When Criticism Is Really A Cry For Softness

A throwaway comment can turn into daggers in seconds and then you are both standing there thinking, how did we get here? We’re Michael and Amy, couples connection coaches, and we’re pulling back the curtain on a pattern we see all the time: one partner (often during PMS, perimenopause, or a low-capacity week) snaps or criticises, the other partner braces, defends, or shuts down, and suddenly you’re miles apart. We talk through a real client-style scenario and our own lived experience of horm...