037: Relationship Dynamics: Creating Secure, Connected Partnerships by Breaking Unhealthy Patterns

037: Relationship Dynamics: Creating Secure, Connected Partnerships by Breaking Unhealthy Patterns

From The Shift Show by ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling

February 9, 2026 · 1h 10m · Episode 37

About this episode

This episode explores the underlying emotional and nervous-system patterns that affect relationship dynamics and how partners connect and resolve conflicts.

Relationship struggles aren’t really about communication. They’re about the patterns running underneath. In this episode of The Shift Show, Andrea McTague is joined by Geneviève Malena, Registered Social Worker at ShiftGrit, to explore relationship dynamics — the emotional and nervous-system patterns that shape how partners connect, argue, withdraw, pursue, and repair. Many couples believe they’re fighting about chores, parenting, intimacy, time, or effort. But as this conversation unpacks, t...

People in this episode

Host: Andrea McTague

Guest: Geneviève Malena

Topics covered

  • relationship dynamics
  • emotional patterns
  • nervous-system patterns
  • couples therapy
  • communication issues

Keywords

  • relationship struggles
  • communication
  • couples
  • intimacy
  • emotional patterns

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: ShiftGrit, ShiftGrit Psychology & Counselling

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