The Functional Love Podcast is

a behind the scenes, in-depth view of our insights, thoughts, skills and tools as marriage therapists and relationship coaches. Over decades, we’ve guided clients navigating divorces, affairs, addictions, slumps, in-laws, mid-life crises, falling out of love, life transitions, open relationships and changes in sexual and gender identities. Episodes include in depth answers to intimate relationship questions posed by clients and listeners, as well as interviews with power couples who have unique experiences to share.

Hosted by Lori Kret, LCSW, BCC

Lori Kret and her husband, Jeff Cole, are the founders of Aspen Relationship Institute (ARI) and Functional Love, an integrative model for working with couples. They are both licensed therapists and board certified coaches with decades of experience working with individuals and couples in all stages of relationship.

Functional Love:

The integration of awareness and action in relationships.

The inspiration of Functional Love is rooted in the practice of functional medicine, a modality that focuses on identifying and treating the root causes of challenges. Our approach to relationships emphasizes dropping below the symptoms (the content, fights, stalemates and surface patterns) to explore and heal the underlying hurts, fears and vulnerabilities that are at the core of conflict. Through this process, couples, family members, partners and friends enhance connection by broadening awareness of their internal experiences, strengthening safety and deepening emotional intimacy. Our method applies attachment theory, emotion focused therapy and love languages to improve the five key elements of a healthy, lasting and fulfilling relationship.

4 Steps to Healthy Communication

Learn the four key steps to creating healthy communication regarding any topic or conflict. Create safe conversations, find lasting resolution, build connection and emotional intimacy and strengthen the bond of your relationship. Discover how emotional fight-or-flight derails most communication in relationships and how to stop and correct course when conversations are beginning to devolve. Minimize the intensity and duration of conflict and avoid interactions that create wounds.

Lori KretMarch 27, 2025

10 Qualities of A Healthy Relationship

Learn what we’ve identified as the 10 core characteristics needed for relationships to be fulfilling and lasting. Moving beyond the basics of trust and communication, we also explore attachment, interdependence, and mutual validation.

Lori KretMarch 27, 2025

The Trauma Triangle

The Trauma Triangle (or Drama Triangle in interactions with less emotional charge) is a dynamic that many couples experience, and can easily become locked into. The triangle consists of three roles: Victim, Perpetrator and Rescuer. These roles are often unconsciously assigned. An individual who feels vulnerable, hurt or wronged will look to their partner for emotional soothing, and if that soothing isn’t provided, the partners is viewed as a perpetrator of further hurt. In this episode, you’ll learn more about how this triangle shows up, the costs of staying locked in it, and what the goal is for couples who are experiencing it.

Lori KretMarch 27, 2025