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Love Shack Live: Helping Couples Rescue Their Relationships
Relationships are complex. They are filled with ups and downs, highs and lows. And sometimes, it can feel like you're struggling just to keep your head above water. If you're feeling like this, then it's important to reach out for help. That's where Tom and Staci Bartley come in. As relationship experts, they have helped countless couples overcome the challenges that they're facing. And now, they're here to help you. The Love Shack Live Show is filled with advice and tips that will help you get your relationship back on track. So if you're struggling in your relationship, make sure to tune in, it could be the best decision you ever make.
Love Shack Live: Helping Couples Rescue Their Relationships
#241: Can You Really Come Back After Space?
When someone you love pulls away, the question on loop is: Can we come back from this, or is the distance proof it’s over? If you’ve lived through weeks of silence, guarded talks, and feeling miles apart while sitting side-by-side, this one’s for you.
Relationship mentor Staci Bartley, with Tom and Brooke, answers real listener questions about what happens after space: when reconnection is actually possible, how to handle the first reach-out, and how to name your needs without sounding pushy or needy.
In this episode, you’ll learn
- Why a real return is possible (and what has to change for it to hold)
- The three commitments that reset a relationship: want it, let the past teach you, skill up
- How to handle the first check-in after space so you don’t dump all your pain at once
- A simple weekly check-in agreement that protects connection while you rebuild
- Why communication fails without emotional regulation (and how to do an “emotional pushup”)
- How to express needs without control or collapse
Listener questions we tackle
- “Can my partner really come back after being emotionally checked out?”
- “When they finally reach out, how do I start without making it all about my hurt?”
- “How do I communicate my needs after space without sounding controlling or needy?”
Timestamps:
02:15 Emotional Check-In: First Question
02:38 Understanding Emotional Withdrawal
06:18 The Importance of Wanting It
07:56 Reconnecting Without Dumping Hurt
09:59 Self-Regulation During Space
13:45 Balancing Emotional Support
22:31 Effective Communication Skills
28:29 Conclusion: Reclaim Your World Challenge
33:26 Final Thoughts and Resources
Next small steps:
- → Take the Surviving Space Self-Assessment to see your patterns under pressure here: https://space-assessment.scoreapp.com/
- → If your results point to limbo, join the 30-Day Roadmap, the place to practice the skills that make reconnection possible here: https://stacibartley.com/30-day-roadmap