What To Do When Your Partner Is Struggling (Part Two)

In this two-part series, Dr. Alexandra will be taking you through how to take care of yourself and your relationship when your partner is struggling. Perhaps your partner is struggling with a job loss, a health diagnosis, a mental health challenge, the loss of a loved one, family drama, co-parenting with an ex, or something else entirely. Whatever it is, the theme is that there is some scenario that is taking up more of your partner’s bandwidth than usual, leaving less bandwidth for you and your relationship.

In this second part, Dr. Alexandra is going to take you through five internal strategies to cope with the situation at hand – strategies that are about how you can tend to and take care of yourself. Then she will take you through nine relational strategies – strategies that will help you and your partner maintain or restore your relationship even as your partner struggles. 

You’ll come away with this conversation with:

  • A toolkit of five internal strategies to support your own emotional health while caring for your partner.
  • Nine actionable relational strategies to enhance communication and understanding in your relationship.
  • Insights on the significance of self-care for the non-struggling partner and how it contributes to relationship health.
  • Food-for-thought on resentment, grieving, high-functioning co-dependency, celebrating small victories, and rebuilding after a dark period (and so much more!)

Resources worth mentioning from the episode:

Continue the conversation with Dr. Alexandra Solomon:

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What To Do When Your Partner Is Struggling (Part One)

In this two-part series, Dr. Alexandra will be taking you through how to take care of yourself and your relationship when your partner is struggling. Perhaps your partner is struggling with a job loss, a health diagnosis, a mental health challenge, the loss of a loved one, family drama, co-parenting with an ex, or something else entirely. Whatever it is, the theme is that there is some scenario that is taking up more of your partner’s bandwidth than usual, leaving less bandwidth for you and your relationship.

In this first part, Dr. Alexandra is going to be contextualizing this scenario and providing lots of validation for the struggle that comes with having a struggling partner. She is also going to discuss factors that shape how your partner’s struggle impacts you. Hard things are just hard, but the ways you’re getting activated in the wake of your partner’s struggle also have a lot to do with your specific wounds, as well as the role you played in your family of origin. 

The insights shared in this episode lay the groundwork for a two-part series designed to equip you with effective coping strategies to maintain your well-being while fostering intimacy and connection, even in challenging times.

You’ll come away from this conversation with:

  • A deeper understanding of what Dr. Alexandra calls the Recursive Relational Framework (RRF)
  • Research examples that demonstrate that your partner’s struggles affect you and that how you respond can influence their outcome.
  • Strategies for recognizing and managing your emotional triggers in response to a partner's distress.
  • Practical tips for fostering personal growth while supporting a partner through their challenges. 

Resources worth mentioning from the episode:

Articles mentioned in the episode:

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How Healing Your Inner Child Can Deepen Your Relationships with Christine Hassler

What if the key to deeper intimacy lies in understanding the echoes of our past? Dr. Alexandra Solomon sits with Christine Hassler, a Master coach, podcast host, and author, to discuss how our family of origin roles shape our present connections, emphasizing the importance of inner child work and relational self-awareness. Christine shares her journey through the unhealthy patterns that surfaced in her own relationship with her partner, Stef, offering a raw look at the necessity of self-reflection in cultivating healthier dynamics.

You'll come away from this episode with:

  • A deeper understanding of how family of origin influences shape your current relationships.
  • Practical strategies for engaging in inner child work to enhance self-awareness and relational dynamics.
  • Insights into the importance of self-advocacy (especially as women!) and authentic communication in intimate partnerships.
  • Perspective on how our professional roles and work offer yet another arena for us to notice and tend to old pain and create new ways of relating to ourselves and the world around us. 

Resources worth mentioning from the episode:

  • Podcast - Life Coaching with Christine Hassler:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-coaching-with-christine-hassler/id1050321415

  • Christine Hassler’s The Women’s Retreat in San Diego, Oct 17-19, 2025:

https://christinehassler.com/womensretreat/

Continue the conversation with Dr. Alexandra Solomon:

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