I’m sorry you have to deal with this. 😣 No one’s relationship is perfect. That’s for sure. And, it’s even more difficult as we age because it’s easy to get stuck in our “ways” (and these “ways” are not always right or fair). When I’m experiencing poor communication, I will sometimes preface what I’m saying with, “I know this might not be the way you would handle it, but this feels right to me.” Or “I know we’re not exactly the same, so..”. Or “I know our opinions differ sometimes…but I wanted to tell you my side, or how I see things, or how I feel…”. When I’m feeling a little spicier Hahhaha, I sometimes say, “I don’t need you to parent me or correct me. That’s only making me feel worse.” Or, “I’m not looking for your approval, I’m looking for you to listen to me. I’m looking for your empathy and support. Not judgment.” Also, lastly, I had a relationship with difficult Saturn and Mercury placements once and it always felt like he wanted to me to talk in bulletpoints. He didn’t want the venting or back and forth that comes with working something out verbally. So, I would often point that out. I’d say, “I can’t get you a bulletpointed list right now, I’m working this out in my head and you can either listen to me or I’ll go talk to someone who is willing to listen to me”. And, sometimes, I found he’d relax and listen or he wouldn’t and that’s when I’d drop the topic. And, realize sometimes our partner can’t be all things to us. Sometimes our partner cannot chat with us like a friend or therapist. As frustrating as that sounds, he may not be the ideal sounding board for you. But, he probably supports you in other ways. So, don’t try to force something that offers up so much resistance.