Marriage can be challenging in any season of life—but when you’re raising a child with disabilities or special needs, the demands of caregiving can put extraordinary pressure on your relationship.
In this episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie sits down with licensed professional clinical counselor Angela Vinokur, who specializes in working with couples and families, including connection, communication, and relationship repair. Angela shares part of her own unexpected story of betrayal, divorce, healing, and how God ultimately used those experiences to lead her into counseling and marriage work.
Together, Carrie and Angela talk honestly about what happens when marriage gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list because a child’s needs are so demanding. Angela shares practical ways couples can create “rituals for connection,” even when traditional date nights aren’t possible.
You’ll also hear about:
- Why healthy marriages require skills we aren’t necessarily taught
- How caregiving can lead couples toward resentment, distance, and functioning more like roommates
- The importance of fairness and shared responsibility in a caregiving marriage
- What co-regulation looks like between spouses
- What marital repair really means—and why couples need to learn how to repair after conflict
- Why couples shouldn’t wait until they’re in crisis to seek counseling
- And how spouses can remember that they are on the same team
Angela leaves caregivers with an important reminder: you are seen, you are not alone, and your marriage is worth caring for—even in the middle of an incredibly demanding season.
Eps. 59; September 14, 2026
Resources:
Angela’s Website
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*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.
