Join therapist and author Dr. Alison Cook as she guides you through tough challenges with wisdom, kindness, and grace. Together with friends and experts, the podcast unpacks the best of psychology from a faith-based perspective. You'll discover how to break free from painful patterns, mend your past, and find what brings out the best in you.
Episodes
Why We All Need Someone Who Will Tell Us the Truth
Today's Scripture: Exodus 18:13–24 (selected verses)
Have you ever had someone who loves you point out something about yourself that you didn't want to hear? Even when feedback comes from someone we trust, it can be uncomfortable to discover a blind spot. An encounter between Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro, offers a powerful picture of what becomes possible when we're willing to speak honest
When Being Right Becomes Cruel: Jesus' Masterclass in Confronting Cruelty
Today's Scripture: John 8:2–11
What happens when our certainty that we're right causes us to lose sight of another person's humanity? In a powerful encounter with a woman publicly humiliated by religious leaders, Jesus demonstrates a remarkable kind of strength. His response challenges the cruelty we sometimes justify in the name of righteousness—and offers a different way to confront wrongdoing.
How to Hold Onto Hope When You’re Afraid of Disappointment
Today's Scripture: Proverbs 13:12
Have you ever wanted something so deeply that the longer you wait, the more you begin to doubt yourself? Whether it's a relationship, an opportunity, or a dream you've worked toward for years, unfulfilled longing can create an exhausting inner battle between hope and fear. How do you honor what you deeply desire without becoming consumed by an outcome you can't c
How to Find Inner Strength Through the Armor of God
Today's Scripture: Ephesians 6:10–18
How do you become stronger on the inside when fear, doubt, or temptation threatens to pull you off course? In today's episode, we explore Paul's powerful image of the armor of God—and what it means to develop inner strength without relying on willpower alone.
We explore:
What it really means to be strong in God
The surprising connection between our cho
233: The Paradox of Surrender—How Letting Go of Control Makes Us More Free with Dr. Anna Lembke
Would we rather be in control than happy?
What happens when science, therapy, and sheer determination can't fix what's broken? Is there another way forward?
Dr. Anna Lembke, Stanford psychiatrist and bestselling author of Dopamine Nation, joins us for a fascinating conversation about her new book, Radical Surrender: Letting Go in a World Addicted to Control.
Anna shares how profound personal lo
When Your Anger Takes Over: How to Let Go Without Letting Injustice Win
Today's Scripture: Jonah 4:1–11
What happens when your anger is justified—but begins to take over? Anger can alert us to injustice, protect us from harm, and help us recognize what matters. But it can also keep us trapped in our own perspective. Through the surprising story of Jonah, we explore what happens when anger becomes entitlement—and how to find a wiser way forward.
We explore:
The d
How to Recognize Religious Manipulation and Spiritual Abuse
Today's Scripture: Luke 12:1–7
What happens when the people who are supposed to represent God's love use fear, shame, or control instead? Jesus has some surprisingly strong words for religious leaders who misuse their influence. Today, we explore what happens when religious hypocrisy distorts our view of God—and how to begin finding our way back to what is true.
We explore:
The hidden danger
How to Be Content When You're Lonely—Without Giving Up Hope
Today's Scripture: Psalm 142:1–5
How do you learn to be content when you're lonely and longing for companionship? Inspired by a listener's heartfelt question, today's episode explores how to honor the ache of loneliness without letting fear determine the rest of your story.
We explore:
Why loneliness isn't a failure of faith
What to do with the fear of being alone forever
What cont
Why You Keep Doing What You Don't Want to Do (And How to Change)
Today's Scripture: Romans 7:15
Have you ever wondered why you keep repeating a behavior you genuinely want to change? Sometimes it feels like there's a whole committee meeting inside your mind, with different parts of you pulling in different directions. Understanding these inner tensions can help you break free from old patterns without getting caught in shame and self-criticism.
Why diffe
232: When You Believe God Loves You, But Still Feel Like You Have to Earn It with Stasi Eldredge
What happens when you believe God loves you, but deep down, you still feel like you have to earn it?
For many of us, the way we experienced love growing up shapes the way we relate to God. We may know the right things about his love, yet find ourselves striving to be good enough, serve enough, or do enough to deserve it.
In today's conversation, Dr. Alison is joined by beloved author and speaker
How to Trust God When the Future Feels Uncertain
Today's Scripture: Exodus 16:4, 16, 19
When you're facing an uncertain future, it's natural to want a plan, some reassurance, or a glimpse of how everything will turn out. But what happens when God doesn't give you the clarity you're hoping for? The Israelites' experience in the wilderness offers a surprising lesson about uncertainty, daily provision, and learning to trust God one day at a time.
The Difference Between Sacrificial Love and Self-Abandonment
Today's Scripture: John 15:12–13
Jesus calls us to love sacrificially. But how do you know when you're making a healthy sacrifice for someone you love—and when you're slowly losing yourself in the process? The distinction matters, especially when you've learned to equate being a good Christian with always putting yourself last.
We explore:
What Jesus' own sense of belovedness teaches us abou
Why You Can't Stop People-Pleasing (Even When You Want To)
Today's Scripture: Proverbs 29:25
Have you ever said yes when you wanted to say no—or agreed with someone just to avoid conflict? People-pleasing can become an automatic response, especially when you've learned that keeping others happy is the safest way to maintain connection. But you can begin to change this pattern without losing your compassion for others.
We explore:
Why people-pleasin
How to Be Discerning Without Becoming Cynical
Today's Scripture: 1 John 4:1–2
How do you become wise about who to trust without growing suspicious of everyone? In a world full of charismatic leaders, confident voices, and competing spiritual claims, John's instruction to "test the spirits" offers a powerful way to practice discernment while keeping your heart open.
In today's episode, we explore:
What John really means by "testing the s
231: How to Know Who You Can Trust in a Narcissistic Age: Charisma, Character & the Signs of Real Change with Dr. Chuck DeGroat
How do you know you can trust someone?
In a world where charisma, confidence, and even vulnerability can be carefully performed, knowing who we can trust feels more important than ever.
In this powerful conversation, Dr. Alison sits down with longtime friend, therapist, and author Dr. Chuck DeGroat to explore what real character looks like, why genuine change is slower than we want it to be, and
3 Ways to Build Stronger, Healthier Friendships
Today's Scripture: Proverbs 27:9, 17
Finding good friends as an adult can be surprisingly difficult. Friendships change, life circumstances shift, and loneliness can creep in even when we're surrounded by people. Proverbs offers a beautiful picture of friendship that combines genuine enjoyment with the kind of honesty and wisdom that helps us grow.
In today's episode, we explore:
Two surpris
How to Stay Strong When Others Question Your Choices
Today's Scripture: Matthew 16:21–23
What happens when someone who genuinely loves you questions a decision you know you need to make? Even Jesus faced resistance from a close friend who wanted to protect him. His response reveals something surprising about the relationship between selflessness, inner strength, and staying true to your calling.
In today's episode, we explore:
Why even people
When You're Not Ready to Act: The Wisdom of Waiting on God
Today's Scripture: Psalm 31:14–20
Have you ever been in a painful situation where others are urging you to take action, but something deep within you is telling you to wait? There's a difference between avoiding a hard decision and discerning that the time to act hasn't yet come. Psalm 31 offers a powerful picture of what it means to face difficult circumstances honestly while entrusting yourself
When Your Mind Turns Against You: How to Resist the Lies
Today's Scripture: James 4:7 (listener request)
How do you know whether painful thoughts are coming from a wounded part of your soul or from spiritual opposition? When we're caught in cycles of rumination, self-criticism, or shame, discerning what's happening within us can be complicated. But we don't always have to identify the exact source of a thought to know how to respond to it.
We explore
230. When Rest Isn’t Enough: Dr. Henry Cloud on Burnout, Boundaries, and What Your Soul Needs
Have you ever wondered whether you're truly burned out or simply depleted? And what happens when, in the process of meeting everyone else's needs, you lose touch with important parts of yourself?
In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook sits down with Dr. Henry Cloud, clinical psychologist, leadership expert, and co-author of the trailblazing book, Boundaries, to explore how we can recognize burnout, res
What to Do When Someone Insists on Misunderstanding You
Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:28-30 (Listener request)
Have you ever felt like you're always the one being blamed or misunderstood in your family or relationships? When you're repeatedly cast as the difficult or sensitive one, it's easy to begin questioning your own perspective—and even your sense of who you are.
We explore:
*What family systems theory teaches us about scapegoating and the ro
Do You Want to Be Well? When Healing Doesn't Look Like You Expected
Today's Scripture: John 5:1-6
Is there an area of your life where you've longed for healing but have almost given up on things changing? Maybe you've prayed, sought help, and tried everything you know to do. Sometimes we become so accustomed to our circumstances—or so attached to a particular vision of healing—that we struggle to imagine what else might be possible.explore:
*Various ways we resp
When Your Soul Is Asking for Connection
Today's Scripture: Psalm 139:13–16
Have you ever found yourself reaching for your phone, looking for something to eat when you're not hungry, or compulsively checking things off your to-do list? Sometimes these are simply habits. But sometimes they're small signals from within—what I like to think of as your soul's bids for connection. In today's episode, we explore:*Why we are both wonderfully m
Letting God's Love Reach Every Part of You
Today's Scripture: Ephesians 3:14–21
You may know in your head that God loves you. But what does it mean to actually experience that love in the deepest places of who you are?In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on what it means to become rooted and established in love. She explores how God’s love can begin to reach the fearful, striving, and hurting parts of us—not just as something we believ
229. Why Your Soul Needs Quiet in a Noisy World with John Mark Comer
What happens when we finally get quiet enough to encounter ourselves, God, and what’s underneath all the noise?
In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook is joined by former pastor and New York Times bestselling author John Mark Comer to talk about his new book, Into the Quiet, and the surprisingly difficult practice of silence and solitude. They talk about what happens when we stop filling every empty sp
How to Stop Fighting the Season You’re In
Today's Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1–11
What if the season you’re in isn’t something to escape, but something to name honestly? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on the invitation to recognize the season of life you’re actually living. Some seasons hold joy, others grief, and many hold both at once. Naming what’s true can help us stop fighting reality and become more open to God’s presence w
Loving Your Inner Enemy
Today's Scripture: Luke 10:29–37
What if the part of you you most want to get rid of is also carrying something important?In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on the parable of the Good Samaritan and turns the story inward. She explores the parts of us we distrust, criticize, or try to push away—and how learning to meet those places with compassion can change the way we love God, ourselves, an
What to Do When Too Many Voices Are Pulling You Apart
Today's Scripture: Psalm 86:11
There are so many voices competing for our attention—telling us what to believe, what to fear, who to distrust, and where our loyalty belongs.In today’s episode, Dr. Alison returns to a simple prayer for an undivided heart. She explores what it looks like to become more deeply rooted in God, and how bringing every part of yourself honestly into God’s presence.Go Dee
228. The Surprising Problem With Trying to Be Secure: Attachment, Parts Work & Emotional Honesty with Dr. Marisa G. Franco
What happens when trying to be more secure (on the surface) backfires?
This week, Dr. Alison talks with Dr. Marisa Franco, about her new book, Worth. They explore a different way to think about anxious and avoidant attachment, the surprising science of how old memories continue to shape our present relationships, and why healing doesn’t require making someone else the villain.
They also talk abo
227. What Trusting God Really Looks Like When You Can’t Control the Outcome with Susie Larson
What happens to your capacity to trust God when life has taught you to brace for disappointment?
You may still believe God is good. You may know the Scriptures and have walked with Him for years. And yet there can be places inside of you that still struggle to trust His goodness toward you.
This week, Dr. Alison is joined by bestselling author and radio host Susie Larson for an honest conversati
226. When Sexual Wounding Shapes Your Story—or Someone You Love: Healing Shame, Trust, and the Body with Dr. Dan Allender
Sexual wounding shows up in so many different ways, and it affects so many men and women.
Maybe something happened that felt off, invasive, confusing, or inappropriate, but you told yourself it wasn’t a big deal. Maybe you’ve never used the words sexual abuse or sexual violation because what happened didn’t fit the picture you had in mind.
In this week’s episode, Dr. Alison is joined by tr
225. The Cost of Changing Yourself to Fit In—and How to Belong Without Abandoning Yourself with Dr. Patricia Hewlin
Have you ever walked into a room and almost automatically started adjusting yourself?
Maybe you hold back what you really think. You soften your opinions. You make yourself more agreeable. Not because you’re trying to be dishonest, but because some part of you wants to belong.
In this week’s episode, Dr. Alison is joined by behavioral scientist and Columbia University professor Dr. Patricia Hewl
224. The Feelings You Think a Mom Shouldn’t Have: What to Do With Shame, Resentment, and the Pressure to Get It Right
You love the kids you've been called to care for. You’re grateful most of the time.
But sometimes your hidden feelings are still, well.... complicated.
You may feel frustrated by how much is asked of you, lonely in the load you’re carrying, jealous of other moms who seem to have it easier, or ashamed that motherhood doesn’t always feel the way you thought it would.
In this week’s episode, Dr. A
Why the Loudest Person Isn’t Always the Wisest
Today’s Scripture: James 3:13–18
How do you know whether the voice guiding you is actually wisdom—or fear dressed up as certainty, responsibility, or discernment? James gives us a very different way to recognize wisdom: not by confidence, volume, or influence, but by the kind of fruit it produces.
You’ll learn:
*Why certainty and confidence can sometimes masquerade as wisdom*How fear can hide
223. The Hidden Trauma Behind People-Pleasing, Perfectionism & Self-Sufficiency with Sheila Wise-Rowe
What if some of the qualities you’ve learned to call “strength” are clues to a wound underneath?
You may be responsible, independent, productive, and good at taking care of everyone else. But when those patterns become extreme, they can sometimes point to wounds you’ve learned to carry alone.
In this week’s episode, Dr. Alison is joined by therapist and author Sheila Wise Rowe for a conversation
When You’re Overthinking the Next Right Step
Today’s Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:11–14
What if the next faithful step isn’t as far away as it feels? When fear and uncertainty take over, we can turn discernment into an exhausting search for perfect clarity. But Scripture offers a more grounded way forward: God’s wisdom is often nearer than we think.
You’ll learn:
*Why anxiety can make a simple decision feel impossible*How the search for cer
When You Try to Repair a Relationship—But They Won’t
Today's Scripture: Matthew 5:23-24 (Listener Request)What happens when you genuinely try to make things right—and the other person refuses to participate? Jesus takes reconciliation seriously, but that doesn’t mean you can force another person to acknowledge harm, tell the truth, or repair what has been broken.
You’ll learn:
*What Jesus’ command to “go and be reconciled” actually asks of you*Th
How to Be Assertive Without Being Harsh
Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 25:11–15
What do you do when you need to say something hard—but you don’t want to become harsh in the process? Proverbs gives us a surprising picture of strength: words that are clear and truthful, yet governed by patience, wisdom, and love. You’ll learn:
*Why speaking gently doesn’t mean avoiding hard conversations*How to tell the difference between assertiveness, ag
When “Love” Is Used to Cover Up Harm
Today's Scripture: 1 Peter 4:8–11 (Listener Request)
What does Scripture really mean when it says that “love covers over a multitude of sins”? Deep love protects dignity and makes room for mercy—but it also tells the truth, creates boundaries, and seeks genuine repair. You'll learn:
*The crucial difference between covering and covering up
*Why biblical love never requires you to hide ongoing
222. Why You Still Feel Insecure—and How to Build a Secure Soul
What if being secure doesn’t mean you never second-guess yourself?
If you replay conversations, second-guess yourself, worry about how you came across, or compare yourself to other people, you may assume security is something other people naturally have—and you somehow missed. But real security isn’t the absence of insecurity. It’s knowing where to return when insecurity shows up.
In this deeply
How to Build a Life in a Place You Didn’t Choose
Today's Scripture: Jeremiah 29:4–7
What do you do when your life looks nothing like the one you imagined? Today's scripture is a surprising invitation to stop postponing your life until everything changes, without pretending that what happened was good or that your grief doesn’t matter. You'll learn:
*Why acceptance is different from approval or giving up
*How fighting reality can keep your ner
When You Need Friends to Carry Hope for You
Today's Scripture: Mark 2:1–12
Sometimes you can pray, hope, and keep moving forward. And sometimes you simply can’t carry it all by yourself. Today's Scripture is powerful picture of what healing can look like in community—and a reminder that needing someone else to hold hope with you is not a failure of faith. You'll learn:
*The loneliness of self-sufficiency
*What the friends in Mark 2 teach
When You Need a Safe Place to Run
Today's Scripture: Proverbs 18:10
When fear rises, where do you run? We often reach instinctively for overthinking, control, numbing, busyness, or escape. But Scripture gives us another image. Today, we’ll explore what it means to run to the name of the Lord—not as a spiritual formula or magic phrase, but as a return to the character and presence of a God who is strong enough to hold what scares
The Fear Beneath Your Need for Control
Today's Scripture: Hebrews 2:14–18
Sometimes fear doesn’t feel like fear. It looks like staying ahead, planning for every possibility, holding people tightly, or never quite letting yourself rest. Hebrews 2 names a deeper fear beneath much of our striving: the fear of loss and death.
Today, we’ll explore how that fear quietly shapes our lives—and why Jesus frees us to loosen our grip and live m
221. How Attachment Wounds Shape the Way You Love—and Pray
What if the way you pray has more to do with your attachment patterns than you realize?
In this episode, Dr. Alison shares how her own prayer life changed as she became more securely attached—and the surprising shift that she didn’t understand at first. We’ll look at what attachment theory can teach us about the way we experience closeness, why deeply feeling or anxiously attached parts of us may
You’re Bruised, Not Broken
Today's Scripture: Isaiah 42:1–4
Sometimes you’re not falling apart—you’re simply bruised. You’re still functioning and showing up, but certain places inside feel tender, weary, or easily overwhelmed.
Today, we’ll explore what it means to receive God’s gentleness in the places where you’re hurting.
*Why being tender doesn’t mean you’re weak*How hurt can cause us to guard or criticize vulnerabl
When You Feel Too Messy to Be Loved
Today's Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13
Shame tells you to hide the parts of yourself that feel messy, reactive, needy, or disappointing. But Jesus does the opposite of what we often expect: He moves toward Matthew before Matthew has cleaned up his life. Today, we’ll look at what this story reveals about the heart of God and why the places you most want to hide may be the very places where mercy wants
When You’ve Stopped Expecting Anything Good To Happen
Today's Scripture: Psalm 30:1–5
Sometimes the hardest part of a painful season isn’t simply surviving it—it’s discovering that joy still feels far away even after the worst has passed. In Psalm 30, David makes room for both realities: the night is real, and it doesn’t get the final word.
Today, we’ll explore why joy can feel risky after grief or disappointment and how to begin receiving goodne
When You Feel Like You Don’t Belong
Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:14–26
What do you do when you feel like you don’t belong — or when you’ve learned to protect yourself by pretending you don’t need anyone? Today’s Scripture gives us Paul’s picture of the body, where every part matters and no part can say, “I don’t belong” or “I don’t need you.” This episode helps you recognize the strategies you use around belonging, stop meas
220. Is Your Faith Falling Apart—or Growing Deeper? With Ian Morgan Cron
What happens when the faith that once held you no longer feels like it can carry the questions you’re asking now?
You may still love God. You don’t want to leave your faith behind. But the beliefs, practices, or ways of relating to God that once sustained you begin to feel too small for the life you’re living.
In this week’s conversation, Dr. Alison is joined by bestselling author, psychotherapi
When Shame Makes You Feel Like Hiding
Today's Scripture: 2 Samuel 9:1–8What do you do when shame tells you that you are too damaged, too much, or too far behind to belong? Today’s Scripture tells the story of a wounded man who is hiding, and King David’s kindness that brings him back to the table. This episode helps you recognize the hiding place inside your soul, receive kindness without self-evisceration, and begin to trust that be
When You’re Afraid God Won’t Be Kind
Today's Scripture: Luke 11:9–13
What do you do when you believe God is good, but your body still braces when it’s time to ask him for help? Today’s Scripture speaks to the history beneath our prayers — the early experiences that taught us whether asking was safe, ignored, punished, or met with care. This episode helps you notice the inner flinch, honor the part of you that stopped asking, and beg
When Your Soul Feels Empty and Depleted
Today's Scripture: Psalm 107:4–9
What do you do when your soul feels empty, disoriented, or far from anything that feels like home? Today’s Scripture gives language for the part of us that is hungry, thirsty, wandering, and running on empty. This episode helps you stop shaming your depletion, recognize hunger as a signal, and cry out to the God who meets us with direction, belonging, and good th
When Spiritual Growth Starts to Feel Like Pressure
Today's Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3–8
What do you do when even spiritual growth starts to feel like another standard you’re failing to meet?
Today’s Scripture reminds us that growth begins not with deficiency, but with what God has already given. This episode helps you notice when healing turns into hustle, receive growth as participation with grace, and remember that the goal is not flawless self-m
219. Why Rejection Hurts So Much—and How to Stop Abandoning Yourself When It Happens
Rejection has a way of feeling bigger than the moment itself.
A missed invitation. An unanswered text. A friendship that seems to be slipping away. An opportunity that goes to someone else. Even when we can understand why it happened, something inside us can begin telling a much older story: I'm not enough. I don't belong. This always happens to me.
In this deeply personal solo episode, Dr. Alis
How to Start Rebuilding When Something Has Been Broken
Today's Scripture: Nehemiah 2:11–18
What do you do when something in your life has been broken for a long time, but rebuilding feels overwhelming?
Today’s Scripture shows us that restoration often begins by honestly looking at the damage, listening for what God is stirring, and taking one faithful next step. This episode helps you name what has been left unprotected, discern what is yours to re
How to Stay Tender Without Being Naive
Today's Scripture: Mark 10:13–16
What do you do when being tender, dependent, or open feels risky?
Today’s Scripture shows Jesus welcoming the children others tried to push aside — and inviting us to receive the kingdom like a child. This episode helps you reconnect with the tender, curious, receptive part of you without abandoning wisdom, discernment, or strength.
You’ll learn:
*Why childlik
What to Do When Pain Makes God Feel Far Away
Today's Scripture: Psalm 73:21–28
What do you do when pain, bitterness, fear, or loneliness makes it hard to sense that God is near?
Today’s Scripture gives language for the honest ache of feeling disconnected from God while still being held by him. This episode helps you practice recognizing what is happening inside of you and returning to the love that has never left.
You’ll learn:
*Why fe
When You’re Exhausted From Proving You’re Good Enough
Today's Scripture: Titus 3:3–7What happens when even your faith begins to feel like another place where you have to prove yourself?
Today’s Scripture reminds us that God saves and renews us not because of how well we perform, but because of His kindness, love, and mercy. This episode will help you recognize when good qualities such as responsibility, faithfulness, and helpfulness are being drive
218. From Panic Attack to Survivor Season 50 Winner: How Aubry Bracco Learned to Trust Herself Again
What if the greatest risk isn't failing?
What if it's losing yourself while trying to succeed?
In this episode, Dr. Alison sits down with Survivor 50 winner Aubry Bracco for a conversation about resilience, identity, and what it means to stay grounded in yourself through both success and disappointment.
Aubry shares the deeply personal journey behind her years on Survivor—from experiencing a pa
When Your Pain Is Misunderstood
Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:10–18
What do you do when someone misreads your pain and assumes the worst about you?
Today’s Scripture introduces us to Hannah, whose anguish is mistaken for wrongdoing even as she is pouring out her soul to God. Her story reminds us that other people may misunderstand your tears, your reactions, or the years behind your pain—but God does not. This episode will he
How Jesus Meets You in Grief
Today's Scripture: John 11:17–27, 32–36
What do you do when grief leaves you wondering where God was—and why He didn’t intervene?
Today’s Scripture shows us a Jesus who does not rush past sorrow, shame us for our questions, or demand that hope replace our tears. He enters the place of pain and weeps with us. This episode will help you honor your grief without mistaking it for a failure of faith
When You Feel Alone—and Wonder Where God Is
Today's Scripture: Psalm 145:8–18What do you do when loneliness starts to make you question God’s nearness?
Today’s Scripture reminds us that God does not ask us to come with polished words, tidy emotions, or perfect faith. God draws near when we call on him in truth. This episode will help you bring your actual self into God’s presence, including the parts of you that feel angry, unseen, disapp
How to Know If It’s Your Inner Critic or Conviction
Today's Scripture: 1 John 3:18–20
What do you do when the harshest voice in your life is the one inside you? Today’s Scripture helps us distinguish between true conviction, which leads to repair and life, and self-condemnation, which crushes us with shame. This episode helps you recognize the inner critic, notice when self-criticism starts to sound spiritual, and rest your heart in the presence o
217. What to Do When You’re the Only One Trying: Leslie Vernick on Emotionally Destructive Relationships
Every marriage goes through difficult seasons.
But what happens when you're the only one willing to do the work?
When every conversation ends in blame, defensiveness, or silence? When you're trying to repair the relationship, but your partner refuses to take responsibility?
In this week's episode, Dr. Alison sits down with licensed clinical social worker and relationship expert Leslie Vernick t
How to Believe What God Says About You
Today's Scripture: Judges 6:11–16What do you do when God calls you beloved, strong, courageous, or capable — but a part of you does not believe it applies to you? Today’s Scripture shows God meeting Gideon while he is afraid and hiding, then calling him a “mighty warrior.” This episode helps you notice the old stories you’ve been living under and begin trusting God’s presence more than your fear,
How to Stop Silencing What You Need
Today's Scripture: Luke 18:35–43
What do you do when you’ve learned to swallow your needs, lower your voice, or stop asking for help? Today’s Scripture shows a blind man crying out to Jesus while the crowd tells him to be quiet — and Jesus stops to listen. This episode helps you notice where you’ve been trained into silence, reclaim the dignity of your longing, and answer Jesus’ question: “What d
What to Do When You Can’t Feel God Anymore
Today's Scripture: Psalm 77:1–12
What do you do when you believe in God, keep showing up, and still feel nothing? Today’s Scripture gives language for spiritual desolation — the ache of crying out to God and not feeling comforted. This episode helps you bring honest questions to God, understand why distress can make it hard to feel what you know, and practice remembering when God feels far away.
When You’re Tired of Being the Strong One
Today's Scripture: Colossians 1:15–20
What do you do when your nervous system believes everything depends on you? Today’s Scripture reminds us that it is in Christ (not in our own control)that all things hold together.
This episode helps you recognize over-responsibility, release what was never yours to carry, and learn how to participate in love without becoming the hidden center of everyone e
216. Forgiveness Without Self-Abandonment: How to Forgive Without Ignoring the Harm with Amy Orr-Ewing
"Can I forgive someone and still keep healthy boundaries?"
"Why does forgiveness still feel impossible?"
Forgiveness is one of the most beautiful teachings of the Christian faith—and one of the most misunderstood.
Many of us learned that forgiveness meant moving on quickly, letting go of our anger, or restoring a relationship before trust had been rebuilt. But what if forgiveness isn't about mi
Stop Letting Fear Make You Feel Smaller Than You Are
Today's Scripture: Numbers 13:25–33
What do you do when fear makes a hard conversation, new opportunity, or uncertain future feel bigger than your capacity to face it? Today’s Scripture shows how fear can distort self-perception, magnify obstacles, and make us feel like “grasshoppers in our own eyes.”
This episode helps you notice fear without letting it shrink your sense of God, yourself, or w
How to Love Someone Without Trying to Control Them
Today's Scripture: Luke 13:34–35
**Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**What do you do when someone you love will not come close, receive help, or change the pattern that is hurting them? Today’s Scripture gives us a tender and honest picture of Jesus longing to gather Jerusalem like a hen gathers her chicks —and grieving that they were not willing.
This episode helps you lo
How to Stop Obsessing Over Someone Who Hurt You and Seems to Be Winning
Today's Scripture: Psalm 37:1–8
What do you do when someone who hurt you seems to be winning? Today’s Scripture speaks into the anger, grief, resentment, and fixation that can rise up when people do harm and appear to get away with it.
This episode helps you care about justice without letting someone else’s wrongdoing take over your inner life. You’ll learn:
*Why “do not fret” means more than
When God Doesn’t Remove the Thing You Begged Him to Change
Today's Scripture: 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 **Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**What do you do when you’ve prayed for something to change—and it still hasn’t? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on one of the most uncomfortable passages in the New Testament: Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Paul pleads with God three times for it to be removed, and God does not remove it. Instead
215. 5 Toxic Patterns + The Family Role You Didn’t Choose But Still Carry
Have you ever noticed how quickly old patterns resurface when you're around family?
Maybe you find yourself walking on eggshells. Struggling to voice your preferences. Feeling responsible for everyone else's emotions. Or slipping back into roles you thought you'd left behind years ago.
In this episode, Dr. Alison revisits one of the most requested conversations from the podcast, exploring how th
Help May Be Closer Than You Think
Today's Scripture: Genesis 21:14–19
What if the help you need is closer than you can see right now? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on the story of Hagar in the wilderness—a woman who had been used, cast out, and left to survive what she did not choose. When the water runs out, Hagar reaches the end of herself. But God hears, draws near, and opens her eyes to a well that was already there
What To Do When You Step Out in Faith and Start to Panic
Today's Scripture: Matthew 14:22–33**Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**Have you ever taken a risk, stepped out in faith, and then wondered if you made a mistake? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on the story of Peter walking on water toward Jesus. Peter begins with courage, but when the wind picks up, fear takes over and he starts to sink. This passage reminds us that
When Your Spirit Feels Drained and You’re Barely Holding On
In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on David’s honest prayer: “My spirit fails.” This is not a polished prayer or a failure of faith. It is a truthful prayer from a depleted soul. If you’re still functioning on the outside but feel dry, drained, or quietly unraveling on the inside, this passage gives you language for coming to God exactly as you are.
We explore:
*Why depletion is not lazine
What If I Believe I Don’t Deserve Anything?
Today's Scripture: Ephesians 1:3–12
**Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.**
Why is it so hard to receive a love that's freely given—especially if you’ve learned that love has to be earned, approval is conditional, or goodness is for other people? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison Cook reflects on Paul’s astonishing words about blessing, belovedness, adoption, redemption, forgiv
214. The Difference Between God's Voice and Spiritual Manipulation with Theologian Steven Tracy
Scripture is powerful.
It has the power to comfort, guide, convict, and restore. But when it's taken out of context or used to control, it can also leave deep wounds.
In this conversation, Dr. Alison sits down with theologian and Mending the Soul co-founder Dr. Steven Tracy to explore how Scripture can be used as medicine—or as poison—for those who have experienced abuse.
Together, they unpack
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