22. How to Strengthen Your Relationship as New Parents: Insights from Couples Therapy with Anna McDonald | Episode 22
Join me for this conversation for growing moms with Anna McDonald, a licensed therapist specializing in couples therapy and postpartum support.
In this episode, Anna shares her journey from a childhood aspiration of becoming a social worker to founding her own practice, where she uses the Gottman Method to help couples strengthen their bonds, especially during the demanding early years of parenting.
Listeners will learn about the common relationship challenges new parents face, including communication breakdowns and shifts in household responsibilities. Anna emphasizes the importance of understanding and managing conflict rather than viewing it as a negative experience. She provides insights into the Gottman Method, which is based on over 40 years of research, offering structured communication techniques to enhance connection and empathy in relationships.
Anna also highlights the significance of proactive relationship maintenance, encouraging couples to invest time in learning about their partnership before crises arise. With practical advice and recommended resources, including books and podcasts, this episode equips listeners with valuable tools to navigate the complexities of parenthood while nurturing their relationships.
Tune in to discover how to transform relationship struggles into opportunities for growth and connection! ❀
“It can get better. Not that it WILL get better, it can get better. You have to put in the work to make it better. Conflict is an opportunity to love your partner better, because you’ve hit your limit of understanding and now there’s more need to understand. The trenches of new parenthood are real and the battle between you and your partner can be so intense - but those things, with help and with different resource, can turn into your biggest strengths.”
Anna McDonald, LCSW, is a licensed therapist specializing in couples therapy and postpartum support. Having personally experienced postpartum anxiety and depression, she offers both compassion and expertise to new parents, helping them navigate the emotional complexities of parenthood with practical tools. Anna is close to achieving full certification in the Gottman Method, a research-based approach that she uses to help couples improve communication and manage conflict effectively. She is passionate about transforming relationships, turning disconnection into connection and conflict into peaceful dialogue. In addition to her private practice, Anna hosts couples workshops that provide psychoeducation and practical strategies for lasting change. With her blend of personal experience and professional expertise, Anna empowers individuals and couples to thrive in both parenthood and partnership.
Resources
❀ Thrive Therapy and Couples Counseling Website
❀ Solly Baby Wraps - use code “poppy.therapy10” for 10% off
❀ Podcast: Marriage Therapy Radio
❀ Podcast: Love and Sex Unfiltered
❀ Book: Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict into Connection
❀ Book: The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
❀ Workshop: November 17th: Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work in Lakewood, CA
