied to safety Emily Baggett's Social: https://www.3rdwavetherapy.com/https://www.instagram.com/3rdwavetherapy/ [email protected] Mental Wealth Pod is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health care. Full transcripts for all episodes are at mentalwealthpod.com. If this episode helped you, rate us on your favorite podcast platform and share it with someone who might need it. The Mental Wealth Podcast is co-hosted by Mukund and Rob, with Dr. Ethan Levine serving as clinical advisor, and delivers evidence-based conversations on mental wellness, anxiety, resilience, burnout, and emotional intelligence. www.mentalwealthpod.com Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MentalWealthPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mental_wealth_pod/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mental_wealth_pod DISCLAIMER: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not constitute legal, medical, or other forms of professional advice. The material and information presented here is for general information and entertainment purposes only. The "Mental Wealth Podcast" and names and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.