Debra Stangl & Richard Kepple: Why Do College Relationships Fail

Debra Stangl spent 20 years as a divorce attorney before founding Sedona Soul Adventures in 2002. What she noticed in those courtrooms was telling: most people didn't actually want divorce. They wanted the disconnection, resentment, and emotional reactivity to stop. She watched clients cycle through second and third relationships repeating the exact same painful dynamics. That observation shaped everything she now teaches about emotional safety, nervous system patterns, and what she calls "the gunk" beneath recurring conflict, topics that translate directly into how college students navigate consent, communication, and campus relationship culture. Her forthcoming September 2026 book "High-Vibe Relationship" brings it all into focus. Love usually isn't the problem. The unhealed pain between people is.

Richard Kepple built a successful Silicon Valley career before surviving a life-altering stroke that profoundly transformed his understanding of healing, vulnerability, purpose, love, and what truly matters in life. After his stroke, Richard wanted to give back and started teaching at the university level. After marrying Debra in 2017, he became her partner in Sedona Soul Adventures, bringing a rare combination of analytical thinking, emotional insight, neuroscience, spirituality, and transformational relationship work into the evolution of Sedona Soul Adventures, which led to the creation of the High-Vibe System™.

In episode 695 of the Fraternity Foodie Podcast, we find out why Debra felt people wanted relief from emotional pain but not actually want a divorce, how Richard's experience as a stroke survivor reshaped his understanding of vulnerability and connection, what inspired them to write "High-Vibe Relationship", what unhealthy patterns they see starting during college that often continue into adulthood, why college relationships fail, why people repeat the same patterns in relationships, why communication is not the root issue, how to have difficult conversations, and how to be emotionally safe for your friends and partners. Enjoy!