Improv-Based Relationship Coaching

with Sara McMahon

Put down your phones and laugh till you cry

Build Relationships That Thrive on Joy, Not Just Survival

You want to be playful with your partner. You want to laugh mid-laundry, dance in the kitchen, whisper something ridiculous just to see them smile. You want to be honest without it always turning into a “we need to talk” moment.

But life is loud. Schedules clash. Work-from-home blurs into never-off-duty. Caregiving, inboxes, and the mental load of adulting leave little oxygen for spontaneity.

You try to initiate something light, and suddenly—boom. You’re arguing about the dishwasher. Or freezing in silence because the moment felt too tender to risk. One partner cracks a joke, the other’s still in spreadsheet mode. You reach for connection, and it slips through the cracks.

You’re not broken. You’re just human. And the barriers to play are real:

What’s Getting in the Way of Play?

Perfectionism & fear of rejection

“What if I look stupid?” “What if they don’t laugh?”You make a sock puppet and say “hello” in a funny voice. They blink and say, “Are you okay?”

Time scarcity & blurred boundaries:

Especially when working from home, it’s hard to know when “us time” begins. You sit on the couch together. One answers emails. The other watches them, waiting.

Mental load & stress

Work, caregiving, global crises—who has energy left? You plan a surprise picnic. They can’t enjoy it because they’re worried about finances.

Digital distractions:

It’s easier to scroll than to initiate something silly. You both laugh at the same meme. But haven’t looked at each other in hours.

Unspoken rules & mismatched timing:

One partner’s playful moment might interrupt the other’s focus. You toss a pillow. He’s mid-tax prep.

Cultural conditioning:

Many of us were taught that play is childish, or that silliness isn’t “sexy.” (Can be quite the opposite, in fact.) You reach for your partner’s hand to twirl them in the kitchen. They smile, and say, “I don’t know how to be silly anymore.”

Imagine…

A relationship where you’ve mapped the terrain of play. No more falling into quicksand!

You notice judgment creeping in—and choose curiosity instead.

You’ve built emotional safety, developing shared signals for play. Initiating play may be with a whisper of silliness, or perhaps a grand gesture.

Play coexists with hard conversations and serious responsibilities. 

Moments of low energy or high stress are met with, “I’ve got your back.”. 

Play isn’t just fun—it’s intimacy. It’s resilience. 

You offer play; a bid for connection. Your bid is met with warmth, the relationship grows stronger, you feel more joyful, more alive.

Laughter comes as a full-body experience, letting you know you’re where you want to be.

You feel the ease of dropping into playful states. 

You can come to your partner with an impromptu bit of weirdness and know it will be accepted—and even mirrored back with love.

Playful Partnerships

Playful Partnerships is a four-session coaching experience designed specifically for those wanting to reignite joy, deepen emotional connection, and build a sustainable habit of play—even in the midst of stress, fatigue, or relational stuckness.

This isn’t therapy. It’s not a performance class. It’s the only improv-based relationship coaching program that blends emotional safety, neuroscience-backed practices, and creative play to help couples laugh more, fight less, and love better.

You’ll learn how to:

  • Initiate play without fear of rejection, which means you’ll stop second-guessing yourself and start connecting with confidence.

  • Build emotional safety for spontaneity, so that even your weirdest, silliest moments feel welcomed—not judged.

  • Interrupt stress and routine with playful rituals, which means joy becomes part of your daily rhythm—not something you have to schedule.

  • Develop a shared language for play, so that you and your partner know how to meet each other in humor, even when words fail.

    Book your spot now and start building the kind of relationship that feels like a safe space to be your full, weird, wonderful selves.

Meet Your Coach: Sara McMahon

I’m Sara—applied improv facilitator, papercut artist, and educator, with over 15 years of experience helping people reconnect through creativity, play, and emotional safety. My work lives at the intersection of art, neuroscience, and relational joy. I’ve led rooms of 200 and intimate workshops for two, always with the same goal: to help people feel more alive, more connected, and more free to be their full selves.

My training with Graydin Coaching means we will always Start with Heart, my Level 1 couple’s counseling course with The Gottman Institute means we will be grounded in long-studied relationship building techniques, and my improv training means we will weave the spirit of Yes, and… through everything we do together.

I know what it’s like to feel stuck in relational routines. I also know how transformative it is to laugh again, to be silly again, to feel like you’re truly seen. That’s why I created The Playful Partnership—to help couples build a relationship that feels like a safe space to be weird, tender, and wildly alive together.

Real People, Real Results

 “Sara’s coaching was foundational to the health and vibrancy of our relationship—not just in how we relate as partners, but in how we’ve grown individually. Even in difficult moments, we’re able to recognize and receive each other’s loving gestures because of the grounding we built through this work.“The skills we learned continue to shape how we show up for each other. Totally worth it!”

Tony D

"Sara is an incredible coach whose work has transformed the way I’m able to show up for myself and my loved ones. As an introvert with a lifelong fear of improv, I reached out to Sara when I realized how much my fear of making mistakes was keeping me stuck. Through improv-based coaching, I’ve found so much more trust in myself and in my ability to meet any moment as it is, rather than how I wish it to be. Sara brings a compassionate and joyful approach to every session and has a gift for welcoming people into any space. She’s helped me understand just how much I already improvise in my daily life, and I’m more capable and confident to explore the unknown now. And play – an essential life skill! – has become a habit for me. Sara’s work is what we’ve all needed and never knew existed until now, and I can’t recommend her highly enough!"

Susan Davies

What’s Included in Playful Partnership Coaching

A four-session coaching experience designed to help couples reignite joy, build emotional safety, and make play a sustainable part of their relationship.

  • What You’ll Get

  • Four 60-minute coaching sessions via Zoom

  • Personalized guidance and reflection prompts between sessions

  • Improv-based exercises tailored to your relationship dynamic

  • Tools to initiate and respond to play with confidence

  • A repeatable framework for integrating play into daily life

  • One copy of The Playdate Deck for continuing your play between sessions

  • How We’ll Work Together

    Each session builds on the last, moving from awareness to practice to integration:

  • Session 1: Mapping the Terrain
    Identify personal and relational barriers to play and begin rewriting the “rules.”

  • Session 2: Building Emotional Safety
    Create trust and shared language for initiating and receiving play.

  • Session 3: Rewiring the Patterns
    Practice new forms of play and explore how they shift emotional dynamics.

  • Session 4: Sustaining the Joy
    Reflect, celebrate, and create a plan for keeping play alive long-term.

  • Timeline & Milestones

  • Sessions are scheduled weekly or biweekly based on your availability

  • You’ll receive optional homework prompts to play with between sessions

  • Most couples begin noticing shifts in connection and ease by the first session

  • Investment

  • $600 total for the full four-session experience

  • Next Steps

  • Click the button below to book your free discovery call

  • We’ll begin with a warm, playful kickoff session to set the tone and talk about your hopes for our time together.

The Playdate Deck: Your at-home coaching tool

My approach  is different because I use improv not as entertainment, but as a relational tool to build trust, dissolve tension, and spark laughter that actually heals. This approach  inspired me to create The Playdate Deck, a 65-card deck of two-person improv-based games for strengthening connection. People tell me the deck has become a key resource in their relationships—something they reach for when words fail or stress takes over. A cheat code for dropping into play quickly and easily. 

All Playful Partnership clients will receive The Playdate Deck as part of their enrollment.

“I love this deck! Not only are they fun, brief, and portable but the games have allowed me to connect with my partner of 14 years in completely new ways. I have had surprising insights about our relationship, our communication patterns, and have learned about myself in the process. Practicing how to "yes, and" my partner has carried over into our day-to-day lives creating more spontaneity and harmony. After I play the games, even for a few minutes, I feel more gratitude and appreciation for my husband. It has brought fun, levity and connection into our lives.” Kristen B-

 FAQs

  • Play looks different for everyone. You don’t need to be naturally goofy or extroverted to benefit. The coaching helps you discover your own authentic style of play—whether it’s quiet, quirky, physical, verbal, or creative—and builds a shared language that works for both partners.

  • Each session is a guided conversation and playful practice space. You’ll explore personal and relational barriers to play, experiment with new ways to initiate and respond though play, and co-create rituals that feel natural and mutual. The sessions are structured but flexible, with room for reflection, laughter, and real talk.

  • No—this is coaching. While it may feel therapeutic at times, the focus is on growth, creativity, and relational dynamics rather than clinical diagnosis or treatment. If you’re navigating trauma or deep conflict, therapy may be a better fit—or a complementary support alongside coaching.

  • That’s part of the point. Play often gets lost in the shuffle of adult life. These sessions are designed to fit into real schedules and help you find low-effort, high-impact ways to reconnect—even when time and energy are limited.

  • Play doesn’t require everything to be perfect. In fact, it can be a lifeline during hard times. The coaching honors your emotional state and helps you find gentle, accessible ways to stay connected—even when words fail or energy is low.

  • You’ll start to notice ease. Laughter that comes from the body, not just the mouth. Moments of spontaneous weirdness that feel safe and welcomed. A sense of trust that your bids for connection won’t be dismissed. And a growing confidence that play belongs in your relationship—not as an escape, but as a form of intimacy.

  • The full experience includes four sessions for $600. Sessions are held virtually, so you can participate from anywhere. Each session lasts about 60 minutes, and you’ll receive optional homework between sessions to deepen the work.

  • You bet! Let’s play some games together to add to your playfulness toolbox!

Playfulness is the Emotional and Relational Fuel Your Relationship Needs.

Whether you’re navigating stress, stuck in routine, or just craving more laughter, I’ll help you build a relationship that feels like a safe space to be your full, weird, wonderful selves.

This isn’t therapy. It’s not a performance class. It’s a guided invitation to rediscover the joy of being together—and to build a practice of play that lasts.

Let’s make space for the weird, the tender, the hilarious. Let’s bring play back to the center—where it belongs.