Living The Third Way
Family is complicated.
Even the people we love most can hurt us... and we can hurt them.
Sometimes it feels like the only way to protect yourself is to either run away from it all — or stuff everything down and pretend you’re fine.
We get it. Because we’ve lived it.
We’re Shae and Adrian Misiak — Catholic mentors and mental health professionals — doing the hard and beautiful work of healing family wounds while raising a family of our own.
If you’ve ever felt stuck between cutting off a parent to survive,
or staying quiet to keep the peace… we’re here to tell you: there’s another way.
And this podcast explores what that actually looks like.
Here are some of the themes you’ll hear us talk about:
- the messy reality of family life
- navigating difficult relationships with integrity
- forgiveness that doesn’t ask you to forget the past
- grief that doesn’t require you to shut down love
- where and how God is working in the places that feel most broken
These episodes will meet you where you are and walk with you toward where God is inviting you to go.
You'll find honest conversations about becoming whole in real time, as we learn to love with both courage and compassion.
If you’re trying to build a healthier family than the one you came from,
or if you simply want to stop carrying all of this alone…
put us in your earbuds and listen along.
Walk with us as we explore what it takes to live the Third Way —
where joy is found, right alongside the hard and holy work of healing.
Living The Third Way
Embracing Conflict in Marriage: The Power of Self-Gift and Vulnerability
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Discover how fighting can be a gateway to deeper intimacy and growth in marriage. Shae and Adrian share raw stories, frameworks, and spiritual insights on how conflict, when approached with tenderness and self-awareness, transforms into a gift that reveals the true depth of love.
In this episode:
- Why conflict is a normal and essential part of marriage, not the enemy
- How childhood wounds and past experiences shape our reactions in disagreements
- The importance of vulnerability and raw honesty in building trust
- The role of nervous system patterns and self-protection in arguments
- Practical steps for fighting to understand, not to defend
- The symbolism of cruciformity: marriage as a path of surrender and resurrection
- Encouragement to give up the illusion of perfect understanding or control
- How to practice tenderness and curiosity during conflict
- Personal stories revealing the messiness and beauty of real relationship
- Resources for ongoing growth and connection
Resources & Links:
Remember: Marriage is a journey of cruciform love — embracing vulnerability, suffering, and resurrection. Fight with purpose. Keep fighting to understand and be understood, because you are worth it.
Connect with Shae and Adrian:
Website: adrianandshae.com
Email: hello@adrianandshae.com
Instagram: @adrianandshae