If your partner asked you to tell them how they should change, would that feel gratifying or scary? And how would you react? If that thought makes you uncomfortable, we think that’s the perfect time for a YOU-turn. And if that thought doesn’t make you uncomfortable…we think that’s ALSO a perfect time for a YOU-turn! That means turning back towards yourself and being curious about what hopes or fears are hidden underneath that reaction. That will help you get beyond the strategy – what either of you do or don’t do – to the underlying need, which is how do you want to feel in this relationship?
Quotes:
“It’s freaking hard to be human with other humans!”
“Where do we learn how to be relational? Where do we learn what connection is?”
“And so where do we form our protective strategies? It's inside of our early experiences. They're not just there. They're there because.”
“If things are going well, it doesn't mean that hard things don't happen. It means that you can turn towards each other when they do.”
This episode is brought to you by our amazing sponsor, The Academy of Therapy Wisdom. Jules is one of their many educators, and because you listen to us, the Therapy Wisdom team is offering a secret code to give you free access to one of Jules' 1 hour Wise Conversations. Just visit therapywisdom.com and use the discount code "WDMP."
Jules' new book is out now! Buy Setting Boundaries that Stick: How Neurobiology Can Help You Rewire Your Brain to Feel Safe, Connected, and Empowered wherever books are sold.
Share your questions with us at whydoesmypartner.com/contact
If you want to dive in deeper, consider attending our upcoming workshops. Learn more at whydoesmypartner.com/events
Welcome to the Why Does My Partner podcast.
2
:I'm Jules.
3
:I'm Vicki.
4
:And I'm Rebecca.
5
:We're your hosts.
6
:We're also couples therapists
and messy humans bumbling through
7
:our own relationships every
8
:Vickey: day.
9
:We met at a training, and our
secret sauce is that we, and our
10
:partners, became fast friends.
11
:Between us, we have more than 40
years of experience holding hard
12
:relational questions with our clients.
13
:We're going to bring those questions here.
14
:Jules: And together, we're going to take
a stab at answering those questions.
15
:This podcast is not a
substitute for couples therapy.
16
:If something you hear in this podcast
stirs something deep within you
17
:about your relationship, reach out
to a couples therapist in your area.
18
:Rebecca: We also love to hear
your questions, so don't forget
19
:to go over to whydoesmypartner.
20
:com to leave a question of your own.
21
:Here's today's question.
22
:Jules: Welcome back.
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:I'm Jules.
24
:I'm Vicki.
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:Rebecca: And I'm Rebecca.
26
:Today's question, Why does my partner
want me to tell him how to change?
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:I don't want him to change for me.
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:Jules: Woohoo!
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:I love this question.
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:Vickey: I don't like this question.
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:Jules: Wait, did you say take the win?
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:She did.
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:Take the win.
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:She said take the win.
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:Same line.
36
:Let
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:Vickey: him change,
let him change for you.
38
:Who cares why he changes
as long as he changes.
39
:Take it.
40
:Yeah, but wait,
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:Jules: wait.
42
:What if, if he changes
for me, he resents me?
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:What if, if he changes for
me, he won't really last?
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:Vickey: I don't want to say who cares.
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:Take the win today.
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:Worry
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:about the future in the future
when it happens, and I say
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:that as a total worry wart.
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:Take it.
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:Bye.
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:Take the wind today and
let him change for you.
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:This question gets me riled
up and I don't know why.
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:I can feel
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:Jules: that.
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:Rebecca: Ah.
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:Jules: What?
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:What's happening?
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:I don't know.
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:But there's something that I'm vibing
here that's like, I don't know.
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:I don't know what I'm vibing.
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:I'm vibing something that's
Like, towards me or towards
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:Vickey: the
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:Rebecca: question?
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:Both.
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:Towards you with the question.
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:Okay.
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:Vickey: Ooh.
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:So like, um, vibing, like I'm setting
you off or you totally agree with me?
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:Rebecca: No, I think, I, I, I think
there's something getting sticky in me.
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:Watching you say, take the win.
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:Oh,
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:Jules: that's interesting.
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:Uh huh.
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:Yeah.
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:Yeah, what's happening inside?
76
:What does the sticky want us to know?
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:Rebecca: Oh,
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:there's, it's like
something's being unexplored.
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:There's something that, that, like,
I don't know which side it is,
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:but there's something that's like,
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:wait, there's, there's something about
the partner not Wanting him to change
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:for them and there's something about
like, what might he be struggling with
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:about change that like, if we're just
taking the win, we've lost an opportunity
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:to know something about both of them.
85
:Mm hmm.
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:I'm getting, I'm getting stuck there.
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:I hear you.
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:Absolutely.
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:Vickey: Yeah.
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:Because my answer is very superficial.
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:Yeah.
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:Yeah.
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:Just like take it and do it.
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:And you're, you're wanting
to go deeper than that.
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:Yeah.
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:I think that makes sense.
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:Yeah.
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:Rebecca: Yeah, that kind of
sums me up in a lot of ways.
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:Jules: It does.
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:It does.
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:Yeah.
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:Look at
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:Vickey: that.
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:That was me.
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:You got stuck with
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:me.
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:Rebecca: Well, me too.
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:Vickey: I do have very superficial
answers, and then I go deeper usually.
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:You do.
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:Yep.
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:That's both of us.
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:You do.
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:That's what you do.
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:I do frequently have the
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:Jules: reaction, though.
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:Well, I'm just noticing with this
question, this partner actually
117
:does want to know how to change
this partner's asking, Hey,
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:Rebecca: tell me, tell me
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:Jules: how to change.
120
:Tell me how to change for you.
121
:And then we're getting this
question of, Oh, I don't want.
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:Him to change for me.
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:So that's, that's an interesting question.
124
:And it's like, uh, uh, when I was
going back and forth with you, Vic,
125
:at the beginning, I was like, oh,
yeah, well, these are the, these are
126
:the things when I, when I hear this
come into my office, these are the
127
:things that people say, well, if they
change for me, they won't mean it.
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:If they change for me, it won't stick.
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:If they change for me, they'll resent me.
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:Yeah, that's what I hear too.
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:Yeah, yeah.
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:So there's a lot of worry, but I, I see
how activating this question is for you.
133
:Mm hmm.
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:And I'm, I'm really
feeling curious about it.
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:I'm so mad.
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:You're so mad.
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:Where, and
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:Vickey: I literally, I'm mad.
139
:That's what I, I, yeah, you're
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:Jules: mad.
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:Rather than ask, why are you mad?
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:Could you ask?
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:It's like, almost like you're
going to find the mad inside.
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:Wonder like, oh, what's making you mad?
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:Well, I found
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:Vickey: the mat and it's in my feet.
147
:Oh, great.
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:My toes are curling.
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:Jules: Great.
150
:Toes curling.
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:So can you be with your toes
curling and ask them, ooh,
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:what's pissing you off here?
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:What's making you so mad?
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:Um.
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:Vickey: Well, I have an answer didn't
come, but I see a, um, it's going to
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:be so weird for some of our listeners.
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:There, it's, there's a little
girl and she's stomping her feet.
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:That's why my toes are curling because
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:Jules: it's stomping the feet.
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:Stomping the feet.
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:Perfect.
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:And so you're, you did get an answer.
163
:You got an answer of a little
girl stomping her feet.
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:I want him to
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:Vickey: change for me.
166
:Oh, gotcha.
167
:That's why I'm mad.
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:You do want him to change for you.
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:Because I do want him to change for me.
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:Gotcha.
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:So, for
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:Jules: some of our listeners,
you are going to want your
173
:partner to change for you.
174
:It'll show you that you matter
to them, or it'll show you that
175
:relationships are important.
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:Vickey: For others,
it's going to feel scary
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:Jules: for our partner to change for us,
like those other questions that come in.
178
:Yeah.
179
:So, so one, if you're asking a question
like this in your partnership, I
180
:have a U turn curiosity for you.
181
:Oh, well, what's scary or bad thing
would happen if they changed for you?
182
:What's scary or bad thing would happen if
they changed for them instead of for you?
183
:Right.
184
:So I'm, I'm just curious about like,
Ooh, it'll help you get to the meaning.
185
:What is so, um, important about them
doing it a particular way for you?
186
:Because probably what's going on is
this is a strategy versus need issue.
187
:Can I break that down for a second?
188
:Is that okay?
189
:I was just going to say,
please do break that down.
190
:Yeah.
191
:So a lot.
192
:Yeah.
193
:Yeah.
194
:A lot of times people come in locked
into a strategy in order to meet a
195
:need they may not even be aware of.
196
:Right.
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:Like, I want a date night.
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:Why won't he give me a date night?
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:I want a date night.
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:Not even I want a date night,
but I want a date night, and I
201
:want it to be planned by you.
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:Oh, that's right.
203
:Yes.
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:And I want you to pick one of the, one
of the, um, restaurants we went to in
205
:the first years of our dating so we could
go back in time because I have a need
206
:to reconnect through reminiscence right
now, and I have a need to feel what it
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:felt like when we were younger together.
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:But I don't want to tell
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:Rebecca: you all that, because I really
want you to read my mind, and I want
210
:you to know this, because that's how
I will feel known by you, and that
211
:we're really intimately connected.
212
:So if I have to tell you all
this, it's negating all of that.
213
:Yeah, it
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:Vickey: doesn't count.
215
:Jules: Yeah, right, right, right.
216
:Now, I think we'll explore that even
deeper in the next episode, because I
217
:saw the question we're going to do next
week, and I'm super excited about it.
218
:But, but to stay here right now, I'm
wondering, like, if we could just
219
:notice, ooh, wanting him to change.
220
:for some other reason than
for you, is a strategy.
221
:And I'm curious what needs get
met if you get what you wanted.
222
:What needs don't get met if
you don't get what you want.
223
:So if you want him to change
for some other reason than you,
224
:Rebecca: what he's going to
change for a reason other than me.
225
:Mm hmm.
226
:Then I get relieved I'm not the burden.
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:Ooh.
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:Jules: Right?
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:Do we talk about what a pain
in the ass relationships are?
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:Every day.
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:Oh my gosh.
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:It's
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:Rebecca: almost like I've gotten
to a point, like married for
234
:17 years together, even longer,
I've gotten to a point now where.
235
:If it's not hard, I'm
wondering, what's the matter?
236
:Jules: Totally.
237
:Rebecca: But that doesn't,
it's like, because
238
:Jules: Not in a bad way.
239
:We don't mean this bad
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:Rebecca: way.
241
:Right, right.
242
:Yeah, no, no.
243
:But like, the hard is
like, it's human ing.
244
:Mm hmm.
245
:It is freaking hard to be
human with other humans.
246
:Oh,
247
:Vickey: yeah.
248
:Yeah.
249
:Jules: Because the truth is, you, like,
want different stuff at the same time all
250
:the time, and they're breathing weird,
and, I don't know, we're just like,
251
:Rebecca: He literally
blinked, blinked long today,
252
:Vickey: and I was like, I know
that face, what was that blink?
253
:What was that blink?
254
:Jules: What was that blink?
255
:And then he's going, why are
you such a pain in my ass?
256
:And you're going, well, I'm a
joyful pain in your ass, right?
257
:I get, like,
258
:Rebecca: you finally get that really
great kiss, you know, like, the one
259
:with, like, just the right, Yeah.
260
:And then you smell garlic.
261
:Jules: Totally.
262
:Vickey: The truth is,
263
:Jules: I was, I was talking with
somebody the other day about this
264
:when, when somebody was saying,
well, oh, I don't want to be.
265
:a burden to them.
266
:And I was like, but people
are burdens to each other.
267
:I think about it, even like with my dog or
with my kiddo, I was talking to somebody
268
:about, well, this person has cats.
269
:I was like, aren't your cats a
little bit of a pain in the butt?
270
:Like, of course, of course they are.
271
:They
272
:Vickey: are.
273
:But like, I'm, um,
274
:Jules: Isn't there
275
:Vickey: something different about
a peer to peer relationship and not
276
:being a burden on each other versus a
277
:Jules: child or a pet?
278
:I'm gonna hit the brakes hard on that one.
279
:I think, no, because
280
:Vickey: I
281
:Jules: think, like, my existence,
it costs the world around me a bit.
282
:Of course.
283
:How so?
284
:I'm breathing air.
285
:I eat food.
286
:I take up space.
287
:I want different stuff than my partner.
288
:Like, okay.
289
:Yeah.
290
:Like, I mean, like in a big way, like
the amount of people on this planet
291
:is a bit of a burden on the planet.
292
:Let's just be clear.
293
:Like, We are burdens to each other,
and I think pretending that's not,
294
:or wishing that it wasn't, ends up
in this underlying pain that can end
295
:up in feeling like not belonging, or
too muchness, or like, like twisting
296
:ourselves into making less of a footprint.
297
:And I want us to be conscious of how
we're affecting people, but I don't
298
:want us to pretend it's possible not to.
299
:You know, I was
300
:Rebecca: working, I was working with
someone in an intensive recently and
301
:something that showed up was how much,
um, appeasement was like a strategy
302
:that protects to, um, make, make
the other person, like if the other
303
:person's stuff can take up more space.
304
:Mm hmm.
305
:And they are focused then on appeasing the
other person and, is it okay if I do this?
306
:Is it okay if I do this?
307
:There's no room for them to
just say, here's what I need.
308
:Mm hmm.
309
:Mm hmm.
310
:Right?
311
:So, so the appeasement
then becomes the strategy.
312
:Yeah.
313
:And it's covering over the need.
314
:Jules: Yeah.
315
:Yeah.
316
:Which must serve them in some way.
317
:Vickey: It
318
:Rebecca: does.
319
:Totally protective.
320
:Yeah.
321
:Right?
322
:Because like, what, what shows up as
I'm doing this longer form work with
323
:folks in these intensives, what's
coming is that there's really a, um,
324
:a core unmet need underneath there.
325
:Oh, of course.
326
:Right?
327
:And once we can uncover that and learn,
like, oh, how do we, like, really
328
:lovingly turn towards ourselves and
show up for those parts of us, then it
329
:actually isn't such a big deal anymore.
330
:Like, because the, there's
relief that's given to the part
331
:that needed that protection.
332
:And then it's actually not
such a big deal anymore to make
333
:those changes and make those of
334
:Jules: it.
335
:Right.
336
:And I was thinking to.
337
:About, um, this question, oh, why does
my partner want me to tell him how I,
338
:how to change, how to change for me?
339
:It may be he's wanting to show you how
much you matter, you matter, how much you
340
:Rebecca: matter.
341
:Like we actually influence each other.
342
:Vickey: Totally.
343
:And that's
344
:Jules: a good thing.
345
:I love being married.
346
:So being in a longterm or
not, it doesn't have to be
347
:married, but being in a longterm
relationship, my partner knows me.
348
:Rebecca: Both of you.
349
:Totally.
350
:Right?
351
:Maybe we've influenced
our long term listeners.
352
:Right.
353
:Jules: And, and I hope my partner
influences me and helps me see
354
:stuff I have blind spots to.
355
:And I hope I, he and I influence him and
help him with stuff he has blind spots to.
356
:So I think there's like a gift in here.
357
:Yeah.
358
:About, of course we change for each other.
359
:And isn't that great, because
that's part of our growth.
360
:And I could never have done it for me.
361
:I do it for you, because I didn't need it.
362
:I wouldn't have
363
:Rebecca: even known that it
was something that was needed.
364
:I had no idea.
365
:If
366
:Jules: you didn't show me.
367
:I didn't know I was
impacting the world that way.
368
:It's so interesting to
369
:Vickey: hear you both talking about it,
because what I hear out of both of you
370
:is such positivity around the topic.
371
:It is.
372
:This could just be me.
373
:This question, though, had, in
my mind, had like a negative.
374
:Tinge to a flavor to it.
375
:Well there was a worry in it, right?
376
:Yeah.
377
:But actually managed to flip it.
378
:Exactly.
379
:It's interesting you guys talk about, I
380
:Rebecca: don't why if, if like, I don't
feel like I'm flipping the question.
381
:'cause I feel like if the person
who didn't even know who was asking
382
:it, were here with me right now.
383
:Mm-Hmm.
384
:. It would be like, alright, so
they're saying Why does my partner
385
:want me to tell him how to change?
386
:I don't want him to change for me.
387
:Mm hmm.
388
:Right?
389
:So, so the first part that I'm
curious about is the for me part.
390
:I don't want him to change for me.
391
:But if, if we unpack that part and we
figure out like, why is that, what's
392
:the protective strategy in there?
393
:Right?
394
:Like
395
:Jules: maybe I don't want to be a
burden to him or I don't want to feel
396
:like he can't be himself with me.
397
:Mm hmm.
398
:Vickey: Right.
399
:I won't stick later because he only did it
400
:Rebecca: for me.
401
:Or he'll resent me, right?
402
:Yeah.
403
:Mm hmm.
404
:And, and so then if we come, if we
unpack that stuff and we come back
405
:to the first part of the question,
which isn't really about why does
406
:my partner, but it's like my partner
wants me to tell him how to change.
407
:Jules: Mm hmm.
408
:So, so now And then I'm
curious with the partner.
409
:Yeah.
410
:There it is.
411
:Oh.
412
:Yeah.
413
:What's important for you about
knowing how to shift to make
414
:this other person's world better?
415
:To make your partner's world better?
416
:Mm hmm.
417
:Mm hmm.
418
:What's important for you about that?
419
:And it may be that you find out that you
matter, or maybe you find out that, uh,
420
:he doesn't want to be a burden to you.
421
:And he doesn't get to have
that either, by the way.
422
:Everybody is a burden to
everybody a little bit.
423
:You know what's striking?
424
:In like a joyful, lovely way.
425
:Rebecca: What's striking me about
this, as I'm sitting with the
426
:question a little longer, is like
such tenderness towards the protective
427
:parts of the one asking the question.
428
:Because I'm, I'm noticing how many
people who come into my office who
429
:seek out intensives who are working
with all of us, right, are coming in
430
:with these really like, where do we
learn how to be relational, right?
431
:This is a question I'm
asking all the time.
432
:Where do we learn how to be relational?
433
:Where do we learn what connection is?
434
:What did we see?
435
:Right.
436
:What did we experience?
437
:Mm hmm.
438
:What did we go through?
439
:And so where do we form
these protective strategies?
440
:It's inside of those early experiences.
441
:They're not just there.
442
:They're there because.
443
:Mm
444
:Jules: hmm.
445
:Yeah.
446
:So it could be like That's
a great way to phrase it.
447
:I watched my mom ask my dad to change
for her and he could never do it right.
448
:And she was only complaining all the time.
449
:And I just don't want a relationship like
450
:Rebecca: that.
451
:Or even, things weren't okay for me
when I was a kid and I kept asking
452
:for what I needed and everyone
just told me I was too much.
453
:Jules: Right.
454
:And now I don't want to be too much.
455
:I don't want to drive anyone away.
456
:So I really need to not say out
loud what I need, because I learned
457
:that was scary and bad and would
leave me, end up with me left alone.
458
:Mm
459
:Rebecca: hmm.
460
:Yeah.
461
:And, and here, if your partner is actually
going to change and want to know, want
462
:your input on that, then this other
crazy scary thing is going to happen.
463
:Because now you're actually having
the possibility of a relationship
464
:where your protective system takes a
465
:Jules: rest.
466
:Oof.
467
:Which is vulnerable.
468
:Yeah.
469
:Yeah.
470
:Yeah.
471
:And we don't want to miss how
scary that can be and vulnerability
472
:by its nature is scary.
473
:We're not going to have, well, how
can it, I, sometimes I have people
474
:come in and they'll ask me, Oh,
Jules, how can you help me, um, feel
475
:safe, um, while I'm being vulnerable?
476
:I'm like, Oh, that's not a thing.
477
:Vickey: Oh, yeah.
478
:Not a thing.
479
:Oh, yeah.
480
:Jules: I can't do that because
vulnerability by nature is scary because
481
:there's, there's a risk involved.
482
:Rebecca: Yeah.
483
:It's like when people ask me, how do I set
boundaries without disappointing people?
484
:Oh,
485
:Jules: you don't.
486
:You don't do that.
487
:You don't do that.
488
:That's not a thing.
489
:That's not a thing.
490
:Yeah.
491
:That's not a thing.
492
:Um, yeah.
493
:Yeah.
494
:So there's this, I'm, I'm, as I'm sitting
with this, you know, what I'm thinking
495
:about is how our listeners could take
this question, if it's a question your
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:relationship is holding and turn it
into a growth conversation between you.
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:Yeah.
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:And some of that would be being really
curious with each other about, Oh, well,
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:if you got the thing you're looking for
strategy, Oh, what would change for you?
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:What would get met?
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:That's not met.
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:Now you just dropped down to your need.
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:You could also do it.
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:Ooh, what's scary?
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:Your bad thing might happen if it doesn't
happen that way, if it happens this
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:other way that you're trying to avoid.
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:Oh, you're going to drop down
into those tender spaces.
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:So this could lead to a really beautiful
depth conversation where you get to know
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:each other a little bit better and find
out what's true for your partner and, and
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:maybe share some vulnerability yourself.
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:I'm kind of hoping you do.
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:Yeah, that would be great.
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:It sounds wonderful
the way you phrased it.
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:I put hard things in pretty packages.
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:You do.
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:Vickey: That's very true.
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:There's my pretty bow on that, but it's
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:Rebecca: true.
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:But it's, it's actually because I think
as, as we get deeper into like, what
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:does it mean to be in relationship?
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:What is connection really?
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:What, what are Our partnerships, right?
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:It's, it's like, it's like a sandbox to
work through the hard things together.
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:And here you have a partner who like,
maybe if things are going well, it doesn't
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:mean that hard things don't happen.
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:It means that you can turn
towards each other when they do.
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:Yeah.
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:Jules: Right.
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:That is such a great
space to end on, I think.
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:It doesn't mean hard things don't
happen, it means you can turn
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:towards each other when they do.
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:Yeah.
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:Mm hmm.
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:Rebecca: All right.
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:Take care, y'all.
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:Bye bye.
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:Bye.
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:Jules: Bye.
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:That wraps up this week's episode.
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:Join us again next week for another.
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:Why does my partner?
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:We hope
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:Rebecca: that you continue to
listen wherever you get your audio
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:and that you'll follow the show
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:Vickey: to go deeper.
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:Join us at one of our workshops.
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:You'll find our next date
at why does my partner.
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:com.
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:Jules: Did you know, you
can ask us your questions.
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:Vickey: Your questions are relational
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:Rebecca: gold.
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:Go to why does my partner.
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:com to either write in or record your
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:Jules: question for a future episode.
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:And here's some gratitudes.
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:Thanks to Al Hubberman, our sound editor
and podcast production magic maker.
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:Vickey: Thanks to every one of you who has
joined us for our workshops in the past.
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:We've learned so much from all of you
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:Rebecca: and thanks to everyone who's
reviewed the show and Apple podcasts.
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:Your reviews help others to find the show.
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:Jules: Take care of each other
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:Vickey: best you can.
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:See you next
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:Jules: time.