{"podcast":{"title":"Marriage Therapy Radio","slug":"marriage-therapy-radio-716729","podcast_index_feed_id":716729,"rss_url":"https://rss.art19.com/marriage-therapy-radio","website_url":"https://art19.com/shows/marriage-therapy-radio","image_url":"https://content.production.cdn.art19.com/images/73/05/66/00/73056600-70e5-4ac5-a567-c66dc00415b3/f16716c292d04172eddbd3d55a6bbf82edff468857593764be3ee90b739efcc599e2c074f31cefac2fee7cb5e52330967084efdc2ed8d93e27dc789dbc2f189f.jpeg","author":"MTR","episode_count":432,"summary":"Look... every couple struggles. You fight too much; you're bored; sex is either okay (or rare); maybe you're even considering divorce. OR... maybe your marriage is actually pretty good, but you want to go deeper. In this podcast, straight-talking marriage therapist Zach Brittle tackle the most common complaints virtually every marriage experience. Along the way, they reveal the science behind strong relationships and talk about what's really going on for couples. Topics include conflict, communication, compatibility, money, sex, in-laws, infidelity, time-management, future dreams, and more. If you want relief? A deeper connection? A new way forward...? Then you've got to find out what's REALLY going on in your marriage. That's what this podcast is about. You can learn more about Zach, and his alternatives to traditional therapy at marriagetherapyradio.com .","last_synced_at":"2026-07-07T16:22:53.819472+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/marriage-therapy-radio-716729"},"episode":{"title":"Ep 412 Breaking the Script | Session 2 with Brian and Kristen","slug":"ep-412-breaking-the-script-session-2-with-brian-and-kristen","published_at":"2026-02-17T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/marriage-therapy-radio-716729/ep-412-breaking-the-script-session-2-with-brian-and-kristen","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/marriage-therapy-radio-716729","url":"https://marriagetherapyradio.com/2026/02/17/ep-412-breaking-the-script-session-2-with-brian-and-kristen/","audio_url":"https://rss.art19.com/episodes/432f7b3d-0a97-444e-9b06-5d572a649ecb.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0","summary":"Brian and Kristen return after completing their homework: mapping their recurring conflict pattern step-by-step. And something shifts. Instead of focusing on who’s right, they begin identifying when the pattern starts, how it escalates, and where they might choose something different. They talk about having a “good week,” more laughter, and fewer misunderstandings—but Zach presses deeper: Was it luck, or was it intentional? What unfolds is a layered conversation about stress, chronic pain, medication changes, PMS, defensiveness, and the powerful internal story Brian carries that says, “If there’s a problem, it must be me.” Zach helps them connect the dots between depression’s lies, physiological stress, and how quickly neutral requests can turn into personal threat. The couple names their 10-step pattern openly—fight or flight, overthinking, mounting a defense, physical withdrawal—and begins experimenting with something new: interrupting the script before it reaches step six. This episode isn’t about resolution. It’s about pattern awareness and learning how to redirect before old muscle memory takes over. They close by identifying the next layer to explore in Episode 3: their over-functioner / under-functioner dynamic—and how it triggers deeper family-of-origin wounds. Key Takeaways A “good week” is often intentional, not accidental Externalizing the problem (“us vs. the schedule”) strengthens the team Physiological stress (sleep, pain, hormones, meds) directly impacts conflict Depression distorts perception and reinforces “I’m the problem” narratives Defensiveness often protects something deeply valuable Mapping a conflict pattern creates space for choice Interrupting the script—even once—builds momentum Repair matters more than resolution “Something new” is the antid…","meta_description":"Brian and Kristen return after completing their homework: mapping their recurring conflict pattern step-by-step. And something shifts. Instead of focusing…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3018,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/marriage-therapy-radio-716729/episodes/ep-412-breaking-the-script-session-2-with-brian-and-kristen/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/marriage-therapy-radio-716729/ep-412-breaking-the-script-session-2-with-brian-and-kristen.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}