Send us a text

Family visits + cultural differences + emotional shutdowns + holiday pressure… if your chest tightened just reading that, you are not alone. In this Dear Katie episode, we dive into a listener letter from a long-married couple navigating a sudden rupture: a household fight, parents visiting from abroad, a partner shutting down, and the fallout nobody saw coming.

In today’s conversation, I break down what was really happening underneath the surface of this moment—because coldness and rudeness never show up out of nowhere. We talk about emotional bandwidth, cultural vulnerability, language as a form of grounding, and how the “adaptive child” in both partners can take over when shame or insecurity hits.

Then we get practical (you know I always do). You’ll learn the exact structure for a 15-minute repair conversation that prevents multi-day spirals, how to anchor tough talks to shared values, how to actually listen without correcting, and how to create a holiday plan that protects both partners from overwhelm. We also cover code words, nightly debriefs, and the holiday “stress map” that helps high-achieving couples feel like a team instead of emotional referees.

If you’re dreading an upcoming family visit—or if your partner tends to shut down when pressure rises—this episode will help you move from rupture to repair with clarity, empathy, and strategy.

Relationship Game Plan Call

Free Conversation Starter Cards for Couples

Couples Goal Setting Workbook
Submit a Dear Katie episode question
Follow Katie Rössler on Instagram