Relationship Renovation Counseling

Relationship Renovation Counseling Please check out our Relationship Renovation Podcast

Our Tucson counseling center is home to our Relationship Renovation program developed by Tarah and EJ Kerwin, an in-office or at-home programs to provide structured programming in supporting couples.

11/18/2025

The Hormones Every Woman Deserves to Understand

In this extraordinarily important clip, Dr. Maria Sophocles explains the profound impact of menopause on a woman’s body. She shares that when the ovaries shut down, the production of three essential hormones—estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone—comes to a halt.

This hormonal drop isn’t just about hot flashes or mood changes. It creates significant long-term health consequences, affecting cardiovascular health, bone density, brain function, sexual wellness, and overall quality of life.

Dr. Sophocles also breaks down a critical piece of history: because of a widely misunderstood study published over 25 years ago, millions of women have been denied hormone therapy—despite it being one of the most important, effective, and well-researched interventions for menopause symptoms and long-term health protection.

Her message is clear:
Women deserve accurate information, real treatment options, and access to interventions that can dramatically improve their well-being during menopause and beyond.

💬 What questions do you wish more women felt empowered to ask about menopause?

11/17/2025

Over a Billion Women, and Still Not Enough Support

In this clip from our interview with Dr. Maria Sophocles, she shares a staggering truth:
over 1 billion women worldwide are currently going through perimenopause or menopause.

Yet despite how common this transition is, Dr. Sophocles explains that many women internalize the symptoms, believing they simply have to endure them. They often don’t realize that effective treatment exists—or that they deserve proper, evidence-based care.

Because of this lack of awareness and access, over 500 million women are suffering from the negative physical, emotional, and relational impacts of perimenopause and menopause.

Dr. Sophocles’ message is clear:
Women do not need to struggle in silence. There are solutions, and no one should be dismissed, minimized, or left without the support they need during such a profound stage of life.

💬 Have you or someone you love felt unheard or unsupported during perimenopause or menopause?

11/13/2025

The Work You Do Before the Crisis Is What Carries You Through the Crisis

In this heartfelt admission, E.J. opens up about just how essential the work he and Tarah have done on their relationship has been this past year. He shares honestly that he doesn’t know how they would have made it through without the communication tools they’ve learned, the ability to navigate crisis moments together, and the skills to return and repair after fractures.

Without those tools, he says, it would have been almost impossible to get through the challenges they faced.

But then he goes even deeper. E.J. reflects on something far more intimate and meaningful:
that he doesn’t know how he personally could have made it through the stress of this year without Tarah’s support and the strength of their relationship.

It’s a vulnerable acknowledgment of how partnership—and the work you pour into it—can become the very thing that holds you up when everything else feels heavy.

💬 Has your relationship ever carried you through a season you weren’t sure you could handle alone?

11/12/2025

Some patterns take years to see clearly—and even longer to heal.

In this clip, E.J. shares with Tarah that he feels like they’re in the process of “cleaning up” dynamics they established early in their relationship—patterns that used to quietly pull them apart.

He talks about how, over time, they’ve become more intentional and more skilled in how they communicate about difficult topics. Instead of shutting down or turning against each other, they’re learning to lean in, stay present, and really hear one another.

What’s most powerful is that E.J. reflects on the fact that they’re in the middle of an incredibly hard season—one that could easily make a couple fall apart—and yet he feels they’re actually growing closer together.

It’s a reminder that healing doesn’t mean never struggling; it means learning how to struggle side by side.

What’s one old pattern you and your partner are working on “cleaning up” together?

We poured our hearts into creating the Relationship Renovation at home manual because every couple deserves tools that h...
11/10/2025

We poured our hearts into creating the Relationship Renovation at home manual because every couple deserves tools that help them feel safer, closer, and more connected. Your support truly helps other couples discover tools to rebuild trust, communicate with kindness, and reconnecting on a deeper level. Could your relationship use a little support??

11/06/2025

Cultivating a Complete Sense of Value in Your Relationship

If you and your partner take the time to talk about the specific ways you’d like to feel valued outside of physical intimacy, you create a clear roadmap for connection. Each of you walks away with meaningful action points—small, intentional ways to show love in the way your partner most deeply feels it.

This kind of emotional transparency strengthens trust and understanding. When both partners actively express appreciation in ways that align with each other’s needs, it transforms how you both experience closeness—emotionally, physically, and relationally.

A strategic and intentional approach to nurturing your connection ensures that your relationship isn’t one-dimensional. Instead, it becomes a well-rounded, continually evolving bond built on feeling seen, valued, and loved in every sense.

💬 What’s one simple action that helps you or your partner feel valued outside of physical intimacy?

11/03/2025

When Intimacy Becomes Transactional

In this incredibly important discussion, Tarah and E.J. explore the subtle but damaging dynamic of intimacy becoming transactional—especially in relationships where there’s a high-desire/low-desire split.

They explain how one partner may be craving physical connection, while the other is craving emotional connection—and how each begins to see the other’s needs as something to earn rather than something to nurture.

The low-desire partner often longs for emotional closeness first, hoping it will reignite their physical desire. Meanwhile, the high-desire partner may feel deprived or rejected, believing that physical intimacy is the key to reconnecting emotionally. This creates a “you give me this so I’ll give you that” pattern—turning love into a negotiation instead of a shared experience.

Tarah and E.J. emphasize that true intimacy flourishes when both partners see themselves as teammates, not opponents—working together to meet both emotional and physical needs with empathy and openness rather than frustration and scorekeeping.

💬 Have you ever noticed moments when intimacy felt more like a transaction than a connection? What helped you shift back toward closeness?

10/30/2025

Avoidance: The Illusion of Control

In this clip, Tarah helps E.J. unpack what’s really happening internally for him during moments of avoidance. She gently guides him to explore how withdrawing during conflict can feel like a form of control—an attempt to prevent escalation by doing nothing rather than risking saying or doing something that might make things worse.

E.J. shares that when he pulls away, it gives him the temporary sense that he’s keeping things calm and contained. But beneath that is a deeper truth—a core belief that things are out of control and that he has no real ability to influence the outcome. Avoidance becomes a way to manage fear and uncertainty, not to harm the relationship, but to try to stay safe.

Tarah and E.J. highlight how understanding this pattern is essential. When avoidance is seen not as disinterest or detachment, but as a coping mechanism rooted in fear, couples can begin to approach it with empathy rather than frustration. From there, they can work together to create a sense of shared safety and learn to stay connected even in hard moments.

💬 When conflict arises, do you tend to withdraw or engage? How do you find your balance between safety and connection?

10/29/2025

Safety Comes from “We,” Not Just “Me”

In this clip, Tarah talks about one of the core challenges for avoidant partners—the deep-rooted belief that no one else can truly help them feel safe except themselves.

She explains that for many avoidant individuals, this comes from early experiences where relying on others felt risky or disappointing. So, when emotional conflict arises, their instinct is to retreat inward, to handle it alone.

Tarah encourages partners to gently reaffirm connection in those moments by saying something like:

“Hey, this might be a difficult time, but we’re going to make it through together. It’s okay that we struggle sometimes—I still love you, I still want to be here for you, and we can stay present for one another.”

This type of reassurance helps rewire the belief that safety only exists in isolation. It teaches both partners that love and security grow not from withdrawal, but from staying together through discomfort—with patience, compassion, and calm presence.

💬 What’s one way you can reassure your partner the next time things feel tense?

10/28/2025

Control or Connection? Rethinking the Avoidant Attachment Response

In this clip, **Tarah and E.J. explore the avoidant attachment style and one of its most common misconceptions—**the belief that withdrawing during emotionally charged moments keeps things under control.

They explain that while pulling away may feel like maintaining composure or protecting oneself, it often has the opposite effect. Withdrawal disrupts emotional connection and leaves both partners feeling misunderstood and alone.

E.J. and Tarah share that the real strength lies in staying present, even when it feels uncomfortable. By doing so, the avoidant partner not only supports emotional safety but also gives the other person the opportunity to take accountability for their own reactivity. This creates a balanced, mature dynamic where both individuals can self-regulate and stay engaged rather than escalate.

Choosing presence over avoidance doesn’t mean losing control—it means building the trust and resilience that allow love to deepen.

💬 How do you stay grounded when you want to pull away from a hard conversation?

10/27/2025

In this candid and personal conversation, Tarah and E.J. open up about the very human side of relationships—how even as therapists and coaches, they face the same challenges that every couple does.

They share openly about moments when they miscommunicate, get triggered, or miss each other emotionally, and how they use the same tools they teach—like pausing, reflecting inward, and returning with empathy—to repair and reconnect.

This conversation reminds us that healthy relationships aren’t about perfection—they’re about awareness and effort. Tarah and E.J. show that growth happens when couples are honest about their struggles and willing to keep showing up for each other with love and humility.

💬 What helps you and your partner reconnect after a moment of disconnection?

10/24/2025

You Can’t Fix Communication While You’re Triggered

In this powerful moment, E.J. and Tarah talk about one of the most common mistakes couples make—trying to process and repair dysfunctional communication while they’re still in the middle of it.

When partners are triggered, their nervous systems are activated. In that state, clarity, empathy, and understanding simply aren’t possible. Instead, couples often end up feeling like they’re failing, when really, they’re just trying to do emotional work at the wrong time.

Tarah and E.J. explain that the key is to pause intentionally. Using a tool like CodeWord, couples can step away, regulate, and reflect inward—identifying what they’re truly feeling and what got triggered. Then, when they come back together with an open heart, they can discuss the moment calmly and productively.

This isn’t avoidance—it’s strategy. It’s how couples learn to move through difficult moments without damaging connection and instead build emotional safety, understanding, and resilience.

💬 What helps you recognize when you need to pause before continuing a hard conversation?

Address

1717 N. Tucson Boulevard
Tucson, AZ
85716

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 8pm
Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Friday 9am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 8pm
Sunday 9am - 8pm

Telephone

+15203722672

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Relationship Renovation Counseling posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Relationship Renovation Counseling:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category