🌿 Feel Distant in Your Marriage—But Still Deeply Want to Reconnect?
When anxiety, emotional overload, or daily stress take over, your marriage doesn’t have to quietly fall apart.
Chaos to Connection: A Marriage Wellness Journey
A transformative experience for busy married couples ready to rebuild emotional connection, deepen communication, and feel safe with each other again—even when anxiety is part of the story.
💬 Sound Familiar?
“My spouse doesn’t understand what I’m going through—especially my anxiety.”
“I don’t even feel like I can share my true feelings without it turning into tension.”
“We never see each other anymore, and when we do, we’re both too exhausted to connect.”
“Can’t my spouse just help me put the kids to bed so I can breathe for a second?”
“Why don’t you ever listen to me—or see how overwhelmed I really am?”
If these thoughts hit home, you're not alone—and you don’t have to navigate this season in silence or isolation.
🧠 When One or Both Partners Struggle with Anxiety, It Affects Everything
Maybe you’re carrying the weight of it all—meals, kids, work, emotional labor—and wondering how your relationship became so disconnected.
Maybe anxiety shows up in your body—tight chest, racing mind, short fuse—or maybe it’s your spouse who’s overwhelmed, shut down, or emotionally unavailable.
You’re not yelling, but you’re not really connecting either.
You’re not breaking up, but you’re not growing.
And beneath the surface, you're asking:
“Is this what marriage is supposed to feel like?”
💔 You Love Each Other, But It’s Starting to Feel Like You’re Just Roommates
It’s been too long since you touched, flirted, laughed, or even made eye contact without tension.
You love each other—but right now, your marriage feels like it’s stuck on autopilot.
And somewhere deep down, you’re wondering…
Can we really get back to the connection we once had?
🕊️ Here’s the Truth:
You’re not broken.
Your marriage isn’t beyond repair.
And you are not alone in this.
When anxiety, emotional overload, or mental strain is in the picture—even when it’s not caused by the relationship—it silently impacts everything.
But it doesn’t have to stay that way.
🌱 It’s Time for a New Chapter
✨ A chapter where you stop walking on eggshells
✨ Where communication feels safe and honest
✨ Where emotional intimacy returns—without more stress
🌿 Welcome to: Chaos to Connection
A Marriage Wellness Journey for Couples Who Are Ready to:
✔️ Rebuild emotional and physical intimacy
✔️ Communicate with clarity, empathy, and confidence
✔️ Feel emotionally secure—even in the presence of anxiety
✔️ Strengthen your bond while balancing work, parenting, and real life
Let’s help you stop just surviving—and start thriving… together.
Hi, I’m Michelle Pettengill–
I’m a Marriage Coach for busy, married couples who feel distant and on the verge of separation. I help couples rebuild emotional connection through deep communication, emotional intimacy, and nervous system safety—so they can strengthen their marriage and protect their mental wellness, without adding more stress to their already chaotic lives.
In addition, I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and mental health therapist for adults experiencing symptoms of anxiety. I support individuals who struggle with constant worry, emotional overwhelm, and lack of self-care or social support—helping them regulate their nervous system and restore a sense of balance and calm in their daily lives.
Twenty-two years ago, my now-husband and I were in love—but struggling. Disagreements escalated quickly, emotions ran high, and I felt unheard. I thought yelling would get my point across, while he shut down. We were stuck in unhealthy communication patterns, and it was exhausting.
During my Master’s in Social Work, I realized our struggles weren’t unique—many couples face emotional distance, miscommunication, and disconnection. But with the right tools, transformation is possible.
Fast forward to today—our marriage isn’t perfect, but it’s strong, connected, and built on deep communication. We’ve learned to listen, support, and truly understand each other.
And I want that for you too.
That’s why I created Chaos to Connection: A Marriage Wellness Journey—to help busy couples rebuild emotional intimacy, communicate effectively, and feel excited about their marriage again.
If you’re ready to shift from chaos to connection, let’s start your journey today. Because your marriage is worth it.
💙 Michelle
“The greatest marriages are built on teamwork. A mutual respect, a healthy dose of admiration, and a never-ending portion of love and grace.”
– Fawn Weaver
Imagine Waking Up to a Marriage That Feels Like a True Partnership
What if you could wake up feeling supported, loved, and safe to express your feelings—
without fear of judgment or defensiveness?
What if you and your spouse felt heard, appreciated, and aligned in your personal and shared goals,
Picture a relationship where…
💙 You don’t have to defend yourself when sharing emotions or receiving feedback.
💙 There’s compromise, validation, and appreciation—instead of frustration and resentment.
💙 You both step up for each other and let go of the little things.
💙 Arguments happen, but they lead to connection, attunement, and understanding.
💙 You feel balanced—between "us" time, "me" time, kid time, and social time.
💙 Conversations go beyond work and kids, bringing back excitement and curiosity.
💙 You touch, snuggle, flirt, and genuinely look forward to being together.
This is the kind of marriage you deserve—and it’s absolutely possible.
What Does Coaching look like with Me?
What Does Coaching look like with Me?
In our 60-minute marriage coaching sessions, we go beyond surface-level advice and get to the heart of what’s keeping you disconnected. We begin with a Personalized Self-Care & Mental Wellness Reset—because when each partner understands their own stress patterns, nervous system responses, and emotional needs, connection becomes easier and more natural. From there, we move into the Marriage Wellness Plan, a step-by-step approach to navigating conflict with empathy and clarity, so you can experience emotional safety instead of shutdown.
You'll learn about your attachment and response styles, develop emotionally focused communication strategies (inspired by EFT), and receive practical tools to reignite emotional responsiveness and intimacy—without adding more stress to your lives. I also offer support for unique challenges like different parenting styles, helping you align as a team.
These sessions are a mix of deep reflection, real-time tools, and compassionate guidance—all designed to help you feel seen, supported, and hopeful again. Whether your marriage feels stuck in “roommate mode” or you’re navigating anxiety and emotional distance, our work together helps you move from chaos to connection—one grounded step at a time.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
COACHING & THERAPY?
Coaching:
does not treat mental illness
focus on the present & future
identify problems, accept them, & modify them - basically the “how”
focused on behaviors & achieving goals
get unstuck by problem solving & launching forward
flexibility
provides accountability, flexibility, action plans, & encouragement
usually short term service
Therapy:
treats mental illness
focus on past & present
analyze past to understand current behaviors/needs then work to shift the pattern(s)
focused on cognitions, thoughts
helps with reducing symptoms and healing from past hurts/traumas
work with licensed professionals who diagnose
need to follow ethical guidelines
usually longer term service