The Science of Wise and Fierce Relationships with Diana Hill and Gabby Reece

The Science of Wise and Fierce Relationships with Diana Hill and Gabby Reece

February 14, 2026 · 48 min · Season 9 · Episode 185

About this episode

Dr. Diana Hill discusses the science of wise and fierce relationships with Gabby Reece, focusing on conflict resolution and relationship satisfaction.

Do you keep getting stuck in the same fights or feeling rejected in your relationship? In this episode of The Wise Effort Show, Dr. Diana Hill shares an evidence-based talk on the science of “wise and fierce” relationships, then follows with a conversation with athlete and entrepreneur Gabby Reece about what helps partnerships last. Diana draws on relationship research and her clinical experience to explain why conflict isn’t the main problem—repair is—and on what predicts relationship satisfaction: commitment, appreciation, responsiveness, and sexual satisfaction. She also discusses research on sexual frequency and how motivation matters more than frequency (“getting it on” vs. “getting it over with”). Diana offers a practical exercise to help listeners “put down the broom” of rigid stories: write your story about your partner and their story about you, identify the “negative truth,” then (1) create disconfirming evidence by noticing what contradicts your story about them, and (2) do something that proves their story about you wrong. In the conversation, Gabby describes how respect, emotional honesty, daily connection rituals, and sustaining momentum—along with supporting each…

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Host: Dr. Diana Hill

Guest: Gabby Reece

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