Ever felt ... "The Ick"? Maybe it's been small, maybe you felt like you've been repelled by your partner for no clear reason (and even sometimes, for very obvious ones)? You love them. You’re committed. But the ick is real. In this raw and eye-opening episode, Lauren Dry breaks down what the “ick” really is—and why it’s not shallow, random, or a sign your marriage is broken. Spoiler: it has everything to do with your Nervous System.
We’re diving deep into:
Why the “ick” often hits women harder in long-term relationships
The biology of safety, and how it drives attraction more than we realize
What resentment and emotional load do to your sense of desire
Why your Nervous System might be confusing “safe” with “boring”
And why so many of us chase chaos or emotionally unavailable partners—even when we know better
Whether you’ve ever felt shut down, disconnected, or even confused about your own intimacy triggers, this episode will help you understand what’s actually going on under the surface—and how to start resetting your connection at the root.
This is the one to send to your partner. Or maybe even listen to with them.
Inside the episode, we explore:
What your body is actually asking before intimacy
The role of unconscious patterns and familiar dysfunction
Why emotional safety is the true foundation of physical desire
How to begin shifting out of resentment, even when life feels overwhelming
Resources Mentioned:
Learn more about RISE Into Regulation™ – the skillset for connection, communication, and Nervous System safety in modern marriage
Follow Lauren on Instagram @the.connection.catalyst
Enjoyed this episode?
Share it with a friend, leave a review, or tag Lauren with your thoughts and breakthroughs. You never know who might need to hear this today.
Did this episode hit home? There's a beautiful Reset Exercise I've prepared to get you out of your head and into your body again, in the next episode in this series - "Overwhelmed? Parts Work may be your Key to Compassion".
If you need any support and to chat further, come and hang out with me in instagram at @the.connection.catalyst
Sharing with you my BIGGEST love
Lauren x
Find Me:
https://www.instagram.com/the.connection.catalyst/
Work With Me:
https://tr.ee/ZZ8e0CUUH3
Free Training:
https://tr.ee/f6HdNyp23Q
Parenting, Repair, Work and just day to life - when you're completely Overwhelmed with Relationship stress - can feel debilitating. Despite our best of intentions, it feels like connection can be impossible and shame spirals from even the smallest of mistakes can take over completely.
Come and walk with me today as we walk through a beautiful, supportive and wonderfully vivid visualisation that will help you get to the root of your protective patterns, and come back into compassion and curiosity again at the root.
Here are the steps:
- Take a break, give yourself grace, and have a moment to get curious about your internal environment
- Write down the language of your Protective Patterns from the example that recently caused you stress. This language may sound like "I can't get anything right" "No-one will help me" "I'm completely alone" or any other negative challenge
- Visualise *clearly* what the part of you that is saying these things looks like (a 'protective' part of you). What is this part of you wearing? How old are they? What is their body language like? Get super clear. The more detail the better.
- Ask this part: How do you feel?
- Ask this part: What do you need?
- Somatically (using your body) meet the need. For example, if the need is CARE, the somatic gesture may be a gentle self hug, or rocking
- Ask this version of yourself to take a break, have a rest, maybe sit down and relax for a period
- Ask this version of yourself if it's okay now to talk to the 'inner child' that the protector part is shielding
- Repeat the exercise while visualising the 'inner child' self
After this whole visualisation is complete, revisit what happened earlier that caused you stress, with new eyes and a more compassionate and clear perspective
If you need any support and to chat further, come and hang out with me in instagram at @the.connection.catalyst
Sharing with you my BIGGEST love
Lauren x
Find Me:
https://www.instagram.com/the.connection.catalyst/
Work With Me:
https://tr.ee/ZZ8e0CUUH3
Free Training:
https://tr.ee/f6HdNyp23Q
In this episode of The Connection Podcast, we’re uncovering one of the most overlooked challenges in modern relationships: Hypervigilance. While it may feel like a survival skill, Hypervigilance often creates disconnection, eroding trust and intimacy in ways that can go unnoticed.
We're going to dive deep into:
- How hypervigilance shows up in relationships and why it’s so common today.
- The hidden ways it keeps us stuck in cycles of defensiveness and emotional burnout.
- The role of the Nervous System in fueling this state of constant alertness.
- Practical steps to calm your Nervous System, rebuild trust, and create safety in your connection.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly on edge or exhausted from trying to "stay ahead" of potential conflict, this episode is for you. Tune in to learn how to reset at the root and create a relationship where both you and your partner can finally exhale.
Ready to break free from survival mode? Let’s get started.
Big love
Lauren X
Find Me:
https://www.instagram.com/the.connection.catalyst/
Work With Me:
https://tr.ee/ZZ8e0CUUH3
Free Training:
https://tr.ee/f6HdNyp23Q
Introducing the Amazing Diana Todd!
In marriage we say for richer and poorer - but what happens when money really does come in the middle?
What is the effect of your own - and your partners own - limiting beliefs around money, abundance, scarcity and the practicalities of where your spending styles meet? And clash.
We're going to dig into the statistics around how heavily this can effect our marriage - and what to do about it!
Diana Todd is the business accountant who cures tax anxiety and ensures her clients feel seen, heard, understood, and in control of their business money. Diana’s award-winning online accounting firm, Balance Tax Accountants, delivers stress-free tax services to the Australian small business community. Diana’s Higher Money coaching programs support purpose-led entrepreneurs in building wealthy, sustainable and profitable businesses.
Lauren Dry is The Connection Catalyst, helping Modern Marriages Reset at the Root by sharing with you the Missing links in between Modern and Traditional Therapies for Connection. Using the #1 Reset Skillset that's found in the RISE Rewiring System - claim back grounded and playful connection in a way that fits in with your busy life and works to support you to get back to enjoying what you've built.
Come and find Diana on Instagram at @itsdianatodd
Lauren is waiting here @the.connection.catalyst
And if you're ready to get stuck into your RISE free training guide, join us here https://riseintoregulation.mykajabi.com/4-keys-video-training-sign-up
Big love,
Lauren X