.png)
The Relationship Blueprint: Unlock Your Power of Connection
Colleen is a student of Dr. Harville Hendrix and Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt who created the Imago Theory and have brought this work to over 50 countries around the world. She is profoundly influenced by this belief shared by Dr. Harville Hendrix. He said, "We are born in relationship, wounded in relationship and healed in relationship."
What are you struggling with today? Colleen believes that almost any problem we have began with a broken or unhealed relationship. The anxiety or deep sadness we feel often began with unresolved issues in our relationships with our parents, partner, family or friends. When we have unmet needs we are programed to get those needs met. When we don't get what we need we protest by protecting ourselves. this often looks like defensive, critical, demanding behaviors. these behaviors are most often ineffective. As a result we may develop unhealthy relationship with food, sex, gambling our or a substance.
Colleen invites world renown relationship specialists from all over the world to help her guests explore their own relationships and see their problems through a relational lens. She will help us explore how to create intimacy to deepen our connections. Her listeners will gain insights to create a more joyful life.
Colleen is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of South Carolina, a certified, Advanced Imago Clinical therapist, a clinical instructor for the Imago International Trading Institute while maintaining her clinical practice in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Thank you for joining Colleen today. Remember, don't let life happen to you. You can be the architect of your relationships. Join her next time on the Relationship Blueprint; Unlock Your Power of Connection.
Contact Colleen at colleen@hiltonheadislandcounseling.com for questions or to be a guest on the show!
Episodes
46 episodes
Why Toxic Relationships "Feel Impossible" to Leave with Dr. Stephen Paul Edwards
A toxic relationship can feel like love, adrenaline, and destiny all at once — and that’s exactly why it’s so hard to leave.In this episode of The Relationship Blueprint, Coco Kowal sits down with Dr. Stephen Paul Edwards...
.png)
How Shame Keeps Families Stuck In Addiction And How Connection Opens A Way Out with Suzanna
Addiction does not just hurt the person drinking or using, it ripples through every relationship around them. We sit down with Suzanna to talk about what happens after the dramatic part is over: you leave treatment, you go home, and you still h...
What If The Safest Place In Your Life Is The Space Between You?
Most relationship conflict isn’t a lack of love, it’s a lack of structure when emotions spike. So we do something different here: My husband, Kevin, and I sit down and actually demonstrate an Imago Dialogue the way we practice it at home, using...
How Alcohol Addiction Hijacks The Mind And How Recovery Starts
A lot of people hear stories about alcoholism and still think, “If it’s destroying your life, why not just stop?” We get it. That question makes perfect sense until you’re the one waking up more sober than you fell asleep and feeling your whole...
How Dialogue, Zero Negativity, And Empathy Turn Fantasy Into Lasting Connection with Dr. Harville Hendrix and Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt
What if the love you want isn’t something you find but something you build, moment by moment, with the person right in front of you? We sit down with Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt, the co-founders of Imago, to chart a practical route ...
A Survivor Shares How Faith, Therapy, and Safe Relationships Rewire A Nervous System After Early Abuse
A tender, unflinching story can change the way we think about healing. Destiny joins us to share how early childhood sexual abuse, grooming, and years of anxiety shaped her sense of self—and how therapy, faith, writing, and the quiet weight of ...
From Silent Messages To Strong Boundaries: How Women Reclaim Voice, Value, And Connection
Ever felt yourself shrink in a relationship even while you’re thriving at work? We dig into the hidden scripts that push women to overgive, stay likable at all costs, and walk on eggshells—and we show how to replace those scripts with boundarie...
"Medication Isn't Giving Up-It's Giving Yourself a Chance,"with Dr. Jana Wheeler
What if sobriety is only the first chapter of healing? We sit down with Dr. Jana Wheeler, a psychiatric and wellness nurse practitioner, to unpack how mental health care—thoughtful assessment, smart medication, and steady therapy—can turn fragi...
Your Partner Is Your Best Teacher When You Let Differences In, with Dr. Raluca Anton
Love rarely breaks on differences; it breaks on our inability to make space for them. We sit down with Dr. Raluca Anton—psychologist, author, and Imago faculty member—to unpack why couples often share the same core needs but use opposite coping...
Are You Tired of Carrying All the Feelings? With Andrea DIndinger
We explore the hidden costs of emotional labor and how unspoken expectations drain couples, then map simple ways to share the load with clarity, compassion, and practice. Andrea Dindinger returns with practical scripts, the “emotional leader” i...
Death, Divorce, and Goldfish: A Surprisingly Hopeful Conversation with Kim Mackay-Pearson
Therapist Kim Mackay-Pearson brings deep wisdom and compassion to grief counseling, helping individuals navigate loss while discovering pathways toward healing and hope. Kim creates safe spaces where people can honor their pain, reconnect with ...
From Fear to Fierce Advocacy: A Parent's Journey with an LGBTQ+ Teen
How do you respond when your child comes out as LGBTQ+? For many parents, this moment arrives without warning, triggering confusion, fear, and countless questions. Through Heather Hester's powerful story, we discover that this journey doesn't r...
What is Relational Literacy and How Do We Develop Conflict Positivity? with Dr. Banu İbaoğlu Vaughn
What if everything you thought you knew about relationships was missing a crucial piece? That's the revelation Dr. Banu İbaoğlu Vaughn had despite years of clinical psychology training. "There comes a moment in each relationship where the pain ...
The Invisible Load: Women, Relationships, and Emotional Labor with Andrea Dindinger
Therapist Andrea Dindinger reveals how the invisible mental and emotional labor in relationships can create disconnection and resentment when not acknowledged. She shares practical strategies for couples to identify, discuss, and redistribute t...
When Depression Shares Your Bed: A Therapist's Journey with Trish Sanders, LCSW
What happens when depression isn't just in your head, but in your relationship? Certified Imago Advanced Relationship Therapist Trish Sanders takes us on a deeply personal journey through the landscape of depression, connection, and healing in ...
You're Not Broken, Just Wired Differently: An Autistic Therapist's Perspective on Love with Ian Tomlinson
Are you struggling to understand your partner's seemingly perplexing behaviors? The mystery might lie in neurodiversity – the natural variation in how human brains function. In this eye-opening conversation, Imago therapist Ian Tom...
Healing Through Betrayal: A New Perspective with Gene Shelley
When betrayal shatters trust in a relationship, the cultural script is clear: there's a victim and a perpetrator. But what if we've been thinking about affairs all wrong?Master Imago therapist Gene Shelley guides us through a profound r...
Sex, Desire, and the Path Back to Intimacy with Dr. Nikki Nolet
What happens when the spark fades? That question haunts couples across all life stages, from newlyweds to empty nesters. In this illuminating conversation with Nikki, a dual-certified Imago therapist and sex therapist, we uncover the delicate i...
Looking for mom in all the wrong places: The Profound Journey of Internal Mothering with Dr. Nedra Fetterman
What does it mean to mother ourselves, and why might this be one of the most important relationships we'll ever develop? Dr. Nedra Fetterman joins the Relationship Blueprint podcast to explore the profound impact of our earliest experiences wit...
What Makes Couples Therapy Actually Work? Dr. Kathy Malcolm Hall Explains
When relationships falter, many couples seek help without understanding what makes therapy truly effective. Dr. Kathy MalcolmHall joins the Relationship Blueprint to reveal the four research-backed common factors that determine success in coupl...