Episode Details

What happens when you know something is wrong in your relationship, but you keep convincing yourself that everything is fine?

In this episode of Surviving Toxic Relationships, Deana sits down with Marcelle LeBlanc, known as the Conversation Architect, to talk about why so many women struggle to identify what they truly want, speak up about what they need, and have the difficult conversations they have been avoiding.

Marcelle shares her own story of discovering on her ninth wedding anniversary that her husband had taken his girlfriend to the British Virgin Islands. When he was caught, he never came home. Marcelle was left to dismantle the life they had built together, including dealing with the financial hardship and debt he left behind.

That devastating experience eventually forced Marcelle to examine a much deeper question: Why had she spent so many years living according to other people's expectations instead of asking herself what she wanted?

Through her work with thousands of women, Marcelle began noticing a pattern. Many women recognize that something is wrong in their relationships long before they are willing to admit it. Instead of treating their concerns as important information, they explain them away, minimize their needs, hope things will improve, or remain silent because speaking up feels too frightening.

In this conversation, Deana and Marcelle discuss:

Why women can be incredibly confident professionally but struggle to communicate their needs in relationships

How people-pleasing and inherited expectations can keep women disconnected from what they actually want

Why resentment grows when small disappointments are never addressed

How to prepare for difficult conversations without losing your message in emotion

Why phrases like "you always" and "you never" can derail communication

What your partner's response to an honest conversation can reveal

Why speaking up in a toxic relationship can feel especially dangerous

How starting with small conversations can help you develop the confidence to address bigger issues

And why it is never too late to begin working on yourself

Sometimes the goal of an honest conversation isn't to save a relationship. Sometimes the conversation gives you the information you need to understand the relationship you're actually in.

If you've been telling yourself that you're asking for too much, that you should just be grateful, or that what you're experiencing is "normal," this conversation may help you begin asking a different question:

What do I actually want?

You are not alone. You are not crazy. You are deeply loved.

Connect with Marcelle LeBlanc:
One Key Conversation
https://onekeyconversation.com/

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Disclaimer:  The views expressed by our guests are their own, and this show is for educational purposes only. It is not therapy, medical, or professional advice, and listening does not create a therapeutic relationship. If you need personalized support, please reach out to a licensed pro