Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol: Recent Episodes
Dr. Carol Peters-Tanksley
Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol is a weekly podcast dedicated to helping men, women, and couples experience good health, loving relationships and joyful spirituality that Jesus came to bring.
Have you ever experienced a season where God felt distant, your prayers felt unanswered, or your faith seemed harder than it used to be? What if those moments are not signs that something is wrong, but invitations into a deeper kind of transformation? In this episode, Dr. Carol talks with author Tish Harrison Warren about the unexpected spiritual growth that can happen in seasons of uncertainty, weariness, and longing. Tish shares from her own journey of feeling distant from God and discovering that the way God meets us often changes as we mature. She reflects on how these seasons revealed her desire for control rather than surrender—and how learning to trust God's presence brought greater freedom, joy, and deeper relationships, including with her teenage daughter.
Together, they explore the ancient Christian understanding of "desert seasons" and why spiritual dryness has long been recognized as a place of profound formation. Drawing from the wisdom of the desert fathers and mothers, Tish explains why these seasons should not automatically be viewed as failures or evidence that we have done something wrong. Instead, they can become sacred spaces where God reshapes our desires, deepens our faith, and teaches us to live with greater openness and trust.
Learn more about Tish Harrison Warren and her new book, What Grows in Weary Lands: On Christian Resilience.
Follow her on Instagram-@tishharrisonwarren; X/Twitter-@Tish_H_Warren;
Facebook-@Tish Harrison Warren Author.
More from Dr. Carol Ministries:
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol - A one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural-based perspective.
Have a question for Dr. Carol? She loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.
What do you do when a wave of anger, sadness, or anxiety hits? Do you shove it down and push through, or do you let it take the wheel completely? In this episode, Dr. Carol sits down with Zion and Avery Montgomery to explore the "ditch" most of us fall into when it comes to processing emotions, and why neither extreme actually serves us well. They dig into how our emotional habits are often formed in childhood; Avery shares how he learned to suppress tears and "man up," while Zion describes becoming her mother's emotional caretaker and convincing herself she didn't have needs of her own. Together they unpack why emotions aren't good or bad, but simply information, and why anger so often becomes a socially acceptable mask for sadness or pain, especially for men.
The conversation then turns practical and deeply personal, offering real tools for slowing down long enough to actually listen to what you're feeling. Dr. Carol introduces the idea of the "U-turn" — pausing to ask curious, non-judgmental questions internally, alongside grounding techniques that help calm an overwhelmed nervous system. They also explores what it looks like to bring raw, unfiltered emotion to God, following the model of the Psalms and the example of Jesus himself, who felt deeply but processed those feelings in healthy ways rather than taking them out on others. It's a rich, honest conversation about building emotional resilience through curiosity, honesty, and the support of a psychologically safe community.
More Resources from Dr. Carol Ministries:
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.
Do your feelings ever hijack your thoughts and behavior?
In today's episode, Dr. Carol sits down with experienced therapist Dr. Eddie Capparucci to explore one of the most overlooked skills in the healing journey: emotional self-regulation. They unpack what it really means to stay regulated as Dr. Capparucci explains how staying within the internal bandwidth of one's "window of tolerance" allows people to respond to stress and triggers without swinging into hyper-reactivity or shutting down entirely. He makes the case that regulation isn't something you simply will yourself into during a crisis; it's a trained skill, built through small, consistent practices repeated daily so the body and mind are ready when pressure hits.
The conversation examins how many men struggling with problematic sexual behaviors are really carrying unresolved trauma and emotional neglect from childhood. Real healing means going back to that younger version of self to uncover the root lies, fears, and unmet needs driving the behavior in the present. They also discuss why this work can't happen in isolation: while personal faith practices like prayer and scripture matter, God's design for healing includes community and often requires professional guidance to surface what's been buried for years.
And there's a note of hope for anyone who feels like their struggle is too entrenched to overcome. Dr. Capparucci shares his conviction that healing is available to everyone willing to engage the process, framing his own work not just as a career but as a calling—helping people move toward the freedom and abundance he believes is available on the other side of doing the hard, honest work.
For More from Dr. Eddie Capparucci, check out his Abundant Life Counseling, or connect on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram
- Dr. Eddie Capparucci's previous podcast with Dr. Carol
- His books: Going Deeper: How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction, Why Men Struggle to Love: Overcoming Relational Blind Spots, and Understanding Your Inner Child and Overcoming Addiction
- Find his newest book: Same Triggers. New Responses Journal
Dr. Capparucci offers a list of 20 practical emotional regulation techniques, which interested individuals can request by emailing innerchildmodel@gmail.com
More Resources from Dr. Carol Ministries:
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.
What happens when the very things that are meant to draw you closer to God become sources of fear, anxiety, or pain? Spiritual trauma is more than disappointment with church or difficult experiences with Christians. It happens when faith becomes intertwined with trauma, leaving your nervous system physically reacting to prayer, Scripture, worship, or church as though they are unsafe. In this compassionate conversation, Dr. Carol welcomes trauma therapist Colleen Ramser to unpack what spiritual trauma really is, why it affects both body and soul, and why simplistic advice like "just pray more" often deepens the wounds instead of bringing healing.
Together they explore how healing begins by honoring your body's responses, giving voice to the silence and anger that often follow trauma, and finding safe relationships where trust can slowly be rebuilt. You'll discover why anger isn't the enemy, how secure attachment with God can be restored, and how Jesus can be found again beneath the debris left by painful experiences. If you've been hurt by church, spiritual leaders, or faith communities—or if you love someone who has—this conversation offers both practical wisdom and genuine hope that healing is possible.
Connect with Colleen Ramser on her website or Facebook
Find Collen's book The Shattered Soul: Restoring Wholeness and Rebuilding Your Faith After Spiritual Trauma https://amzn.to/47uYGOh
More from Dr. Carol Ministries:
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.
In this episode, Dr. Carol sits down with Tony Scarcello to explore his deeply personal journey involving faith, sexuality, loss, and redemptions. Tony shares about growing up in conservative Pentecostalism, discovering his same-sex attraction at age 12, and the depression and substance abuse that followed. He talks candidly about his first sense of redemption at age 16, being fired from his position as a youth pastor, the complications same-sex attraction brought to his marriage, and the journey of rebuiding his life and ministry calling.
This conversation looks at the biblical passages often discussed in debates surrounding same-sex relationships, while highlighting a broader and richer understanding of God's design for marriage, identity, and human flourishing. Tony offers an insightful distinction between sinfulness and fallenness, helping listeners understand how Christians can approach same-sex attraction with true compassion while holding to orthodox Christian theology. We also dive into attachment theory, belonging, and the importance of authentic Christian community. Whether you agree or disagree with Tony's theological conclusions, this conversation offers a thoughtful, humanizing look at the pursuit of faithfulness, intimacy, and Christ-centered living.
You can follow Tony on Instagram, Facebook, or X (Twitter)
Click here for more info on his book Love All Our Neighbors: How Churches That Hold a Traditional Sexual Ethic Can Care for LGQBT People
More from Dr. Carol Ministries:
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment. Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol - A one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.
Why do so many of us walk away from a great sermon or podcast fired up to change... only to fall back into old patterns a week later? In this episode, we explore the critical difference between trying and training—and why most spiritual growth advice sets people up to fail. This conversation continues our monthly conversation between Dr. Carol, Avery Montgomery, and Zion Montgomery as we draw on insights from the ancient practice of a "Rule of Life," and unpack what it actually looks like to build sustainable, daily habits that reshape what we love, not just what we know.
What You'll Learn:
Why "trying harder" doesn't work. Trying is often isolated, outcome-focused, and disconnected from daily practice—which is why it leads to discouragement instead of lasting change.
The Spectator Trap. Constantly consuming sermons, books, and podcasts can feel like growth, but without active engagement, it just makes us better-informed spectators of our own lives.
What training actually requires. Unlike trying, training is a process: daily engagement, repetition, and drills that compound over time.
Effort vs. earning. God isn't opposed to effort—He's opposed to earning. Training is effort offered in response to grace, not a transaction to secure it.
The trellis metaphor. The word "rule" (from the Latin regula) means trellis—a structure that supports growth and protects against disease, not a rigid cage that restricts it.
Points of return, not boxes to check. A healthy rule of life centers on rhythms—Sabbath, prayer, community—not a finish line to cross.
How to start your own audit. Practical first steps for evaluating your emotional, physical, and relational life to find the gap between who you are and who you want to become.
Keystone habits. How one small, well-placed habit (a prayer rhythm, a no-phone rule) can trigger transformation across every other area of life.
Real-life examples. Weekly couple's meetings, family dinner rhythms, intentional rest and "interstitial time," and the balance of solitude and community.
For more: Follow @averymont and @ztmont on Instagram. Visit Zion's website Therapy with Zion for more information about Couples and Family counseling.
Check out Zion Montgomery's Technological Rule of Life for Couples
More from Dr. Carol Ministries:
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.
Artificial intelligence is changing nearly every aspect of modern life. But what happens when it begins reshaping intimacy, relationships, and human connection itself? In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Carol sits down with Michael Leahy, founder of Braveheart, to discuss the rapidly growing intersection of AI, pornography, addiction, and relational health. Michael explains how AI systems are becoming more personalized, emotionally responsive, and potentially addictive—especially for young users seeking connection, comfort, or escape. The conversation also explores the alarming increase in AI-generated child sexual abuse material and why many recovery ministries and mental health professionals may be unprepared for what is coming next. Also, Michael shares how his own journey out of pornography addiction led to founding Braveheart, an organization that has helped countless individuals pursue healing and freedom over the last 24 years. For more information about Braveheart, visit the website here. Or, become one of the many individuals who have overcome AI tech and sexual addiction through mentoring with Michael.Find Michael's book Porn Nation: Conquering America's #1 Addiction And check out the Center for Human Transformation. More from Dr. Carol Ministries Check out Dr. Carol's reflections on AI and the Soul: https://youtu.be/fJf6LyPucRI In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment. Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.
In this third installment of the special marriage challenges miniseries, the conversation turns to one of the most painful and complex struggles couples can face: sexual addiction, betrayal trauma, and the long road toward rebuilding intimacy. In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. Carol's guests Clinton and Charity Munoz pull back the curtain on their journey through pornography addiction and betrayal trauma and discuss what it actually took to come out the other side together. Together, they explain how healing and recovery isn't about managing behavior on the surface it's about the harder, slower work of heart transformation and the three foundational pillars essential for restoration. Brokenness does not have to be the end of the story. Healing, intimacy, and hope are still possible. For more tools and resources from the Munozes, including information about their 8-week course The Bridge Back to Us , visit their website Restored 2 More. Or connect on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Looking for a personal opportunity for healing from trauma in relationships? Dr. Carol Ministries offers an In-Person Intensive Weekend to help you find true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment. Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.
In this heartfelt and honest conversation, Dr. Scott and Deana Thayer share the journey that brought them together from painful divorces and personal rebuilding to creating a thriving, blended family rooted in faith, grace, and intentionality. They open up about how difficult seasons unexpectedly became part of God's plan for their lives and how blending two families came with both beautiful moments and significant challenges. The conversation dives deep into the emotional realities of blended families, including the unexpected aspect of grief blending a family includes. Scott and Deana explain why stepfamily dynamics are frequently misunderstood and why healing, patience, and reassurance are essential for building trust and connection. Listeners will walk away encouraged by the Thayers' vulnerability and equipped with marriage-strengthening strategies to help couples blend their families with compassion, resilience, and purpose. For more about the Thayers, visit their website BlendingWell. Also check Deana's article in the Remarriage & Blended Families Resource List from Focus on the Family. More from Dr. Carol Ministries: In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment. Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural-based perspective. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! Send her a confidential message here.
What does take to really build a marriage that thrives, not just survives? In this episode, Pastor Mike Novotny discusses with Dr. Carol the foundational principles for building a lasting and healthy marriage, particularly during the first year of marriage. From issues like faith, communication, sex, finances, chores, in-laws, and more, Mike delves into one of the most common — and most overlooked — sources of conflict in marriage: colliding expectations.
Mike also opens up about his struggle with pornography, explaining how embracing vulnerability and living out the principle of confession (James 5:16) brought healing not only to his personal life, but to his marriage as well.
Whether you're a newlywed or decades in, this episode is packed with actionable insight and a reminder that marriage isn't a destination you reach on your wedding day; it's a lifelong journey. And the couples who thrive are the ones who keep showing up, keep investing, and keep choosing each other — one intentional day at a time.
You can learn more about Pastor Mike Novotny at Time of Grace Ministries, or Facebook, X, or Instagram
To order his book, go to Newlywed: A Christian Guide for Loving Year One
More from Dr. Carol Ministries:
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.
What if the inner conflict you feel isn't a sign that something is wrong with you, but a signal that healing is possible? In this powerful edition of our monthly feature Dr. Carol talks with Zion and Avery Montgomery to explore how sin, evil, and trauma fracture us internally and shape our emotions, relationships, and spiritual lives. Drawing from both Biblical truths and the psychological framework of Internal Family Systems (IFS), this conversation highlights how Jesus makes us whole as He brings healing and integration to every wounded or hidden part of the heart. Avery shares his personal journey from living with a performance-based identity to learning how to walk in authentic presence and intimacy with Him. The conversation also dives into the role of the inner child, explaining how younger, wounded versions of ourselves often continue influencing present-day behaviors and relationships. If you're carrying fractured places within yourself, this conversation will give you language, hope, and a next step. For more about the Montgomerys: Follow @averymont and @ztmont on Instagram. Visit Zion's website Therapy with Zion for more information about Couples and Family counseling. More from Dr. Carol Ministries: In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment. Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.
In a culture that often treats sexual abstinence before marriage as outdated, unrealistic, or merely rule-following, Dr. Carol sits down with author, professor, and researcher Dr. Emily McKnight, lovingly known as Dr. Em, for an honest conversation about why waiting for sex before marriage still matters, and why it's about far more than behavior. Dr. Em shares her own journey from sexual brokenness to conviction-led abstinence, and how that season shaped her relationship with God, her sense of identity, and ultimately her marriage. Together, they explore the deeper purpose of sexual integrity and the kind of character it forms in us over time. This conversation also tackles the real-world challenges of singleness, dating, desire, and early marriage. Dr. Carol and Dr. Em discuss how abstinence can cultivate communication, trust, friendship, and discernment long before the wedding day, and why sexual intimacy in marriage is a journey to grow into, not a finish line to cross. Whether you're single, dating, engaged, or wrestling with your own difficult sexual story, this episode offers hope-filled wisdom for pursuing sexual wholeness, resisting cultural pressure, and seeking God's best without settling for less. Connect with Dr. Emily McKnight on her website, faculty page, Facebook, or Instagram Find Dr. Em's book The Don't Before I Do Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries In-Person Intensives Interested in a one-on-one format? Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send a confidential message here.
In this honest and hope-filled Q&A episode, Dr. Carol tackles some of the most tender and complicated questions surrounding faith, sexuality, betrayal, intimacy, and emotional healing. From pornography and painful marriage dynamics to shame, loneliness, and the longing for deeper connection, this conversation explores what it means to be fully human while following Jesus. Along the way, Dr. Carol addresses an often-overlooked question: If Jesus was fully human, what does that mean for understanding desire, embodiment, and intimacy today? Drawing from both Scripture and neurobiology, this episode moves beyond behavior management into the deeper work of wholeness. Dr. Carol explains why transformation requires more than head knowledge—it requires bringing your whole self into the presence of Jesus, including your emotions, wounds, fears, and desires. Whether you're struggling in your marriage, carrying hidden shame, or longing to experience God more deeply, this conversation offers compassionate insight and practical hope for healing, connection, and lasting change. For further resources, check Dr. Carol's articles here: * Learning from How Jesus Handled His Need for Intimacy * 7 Ingredients to Rebuilding Trust Between You and Your Spouse * How to Consecrate Your Sex Life to Jesus Daily * From Hurt to Whole: The Power of Making the Choice to Heal * Is My Marriage Toxic? * Being With Jesus in Ways that Bring Transformation
Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries In-Person Intensives - Experience true healing and wholeness in a safe environment as you unpack your story around intimacy and relationships while inviting Jesus to be part of that story. Interested in a one-on-one format? Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send a confidential message here.
In this enlightening episode, Dr. Carol and Beth Broom dive deep into the complexities of trauma and its profound impact on relationships, particularly within the Christian community. Beth shares her unique perspective, distinguishing between traumatic experiences and the internal responses that shape how we process pain including how to rebuilding trust. Together, they explore the Christian Trauma Healing Network and the SAFE model—an innovative framework designed to offer accessible resources for trauma survivors and their supporters. The conversation reminds us of the importance of bringing our pain and emotions before God, framing this act as both a step of faith and wisdom. You can connect with Beth Broom on her website, Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Check out the Counsel for Life podcast Beth Broom co-hosts with Eliza Huie.
Find out more about the Christian Trauma Healing Network
Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries In-Person Intensives - Experience true healing and wholeness in a safe environment as you unpack your story around intimacy and relationships while inviting Jesus to be part of that story. Interested in a one-on-one format? Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send a confidential message here.
What if the reason you still feel stuck spiritually isn't a lack of information, but a lack of integration? In this monthly feature, Dr. Carol, Avery Montgomery, and Zion Montgomery explore why so many sincere followers of Jesus may know the right answers intellectually yet still struggle with fear, shame, disconnection, or recurring unhealthy patterns. Together they unpack the difference between a faith that lives only in the left brain—focused on logic, information, and performance—and the kind of whole-brain connection that actually leads to transformation. Because becoming like Jesus requires more than learning about Him; it requires being with Him. Drawing from both neuroscience and spiritual formation, this episode explores how the right brain shapes identity, emotion, attachment, and experience, and why slowing down is essential for real healing and growth. The conversation offers practical ways to engage God more fully through prayer, Scripture, embodied practices, confession, and authentic community. If you've ever wondered why trying harder hasn't produced lasting change, this episode offers a hopeful invitation into a different way of relating to God, yourself, and others—one rooted not merely in knowledge, but in connection. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries In-Person Intensives Interested in a one-on-one format? Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send a confidential message here.
What if the church's approach to relationships between men and women has been doing more harm than good? In this episode, we sit down with author Bronwyn Lea to unpack the ideas behind her book Beyond Awkward Side Hugs — a thoughtful challenge to the rules-heavy, fear-driven culture that has left many Christians, especially singles, feeling like second-class members of the body of Christ. Bronwyn makes the case that healthy, embodied community isn't built on caution tape and rigid boundaries, but on an inner transformation of character that allows men and women to relate to one another as true brothers and sisters in Christ. We also dig into some of the more countercultural ideas in Bronwyn's work — from the healing power of non-sexual touch, to what it truly means to be a "friend to a marriage," to how church leaders can break down gender silos and create the conditions for genuine belonging. As loneliness reaches epidemic levels in our culture, Bronwyn argues the church is uniquely positioned to a powerful antidote — but only if it's willing to move past awkwardness and into authentic, whole-person community. This is a conversation that will challenge how you think about friendship, integrity, and what it truly means to live as brothers and sisters in Christ. More from Bronwyn Lea on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn Find Bronwyn's book Beyond Awkward Side Hugs: Living as Christian Brothers and Sisters in a Sex-Crazed World More about Dr. Carol Ministries: * Dr. Carol Ministries In-Person Intensives. A multi-day way to experience true healing and wholeness in a safe environment as you unpack your story around intimacy and relationships while inviting Jesus to be part of that story. * Individual coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural based perspective.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send a confidential message here.
Vaneetha Risner grew up believing that faithfully following Jesus would ensure a stable, fulfilling life. So when her marriage collapsed, it didn't just break her heart; it shattered the framework upon which she had built her identity. In this deeply personal conversation, Vaneetha opens up about the layered grief of divorce — a loss she describes as a kind of death that the church too often meets with judgment instead of compassion — and how that pain sat alongside other devastating trials, including contracting polio as a child, losing an infant son, and a later post-polio diagnosis. Though Vaneetha experienced deep heartache and betrayal, her story centers around a renewed and reconstructed faith. She shares how reaching the absolute end of herself forced a new and desperate hunger for God, and how the biblical practice of lament became a lifeline, a place to pour out bitterness without fear of judgment. She offers candid wisdom on forgiveness (including why forgiving too quickly can actually delay healing) and the importance of becoming whole before pursuing remarriage. Listeners will also gain practical insight on how to support others in crisis through her "SHOWUP" framework. This episode is a powerful reminder that even when life doesn't go according to plan, faith can be rebuilt in the most unexpected and beautiful ways. For more about Vaneetha Risner, check out her website, Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram Find Vaneetha's book: This Was Never the Plan: Walking with God Through the Heartache of Divorce (A Practical Christian Guide to Healing, Hope, and Strength After Separation) Here's my previous conversation with Vaneetha. For more from Dr. Carol, check out her article When One Flesh Tears Apart: The Trauma of Broken Covenant Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries:
- Dr. Carol Ministries In-Person Intensives. Experience true healing and wholeness in a safe environment as you unpack your story around intimacy and relationships while inviting Jesus to be part of that story.
- Individual coaching with Dr. Carol. This provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send a confidential message here.
Have you ever felt a quiet, persistent restlessness — a sense that no matter how good life gets, something still feels off? In this episode, Niki Kirby unpacks the powerful biblical theme of "exile" from her book The Garden of Exile, revealing how the human story—from Eden to eternity—is one of displacement and longing for true home. She reframes modern discomfort as a spiritual ache for shalom, inviting listeners to see their discontent not as something to numb, but as something that points to God's greater restoration story. Drawing from Scripture, Niki shares how we can live faithfully in exile as she explores how we are called to build, plant, love, and multiply even in a broken world. From navigating spiritual warfare and avoiding distraction, to embracing relationships as tools of sanctification, she offers a grounded and hopeful vision for everyday faithfulness. With a powerful emphasis on lament as holy ground and hope as a daily fight, this conversation reminds us that while we may not feel at home here, we are not without purpose—and restoration is coming. For more about Niki Kirby, check out her website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find Niki's book The Garden of Exile: How to Flourish in a World that's Not Your Home For more from Dr. Carol, check out: * Dr. Carol's article Jesus, What's Going On Here? * Dr. Carol Ministries In-Person Intensives. Experience true healing and wholeness in a safe environment as you unpack your story around intimacy and relationships while inviting Jesus to be part of that story.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send a confidential message here.
What if the life you've built—doing the right things, saying the right words, holding it all together—isn't actually bringing the transformation your soul longs for? In this new monthly feature of Relationship Prescriptions, Dr. Carol is joined by Zion and Avery Montgomery for an honest, deeply personal conversation about the shift from performance to presence. They explore how real change begins not with striving, but with becoming secure in your identity in God, and how unresolved trauma, both big and small, quietly shapes the way you relate to yourself, others, and Him. Through stories from their own journeys and their work in immersive intensives, they unpack why healing requires more than insight. It requires safe spaces, honest relationships, and the courage to let Jesus meet you in the places you've kept hidden. From the power of vulnerability and community to the surprising freedom found in surrender, this conversation is an invitation to something deeper. The question isn't whether change is possible—it's this: Do you want to be well? Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries In-Person Intensives Interested in a one-on-one format? Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send a confidential message here.
In this special Holy Week episode of Relationship Prescriptions, Dr. Carol reflects on the meaning of Easter and the transforming power of Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection. Sharing her personal story of encountering Jesus during a Good Friday service—an experience she now celebrates as her spiritual birthday—Dr. Carol explores why the resurrection is the most pivotal event in human history. She invites listeners to look beyond a limited understanding of forgiveness alone and consider the full scope of what Jesus accomplished through His sacrifice and victory. The episode unpacks the human "sin problem" in three dimensions: our sinful actions that require forgiveness, the deep woundedness and brokenness within us that need healing, and the spiritual bondage from which Christ has secured victory. Dr. Carol explains how Jesus provides complete forgiveness, offers deep inner restoration, and triumphs over the powers of darkness, while inviting believers to respond through repentance, choosing healing, and standing firmly in His victory. Grounded in the hope of becoming more like Christ and living in God's kingdom, this conversation encourages listeners to experience the fuller transformation made possible through the resurrection. For 7 simple (though not guaranteed to be easy) keys to living more Fully Alive, get your free pdf download here. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here. New boost
In this candid and "spicy" conversation, Dr. Carol sits down with Matt and Jen Schmidt to explore how couples can have healthy, mature conversations about sex in marriage. Addressing a topic many couples avoid or only discuss in terms of conflict or frustration, this episode expands listeners' vocabulary, mindset, and comfort in talking openly about intimacy. Together, they unpack both theological and practical perspectives on married sex, discuss common barriers to connection, and offer insights into how couples can move toward greater closeness, understanding, and fulfillment. Drawing from their own journey and their work through Intimate Covenant, Matt and Jen share why they believe Christian marriages should model an extraordinary sex life and how couples can begin cultivating that vision. The conversation offers encouragement for those navigating challenges such as emotional barriers, negative patterns, or unresolved struggles around sexuality, while pointing listeners to additional resources for growth, healing, and transformation. This episode invites married couples to embrace a richer vision of intimacy within their relationship. Note: this episode is candid without being graphic. And it does not specifically address trauma, infidelity, or similar issues. Connect with Matt and Jenn Schmidt through their website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find their Intimate Covenant podcast. Check out Dr. Carol's article Having the Sex Talk - With Your Spouse Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In this wrap-up episode to our AI and the Soul series, Dr. Carol explores how algorithms and artificial intelligence are shaping not just our habits but our souls, offering "relationship prescriptions" for navigating the growing influence of digital technology. She examines how the digital world subtly "disciples" us, training us to expect life to be easy, quick, constantly stimulating, and within our control, while real growth, spiritual formation, and the way of Jesus are often slow, difficult, and beyond our control. While emphasizing that AI itself is neither good nor bad, she warns that its influence is never neutral, raising concerns about diminished mental capacity, weakened emotional self-regulation, and the erosion of authentic intimacy with others and with God when technology becomes a substitute rather than a tool. This episode will challenge you to examine how technology is forming your values and behaviors, and encourages thoughtful boundaries that prioritize spiritual growth, authentic connection, and becoming more like Jesus in a digital age. For 7 simple (though not guaranteed to be easy) keys to living more Fully Alive, get your free pdf download here. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In this thought-provoking conversation, Jason VanRuler joins Dr. Carol to explore the growing influence of artificial intelligence on human relationships, intimacy, and spiritual life. Together they examine emerging trends, such as young people forming "relationships" with AI, and discuss what defines genuine connection, including truth, challenge, authenticity, and emotional depth. While AI can offer affirmation, the conversation highlights its limitations as a "yes man" that cannot replace the vulnerability and growth found in real human relationships. They also unpack how technology and social media can encourage curated identities, distract from authentic intimacy, and tempt people to settle for surface-level connection rather than meeting deeper relational needs. The episode also offers practical and spiritual guidance for cultivating real intimacy in a digital age. VanRuler shares how self-awareness, honesty, and small steps toward vulnerability, along with practices like prayer, can help individuals grow in authentic connection with God and others. The discussion addresses the spiritual risks of overreliance on AI and encourages discernment in using technology as a tool rather than a substitute for relationship. Listeners will also discover practical habits for setting healthy digital boundaries, protecting presence, and prioritizing what matters most. Connect with Jason VanRuler on his website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find Jason's book Discovering Your Communication Type: The 5 Paths to Deeper Connections and Stronger Relationships Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Christianity has always been an embodied faith—rooted in presence, touch, community, and shared life. But we now live in a world of digital discipleship, online relationships, and increasingly, AI-shaped interactions. What does this mean for the church, for our spiritual formation, and for the kind of community our hearts were made for? In this episode in our series AI and the Soul, Dr. Carol sits down with Jay Kim, pastor and author of Analog Church and Analog Christian, to talk about why physical presence matters more than ever. They discuss how AI and digital tools can help or hinder real-life connection, what gets lost when faith becomes mediated through screens, and how followers of Jesus can cultivate embodied practices in a culture of instant convenience. If you're longing for deeper connection, wondering how AI will affect Christian community, or trying to navigate technology with wisdom, this episode offers both challenge and hope. Find out more about Jay Kim on his website, Facebook, X, or Instagram Find Jay's book Analog Christian: Cultivating Contentment, Resilience, and Wisdom in the Digital Age Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Artificial intelligence is becoming woven into everyday life – our work, our personal lives, even our emotional and spiritual reality. But what does this technology do to us as people made in the image of God? In this first of our series on "AI and the Soul", Dr. Carol talks with Dr. John Dyer, professor, author, and leading thinker on theology and technology, about how our tools shape our souls. You'll hear why AI is a helpful tool, but also how it quietly forms our desires, habits, and spiritual practices in ways we rarely notice. Together they explore what makes humans unique, how AI might influence discipleship and our relationship with God, and how Christians can use emerging tools wisely without losing what makes us wonderfully human. This conversation will help you wrestle with how AI may be discipling you in ways you don't realize, and provide a thoughtful, theologically grounded perspective on this hot topic. Find out more about Dr. John Dyer on his website or through his Dallas Theological Seminary page. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In this episode, we take up one of the most painful and frequently asked questions in the church: What about God and divorce? Whether someone is in a miserable marriage, has been left by a spouse, or is carrying the wounds of divorce, this conversation is both challenging and important. We unpack the biblical meaning of covenant, and why divorce is so devastating—not because it ranks highest on some hierarchy of sins, but because it tears apart something God intended to reflect His faithful love. "God hates divorce" is not condemnation, but is a window into the grief of a Father who sees His children wounded. Jesus' own words acknowledge that divorce exists "because of the hardness of human hearts," naming both the reality of human cruelty and the complexity of real-life situations. And we offer careful discernment rather than simplistic rules. There are reasons not to leave a marriage, and there are situations where separation or divorce may become necessary. This episode invites listeners to seek God's wisdom above all else, to invite trusted voices who will ask hard questions, and to pray honestly, "Lord, who are You calling me to be in this season?" Throughout Scripture, God speaks to His people as a betrayed yet faithful spouse—and this episode holds that tension: the seriousness of covenant, the pain of its rupture, and the relentless faithfulness of a God who does not abandon us, even when we break faith with Him. These articles from Dr. Carol may be helpful for you: * 5 Ways to Pray About Your Troubled Marriage * Is My Marriage Toxic? * How to Know if You Are Released From Your Marriage
Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Today Dr. Carol is joined by Lindsey Maestas, a writer and podcast host known for saying the hard things gently, and for telling the truth about love with honesty, depth, and compassion. Together, we talk about what happens when the feeling of being "in love" begins to fade, and why romance alone is never enough to sustain a relationship. Lindsey shares vulnerable stories about her own marriage, including a season when she was ready to call it quits, and the inner shifts that led her to choose staying, growth, and daily faithfulness instead of walking away. We explore common relational patterns that quietly erode intimacy over time, including attachment dynamics, icing one another out, and making a partner responsible for needs only God can truly meet. She also speaks candidly about phone addiction, modern distraction, and the ways divided attention weakens connection and intimacy. And there's plenty of hope and practical wisdom, contrasting grand gestures with the power of daily consistency. We talk about habits, self-discipline, and small, repeated investments that keep love alive over the long haul. This conversation invites listeners to embrace a deeper, steadier vision of love, one rooted not in fleeting feelings, but in presence, intention, and choosing one another again and again. Connect with Lindsey Maestas on her website or Instagram. Find Lindsey's book Don't Burn Your Own House Down: Prioritizing Your Marriage, Your Spouse, and Yourself for a Deeper Connection Check out the marriage resources at Dr. Carol Ministries Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
You've heard of the Five Love Languages. But what's next? In this episode, we're joined by marriage and family therapist and author Leslie Parrot to explore what it really means to love in ways that are not just well-intended, but deeply felt. Good intentions alone aren't enough, but empathy and curiosity help bridge the gap between how we express love and how it's actually received. Drawing from decades of clinical experience and relational wisdom, Leslie offers insight into why a deeper understanding of love languages matters, not as a formula, but as a pathway to deeper connection. And what fills your "love tank", or that of someone you care about? This isn't only for marriage; we also widen the lens to consider how these principles apply in friendships, families, and other relationships. We discuss how personality shapes the way we give and receive love, why each love language includes different "dialects," and how becoming a better listener is central to loving well. This episode invites you to slow down, listen more deeply, and practice a kind of love that doesn't just get expressed, but truly lands. Connect with Les and Leslie Parrott on their website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find the book by Gary Chapman, and Les and Leslie Parrott: The Love Language That Matters Most: How to Personalize Love So They Really Feel It Check out the 5 Love Languages® Premium Assessment Join Les and Leslie Parrott and other experts online during National Marriage Week, February 7-14. Check it out. Check out the marriage resources at Dr. Carol Ministries Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Dr. Linda Seiler decided to follow Jesus in high school, but her sexual and emotional struggles didn't simply disappear. In this episode, she shares her own story and the insight she's gained through decades of ministry and trauma-informed care. Now an ordained Assemblies of God minister and Executive Director of ReStory Ministries, Linda helps us explore what was missing in the early years of her faith journey and why sincere belief alone often isn't enough to bring freedom. We talk candidly about how modern culture frames sexual orientation and gender identity as fixed and immutable, and why Linda believes there is always a reason beneath the behavior—and therefore real hope for resolution. This conversation offers deep compassion for those who feel discouraged, weary, or stuck in repeated cycles or sin or brokenness. We explore where healing actually begins: love, truth, identity in Christ, and community—not performance or results-driven spirituality. Linda cautions against turning transformation itself into an idol and invites listeners into a more patient, grace-filled vision of change. If you've ever wondered why change takes so long, how trauma shapes desire, or how identity and belonging influence healing, this episode offers clarity, hope, and a wider vision of redemption. Connect with Dr. Linda Seiler at her website, ReStory Ministries, or Facebook. Find Linda's book Trans-Formation: A Former Transgender Responds to LGBTQ Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Need some marriage wisdom? Greg Smalley has spent his entire life immersed in conversations about marriage. As the son of the late Gary Smalley—and now Vice President of Marriage and Family Formation at Focus on the Family—Greg has witnessed up close both the beauty and the messiness of intimate relationships. In this conversation, Greg reflects on why he chose to step into this demanding work, what drew him to a calling so intertwined with his family legacy, and how his own 30+ year marriage to Erin has shaped what he teaches today. We also explore how marriage challenges have shifted over the decades. From cultural pressure and emotional disconnection to technology, stress, and changing expectations, Greg offers perspective on what's new, what's intensified, and what remains surprisingly constant. Finally, he distills decades of ministry into a few core factors that consistently mark marriages that go the distance. Whether you're newly married, decades in, or simply hopeful about love, this episode offers grounded wisdom, encouragement, and a hopeful vision for building a marriage that lasts. Find out more and connect with Greg Smalley through his resources at Focus on the Family Check out the podcast Greg and his wife Erin Smalley do together - Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage Find Greg's book 9 Lies That Will Destroy Your Marriage: And the Truths That Will Save It and Set It Free Check out the marriage resources at Dr. Carol Ministries Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Faith is meant to bring life. But what happens when it become harmful? In this episode, Dr. Carol sits down with Jeff and Terra Mattson, a husband-and-wife author team whose work bridges leadership, psychology, and spiritual formation. He brings the perspective of an executive coach; she offers the clinical insight of a licensed professional counselor. Together, we explore the idea of toxic faith: how faith can be distorted through fear, control, shame, or misuse of authority, and how to discern the difference between spiritually abusive systems and the ordinary, imperfect humanness found in any community. We also examine the deep impact of spiritual abuse on the whole person and why its effects often linger long after someone leaves a harmful environment. Most importantly, this conversation offers hope. We talk about what healing can actually look like, including the slow and courageous work of re-examining one's internal view of God. For those who feel wounded, confused, or distant from God because of their faith experiences, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a grounded path toward restoration. Connect with Jeff and Terra Mattson on their website, Facebook, or Instagram Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Develop a Healthy Internal Picture of God Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Have you ever been surprised by who someone turned out to be? Research shows we form impressions of people within seconds, but real life often proves those impressions wrong. In this episode, we explore how that gap between appearance and reality shows up in relationships –with others, and especially with God. These realities reveal a deeper truth; there's a profound difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing them. Many people believe in God, yet carry perhaps unconscious distortions about what He is really like. You may "know" that "God is love," but internally picture a God who is disappointed, withholding, harsh, or just waiting for us to fail. In this episode, we explore how our internal picture of God is often shaped by our past experiences, and why information alone doesn't heal it. Instead, healing comes through encountering Jesus. And we close with some practical ways to let God's love reshape your inner picture of who He really is. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Develop a Healthy Internal Picture of God Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In this special year-end episode, we revisit the conversations you loved most in 2025: honest, hope-filled moments about intimacy, relationships, sexuality, and the God who designed us for connection. These clips capture the wisdom, clarity, and compassion that resonated deeply with listeners all year long. Whether you're new to the podcast or want a fresh dose of encouragement, this highlight reel brings together the insights that helped people grow in intimacy with God and with each other. And here are links to the full conversations from which the excerpts were taken for this episode: - Overcoming Contradictions Between What You "Know" and What You Feel About Love, God, Intimacy, and Sex with Michael J. Cusick - Knowing and Being Known: Fulfilling Your Need for Intimacy with Erin F. Moniz - How to Find True Connection Through Courageous Authenticity with Tom Bennardo - From Criticism to Blessing: Transforming How You Speak to Your Spouse with Ann Wilson - More Than Behavior: What Surrendering Your Sexuality to Jesus Means with Dr. Juli Slattery Relationship Prescriptions is listener supported. That means YOU! Would you prayerfully consider how God might ask you to support this ministry financially? And then make your best year-end tax-deductible contribution today. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can leave a confidential comment here.
On the night Jesus was born the angel told the shepherds, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." The Christmas season may not always feel like good news. Busyness, difficult circumstances, emotional struggles, and more can make this time feel like anything but good news. This brief Christmas meditation shares how the angels' declaration of good news applies to everyone, even you, even in the difficulties of real life right now. Merry Christmas from all of us at Dr. Carol Ministries! Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can leave a confidential comment here.
This episode takes you inside the heart of an Intensive at Transformation Place and gives you a glimpse of what this unique experience is like. Here people confront the barriers holding them back, encounter God in deeply personal ways, and experience the kind of change they may have sought for years but struggled to find on their own. You'll hear five individuals who courageously share their own "God stories." Each one describes how the Intensive met them right where they were—whether stuck, hurting, confused, or hungry for more—and how God worked in ways they didn't expect. Their stories are honest, hopeful, and full of the kind of change only God can bring. This episode will encourage your heart and invite you to believe again in what God can do. And then you'll hear how you can be a part of the next man or woman's transformation story through your support. We can't do this without you! I invite you to make your best year-end tax-deductible charitable contribution today. Additional ways to give: * Set up a recurring monthly donation * Easily make a gift from your mutual fund or appreciated stock right here * Recommend a grant to Dr. Carol Ministries through your Donor Advised Fund * Send a check to 14900 Avery Ranch Blvd., Suite C200-223, Austin, TX 78717 * Purchase an item from our Amazon wishlist for Transformation Place
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In this episode, we sit down with author Donna VanLiere to explore the rich, often overlooked details of the biblical nativity story, and why they matter for us today. From the unlikely cast of characters to the humble setting of Jesus' birth, we look at how each part of the story speaks meaning and purpose into our own lives, especially as we enter the Christmas season. Our guest helps us see how the first Christmas wasn't polished, serene, or ideal, but messy and real, much like our own lives. We talk about how Christmas is truly for everyone, and perhaps most especially for those who feel troubled, unseen, or without hope. Together we explore how the joy of Christmas isn't dependent on perfect circumstances but arises from the presence of God with us in the midst of whatever we are facing. Whether this season feels bright or heavy, this conversation offers an invitation to experience Christmas in a deeper, more grounded, and more joyful way. Connect with Donna VanLiere on her website, Facebook, or YouTube Check out the YouVersion Bible reading plan based on Looking For Christmas Find out more about Donna's book Looking for Christmas: A Search for the Joy and Hope of the Nativity We'd love you to be one of our Friends of Dr. Carol Ministries. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
What could it look like to follow Jesus not only after the pain ends, but right in the midst of it? In this conversation, tenured psychology professor, author, and pastor Dr. Joshua Knabb helps us rethink the way we understand distress, challenging the modern tendency to pathologize every struggle. We explore the difference between pain and disorder, and why recognizing that distinction can open the door to greater agency, deeper compassion, and more grounded spiritual formation. Together we also look at the contemplative practices that build resilience and intimacy with God: why they matter, what gets in the way, and how to start. Dr. Knabb shares his favorite go-to spiritual practice that help people meet Jesus right where they are, and why it's helpful. You'll hear how engaging these practices can transform not only your connection with God, but also the way you show up in relationships with others. This episode will show you how psychology and discipleship are connected in following Jesus. Connect more with Dr. Joshua Knabb and his work on his website. Check out Dr. Knabb's podcast The Christian Psychologist Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Many people find themselves longing for intimacy but pulling away or sabotaging if it comes close. Today Dr. Carol explores what it means to have an "intimacy disorder." You'll hear real-life vignettes of people struggling in this way, and we'll unpack how early experiences, attachment wounds, and the brain's survival wiring shape our capacity for connection. We'll look at what neuroscience reveals about how these pathways form, and how they can be rewired and healed. Theology and brain science together tell a remarkable story. We were created in the image of a relational God, made for connection that reflects His nature. As we face the broken stories in our sexual and relational histories, and as God's presence meets us there, the old patterns that once protected us can begin to transform. Discover what sexual and relational goodness can look like when intimacy becomes healed and whole. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives, or check out individual coaching with Dr. Carol.
You ask questions! And Dr. Carol loves to respond. In today's episode, Dr. Carol's addresses some of the most difficult questions about sex, love, marriage, same-sex attraction and more. These were sent in from real listeners just like you.
Here are the resources Dr. Carol mentiones on thsi episode:
- Article Sex WIthout Pain
- Article Where to Start if Your Marriage Lacks Intimacy
- Article How to Stop Hiding From Your Spouse
- Article The Key to Filling Your Empty Soul
- Article How to Consecrate THAT Part of You to Jesus
- Article Is God Good? Healing Your Connection With God
Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives, or check out individual coaching with Dr. Carol.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In today's episode, Dr. Carol is joined by Dana Che, marriage coach, speaker, and host of the Rebuilding Us podcast. She knows firsthand what it's like to feel angry, hurt, and hopeless in marriage marred by infidelity, yet find her way to healing and restored connection. She now helps couples move from "I can't stand you" to "I still do," guiding them through the real work of rebuilding trust and intimacy after betrayal.
Together, they unpack what forgiveness truly means (and what it doesn't), why healthy boundaries are not unspiritual but are essential, and how couples can take honest, grace-filled steps toward restoration. If you've ever wondered how to rebuild intimacy when trust has been broken, or how faith meets the messy realities of hurt, broken trust, and healing, this conversation offers wisdom, practical steps, and hope for your journey. Connect with Dana Che on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives, or check out individual coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In this episode, we sit down with Greg and Stacey Oliver. Greg was a worship pastor and his wife Stacey grew up in the mission field. But that did not prevent their difficult journey of Greg's hidden sexual addiction and Stacey's deep insecurity and people-pleasing. However, their redemptive journey led to healing, freedom, and restored intimacy. What began as an exhausting struggle became the doorway to discovering that sexual addiction isn't ultimately about sex; it's really an intimacy disorder. Now as the founders of Awaken, a faith-based recovery ministry, they help others find the same hope and transformation they've experienced. Together we explore where sexual addiction and related struggles often begin, how shame and unmet emotional needs play a role, and what it looks like to pursue recovery that's both Gospel-centered and therapeutically wise. Their story offers not only honesty and hope but also a powerful reminder that true freedom comes when we let God meet us in our deepest places of need. Find out more about Greg and Stacey Oliver and connect with them at Awaken Recovery website, Facebook, X, Instagram, or their What We Really Want podcast.
In this episode, we sit down with Greg and Stacey Oliver. Greg was a worship pastor and his wife Stacey grew up in the mission field. But that did not prevent their difficult journey of Greg's hidden sexual addiction and Stacey's deep insecurity and people-pleasing. However, their redemptive journey led to healing, freedom, and restored intimacy. What began as an exhausting struggle became the doorway to discovering that sexual addiction isn't ultimately about sex; it's really an intimacy disorder. Now as the founders of Awaken, a faith-based recovery ministry, they help others find the same hope and transformation they've experienced. Together we explore where sexual addiction and related struggles often begin, how shame and unmet emotional needs play a role, and what it looks like to pursue recovery that's both Gospel-centered and therapeutically wise. Their story offers not only honesty and hope but also a powerful reminder that true freedom comes when we let God meet us in our deepest places of need. Find out more about Greg and Stacey Oliver and connect with them at Awaken Recovery website, Facebook, X, Instagram, or their What We Really Want podcast. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives, or check out individual coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What if the fire Jesus came to bring isn't about fear or destruction, but about freedom? In this episode, we explore how the fire of God doesn't just warm or comfort; it also burns away what keeps us from becoming whole, fully alive, and truly like Jesus. This isn't about trying harder or piling on more spiritual "shoulds." It's about letting Jesus consume what holds us back so we can live with undivided hearts before Him. We'll talk about three things that need to be burned up—people-pleasing, idols, and sin—and why this is actually very good news. Along the way, you'll hear why living for an "audience of One" frees you from false peace, how even good things can become idols that need dethroning, and what real transformation beyond behavior change looks like. Most of all, you'll see how Jesus is both scandalously safe and scandalously dangerous: welcoming us as we are, yet making it possible for us to become truly transformed and whole. Check out Dr. Carol's article Ways of Being With Jesus That Bring Transformation Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives, or check out individual coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What does the science of attachment have to do with your walk with God? In this episode, we sit down with husband-and-wife team Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw who lead the Center for Embodied Faith to explore how experiences in early life shape our capacity for trust, intimacy, and connection—not only with people, but with God Himself. That connection then affords you the secure base to live and act in the world with confidence. Together we unpack the difference between secure and insecure attachment, how those patterns show up in faith, and why many of us struggle to rest confidently in God's love. You'll discover practical strategies for moving toward secure attachment, deepening both your human relationships and your spiritual life. This is a conversation filled with hope, courage, and a vision for growing into the wholeness God designed for you. Connect with Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw on their website or their podcast Attaching to God. Find their book Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection Check out Dr. Carol's article Ways of Being With Jesus That Bring Transformation Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives, or check out individual coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In this first of a two-part series on spiritual formation, we're joined by a remarkable couple authors Bill and Kristi Gaultiere with decades of experience in ministry and counseling. As founders of Soul Shepherding, they've dedicated their lives to helping believers take their next steps toward deeper intimacy with Jesus, greater emotional health, and more loving relationships. Together, we dive into the transformative power of empathy—what it is, why it matters, and how it reflects the very heart of God in His interactions with us. We explore why learning self-empathy (which is very different from self-pity) is essential for our own healing and growth, and how developing empathy for others can be the doorway to healthier, stronger relationships. Our conversation also touches on the deeply personal journey of experiencing empathy from Jesus Himself, and what it looks like to open our hearts to that reality in daily life. If you've ever longed for a more compassionate relationship with God, yourself, and others, this episode will encourage and equip you for that journey. Connect with Bill and Kristi Gaultiere at the Soul Shepherding website, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Find Bill and Kristi's latest book Deeply Loved: Receiving and Reflecting God's Great Empathy for You and their earlier book we mentioned Healthy Feelings, Thriving Faith Check out the article from Dr. Carol How to Find a Friend: Who is Your Peter, James, and John? Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In this candid conversation, we sit down with licensed marriage and family therapist Chris A. Matthews who opens up about the struggles he and his wife faced in their own marriage, and the powerful shift in focus that turned things around. Out of that personal journey, he now equips couples with practical tools to help them stop the negative cycles and cultivate connection, trust, and lasting change. Whether your relationship feels stuck or you simply want to grow closer, you’ll discover hope-filled insights and actionable steps to begin your own marriage turnaround. Your marriage isn't hopeless; it's just ready for a miracle. Connect with Chris A. Matthews on his website, Facebook, X, or Instagram. Find Chris's book Marriage Underdogs: A Man’s Journey to Matrimony If your marriage could use some help,, check out the two different packages available for the Marriage Healing Kit, and decide which one is right for you. And if you have questions, Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message for her here.
Your words carry more power in your marriage than you may realize. In this episode, Dr. Carol talks with Ann Wilson, best-selling author, radio host, and 40-year marriage veteran, about the profound influence a wife’s words can have in her husband’s heart and life. Together they unpack why your husband is not a project to be fixed, and how shifting from negative to positive communication can change the atmosphere of your relationship—even when real issues still need to be addressed. If you’ve ever struggled to feel heard, wondered why conversations with your spouse seem to go sideways, or longed to move from conflict toward deeper and healthier connection, this episode will give you both hope and practical tools to speak life into your marriage. Connect with Ann Wilson at Family Life Today, or on Instagram Find Ann's book How to Speak Life to Your Husband: When All You Want to Do Is Yell at Him If your marriage could use some help, check out the two different packages available for the Marriage Healing Kit, and decide which one is right for you. And if you have questions, Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message for her here.
When it comes to sex and marriage, most couples discover there’s far more beneath the surface than they ever expected. In this episode, Dr. Carol welcomes Dr. Michael Sytsma—ordained Christian minister, licensed professional counselor, certified sex therapist, professor, and national speaker. With over 30 years of clinical experience, Dr. Sytsma has walked with countless couples through struggles, surprises, and the deep joys of intimacy. Together they unpack the common myths couples believe about sex, why intimacy can feel so complicated, and the surprising ways love and faith intersect in the bedroom. You’ll hear practical wisdom, biblical perspective, and real-life insights that can help you and your spouse build a marriage that is both deeply connected and joyfully intimate. Whether you’re facing challenges or simply want to grow closer, this conversation will encourage and equip you with tools for a stronger, more vibrant marriage. This is a replay of an episode we shared a couple years ago, and this provides a taste of what you can access in the Marriage Healing Kit. Connect with Dr. Sytsma on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find the book by Dr. Sytsma and Shaunti Feldhein Secrets of Sex and Marriage: 8 Surprises That Make all the Difference, and related resources Check out the two different packages available for the Marriage Healing Kit, and decide which one is right for you. And if you have questions, Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message for her here.
What if the difference between a thriving marriage and one headed for divorce could actually be predicted? In this episode, Dr. Carol sits down for part 2 of her conversation with marriage and family therapist Zion Montgomery to explore the groundbreaking research behind the Gottman Method—decades of study that reveal why some couples make it and others don’t. From the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” that signal danger in a relationship, to the surprising myth that conflict means a marriage is doomed, you’ll hear what science has uncovered about the true markers of lasting love. Together they dig into what this means in real life: what this can say about your own relationship, what tools can help partners move forward, and what hope looks like even in the face of big challenges like addiction, betrayal, or destructive anger. Whether your marriage is struggling or you simply want to strengthen your relationship, this conversation will give you practical insights and encouragement grounded in both research and biblically-based hope. Check out the two different packages available for the Marriage Healing Kit, and decide which one is right for you. You can connect with Zion Motgomery on her website. And if you have questions, Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message for her here.
What difference does faith really make in your marriage? Is it just about praying harder when things get tough, or is there something deeper God invites us into? In this episode, Dr. Carol sits down with marriage and family therapist Zion Montgomery to talk about the real challenges couples face—misplaced expectations, communication struggles, questions about submission and control, and the temptation to blame our spouse for everything that feels wrong. Together they unpack why prayer is more than asking God to “fix” your partner, and how it can become a pathway to intimacy, healing, and transformation. You’ll hear why God is truly for your marriage, and what it looks like to invite His presence into your daily life together. From setting healthy boundaries to re-centering your relationship on purpose and partnership, this conversation is both practical and deeply hopeful. Whether your marriage feels strong or stretched thin, you’ll come away encouraged with fresh vision for how faith can bring connection, growth, and lasting joy into your relationship. Check out the two different packages available for the Marriage Healing Kit, and decide which one is right for you. You can connect with Zion Motgomery on her website. And if you have questions, Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message for her here.
How healthy is your marriage—really? Maybe things look fine on the outside, but inside you feel more like roommates than soulmates. Maybe the arguments never seem to end, or the silence feels even louder. You might be carrying the weight of disappointment, betrayal, or loneliness and wondering if there’s any way forward. If that’s where you are, you’re not alone—and your story isn’t over. In this episode, Dr. Carol comes alongside you with honesty and hope. She shares why so many marriages, even Christian ones, end up struggling or in crisis, and what can begin to change that story. You’ll also hear about the Marriage Healing Kit, a Christ-centered journey designed to help couples reconnect emotionally, spiritually, and physically. This group of resources blends biblical truth, proven psychological principles, and decades of ministry experience to help couples rediscover joy, connection, and intimacy. Whether you’re dealing with silence, conflict, or broken trust, you’ll find a pathway toward restoration and a marriage that is truly Fully Alive. If you’re longing for more than just “getting by,” this will encourage you that God’s design for marriage is joy, intimacy, and connection. And it’s not too late for you to experience that. Check out the two different packages available for the Marriage Healing Kit. And if you have questions, Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message for her here.
Today’s kids are growing up in a digital world filled with hidden threats including pornography, predators, and pressures that most adults never faced at their age. In this episode, Dr. Carol talks with Sarah Siegand, co-founder of Parents Who Fight, about what it really takes to protect our children from online dangers. This is more than a tech issue; it’s a spiritual battle for the hearts and futures of the next generation. Sarah shares practical, grace-filled insight for parents, pastors, and church leaders who want to be both informed and empowered. From setting healthy boundaries to having ongoing conversations about sexuality, Sarah unpacks how we can partner together to raise emotionally resilient and spiritually grounded kids. This conversation offers hope, strategy, and strength for the fight, especially through the power of banding together to impact the micro-culture your kids encounter. Connect with Sarah Siegand and Parents Who Fight on their website, Facebook, X, or Instagram. Find Sarah's new book available for preorder; Next Gen Tech Reset. And enter the discount code LEADER to get the book for only $5! For some powerful resources to address your own inner life around intimacy, sexuality, and relationships, check out our YourSexpectations hub: articles, the book, the online course, and more. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Purity culture promised protection and blessing, but for many it left a legacy of shame, confusion, and even distance from God. In this episode, we sit down with licensed psychologist Dr. Camden Morgante who knows the struggle firsthand, both personally and professionally. She shares her own story of growing up in purity culture, the myths that shaped her faith, and the painful ways those messages got tangled with her sense of identity and sexuality. Together, we unpack what it looks like to heal from toxic beliefs while holding onto a faith that is life-giving, embodied, and whole. You’ll hear how she helps clients disentangle shame from sexuality in a distinctly Christian context, and how she found freedom herself while still embracing a traditional Christian sexual ethic but without the weight of fear and condemnation. If you’ve ever wrestled with purity culture’s ideas or impact, this conversation offers a hopeful, grace-filled path forward. Connect with Dr. Camden Morgante on her website, substack, Facebook, or Instagram. Find Dr. Morgante's book Recovering from Purity Culture: Dismantle the Myths, Reject Shame-Based Sexuality, and Move Forward in Your Faith For some powerful resources to address your own inner life around intimacy, sexuality, and relationships, check out our YourSexpectations hub: articles, the book, the online course, and more. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Sometimes Christians focus exclusively on one aspect of our lives, perhaps the spiritual. But we are created as integrated human beings - physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual. What if your biggest breakthroughs came not from working harder, but from connecting the dots between your faith, your thoughts, and your daily actions?
In today's episode, Dr. Carol discusses this and more with the authors of Integrated Mindset, professors Dr. Brad Strawn and Dr. Earl Bland to uncover the surprising ways theology and psychology can work together for lasting transformation.
From these seasons professionals you’ll hear compelling stories, fresh research, and practical tools to align your inner world with the life you’re called to live. Whether you’re feeling stuck, searching for purpose, or simply ready to grow deeper, this conversation will help you move to a place of being fully alive with a truly integrated mindset and spirit.
Find more about Dr. Brad Strawn and Dr. Earl Bland
Find their book The Integrative Mindset: Pathways to Practicing as a Christian Clinician
Our Intensives at Dr. Carol Ministries help you process both the psychological and spiritual aspects of your story. Find out more here.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What does it really mean to surrender your sexuality to Jesus? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Carol talks with clinical psychologist, author, and co-founder of Authentic Intimacy Dr. Juli Slattery, about the deeper layers of Christian sexual discipleship. Too often, the church focuses only on behavior, but true transformation goes far beyond rule-keeping. It’s about identity, intimacy, and bringing the most vulnerable parts of ourselves into relationship with God for Him to heal and transform. Dr. Slattery unpacks the difference between sex and intimacy, and why our deepest sexual struggles are often rooted in wounds, lies, or unmet longings. Whether you're facing shame from the past, stuck in patterns of sinful behavior, or wrestling with disconnection in your relationships, this episode offers hope, and a path forward. Surrendering your sexuality to Jesus isn’t just about saying “no” to sin; it’s about saying “yes” to a whole, healed, and intimate life with Him. Connect with Dr. Juli Slattery at Authentic Intimacy, the Java with Juli podcast, Facebook, or Instagram. Find her latest book Surrendered Sexuality: How Knowing Jesus Changes... Everything Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In a culture where relationship longevity is at an all-time low, even within the church, how can we build relationships that truly last? In this insightful conversation, Dr. Carol talks with Dr. John Van Epp, a leading relationship expert, pastor, professor, and creator of curricula for singles, engaged couples, and married couples. With over a million people impacted by his programs in both faith-based and secular settings, Dr. Van Epp brings much practical wisdom rooted in research and Scripture. Together, they explore the Relationship Attachment Model (RAM) and how it offers a framework for making wise, emotionally healthy choices in dating and marriage. You’ll hear why character must take priority over chemistry, and how this model can help both you and your kids avoid unnecessary heartache. Whether you're navigating your own relationships or guiding the next generation, this conversation offers clarity, hope, and tools to cultivate God-honoring love. Find Dr. Van Epp's book How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk: the foolproof way to follow your heart without losing your mind Check out the wealth of resources available at Love Thinks - books, online courses, and other resources Consider sharing the Relationship Attachment Model for a churchwide relationship series Check out Love Thinks on Facebook or YouTube. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Check out our YourSexpectations hub - resources in several formats to help you find wholeness around intimacy and relationships Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What does beauty have to do with fear, faith, and the future? In this compelling conversation, Dr. Carol sits down with former Muslim and now author and pastor Naeem Fazal to explore how beauty is not just aesthetic; it's transformational. Naeem shares his powerful personal story of overcoming deep fear and rejection, and how beauty is bound up in the very life of relationship with God. “Beauty has the power to shape our souls,” he says. And in a world that feels increasingly fractured, that truth matters more than ever. Together they unpack why loss and failure don’t have to define your story, how rejection can become redirection, and how the pursuit of beautiful relationships may be among the most godly and courageous things we can do. If you’ve struggled to find hope after disappointment or long to live less afraid of what’s ahead, this episode will invite you to see your own journey through a lens that's full of joy, hope and beauty. Connect with Naeem Fazal on his website, YouTube, X, or Instagram. Find Naeem's book Tomorrow Needs You: Seeing Beauty When You Feel Hopeless, and his previous book Ex-Muslim: How One Daring Prayer to Jesus Changed a Life Forever Check out the article on our website Scriptures for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety If you're hungry for more personal help, check out Coaching with Dr. Carol, or our amazing small-group Intensives.
Today’s young people are navigating a sexual landscape unlike anything previous generations have faced. Porn is not just accessible—it’s expected. Messages about identity, desire, and intimacy are being shaped more by screens than by Scripture. In this important conversation, Dr. Carol talks with Joel Warneking and Bill Williams from 423 Communities, a ministry that walks with people toward freedom from unhealthy sexual patterns and into deeper intimacy with God. Joel and Bill unpack what’s really going on in the hearts and minds of the next generation, and why transformation doesn’t happen through willpower alone. They highlight the science of brain rewiring and the spiritual power of grace-filled community—especially in small groups—where lasting change is made possible. If you care about discipleship, sexual integrity, or the future of the church, this episode will challenge and equip you to be part of the healing story God is writing in a porn-saturated world. Connect with Joel Warneking or Bill Williams on the 423 Communities website, Facebook, X, Instagram, or YouTube. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Need some personal help? Check out individual Coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What happens when you step away from the noise of life and create space for God to do deep heart work? In this special episode, Dr. Carol sits down with three courageous women who participated in one of our recent Intensives—four powerful days designed as a safe place to deal with the broken places in their stories around intimacy and relationships, and to experience deep healing, transformation, and connection with God and others. In this honest and hope-filled conversation, they share what drew them to the Intensive, the surprising ways God met them, and how their lives look different on the other side. You’ll hear about tears, breakthroughs, hard questions, and holy moments—and how four days can truly change everything when Jesus is invited to do what only He can. Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or longing for your own deeper healing, their stories just might be the encouragement you didn’t know you needed. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Need some individual help? Check out individual Coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
For many men, sexuality and spirituality feel like two separate worlds. In this honest and insightful conversation, Dr. Carol talks with former pastor, ministry leader, and spiritual director Bill Delvaux about what it truly means to invite God into our sexual story. Bill shares why so many men experience a deep disconnect between their sexuality and their relationship with God, and how that disconnect often leads to shame, secrecy, and soul-fragmentation. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Bill unpacks a redemptive process of healing and integration—where God's presence meets even the most painful or confusing parts of a man’s sexual journey. They explore how this integration can leads to greater freedom, wholeness, and intimacy with God and others. If you’re longing for more than just behavior management, and want a deeper transformation, this episode will point you toward a hopeful, grace-filled path. Find out more about Bill Delveaux at Landmark Journey Ministries' website, Facebook, X, or Instagram. Check out Bill Delveaux's article about How Sexuality and Spirituality Connect Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Identity is a hot topic in today's culture, especially when it comes to the LGBTQ conversation. But where does identity come from? Does it matter? And does one's biology matter? Elizabeth Woning embraced a lesbian lifestyle and a theology that embraced homosexuality until she had an encounter experiencing the love of God while engaged in pastoral ministry. She since cofounded CHANGED Movement, a network of individuals who have moved away from LGBTQ identity. As a licensed pastor she also trains emerging Christian leaders. In this deep personal and theological conversation, she talks with Dr. Carol about the far-reaching implications of our understanding of identity, and what that means for how God works for our redemption. Find out more about Elizabeth Woning on her website. Check out CHANGED Movement website or Instagram. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What does it really look like to walk with God in singleness—especially when the path feels long, lonely, or confusing? In this honest and compassionate episode, Dr. Carol responds to real questions from listeners about the complexities of single life. We talk about the ache of unfulfilled longing, wrestling with God when He hasn’t brought a spouse, and how to navigate desire—especially sexual desire—in a healthy, Christ-centered way when you're single. We also dive into the ways the Church can sometimes overlook or wound singles, and how to pursue genuine, soul-nourishing intimacy through friendship and spiritual community. Dr. Carol offers wise, grace-filled insights on becoming sexually whole in a culture saturated with distortion, and what healing can look like for those who find themselves single again after loss, divorce, or disappointment. Whether you’re thriving in singleness or wrestling deeply with it, this episode offers validation, encouragement, and practical hope. You are not forgotten, and your story matters. Resources mentioned: - Article: How to Find a Good Spouse - Article: How to Find a Friend: Your Peter, James, and John - Article: 5 Things I Wish the Church Knew About Single Christians - Article: From Temptation to Triumph: Designing Your Personal Escape Plan - Article: What Sexual Wholeness Looks Like - Article: Learning From How Jesus Handled His Need for Intimacy - Article: How to Know God as Your Husband Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In this powerful session from our Change(d) Conference 2024, we’re joined by a licensed marriage and family therapist with a unique blend of clinical expertise and pastoral insight. With years of experience walking with individuals and couples through the trenches of intimacy, sexuality, and relational pain, Zion Montgomery offers a compelling vision for how lasting transformation happens when both therapy and theology are brought together—rather than pitted against each other. In this episode, you’ll hear her rich presentation on the process of healing from the inside out, followed by a live conversation with me as host as well as honest audience questions. Together, we explore how prayer opens the heart, but process changes the wiring—and how God invites us into both. Whether you’re navigating broken trust, past trauma, emotional disconnection, or just longing for deeper connection, this session offers hope, clarity, and tools for the journey toward wholeness. Connect with Zion Montgomery on her website or Instagram. Get access to the full Change(d) Conference 2024, including all the other sessions, Dr. Carol's teaching, and Q&A. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What happens when the place meant to be a refuge becomes a source of silence—or worse, complicity—in the face of abuse? In this episode, we sit down with Diane Schnickels, certified counselor, domestic abuse advocate, and founder of Living Waters of Hope to talk honestly about domestic violence in the context of Christian faith. Together, we unpack the warning signs that distinguish abuse from everyday conflict, and explore the emotional and spiritual toll it takes on a woman’s heart—especially when shame, confusion, or a sense that she somehow “deserved it” cloud the truth. We examine how a distorted interpretation of Biblical submission can deepen the trauma, keeping women trapped in harmful relationships under the guise of obedience or faithfulness. But the heart of God is not one of control or oppression. Through compassionate insight and Scriptural clarity, we point toward the hope, dignity, and freedom the Bible actually offers women walking through abuse, and how the Church can become a place of safety, healing, and truth. Connect with Diane Schnickels at Living Waters of Hope on the website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find Diane's book Oasis Bible Study - A Woman's Journey Healing from Domestic Abuse Check out Dr. Carol's article Where is God in Trauma: Jesus Message to Survivors Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Dr. Carol regularly gets questions about difficult marriage, relationship, and sexual issues. On this episode she answers questions about some especially challenging situations; a wife whose husband is living with another woman, a husband who is frustrated with his wife's frequent "no" to sex, a wife whose husband is threatening to make her move out, a husband whose wife has left for the second time, a young woman struggling with pornography, and a wife who has experienced traumatic married sex. The insights Dr. Carol offers will help you in your relationships too! And for each question, she recommends a specific resource addressing that person's issues in more detail. These are resources mentioned on this episode: - Article How to Know if You Are Released from Your Marriage - Article How to Find Your People When You Need Help - Article Having the Sex Talk With Your Spouse - Article 9 Characteristics of a Healthy Sexual Relationship for a Christian - Article The 3 C's of Growing in Sexual Wholeness - Article 5 Ways to Pray About Your Troubled Marriage - Free download A Prescription for Sexual Healing – God's Way - Online course Fully Alive Marriage Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
When a parent is unfaithful, the fallout often extends far beyond the couple—it can leave a lasting imprint on their children, shaping how they view trust, intimacy, and their own worth. In this episode, we’re joined by author and former therapist Melissa Macomber who has spent decades exploring the often-overlooked impact of parental infidelity on children, particularly as they grow into adulthood. We discuss how this form of betrayal can subtly or profoundly influence adult relationships, sense of safety, emotional resilience, and faith. Together, we unpack the factors that can make the impact of a parent's affair more or less damaging—such as secrecy, loyalty conflicts, and emotional availability—and explore what it takes to break free from inherited patterns. Whether you're navigating the aftermath yourself or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers insight, compassion, and practical tools for healing and growth. Find out more and connect with Melissa Macomber on her website or Instagram. If the impact of your family of origin is impacting your marriage now, check out our Fully Alive Marriage course. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What does it truly mean to experience intimacy—with God, with others, and with ourselves? In this episode, we sit down with author and campus chaplain Rev. Dr. Erin Moniz to explore how sex and intimacy may be related but are not the same, unravel common cultural myths, and examine where the church’s approach often falls short. Too often, Christian communities embrace culture's idolatry of romance/sex and "baptize" it with the marriage message. But what if intimacy is something we are all created for, regardless of relationship status? Together, we dive into a Bible-based theology of intimacy that includes but extends beyond romance and into all our closest relationships. What practical steps can we take to embrace intimacy in a way that reflects God’s design? Whether you're single, married, or "it's complicated," this conversation invites you to rethink what it means to be truly seen, known, and loved. Connect with Erin Moniz on her website, Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Find her book Knowing and Being Known: Hope for All Our Intimate Relationships Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What if reflecting on our own mortality could lead to a richer, more meaningful life? In this episode, we sit down with internal medicine physician Dr. Pamela Pyle to explore how considering our earthly expiration date can transform the way we live today. While we touch on the importance of end-of-life planning, the heart of our conversation is about the here and now—how contemplating our mortality deepens our relationships, fuels forgiveness, cultivates gratitude, and inspires hope. Dr. Pyle also shares how this perspective has shaped her approach to life and work, including her powerful experiences in medical mission work in Rwanda. From the bedside to the broader human experience, this discussion invites us to embrace life with greater intention, purpose, and love. Don’t miss this conversation on how the end can powerfully shape the present. Connect with Dr. Pamela Pyle on her website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find her book Anticipating Heaven: Spiritual Comfort and Practical Wisdom for Life's Final ChaptersFind out more about Africa New Life MinistriesCheck out Five Wishes, a beautiful and faithful way to plan for the end of your earthly life Need some help with your relationships before it's too late? Consider individual coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you; you can leave a confidential message here.
This episode is about matters of the heart. Dr. Carol talks with Tom Bennardo, a seasoned ministry leader, author, and spiritual director, about the power and challenge of courageous authenticity. We explore the barriers that keep us from true connection—what he calls "Level 3 intimacy," where we move beyond surface interactions into deeper, truly vulnerable relationships. Whether it's fear, shame, or past wounds, we unpack what holds us back and why authenticity is both risky and essential for a meaningful life. Together, we discuss practical ways to cultivate deeper intimacy—with God, within ourselves, and in a few personal relationships. This conversation is an invitation to take off the masks and move into the kind of love and belonging our hearts were made for. If you desire deeper relationships and longer-lasting spiritual transformation but struggle with how to get there, this episode is for you. Connect with Tom Bennardo on his website, Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram Find Tom's book Open-Hearted People, Soul-Connected Church: How Courageous Authenticity Can Transform Your Relationships, Your Community, and Your Life Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Your past is not truly past; it is still impacting you today. In this episode, Dr. Carol talks with trauma therapist and licensed clinical social worker Adam Young to explore how making sense of your story can lead to freedom, meaning, and transformation. We unpack the ways your past still holds power over you—often in ways you don’t even realize—and why resistance to facing your story is so common. Adam Young shares insights into how memory works, why certain moments from your past feel “stuck,” and how your brain and body hold onto experiences and bring them into the present. You'll especially appreciate our discussion of God's role in your story - not as a spiritual bypass, but as a fully honest and yet deeply kind way of finding your relationship with God in your story. Connect with Adam Young on his counseling website, on Facebook, or Instagram. Learn more about the Allender Center. Find Adam's book Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In this special Easter episode, I reflect on the deep meaning of Easter—yes, a historical event, but also as a personal and transformative reality. I share two moments in my own journey where Easter became especially significant, shaping how I see hope, redemption, and new beginnings. Through a biblical lens, we’ll explore the heart of the resurrection story and what it speaks to us today. Then I offer three practical ways to make Easter more meaningful in your own life—whether you’re longing for renewal, wrestling with disappointment, or simply wanting to experience this season in a deeper way. No matter where you find yourself this Easter, my hope is that this conversation encourages you to embrace the promise of resurrection in a way that fuels your hope both for today and for eternity. Dr. Carol loves to hear form you. Leave your confidential message for Dr. Carol here.
The Christian church has long been a place of both refuge and harm for women, with many experiencing sexism, harassment, or a culture that upholds harmful power dynamics. That is certainly not the way of Jesus, so what can we do about it? In this episode, Dr. Carol talks with licensed counselor and former pastor Dr. Andrew Bauman to discuss the ways a pornified mindset distorts relationships, how church culture can perpetuate abuse, and what true healing and change require. Whether you’re a man seeking to unlearn harmful narratives or a woman longing for clarity and empowerment, this conversation is a must-listen. Connect with Dr. Andrew Bauman on his website, at the Christian Counseling Center, or on Facebook or Instagram. Find his book Safe Church: How to Guard against Sexism and Abuse in Christian Communities Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Childhood sexual abuse leaves deep wounds—emotional, psychological, and spiritual. But healing is possible. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Carol sits down with Dr. Adam Dell, a licensed psychologist, trauma expert, and author, who shares his personal journey of healing and how both faith and therapy played a role in his restoration. With honesty and compassion, he unpacks the Bible’s perspective on trauma and sexual shame, addressing common struggles survivors face, from self-blame to feeling distant from God. Drawing from his clinical experience, Dr. Dell provides practical steps toward healing, emphasizing the power of truth, community, and God’s redeeming love. Whether you are a survivor seeking hope, a loved one wanting to support someone in their healing journey, or a believer wrestling with how faith and psychology intersect, this episode offers wisdom, encouragement, and the assurance that wholeness is possible. Connect with Dr. Adam Dell on his website, Facebook, or Instagram Find the book Dr. Dell co-authored: Freedom to Heal: A Christian Clinician's Guide to Treating Child Sexual Abuse Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Pornography is no longer just a "worldly issue"—it has deeply impacted Christian marriages (including women) and families. In this powerful episode, we sit down with Ashley Jameson, Associate Director of Women’s Groups for Pure Desire, who has not only faced the reality of porn in her own story but has also walked alongside countless women seeking freedom and healing. She shares eye-opening statistics on porn’s devastating effects, from intimacy struggles in marriage to the rising number of women battling addiction. But this conversation isn’t about fear—it’s about redemption. Ashley Jameson offers hope-filled guidance for wives navigating betrayal, women wrestling with their own struggles, and parents seeking wisdom to protect and prepare their children in a hypersexualized world. If you or someone you love has been impacted by pornography, this episode is a must-listen, pointing toward the healing power of God’s grace and the steps to lasting transformation. Connect with Ashley Jameson through Pure Desire, or on Facebook. Get all the statistics. Get the full report Beyond the Porn Phenomenon: Equipping The Church For A New Conversation About Pornography, Betrayal Trauma, and Healing Check out our Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
We may believe Jesus can change things. But we either get upset because we can't orchestrate things to make it happen, or get discouraged because it seems He's not doing what we expect. The truth is that everything changes when Jesus shows up! That beautiful moment when Jesus steps in is usually the beginning, and there's much transformation yet for us to experience. But there are elements we can embrace, places we can put ourselves, to make space for Jesus to do His transformative work. Dr. Carol talks about that in this episode, and introduces you to our Dr. Carol Ministries intensives/retreats, where in a small-group setting individuals can experience Jesus showing up in their story and changing everything. Find out more about our Intensives for yourself, or possibly for someone you love and care about. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
In your journey to transformation you will be tempted again. And most followers of Jesus will slip again. It's tempting to fall into a shame spiral. You may think, "I've got to try harder and be more self-disciplined." Or, "It's no use. I'm too far gone. I might as well give up." You find yourself hiding from yourself, others, and from God. In this episode Dr. Carol unpacks how to deal with slips and relapses in your transformation journey. She outlines practical steps to building your escape plan for when you're tempted, and also how to set yourself up for success with lifestyle patterns that lessen your vulnerability to being tempted in the first place. Check out these articles from Dr. Carol: - From Temptation to Triumph: Designing Your Personal Escape Plan - How to Find "Your People" When You Need Help Check out our Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What's your addiction? What do you go to in order to feel better? Some addictions are dark and especially destructive. Others are less obvious, but nonetheless keep us from living whole, healthy, and in union with God. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with therapist, author, and Episcopal priest Ian Morgan Cron about the path to recovery using the 12 steps toward a "spiritual awakening." This is a picture of the gospel! Ian shares his own story, and then unpacks what it looks like to experience your own journey of recovery, wholeness, and transformation. Connect with Ian Morgan Cron on his website, his Typology podcast, Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Find Ian's book The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between or the accompanying Workbook. Check out our Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What are you doing to fill the empty places in your soul? We all do something. And for many, that's porn. But there's nothing too dark, too broken, too marred for Jesus to reach in and set a person free. Joshua Broome is a porn star turned preacher. On this podcast he talks with Dr. Carol about his story of what led him to become one of the most successful adult film stars, and how God brought him along a journey to amazing rescue and healing. And we talk about what porn does to a person, and the process of finding healing and freedom. Connect with Joshua Broome on his website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find Joshua's book 7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life: What My Journey from Porn Star to Preacher Taught Me About the Truth That Sets Us Free Check out our Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
You've probably realized by now that trying harder doesn't work very long or very well. That may be especially true for those experiencing sexual brokenness. Today's episode is excerpted from a session at the Change(d) Conference 2024 where Dr. Carol was joined by Jonathan Daugherty, founder and president of Be Broken Ministries. He shares his own story, and then a powerful picture of why grace is the only foundation that works, and nine specific aspects of that grace-based transformation journey. Connect with Jonathan Daugherty and Be Broken Ministries at their website, his Pure Sex Radio podcast, Facebook, or Instagram. Get Jonathan's book Grace-Based Transformation Get access to the full Change(d) Conference 2024, including the Q&A with Jonathan Daugherty, and all the other sessions.
Check out our Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Shame seems a certain companion to those who have experienced sexual harm and brokenness. And hurt people end up hurting other people. Those feeling such shame usually also feel like hiding from God. Teresa Whiting had to walk through that in her own journey. She shares about how she found healing, and what it's like to restore one's internal picture of God in this process. And she talks about some engaging and deep resources to help you experience deep healing. Connect with Teresa Whiting on her website or YouTube. Find her bookDisGraced: How God Redeems and Restores the BrokenHere's where you can get a free sample of the Graced study.
Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Neither you nor your spouse entered marriage as a blank slate. Most married people don't realize the extent to which the past experiences of both you and your spouse, especially trauma, form the foundation of most of the conflict between you. Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Steve Call, clinical psychologist, author, and graduate professor at the Allender Center, about dealing with the roots defining your marriage. Your past stories can become the fruitful ground from which redemption and true intimacy can grow. Find out more about Dr. Steve Call at the Reconnect Institute, on Facebook, or Instagram. Get the book Steve coauthored with Dr. Dan Allender The Deep-Rooted Marriage: Cultivating Intimacy, Healing, and Delight Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Do you feel loved? Do you feel loved by God? We are all born looking for love - to be safely attached, seen, and cared for. Our early stories usually mess that up. And for Christians, that usually leads to disruptions between what we "know" about God and our emotional connection with Him. Michael John Cusick, licensed professional counselor, spiritual director, and professor, joins Dr. Carol to talk about love. Weaving in his own traumatic and healed story, they talk about healing and becoming securely attached to God. They address the places where love, intimacy, and sex overlap - or don't, and how God usually works in bringing transformation in these tender places. Connect with Michael John Cusick on his website, at Restoring the Soul, or Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram Find Michael's book Sacred Attachment: Escaping Spiritual Exhaustion and Trusting in Divine Love Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
Dr. Carol believes, as many experts do, that it's a rare person indeed who has not experienced some form of sexual harm, whether obvious and severe, or more subtle and "normalized." You didn't wake up one day and decide to have sexual "issues," and behind your "issues" is almost always some dimension of experiencing sexual harm. In this episode Dr. Carol discusses different categories of sexual harm, the many ways such harm impacts you over the long haul, and three specific and practical steps to take that will bring real and deep healing. Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story with honesty and compassion, find hope and healing from past harm, shame, and brokenness, and experience grace from Jesus as you invite Him into the hard places of your story. Nothing stays the same when Jesus shows up! Get the course now. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
"It's not playing any role!" I hope that's true, but chances are good that porn is affecting your Christian marriage. Approximately 2/3 of Christian men and 1/3 of Christian women admit to a struggle with porn. That statistic holds even when that Christian man or woman gets married. And the impact of porn usually continues long after the actual porn use stops. This episode looks at the multiple ways in which your or your spouse's porn use has affected your marriage, your intimacy, and even your relationship with God. And then we discuss several practical things to do to when you realize how your heart, life, and marriage have been impacted. Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story with honesty and compassion, find hope and healing from past harm, shame, and brokenness, and experience grace from Jesus as you invite Him into the hard places of your story. Nothing stays the same when Jesus shows up! Get the course now. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
What's the current state of affairs when it comes to sex and sexuality - in culture, in the Christian church, in your life? Dr. Carol shares a few statistics - some hopeful, and some very sobering, and then quickly moves to exploring your sexual story which may include the good, the bad, and the ugly. You'll also hear about what it looks like to invite Jesus right into the middle of your sexual story. This is not primarily about behaviors; it's about matters of the heart. Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story with honesty and compassion, find hope and healing from past harm, shame, and brokenness, and experience grace from Jesus as you invite Him into the hard places of your story. Nothing stays the same when Jesus shows up! Get the course now. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
It's getting hot in here! In this short teaser you'll get a taste of what's coming up in a brand new season for Relationship Prescriptions. We're getting "deep in the weeds" in hot topics around intimacy, sexuality, and relationships. Topics such as sexual trauma, porn and marriage, spiritual abuse, intimacy in marriage, same-sex attraction, and more. Make sure you're subscribed to our podcast. And if you have questions, comments, or suggestions for what you'd like to hear about, let me know.
In this raw unproduced non-episode episode, Dr. Carol shares a quick word from her heart about coming to the end of 2024. Right now, come check out ARISE: A Place of Transformation, and be part of making this beautiful place a reality for people to experience lasting transformation through Dr. Carol Ministries intensives. Or you may wish to purchase an item from our Amazon Wish List to help us be ready for moving into this place where lives will be healed and transformed for eternity. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
Christmas can be a season of wonder, hope, and joy. However, it can also be a very difficult season for many. Often it's both good - and hard.
Dr. Carol shares a few of her favorite things at Christmas, and how these objects signify aspects of what Christmas means. Perhaps this will help you think of your own favorite things this Christmas. All of us at Dr. Carol Ministries pray that Jesus bless you with a special sense of His presence this season. Merry Christmas! Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
A Christmas Carol, the classic story by Charles Dickens, has been made into several movies and told in countless ways for generations. However, is it possible that this holiday story of Ebeneezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come might have meaning to your own life story? In this special Christmas episode Dr. Carol talks with best-selling author and columnist Bob Welch about stinginess, innocence, grief, joy, transformation, and other contemporary and meaningful lessons about how to live - and how not to live - not only at Christmas but throughout the year. See more from Bob Welch on his website, Facebook, or Instagram Bob Welch's book 52 Little Lessons from A Christmas Carol: Inspirational Reflections for the Advent Season Bob Welch's other "52 Little Lessons" books from It's A Wonderful Life, and Les Miserables In your year-end charitable giving, prayerfully consider a gift to ARISE: A Place of Transformation Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Christians have the best answer to the epidemic of loneliness in our culture. As articulated by the US Surgeon General, being disconnected has life-damaging consequences. But too many in the body of Christ are neither experiencing nor offering the kind of friendship Christians are uniquely equipped to provide. Dr. Carol's guest on this episode is author and podcaster Rebecca McLaughlin who has a PhD in literature from Cambridge University and a theology degree from Oak Hill Theological College in London. She contends that friendship love is not optional for followers of Jesus. She explains why this love is, in New Testament terms, more critical than marriage or romantic love. And she talks about what this can practically look like for you. Connect with Rebecca McLaughlin on her website, X (Twitter), or Instagram Find Rebecca's book No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Find Your People When You Need Help Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.
There's a guaranteed and often overlooked method to elevate your mood, energize your spirit, and bring you a wave of meaning and joy, and that is - wait for it - generosity! And Giving Tuesday is a strong reminder of just how powerful giving can be. In this Giving Tuesday special, Dr. Carol is joined by John Curtis, professor and senior development specialist, to talk about transformational giving. This is not about organizations asking for money. Instead, this is about the power of generosity to change you! If you're a church or nonprofit leader, you'll want to check out Mission Increase and their powerful principles of transformational giving. On Giving Tuesday and in your year-end charitable giving, prayerfully consider an investment in ARISE: A Place of Transformation Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Love sex or hate it, and regardless of your relationship status, you have a sexual story. You might be proud of part of your sexual story. But you may also struggle with shame and guilt about parts of your story. And whether you’re married or unmarried, your sexual story greatly impacts your ability to experience real intimacy with others and with God. In this talk Dr. Carol gave at the SHE Recovery Summit, she uses personal stories, theological perspectives, and clinical research in sexuality and neuroscience, to address how the unhealed parts of your sexual story prevent the intimacy you need, the process of developing the capacity for healthy intimacy, and what nurturing healthy intimacy–with others and with God, and whether married or single–looks like. The SHE Recovery Summit included over 40 speakers sharing their expertise, perspectives, and personal stories in helping women and teen girls address their issues around sexuality. You can purchase a pass to watch all the Summit recordings here. And use the promo code DRCAROL to get 10% off. And check out Dr. Carol's book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good And Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships, or all the other associated resources. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
"Is there anything too hard for the Lord?" The Bible asks that question, and answers it with a clear "No, nothing is impossible with God!" But does that apply to a truly destructive marriage? If your relationship is deeply troubled, you may be asking, "Is there any hope?" Shayne and Sheila Pitcock would say YES, there is hope! They join Dr. Carol on this episode to share their story. There are buzzwords here; domestic violence, abuse, separation. Healing requires both partners to allow God to do His work, but you'll hear how God can redeem anything when they do so. And now Shayne and Sheila are helping other troubled couples find the same kind of healing. Check out Shayne and Sheila Pitcock's ministry on their website, or on Facebook. Check out our online course from Dr. Carol Ministries: Fully Alive Marriage Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential comment or question here.
Knowing information, even information about God, is important. But so many Christians find information woefully inadequate to fully address the realities of their lives. Our souls long for something more - something of beauty, connection, even love. In this unique and beautiful conversation Dr. Carol talks with Quina Aragon, author, editor, and spoken word artist, about the love of God - not in the sense of information, but from story - our story, the Bible's story, and God's story. And you'll especially enjoy the poetic reading near the end of this episode. Connect with Quina Aragon on her website, or on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Find Quina's book Love Has a Story: 100 Meditations on the Enduring Love of God
Would love to have you join us at our Change(d) Conference 2024: Lasting Transformation Around Intimacy, Sexuality, and Relationships. Learn more and register here.
Check out Dr. Carol's article Genesis to Revelation: The Greatest Love Story Ever Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
The US Surgeon General has highlighted the epidemic of loneliness in our culture, and the very negative health implications. Just being around people is helpful but inadequate to satisfy the deep longing for connection God built into every human heart. In this practical episode Dr. Carol talks with Becky Harling, speaker, podcaster, Bible teacher, and author, about the deeper connections our hearts truly need, and what you can do to proactively nurture those connections. Though it may feel challenging, every one of us can take the initiative to find your people, and you'll be healthier and happier for it. Connect with Becky Harling on her website, Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram Find Becky's latest book Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World
Would love to have you join us at our Change(d) Conference 2024: Lasting Transformation Around Intimacy, Sexuality, and Relationships. Learn more and register here.
Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Find Your People Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
The wounds we all experience in life - internally as well as externally - can leave you with permanent scars. As a result you may feel disqualified from experiencing true goodness, from being able to fulfill what you most deeply desire, or from being as useful to God's kingdom as you wish. Dr. Michelle Bengston, speaker, author, and board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, has experienced lots of scars and helped countless others face their own scars. She talks with Dr. Carol on this episode about how our scars - physical and emotional - serve as the very preparation for what God wants to do both in and through you. Your scars are sacred. Connect with Dr. Bengston on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find Dr. Michelle Bengston's books: - The Hem of His Garment: Reaching Out to God When Pain Overwhelms - Sacred Scars: Resting in God's Promise That Your Past Is Not Wasted Check out my book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Dr. Carol receives lots of questions about relationships, menopause and married sex, marital rape, struggle with pornography, and more. In today's episode she answers some listener submitted questions on a range of subjects. You won't want to miss this!
Resources mentioned in this episode: - Navigating Midlife online course - Article Having the Sex Talk With Your Spouse - eBook Dr. Carol's Guide to Sex and Menopause - Article Why You Are Not Entitled to Sex - Article Where to Start if Your Marriage Lacks Intimacy - Free download A Prescription for Sexual Healing – God's Way - Article Why Doesn't God Deliver Me From This Addiction - Article How God Deals With Repeat Sinners - Resource Page Relationships Help - Article The Most Powerful Prayer I Ever Prayed Check out my book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Many followers of Jesus might wish God would "zap" them out of their addiction to porn, alcohol, or whatever else. Are they uniquely flawed when they still struggle with their unwanted behavior patterns? Doesn't being "a new creation in Christ" mean things should be resolved? Troy and Melissa Haas are licensed counselors and lead the HopeQuest family of ministries. They join Dr. Carol on this episode to talk about their own story of painful addiction and betrayal trauma, and about how they are now helping so many individuals and families find not just sobriety but lasting and whole recovery. Find out more about HopeQuest on their website, Facebook, X(Twitter), or Instagram. Check out Dr. Carol's article Why Doesn't God Deliver Me From This Addiction? Check out my book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships
Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Even as followers of Jesus, stuff happens to us. And more than that, stuff happens within us as a result. Your personal dashboard may start showing yellow lights or even flashing red lights, indicating things are not well. It's time to pay attention. In this very personal and practical episode, experienced counselor, author, pastor, and professor Chuck DeGroat rejoins Dr. Carol to talk about how to address those warning lights, find healing for what's going on inside, and reconnect with oneself, others, and God. Connect with Chuck DeGroat on his website, Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Find Chuck's book Healing What’s Within: Coming Home to Yourself—and to God—When You're Wounded, Weary, and WanderingCheck out my previous conversation with Chuck DeGroat - How to Deal With a Narcissist Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
The divorce rate for blended families is 70%. But there's another surprising statistic; well over 99% of couples who do this one specific activity stay together - blended or not. Dr. Carol talks with Scott and Vanessa Martindale of Blended Kingdom Families in this very encouraging episode. Scott shares the one activity that guarantees an over 99% success rate for you staying together! We talk about the unique challenges blended families face, but even more about the doable ways of building oneness even when your marriage is blended. Check out the organization Scott and Vanessa Martindale lead, Blended Kingdom Families, or also on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Check out the Martindale's book Blended and Redeemed: The Go-To Field Guide for the Modern Stepfamily Consider attending the Blended Family Conference coming October 5 - in person or virtually Explore the resources on Dr. Carol Ministries Relationships page Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
What kind of change is possible - or not possible, especially when it comes to LGBTQ issues? And how does change happen? There are no one-size-fits-all answers. But as the Changed movement is demonstrating, there are more stories of lasting change than many realize. Dr. Carol's guest on this episode is Ken Williams, co-founder of the Changed Movement. He shares his story of following Jesus away from a gay identity to what he describes as a true masculine identity and intimacy with God – and also being happily married to his wife. And Ken and Dr. Carol dive deep into what change means, and how it happens. Connect with Ken Williams on his website, the Changed Movement, Navigating LGBTQ, or on Facebook Find Ken's book The Journey Out: How I Followed Jesus Away from Gay Check out my book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
At some point in life, you'll likely to face a time when everything seems to be falling apart. A job loss, health or financial crisis, end of a marriage, death of a close loved one, or other catastrophe that can leave you feeling overwhelmed, confused, and unsure whether or how you can go on living. Dr. Carol's guest on this episode, author, Bible teacher, and minister Dawn Mann Sanders brings her own personal experience and a deep exploration of God's creative process to this encouraging conversation. You'll learn how to partner with God in overcoming adversity and recreating a new life of goodness and meaning after everything seems lost. Connect with Dawn Mann Sanders on her website, Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram Find Dawn's book When Your World Ends: God's Creative Process for Rebuilding a Life If you have recently experienced the death of a loved one, you will appreciate Dr. Carol's free 30-day email devotional series The Christian's Journey Through Grief, or her book by the same name. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you; you can leave her a confidential message here.
Statistics show that divorce rates are at their highest between five and eight years of marriage. That's when the disillusionment sets in. Even if your marriage is not destructively toxic, what happened to the "happily ever after" that you thought you were embarking on? And what can you do about it? Dr. Carol's guest on this episode, Chelsea Damon, thought marriage would make her happy - until it didn't. But since she and her husband have learned these important keys, she says her marriage is now consistently more happy than ever. Find out what she has coached thousands of couples to walk through in making their marriage enduringly happy. Connect with Chelsea Damon on her website, Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram Find Chelsea's book I Thought This Would Make Me Happy: How to Fight Less, Forgive Faster, and Cultivate Joy in Your Marriage My book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
The Bible doesn't talk specifically about dating. But that doesn't mean it has nothing to say on the subject. Dating as a Christian can seem confusing, and hard. There are questions not only about sexuality and sexual behavior, but about how to know if this is "the one," what makes a relationship healthy, and preparing for not just a wedding but a marriage. Tovares and Safa Gray talk with Dr. Carol in this authentic and fun conversation about Godly Dating 101 - their ministry to young Christians helping them navigate all the challenging questions and experiences they are faced with in developing a healthy relationship God's way. Connect with Tovares and Safa Gray on their website, YouTube channel, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find their book Godly Dating 101: Discover the Truth About Relationships in a World That Constantly Lies Get your free download from Dr. Carol Your Prescription for Sexual Healing – God's Way My book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
The rapid increase in LGBTQ+ issues in our culture leaves many Christian parents struggling with how to navigate these realities with their children in ways that are both loving and aligned to their Christian faith. Dr. Carol's guest on today's episode is Ellen Radcliff. She was raised in a Christian home and also wrestles with same-sex attraction. As a faithful Christian wife and mother who holds to a Biblical sexual ethic, she now works with other parents and families navigating these challenging waters. From both her own experience and her theological training she can help you maintain connection both with God and with your children. Connect with Ellen Radcliff on her website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find Ellen's book Love Covers Over: A Guide for Christian Parents Raising Kids in an LGBTQ+ World Get your free download from Dr. Carol Your Prescription for Sexual Healing – God's Way My book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Christian women, young and old, often struggle with a disconnect between what their intellect may know is "right" about sexuality, God, and relationships, and what their own experience has been. Pornography or other ungodly sexual behaviors only add to their sexual shame and feeling of being stuck. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Joy Skarka, director of discipleship for Authentic Intimacy, about the journey God invites every woman into of discovering the full love of God, how to grow into freedom from sexual shame regardless of your story, and the experience of true intimacy as God originally intended. Connect with Joy Skarka on her website, Facebook, X, or Instagram. Find Joy's book Her Freedom Journey: A Guide Out of Porn and Shame to Authentic Intimacy Get your free download from Dr. Carol: Your Prescription for Sexual Healing – God's Way My book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
We all get wounded. What do you do with your wounds? As humans we naturally hide the parts of us we deem least presentable. And that very hiding is what prevents the deep healing and transformation Jesus longs to bring. In this moving and personal episode, author, pastor, and ministry director Russell Joyce talks with Dr. Carol about how Jesus finds us in our wounds. His own shame and physical pain he's lived with as a result of being born with Goldenhar syndrome becomes that metaphor for how God meets us most transformatively in the very places we find most challenging. Connect with Russell Joyce on his website, Instagram, or YouTube. Find Russell's book His Face Like Mine: Finding God’s Love in Our Wounds Get your free download Your Prescription for Sexual Healing – God's Way My book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Our culture seems obsessed with sex. Then why do so many men seem to experience sexual desire as a place of brokenness, shame, struggle, and confusion? Dr. Carol's guest on this episode asserts that men are oversexualized yet sexually undernourished, and that many men need more talk, not less, about sexuality. Experienced therapist and author Sam Jolman joins Dr. Carol to talk about masculine sexuality as God designed it to be, how evil has hijacked and distorted this critical part of a man's soul, and what the journey to sexual wholeness, wonder, freedom, and even innocence is all about. Connect with Sam Jolman on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. Find Sam's book The Sex Talk You Never Got: Reclaiming the Heart of Masculine Sexuality My book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships And get the Audiobook of Sexpectations at 60% off through August 9th. Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
While approximately 50% of those who call themselves Christian in the developed world are unmarried, only about 25% of the typical church attendees are unmarried. Where are the other single Christians? Many unmarried Christians report unique struggles in their walk with God. They often report feeling disconnected or even alienated from the body of Christ, like church isn't for them. On this episode Lisa Anderson, who manages Focus on the Family's young adult ministry, talks with Dr. Carol about what it's like to live as a Christian single - at any age. And Lisa has some helpful things to say to singles about the church, and to the church about singles. Connect with Lisa Anderson on the Boundless website, or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Get Lisa's book The Dating Manifesto: A Drama-Free Plan for Pursuing Marriage with Purpose Find my article Handling Your Sexuality as a Single Christian My book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
The need to belong is deep in our human souls. We are almost always asking, "Am I on the inside? Or on the outside?" Loneliness has strong negative impacts on our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Dr. Carol's conversation with writer, speaker, and podcaster Sarah E. Westfall will help you navigate your need to belong, and how that comes more from who you are than something you achieve. And they offer insight into how to move closer to both God and others. More resources: - Connect with Sarah Westfall on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. - Get Sarah's book The Way of Belonging: Reimagining Who We Are and How We Relate My article How to Find Your People When You Need Help My book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
More religious stuff to do. So much performance leads to anxiety and exhaustion. When our attachment to God is insecure, or is based on our own activity and behavior, there's no life. Anglican priest and spiritual director Summer Joy Gross has walked the journey to become securely attached to God. She talks with Dr. Carol on this episode about how you can do the same. While offering practices that will help you, your biggest takeaway from this conversation is likely to be a deeper desire to be with Jesus. More resources: - Connect with Summer Joy Gross and the Presence Project on her website, or on Facebook or Instagram. - Get Summer's book The Emmanuel Promise: Discovering the Security of a Life Held by God
Check out my article Practical Ways to Pursue Intimacy with God My book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Marriage is hard. And it can be really hard when you face betrayal, neurodiversity, old baggage, emotional deprivation, and more. Shawna Meek has faced all this, and has chosen to stay married. She talks with Dr. Carol about what helped her stay - and stay sane - in the middle of all the mess. You may or may not make the same choice Shawna has. But regardless, this conversation will help you feel validated and encouraged, and help you persevere regardless of what happens - or doesn't - with your marriage. More resources: - APSATS - Association of Partners of Sex Addicts Trauma Specialists - Find Shawna Meek at Living Stones Coaching, Facebook, or Instagram - Get Shawna's book Determined for More: A Story of Perseverance Through Divorce, Betrayal Trauma, Emotional Deprivation and Autism My book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Your journey to wholeness - sexually and otherwise - will be opposed. That opposition comes from both inside you and from outside you. That opposition includes pressure from the kingdom of darkness. Not everything is spiritual warfare, but understanding this aspect of what you will face helps you be prepared and successful in facing the opposition. Dr. Carol provides three specific strategies or things to do in facing spiritual opposition that will help you recognize when you're under spiritual attack, experience true freedom, and build a lifestyle that will maintain your freedom. . . . . . More resources: - article The Most Powerful Prayer I Ever Prayed - book and related resources: Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories Around God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol enjoys hearing from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
We often don’t get what we want and that is often a good thing. Desire—including sexual desire—can often be in disorder. Today’s follower of Jesus exist at a moment in history when our desires, longings, and wants are being weaponized against us by cultural, spiritual, and relational forces. “Follow your heart” and “You do you” has become our moment’s mantras. The result, for too many, is feeling torn asunder by the raging desires within. What do we do with our desire? What about our unwanted desires? And how do we cultivate desires which bring life and freedom and lead to Christ?
Author and educator, AJ Swoboda joins the podcast to discuss this and more on this thought provoking segment.
Connect with AJ Swodoba on his personal website, or on Facebook, or Instagram.
Find AJ’s book The Gift of Thorns: Jesus, the Flesh, and the War of Wants
Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships. And find supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
It’s never really about sex. Matters of the heart and a desire for intimacy are imbedded in humans since creation. But what does that mean if you are married? Or single?
God gave us desire; he gave us this longing … the Greeks called it eros, passion, It’s the deepest desire of our heart. However, our world has hijacked eros, it just sees it as erotic. It has been taken over by a corrupt culture that only sees passion as something that is dirty, sullied, and sinful.
Author and educator, Bill Donaghy, co-author of Rise and lecturer at Theology of the Body Institute joins the podcast to discuss the theology of Eros and more on this thought-provoking episode.
Check out the Theology of the Body Institute
Check out Rise: A 30-day Challenge for Men
Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships. And find supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Your heart is shattered. How can you find healing when you've been wounded by trauma and betrayal? And that process is even more challenging when you brought your past complex trauma into the relationship to begin with. Trauma expert and counselor Stacey Sadler Smith has both experienced that herself, and now brings years of professional experience to helping both individuals and couples heal from trauma and betrayal. She talks with Dr. Carol on this episode about her own story, about broken attachments, and about the process of repair after trauma and betrayal - both for one's own heart and for the relationship. Connect with Stacey Sadler Smith on her personal website, at Daring Ventures, or on Facebook or Instagram. Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here. Contact to share links: stacey@daringventures.com
Many who use pornography struggle to quit when they try to, even if they deeply believe it's wrong and even while using various tricks and techniques and "praying more". Porn is often seen as the problem, and it is a problem. But what if porn is the (false) solution being offered to a different "problem". On this vulnerable and raw episode, Dr. Carol talks with Drew Boa about how he came to see "porn as my pacifier". They unpack the often-unaddressed issues that lead to pornography use. Hear how Drew did the hard and successful work to heal and develop a truly intimate marriage in the process, and how he now helps men find redemption in their sexuality, and healing and transformation in community. Connect with Drew Boa on his personal website, on Husband Material, or on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram. Find Drew's book Redeemed Sexuality: 12 Sessions for Healing and Transformation in CommunityCheck out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Most people know sex trafficking exists. But you might imagine that's something "out there" and could never affect anyone close to you. And why would someone ever get hooked into that lifestyle? Why don't they just leave? Dr. Carol's guest on this episode is Jasmine Grace Marino. As a former sex worker who now helps and advocates for others on the journey out of that lifestyle, she talks openly about the matters of the heart that are at play for those affected by sex trafficking, including the roles of addiction and pornography. And it's not hopeless; you'll hear the joy of working to help others experience freedom. Connect with Jasmine Grace Outreach on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find Jasmine's book The Diary of Jasmine Grace: Trafficked. Recovered. Redeemed Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
May is mental health awareness month. It's no secret that mental health issues have become a pandemic in our culture. How can Christians navigate their own mental health in ways that are both effective and consistent with their faith? And what might the Christian church have to offer in the broader mental health arena? Joe Padilla, licensed and ordained minister, talks with Dr. Carol about the Mental Health Grace Alliance - validated in scientific journals, and perhaps the largest network of Christian mental health groups worldwide. Combining research-based best practices and Bible-centered curricula, this resource is a best-kept secret available anywhere to anyone. Find out more about the Mental Health Grace Alliance on their website, Facebook, or Instagram. Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
With all the talk in the last few years about "toxic masculinity," what is a real man? Does it have to do with doing "manly" things such as sports or being outdoors? It can't be being "nice;" that's not appealing. What's really at the core of being a man, particularly as God intended? Author, radio host, and advocate for children's healing Brant Hansen talks with Dr. Carol on this episode about the kind of men, and especially young men, we need. He describes some critical decisions a young man needs to make, and applies this to relationships, sexuality, and one's spiritual life. Connect with Brant Hansen on his website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram. Find out more about the CURE organization Brant advocates for. Find Brant's latest book The (Young) Men We Need: God's Purpose for Every Guy and How You Can Live It Out Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
What did you expect out of life and marriage? Are you getting what you wanted? Life can get busy and overwhelming for a man in the "stress bubble" in trying to manage life, marriage, perhaps kids, career, and trying to be the man God created you to be. You could use some help. Jim Ramos, author, speaker, and founder of Men in the Arena, is Dr. Carol's guest on this episode. They talk about the major mindset shift Jim had to experience that changed everything in his life and especially in his marriage. Husbands will be both encouraged and challenged, and we've got a few words for women as well. Check out Jim Ramos and Men in the Arena on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
There are many reasons for and ways of becoming hard in our cruel world. You may think a hard heart is a good and protective thing. When harm or disappointment comes, a natural human response is to develop a tough and closed heart. But that also closes you off to the good things God intends for you and wants to work in you. Is there a way to cherish a soft heart in a tough world? Mother, writer, and teacher Charaia Rush is Dr. Carol's guest on this encouraging episode. They talk about how shame and pain can harden our heart, what a hard heart is and isn't, and God's process for softening our heart which opens us up to all His good things. Connect with Charaia Rush on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Find Charaia's book Courageously Soft: Daring to Keep a Tender Heart in a Tough World Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
If you've been wrestling with sexual "stuff," you may wonder things like, How did I end up this way? Why do I keep doing this? Why do I keep trying harder and nothing seems to change? Why aren't my prayers working? How do I get out of this mess? In this conversation with Dr. Carol, counselor, author, and minister Jay Stringer explains why the details of your story, especially your sexual story, shine the light on the path to healing. He uses attachment theory to explain how we come to be where we are, including how our relationship with God is impacted. And he describes what is takes to find the path to wholeness and holiness. Find Jay Stringer on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Check out the Sexual Attachment Conference Find Jay's book Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Transgender issues have become a hot topic in culture and in the Christian church. Is the cultural narrative missing the point, and if so, where? How can Christians address the distress those struggling with gender issues experience in a redemptive way? Dr. Carol's guest on this fascinating episode is Walt Heyer, who transitioned to living as a woman for eight years, and then de-transitioned back to his birth gender. Walt has now devoted his life and influence to helping others who are struggling with these issues. His faith and relentless pursuit of wholeness will inspire you. Check out Walt Heyer's website, and The Heyer Institute offering help to those struggling with gender issues, especially those who regret their transition Check out Walt's books Trans Life Survivors or A Transgender's Faith Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
In part one of last week's conversation, Dr. Carol described why information alone is not effective in bringing sexual wholeness, and why experiences and true connection is necessary. In part two, you'll hear what Dr. Carol Ministries has already been doing to help people grow into sexual wholeness, and some of the results. And you'll hear about the new kind of experience we are offering to help people bring Jesus into the places they need Him most, and how you - or a friend - can be a part of this. Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
There's an abundance of information available in regards to sexuality and relationships. But that information has not resulted in any lessening of sexual brokenness - in the culture at large or within the Christian church. Something is missing. In this first of a two-part conversation, Dr. Carol addresses that missing piece by discussing neurobiology, the way God created human beings with the need for intimacy (different from sex), and the process God uses to bring us to integration and wholeness. You'll understand what leads to true change, and why more information doesn't work. Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
If your marriage is difficult, when is it a character issue? And when is it the way someone's brain is wired? How do you respond with grace while protecting your sanity? Neurodiversity, in particular autism spectrum disorder, impacts human relationships deeply, especially marriages. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Stephanie Holmes, psychologist and coach specializing in neurodiverse Christian marriages, about how understanding brain wiring provides perspective on living wisely in a difficult marriage, differentiating character issues vs. neurology issues, and provides an honest look at how to find a God-honoring way to function well. Find out more about Dr. Stephanie Holmes at her counseling website, and at Christian Neurodiverse Marriage or Facebook. Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Same-sex attraction and homosexuality are hot-button issues both in culture and in the Christian church. But beneath the debates about behavior, as important as those are, there are deeper matters of the heart including the need for attachment and intimacy. How does that connect with what Scripture says about homosexuality? In this challenging and deep episode, Dr. Carol talks with Anne Edward about her own journey through lesbianism, the matters in her heart that led her out of that, and what it's looked like for her to follow Jesus and now minister to countless others wrestling with issues of broken sexuality and relationships. Connect with Anne Edward and Restored Hope Network on their website, Facebook, or YouTube. Check out the Leaning Into Jesus Together conference by Restored Hope Network coming this June. Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Confused, emotionally exhausted, or feeling crazy or depressed about your marriage? These might be signs you are being impacted by narcissistic and emotional abuse. Narcissism is a loaded word in our contemporary culture. But how do you know if that's what you're experiencing is your imagination, or is truly toxic? Dr. David Hawkins, director of the Marriage Recovery Center, has been dealing with individuals so affected for over 40 years. He joins Dr. Carol on this episode to provide a sobering picture of the suffering narcissistic and emotional abuse brings, and also to offer some wonderful guidance and hope for some steps to take next if this is you. Connect with Dr. Hawkins and the Marriage Recovery Center on their website, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Bad things happen even to good people. What happens in a person when they experience trauma or ongoing hardship? There's been a lot of talk in the last few years about trauma-informed care, PTSD, and such. How does all that integrate with faith in God and one's Christian experience? Dr. Shannae Anderson, licensed clinical psychologist, has been working in this field for over 25 years. She talks with Dr. Carol on this episode about integrating psychological trauma-informed care with the Holy Spirit's presence and work in a person's heart to bring healing, growth, meaning, and resilience. They talk about sexual trauma in particular, and also the role of the body of Christ in healing for people so affected. Find out more about Dr. Shannae Anderson on her website. Read Dr. Carol's article How to Experience God in Your Past Trauma Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Culture has made many people believe you must have a happy sex life in order to be whole and fulfilled in life. The church has "Christianized" that idea, leading many to believe you are entitled to sex, especially if you're married. But countless Christian married people are finding that doesn't work out well. Author, husband, podcaster, and pastor Noah Filipiak talks with Dr. Carol on this episode about how feeling entitled to sex almost destroyed his marriage, and what he believes now. They talk about the belief some have that sex is the "prize" for getting married God's way, 1 Corinthians 7, handling one's sex drive in a God-honoring and spouse-honoring way, and more. Find Noah Filipiak on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Check out the Beyond the Battle community Noah facilitates. Read Noah's book Beyond the Battle: A Man's Guide to His Identity in Christ in an Oversexualized WorldNoah's sermon based on 1 Corinthians 7 Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
How are you attempting to fill the empty places in your heart? If it's with sex, how's that working for you? And when it hasn't gone well, how do you find grace for your messy story? On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Matt and Laurie Krieg. Matt's a licensed therapist. Laurie is president of Impossible Ministries. Together they help people deal with issues around sexuality and marriage, including LGBTQ+ issues, in God-honoring ways. Here they share how they are living out grace in their own messy stories, and what it's been like to help other people do the same. Find Laurie Krieg on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Find Matt Krieg on his counseling page or Instagram Find their book An Impossible Marriage: What Our Mixed-Orientation Marriage Has Taught Us About Love and the Gospel Check out Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships And look around at all the supplementary resources at YourSexpectations.com.
Christians have questions about sex! But where do you go for the answers? Some questions have factual answers, but more often the questions have to do with deeper matters of the heart. In this challenging episode Dr. Carol responds to 10 questions YOU have asked, about all kinds of things - married sex, sexless marriages, single and sexual, porn, masturbation, different sexual practices, STDs, sex ed, and more. Yup, we're "going there!" And you'll want to find out more about Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships. If you're listening to this when it first airs, mark your calendar for TONIGHT, February 13, 8pm eastern/7pm central for our YouTube LIVE book launch party! We'll have giveaways, fun facts about sex, Christians, love, and relationships, answering your questions, and more.
The illusion that intimacy in marriage just "happens" may not even last as long as the wedding cake. Maybe the intimate connection between you was good but became broken, or maybe you've never had that strong of a connection. What are the practical steps for those who want more from their relationship to actually build true intimacy that lasts? Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith had to wrestle with that question in their own marriage. On this episode they talk with Dr. Carol about not only their story, but the practical framework they've developed to help couples at every stage of their relationship build (or improve) the foundation of safety, develop trust, and enjoy a deeper intimacy than they thought possible. Connect with Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith on their website or Instagram. Find their book Building True Intimacy: Creating a Connection That Stands the Test of Time Find out more about Dr. Carol's new book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships. Check out Dr. Carol's article What God Designed Intimacy in Marriage to be Like Don't forget to mark your calendar for next Tuesday, February 13, 8pm eastern/7pm central for our YouTube LIVE book launch party!
Tragically there are too many times when a spiritual leader uses their spiritual authority to perpetrate sexual harm and abuse on individuals under their care. The harm such victims experience is deep and long-lasting. And when these individuals seek help, the church's response has too often only added to their pain. In this sobering but enlightening episode Dr. Carol talks with Christian lawyer Boz Tchividjian about clergy sexual abuse in the Protestant church - a cause he has devoted a good share of his career to. Boz has worked for decades on behalf of those who have experienced sexual abuse, assault, and harrassment, and brings both courage and grace to this important conversation. Find out more about Boz Tchividjian's work on his website. If you have been harmed sexually in a religious context, please check out Restored Voices Collective. Check out Dr. Carol's article When You've Been Harmed in the Name of God Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential comment here.
Young people today are growing up in a very different world than adults did even a decade or two ago. For parents, teachers, pastors, and others who care about kids, it feels challenging to connect with them and help them become who they were created to be. Giving them facts doesn't nurture the creativity or leadership they need to develop. But what does? Dr. Tim Elmore, author, speaker, and founder of the Growing Leaders organization, joins Dr. Carol on this episode to talk about how adults can nurture kids to become creative and develop leadership in the way God has gifted them. Stories of other kids are an encouraging and powerful way to do this. Connect with Dr. Elmore on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find all the resources around his latest book I Can't Wait: 52 Stories of Kids who Changed Their World, or get it on Amazon. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential comment here.
Do you find yourself struggling with people pleasing, unhealthy relationships, avoiding conflict, or trouble setting boundaries? Have you lost yourself along the way of trying to love those closest to you? Perhaps you're suffering and struggle to understand why. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Courtney Burg about the family-of-origin dynamics that may set you up for codependency and ongoing dysfunction. And then you'll hear how to overcome your fear of setting boundaries, and what that looks like for a follower of Jesus. You can learn to love in ways that are wise and life-giving. Connect with Courtney Burg on her website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find Courtney's book Loyal to a Fault: How to Establish New Patterns When Loving Others Has Left You Hurting Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Find Your People When You Need Help Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
Does trying to get your children to obey leave you frustrated and upset? And does it seem that if you clamp down harder, your kids only resist more? What if there were a way to help your kids want to "be good," know how to do that, and actually demonstrate a healthy godly character even when you're not watching? Dr. Kathy Koch from Celebrate Kids joins Dr. Carol on this episode to help you learn how to Parent Differently. She offers practical, relatable, and spiritually-related insights and strategies that focus on guiding and growing your kids so they develop character from the inside out to become who God created them to be. Connect with Dr. Kathy Koch on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find Dr. Koch's book Parent Differently: Raise Kids with Biblical Character That Changes Culture You may want to check out - and preorder - Dr. Carol's upcoming book Sexpectations: Reframing Your Good and Not-So-Good Stories About God, Love, and Relationships Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. Leave her a confidential message here.
It's the twelfth day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
Your internal picture of God matters. That's perhaps the most important thing for 2024.
The verse for today: "For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known." John 1:16-18
It's the eleventh day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
What do YOU want for this year? Addressing our deepest desires matters - to your wellbeing, and to God.
The verse for today: "The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” " John 1:35-39
It's the tenth day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
What do you think God's goal for you is, for 2024? I think it's primarily for you to be WITH Him!
The verse for today: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." 1 John 3:1-2
It's the ninth day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
As we transition into a new year, what is your intention? How are you planning to live this year? What decisions are you making?
The verse for today: "Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life." 1 John 2:24-25
It's the eighth day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
It's also the beginning of a new year.
What have you been waiting for? And what is your hope for this year?
The verse for today: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:4-6
It's the seventh day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
On the last day of 2023, let's talk about time - our experience of time, and God's perspective on time.
The verse for today: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
It's the sixth day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
Reflecting on 2023, are you more like Jesus today than you were a year ago? How does that happen?
The verse for today: "Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:12-15
It's the fifth day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
HOW can we walk as Jesus walked? What makes it work? We contemplate here how Jesus did it, and how we can too.
The verse for today: "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked." 1 John 2:3-6
It's the fourth day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
Today we celebrate children! (the Feast of the Holy Innocents). And we pray for the end of evil.
The verse for today: "Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt." Matthew 2:13-14
It's the third day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
Christmas means that God came to be WITH us. How can you experience that?
The verse for today: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— . . . that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." 1 John 1:1,3
It's the second day of Christmas.
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
Today - Christmas is not just for you! What does it mean to share - your story, and perhaps your resources?
The verse for today: "And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some . . . rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking." Acts 6:8-10
Merry Christmas!
We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives.
Today, Christmas Day, we consider what it means that Jesus entered our world - God becoming human.
The verse for today: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
The Christmas season brings lots of emotions; anticipation, hope, joy – and for some, deep loneliness, pain, or grief. Being intentional about how you celebrate the holiday season will make it so much more meaningful. In this holiday episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Andrew Fox, pastor and professor, about the deeper meaning of Christmas including some unique and fun differences in how Christmas is celebrated in the U.S. versus Great Britain. Find Dr. Fox on his website, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Plan Your Way through the Holiday Blues Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
What stays with you from what you read or hear? Isn't it stories you remember best? Our human minds are created to run on story. In our information-saturated world, what does that idea have to say about our relationship with God? About Scripture? About how we share the gospel with others? In this fascinating episode Dr. Carol talks with Jerry Jenkins, author of over 200 books including "The Chosen" novels, about his 50-year career in writing stories. Also they talk about his writing process, what it's like to be the father of Dallas Jenkins (co-author and producer of "The Chosen" TV series), and much more. Find Jerry Jenkins on his website (with tons of help for other authors), Facebook, or Twitter. Find Jerry's latest book The Chosen: And I Will Give You Rest: A Novel Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can leave a confidential message here.
To be human is to suffer. And we don't like that! Much of our energy is expended is seeking to prevent or stop suffering. It's not that such efforts are not good; they are. But if we are to get through this human experience with any hope at all, we will need to change our relationship with suffering. To help us do that, Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Curt Thompson, Christian psychiatrist, about the journey from suffering through perseverance and character to the formation of hope. If you suffer, you need to hear this! With deep caring and insightful theology, this conversation will show you how to experience the transformation of suffering that God invites us into. Connect with Dr. Curt Thompson on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube Find Dr. Thompson's latest book The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope Check out Dr. Carol's articles: - How to Experience God's Presence in Your Past Trauma - How to Find "Your People" When You Need Help Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Fractured marriages, sexual addiction, deep anxiety - these are just a few of the kinds of struggles Dr. Carol Ministries is privileged to help people find healing from. In this unusual Giving Tuesday episode, Dr. Carol says Thank You to YOU for your prayers, sharing, and support. You'll hear stories from several individuals and couples who have found hope, lasting transformation, and joyful wholeness through our resources. We ask for your prayers, and for your financial support so we can continue to help rescue more hearts. Make your gift now. ------------- The resources mentioned during this episode: - Article The Most Powerful Prayer I Ever Prayed - Our Relationships Resource Page - Online course Fully Alive Marriage - 30 day email devotional Toward Sexual Wholeness - online course Sexpectations
Your relationship - or lack thereof - with your earthly father impacts your relationship with your heavenly Father. If your earthly father was absent, or unpredictable, or harsh and abusive, or neglectful, or emotionally unavailable, you'll experience God the same way. Overcoming father wounds is a challenge for so many people. Kia Stephens has experienced father wounds. In this episode she talks with Dr. Carol about the long process of her healing, and how she has built a healthy relationship with her Heavenly Father. Kia now helps countless others find the same healing - in their earthly relationships, and even more in their connection with God. Connect with Kia Stephens on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find her book Overcoming Father Wounds: Exchanging Your Pain for God’s Perfect Love Check out Dr. Carol's articles: - God Is Your Father: Good News, or Bad? - How to Develop a Healthy Internal Picture of God Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can leave her a confidential message here.
Don't you often wish God would "zap" you from here to there? If you need to change and you ask Him to change you, don't you wish it would happen quickly? But all longterm followers of Jesus discover that spiritual transformation is a process - and one where we learn to cooperate with God. Jonathan Daugherty has experienced that transformation, and now as founder and president of Be Broken Ministries he helps many others experience that as well. In this episode he talks with Dr. Carol about the 3-stage process to become spiritually mature and whole, and what you can do along the way. Connect with Jonathan Daugherty on the Be Broken website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. Find Jonathan's latest book Grace-Based Transformation: The 3-Stage Journey to Wholeness in Christ Check out Dr. Carol's article Ways of Being With Jesus that Bring Transformation Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
Christian culture has promoted the idea of purpose and calling. But the struggle to find and fulfill one's purpose and calling has left many feeling frustrated, tired, and discouraged. Longing for significance and greatness seems often futile and disappointing. Do our priorities and perspective need to be changed? Dr. Carol talks with Kelly Needham, Bible teacher, author, wife and mom, about how we've been fooled in our understanding of purpose. Striving for meaning and longing for significance is not fulfilled by things we do, but by Who we know. This conversation just may set you free and open the door to real joy. Connect with Kelly Needham on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. Find Kelly's book Purposefooled: Why Chasing Your Dreams, Finding Your Calling, and Reaching for Greatness Will Never Be Enough Check out Dr. Carol's article Being With Jesus in Ways That Bring Transformation Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
Every marriage is the union of two sinners. And that sets every couple up for pain and disappointment. Most couples simply react to the stresses their marriage encounters, or don't think about it much until a crisis hits. Grace and intentionality can change all that. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Brad and Marilyn Rhoads about how their own marriage was desperately challenging in the beginning, and how grace change both of their hearts. They then address how grace impacts communication, sex, money, and more, and why a foundation of God's grace and being intentional is the only way a marriage can thrive. Connect with Brad and Marilyn Rhoads at Grace Marriage, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find their book The Grace Marriage: How the Gospel and Intentionality Transform Your Relationship Check out Dr. Carol's resources on Relationships Dr. Carol loves to hear from you; you can leave her a confidential message here.
Sobriety is not enough. There are many men who have found sobriety from problematic sexual behaviors, but their relationships are still in tatters. And many women say something like, "My husband doesn't know how to love me." What's missing? Dr. Eddie Capparucci answers these questions in this episode with Dr. Carol, addressing the underlying reasons many men struggle with addiction, sex, and intimacy, and how they can overcome these blind spots. If you want to move beyond stopping bad behavior and experience a truly healthy relationship, this is for you. Check out Dr. Eddie Capparucci's Inner Child Model of addressing sex addiction, including the video series he mentioned in this episode. Connect with Dr. Capparucci on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Check out Dr. Capparucci's books: * Going Deeper: How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction * Why Men Struggle to Love: Overcoming Relational Blind Spots * Understanding Your Inner Child and Overcoming Addiction
Browse Dr. Carol's resources on relationships and marriage on our Relationships page. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Who hasn't felt knocked down, held back, or left out? Perhaps you feel that way now. Whether your problems stem from your own choices and behaviors, or whether you've been harmed by others, there is a pathway back to goodness and a life full of purpose. That pathway involves cooperating with God in changing your mindset and taking positive action. Kimberly Jones, better known as Real Talk Kim, talks with Dr. Carol on this episode about places in her life where she felt stuck, and how she changed her mindset and her actions in becoming the hugely successful person she is now. Hear important keys you can learn that will empower your own comeback regardless of how far down you feel now. Connect with Real Talk Kim on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Youtube. Find her book You Gotta Get Up: Grab Hold of Your Life After Being Knocked Down, Held Back, and Left Out Get Dr. Carol's free downloadable 7 Keys to Living Fully Alive Dr. Carol loves to hear from you; you can leave her a confidential message here.
Most of us human beings try to live beyond the limitations of our time, energy, and responsibilities. We see limits as a bad thing. But God doesn't. Might our very limits be part of God's gifts to us? And how might understanding the humanity of Jesus help us navigate these questions? In this episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Kelly Kapic about our nature as created beings, and how our limits are actually good news. They discuss what Jesus becoming a human being might imply about our bodies and our sexuality, and how we can embrace our humanity in experiencing the process of transformation God is working in us. Find Kelly Kapic's book You're Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God's Design and Why That's Good News Find out more about Dr. Kelly Kapic on his professor page Dr. Carol would love to hear from you; leave a confidential comment, question, or suggestion here.
Too often narcissism seems to thrive in our churches as well as in some Christian homes. Navigating out of the pain and dysfunction involved is hard. And Chuck DeGroat has been helping churches, individuals, couples, and church systems address these issues for over 20 years. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Chuck DeGroat about some of the deeper personal and church system factors that can lead to narcissism, and what's required to find healing both personally and in the church. If you've been harmed by narcissistic abuse you will find this insightful and healing. Connect with Chuck DeGroat on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find Chuck's book When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse Check out Dr. Carol's articles: - Is My Marriage Toxic? - Good or Not-so-Good Reasons to Leave Your Church Need some personal help? Consider coaching with Dr. Carol.
Someone sitting beside you at church, at work, or at school has experienced sexual abuse or exploitation. Perhaps that's even you. Unfortuately, the Christian community's response has not always been effective. Drawing from her own story makes Trish Propson – chaplain, author, speaker, and advocate – a sensitive and engaging voice in bringing hope and healing to those who need to be set free. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Trish to shine the light on how sexual abuse and exploitation are affecting members of the Christian community, and what the church can do about it.
Connect with Trish Proposon on her website or Facebook.
Additional resources from Dr. Carol: - article How to Experience God in Your Past Trauma - podcast episode with Dr. Diane Langberg What God Hates: Abuse and Trauma in the Name of God Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential comment here.
The loneliness epidemic is real, and has a larger impact on physical and mental health than most people realize. But friendship is hard and messy, perhaps more so in our culture today than ever before. Are ongoing authentic friendships really possible? And are they worth the effort and the risks? Lawyer, author, and speaker Justin Whitmel Earley joins Dr. Carol on this episode to talk about how we are all Made for People and the concept of covenant friendship. He talks vulnerably about the difficulties and risks of such friendship, but also about how this is possible regardless of your relationship status or past history. Connect with Justin Whitmel Earley on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find Justin's book Made for People: Why We Drift into Loneliness and How to Fight for a Life of Friendship Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Find Your People When You Need Help Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential comment here.
Teens and young people today are swimming in, drowning in, an unhealthy culture especially around issues of sexuality and gender. Holy sexuality often seems outdated or impossible. But these questions and challenges are not new.
Dr. Christopher Yuan joins Dr. Carol in this deep and empowering episode to address holy sexuality - what it is, how it differs from the contemporary mindset, where these challenges come from, and how teens and young people can be discipled to embrace a gospel-centered lifestyle and worldview around issues of sexuality and gender.
Check out The Holy Sexuality Project, especially if you're a parent, grandparent, or even a church leader.
Check out the previous podcast episode with Dr. Yuan, where he shares his testimony in much more detail.
Find Dr. Christopher Yuan on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Youtube.
Find Dr. Yuan's book Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story
Check out Dr. Carol's articles:
- Practical Ways to Pursue Intimacy with God
- Being the Family of God Regardless of Earthly Family
- Parents, Kids, Technology – and Sex
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
Teens and young people today are swimming in, drowning in, an unhealthy culture especially around issues of sexuality and gender. Holy sexuality often seems outdated or impossible. But these questions and challenges are not new.
Dr. Christopher Yuan joins Dr. Carol in this deep and empowering episode to address holy sexuality - what it is, how it differs from the contemporary mindset, where these challenges come from, and how teens and young people can be discipled to embrace a gospel-centered lifestyle and worldview around issues of sexuality and gender.
Check out The Holy Sexuality Project, especially if you're a parent, grandparent, or even a church leader.
Check out the previous podcast episode with Dr. Yuan, where he shares his testimony in much more detail.
Find Dr. Christopher Yuan on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Youtube.
Find Dr. Yuan's book Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God's Grand Story
Check out Dr. Carol's articles:
- Practical Ways to Pursue Intimacy with God
- Being the Family of God Regardless of Earthly Family
- Parents, Kids, Technology – and Sex
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
"Meaningless. Meaningless. Everything is meaningless." Those depressing words are actually from the Bible. If your life and marriage are messed up and meaningless, is there any way to find growth and meaning for yourself and for your relationship? Jeff and Tami Allen say Yes. On this week's podcast they talk with Dr. Carol about their tumultuous, even traumatic, early years together, and the long journey to finding true goodness and meaning. You'll see Jeff's extremely popular comedy with a whole new perspective after hearing their story. Get Jeff's book Are We There Yet?: My Journey from a Messed Up to Meaningful Life Connect with Jeff Allen on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Youtube. Get our free download: 7 Keys to Living Fully Alive Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can leave her a confidential message here.
Issues around same-sex relationships are "hot topics" both in culture and in the Christian church. And what about same-sex marriage in particular? What does the Bible really say about same-sex marriage? And how should we even go about addressing these kinds of questions?
On this no-holds-barred episode Dr. Carol talks with Preston Sprinkle from the Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender, about what the Bible has to say about what marriage IS and how that impacts our conversations around LGB issues. They address how followers of Jesus should both think and behave in theologically faithful and personally compassionate ways.
Find Preston Sprinkle on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Check out his podcast Theology in the Raw
Find Preston's book Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage?: 21 Conversations from a Historically Christian View
Check out Dr. Carol's article Disentangling the Connection Between Sex and Intimacy
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can leave her a confidential message here.
Narcissism can be an unfounded accusation, and it can also lead to marriage trauma. How do you know if you're living with a narcissist? And what if you might be one? Narcissism creates challenges for any relationship, but especially in the most intimate relationship of marriage.
In this episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Jake Porter, relational psychotherapist, about the nuances of narcissism, why we all need a bit of it and when it becomes a problem, and some practical things you need to know if you're living with such a person. There's more hope than you may have thought possible.
You can connect with Dr. Jake Porter at his personal website, the practice website, or on Facebook or Instagram.
Check out his webinar Complexity: When Narcissistic, Borderline, and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorders Co-Occur with Sex Addiction and Betrayal Trauma. Use the promo code DRCAROL for 50% off the already-low price.
Check out our Dr. Carol Ministries Relationships page for additional helpful resources.
And Dr. Carol would love to hear from you. You can leave a confidential comment or question here.
We all experience loss. Small or large, healing from any loss requires grieving well. Many people imagine grief only applies when a loved one dies. It certainly applies then, but for mental, relational, and spiritual health it's important to grieve all our losses.
Chuck and Ashley Elliott have experienced losses - individually and together, including loss of trust through pornography use, and loss of children through repeated pregnancy loss. They talk with Dr. Carol on this episode about the impact of grief on relationships with each other, with family and friends, and with God.
Connect with Chuck and Ashley Elliott on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Find their book I Used to Be: How to Navigate Large and Small Losses in Life and Find Your Path ForwardIf you have lost a loved one in death, you'll want Dr. Carol's 30-day email series The Christian's Journey Through Grief.
Dr. Carol would love to hear from you. Leave a confidential comment or question here.
Questions around gender identity have become a hot topic both in culture and for many Christian families and young people. Why now? What the medical world calls "gender-affirming care" has major, often permanent, life-altering consequences. Should we be concerned?
This episode features a conversation between Dr. Carol and Lori Kuykendall, president of Beacon Health Education Resources. Lori has many years of experience in ministry, health education, and the public sphere, and she has plenty to say about what she calls this "5-Alarm Fire."
Find more resources at Beacon Health Education Resources specifically from a Christian faith perspective.
Dr. Carol would love to hear from you. Leave a confidential comment or question here.
When you said "I do" you were expecting a connected, safe, life-giving, and intimate relationship. But you may now be wondering, "What's gone wrong?" Too many spouses end up living as roommates instead of as soulmates.
You'll find yourself saying "me too" in this powerful episode as Dr. Carol outlines nine barriers to whole-person intimacy in marriage, and provides six specific keys to overcoming those barriers. And you'll hear about a practical resource to help you put those keys into practice.
Check out the Fully Alive Marriage course, on sale THIS WEEK ONLY!
And Dr. Carol loves to hear from you; you can leave a confidential message here.
When trust is broken in a marriage there's always an underlying story. Although behaviors absolutely matter, there's more to be addressed. Looking at the matters of the heart for both the betrayer and the betrayed spouse makes a new chapter possible - regardless of what happens in the marriage.
In this episode Jessica and Ryan McDaniel talk with Dr. Carol about their story. You may first think it's Ryan's story, but keep listening; it's Jessica's story too! And then they talk about what's happened in both of their hearts, and how they now help other couples work through these very matters in their hearts also.
Catch up with Ryan and Jessica McDaniel on their website.
If you've been hurt in this way, join the Hope Rising virtual conference coming up on September 30. And get your ticket now; early bird pricing only lasts until July 31st.
Check out these articles from Dr. Carol:
- Keeping Your Sanity When Your Spouse Doesn't Meet Your Needs
- The Key to Filling Your Empty Soul
If your heart needs some individual care, check out Coaching with Dr. Carol.
Being married and feeling alone may be the worst loneliness of all. Whether or not sex is happening, your heart craves true intimacy. And can true connection happen even after trust has been broken?
Danisa and Jorge Suarez did not have good role models to build their marriage on, but they persisted. In this episode Dr. Carol talks with them about what they learned, and their work together now as a couple helping other couples overcome sexual issues or betrayal and build the kind of intimacy they need. They also talk about their heart for helping Christian leaders who struggle in this area.
Connect with Danisa and Jorge Suarez at their website CCICounseling
You can find Jorge on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
You can find Danisa on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
This article from Dr. Carol Where to Start if Your Marriage Lacks Intimacy
Check out our Fully Alive Marriage online course
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
If you're a parent, you are likely anxious about talking with your kids about sex. And many parents and others who care about kids feel that the ways most people have been handling "the sex talk" hasn't worked well at all.
The Lindas have a different approach than you're used to seeing. In this episode Dr. Carol talks with Linda Noble and Linda Stewart, who are both educators and parents, about the deeper ideas kids need to understand about God's design for the body, sex, love, and relationships, and how parents and mentors can make this a normal part of shepherding kids and teens.
Check out The Conversation Workshop site, where Linda Noble and Linda Stewart have a lot of resources available
Find their book Before the Sex Talk: A Theology of the Body Approach for Parents and Mentors
Check out the books by Christopher West mentioned in this episode: Theology of the Body for Beginners: Rediscovering the Meaning of Life, Love, Sex, and Genderand Our Bodies Tell God's Story: Discovering the Divine Plan for Love, Sex, and Gender Check out this resource page from Dr. Carol Ministries: Parents, Kids, Technology, and Sex
Dr. Carol always loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
Relationship status is a big deal. Marriage was God's idea, and He created it to be good. But when we make something God created to be good into an idol, it becomes harmful. We can do that with marriage or parenthood. We can also do that with singleness.
In this brief episode Dr. Carol addresses the harm that can come when we turn one of God's good gifts into an idol, and how we must fully live into the relationship status to which God has called us – regardless of whether married, single, or parents - or not.
Check out Dr. Carol's article on this: Throwing Down the Idols of Marriage, Singleness, or Parenthood
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message for her here.
LUST. What a disturbing word for many. Is living without lust possible? What is lust, and is it possible to have healthy sexual desire apart from lust?
Dr. Carol's guest on this episode believe the answers to those questions is YES. Jay Haug is the executive director of Living Without Lust, an organization helping men who struggle with lust and supporting the Christian leaders who serve them. He shares his own story of sex addiction and the long journey to finding freedom, and what the most important keys to freedom are for anyone experiencing the control of lust.
Connect with Jay Haug's organization Living Without Lust for real support and practical resources
Find Jay Haug's book The Rest of God: Finding Freedom from Lust in the Internet Age
Check out the ministries Jay mentioned that offer intensives to help someone with sex addiction begin the journey to recovery: Be Broken, Boulder Recovery, and Bethesda Workshops.
Check out these resources from Dr. Carol Ministries:
- free download A 5-Part Prescription for Sexual Healing - God's Way
- online course Sexpectations
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
Our culture has politicized so much around abortion, sex trafficking, even sex addiction. Policies matter. However, it's more important to address the roots underlying such painful and difficult realities.
On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Lisa Rowe who has previously worked with sex trafficking survivors and is currently executive director of Support After Abortion. But this is not primarily a discussion of abortion, but about deeper heart needs involved. Lisa shares how she learned this in her own heartbreaking story, and what kind of support makes the most difference for those who have experienced these hard things.
Check out Support After Abortion
Check out these articles from our blog:
- Disentangling the Connection Between Sex and Intimacy
- How Sex Has Lost Its Glory: Intimacy Gone Wrong
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message for her here.
What has your heart most deeply longed for? Whether you've used these words or not, it has something to do with being safe, secure, and loved. Life often leads to deep wounds around your deepest longings. What do you do then?
As a little girl Sue Moore prayed, "God, make me pretty, and happy, and give me a man who loves me." On the podcast today she talks with Dr. Carol about how different her life ended up than how she had originally hoped, how God brought rescue and goodness out of all the mess, and how she now helps others on the journey from brokenness to wholeness especially in the area of sexuality.
Connect with Sue Moore at Forgiven Much Ministries
Check out these articles from Dr. Carol Ministries: * Disentangling the Connection Between Sex and Intimacy * Practical Ways to Pursue Intimacy With God
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Behaviors matter. Sexual behaviors matter! But focusing most on behaviors leads to "trying harder" and failing, and stops short of addressing the deep heart changes needed for lasting transformation. In this episode Dr. Carol shares the core part of her message given at the Sexual Integrity Leadership Summit. This message shows how the "problem" is less of a sex problem and more of an intimacy problem. And she addresses God's plan for intimacy as the solution, and what you can do about it. Check out our free download A 5-Part Prescription for Sexual Healing – God's Way Some of the ministries offering small groups to support you in growing in sexual wholeness: Pure Desire Ministries, Be Broken Ministries, SHE Recovery, and Living Without Lust. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.
Marriage always takes work. But what happens when mental health struggles get added to the mix? How can both partners experience intimacy and goodness when things get messy? In this eyeopening episode Dr. Carol talks with founder and president of The Veritas Creative, Jon Seidl and his wife, Brett, a business owner and interior designer. Jon lives with significant mental health diagnoses. However, in this conversation the couple discus how their marriage has not only survived but thrived, and how those in the body of Christ can help those challenged with mental illness. Connect with Jon Seidl at The Veritas Creative, his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Connect with Brett Seidl on her interior design website Find Jon's books Finding Rest: A Survivor's Guide to Navigating the Valleys of Anxiety, Faith, and Life and Finding Rest Guiding Workbook: An Invitation to Go Deeper For personal help with mental health or marriage challenges, check out these courses from Dr. Carol Ministries: - Defeat Your Fear and Anxiety - Fully Alive Marriage Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! Leave her a confidential message here.
Loss is always possible when you love. But when emotional bankruptcy and loss happen repeatedly, regaining intimacy and love has even more challenges. In today's episode Dr. Carol talks with Rachel Faulkner Brown who describes herself as emotionally bankrupt during her first two marriages which both ended in death and grief. Hear how she found freedom, healing, true intimacy, and love again, and how she is now leveraging her story in helping thousands of hurting women. Connect with Rachel Faulkner Brown at Be Still Ministries and Never Alone Widows, or Facebook or Instagram. Get her Father's House Study, and enter promo code DrCarol25 for 25% off!! If you're walking through grief, you'll appreciate this 30-day email series The Christian's Journey Through Grief
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you; you can leave her a confidential message here
Behaviors matter. Sexual behaviors matter. But at least as if not more important are the underlying matters of the heart, such as broken needs for intimacy, isolation, and believing lies about the world, self, and God. Maria Nistri, Dr. Carol's guest on the podcast today, serves as executive director of Exchange Ministries. Here she shares her story of what she describes as "struggle and victory over same-sex attractions" and the role that an intimate daily relationship with Jesus has played in her journey. Find out more about Exchange Ministries on their website. Check out our 5-Part Prescription for Sexual Healing – God's Way You can leave me a confidential message here.
Many in the Christian church see singleness as a condition of deficit, focused on what a single person doesn't have. The culture and ministries of many churches give the subliminal message that marriage and children are a higher spiritual state than singleness. That's not a Biblical - or a historically Christian perspective. Listen as Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Dani Treweek, author, adjunct professor, and ordained Anglican deacon, about the meaning of singleness. This conversation "goes there" - about a theology of singleness, struggles have with intimacy, loneliness, and sex, and what singleness can and should mean for the body of Christ. Connect with Dr. Dani Treweek on her website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find her book The Meaning of Singleness: Retrieving an Eschatological Vision for the Contemporary ChurchCheck out Dr. Carol's article Feeling on the Outside as a Single Christian Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! Leave her a confidential message here.
Why does it matter that God created humans as sexual beings? What does that tell us about ourselves, and more importantly about God? How do we make sense of all the harm sex/sexuality has brought to many people in light of what God originally intended to be good? In this deep and encouraging conversation Dr. Carol talks with John Stonestreet, President of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, about bringing what God reveals in Scripture about these topics into this cultural moment even when it brings controversy. Find more about the Colson Center for Christian Worldview Check out the article Sex as Sacred: What a Twitter Maelstrom Reveals About Us Find John Stonestreet on Facebook or Twitter My podcast episode with Joshua Butler: How God's Vision for Sex Challenge's Today's Culture Check out this 5-Part Prescription for Sexual Healing – God's Way You can get in touch with me personally by leaving a confidential message here.
We hear from many of you asking questions about difficult situations involving sexuality, relationships, and intimacy. In this episode Dr. Carol addresses a number of your questions around these challenging issues. Issues she addresses include sexual betrayal in marriage, shame around masturbation, struggles to break free from pornography, and long-standing disconnect around sexual intimacy between husband and wife. Check these resources Dr. Carol mentioned: * Ways to Pray About Your Troubled Marriage * Free download 5-part Prescription for Sexual Healing–God's Way * Online course Fully Alive Marriage
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. Leave a question or confidential message here.
Happily ever after - does that even happen? Not for most couples. Beyond behaviors (which matter), what do you do with the messed-up, hijacked, and broken matters of the heart when a marriage is wounded? Bob and Dannah Gresh are both ministry leaders and authors in their own rights. But in this vulnerable episode they talk with Dr. Carol about the process God used to redeem their own wounded marriage and what that looked like for both of their hearts.
Check out the Happily Even After podcast.
Find Dannah Gresh on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Connect with Bob and Dannah's organizations True Girl and Born to be Brave Find Dannah's book Happily Even After: Let God Redeem Your Marriage Check out Dr. Carol's article Pornography and Your Christian Marriage Check out our online course Fully Alive Marriage You can leave Dr. Carol a confidential message here.
What's the big deal about sex? Why does God care? What does God's original vision around sex say about Him and His design and plans for us? Dr. Carol talks with Joshua Ryan Butler, author and pastor, about seeing God's vision for sex as a window into God's story of redemption, and a validating guide to living with authentic love in a changing culture. Some of these ideas may sound controversial. Listen through the lens of seeking to understand what God has had in mind from the beginning. Check out Joshua Ryan Butler on his website, Twitter, or Instagram. Find Josh's book Beautiful Union: How God's Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything Do you need to address your sexual story? Our Sexpectations course can help you do that. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can connect with Dr. Carol confidentially here.
Both culture and the church in recent years have seen too many examples of male sexuality gone wrong. But what's the alternative? In this provocative episode Dr. Carol's talks with writer, research, and ordained minister Zachary Wagner, as he critiques purity culture, shares his vulnerable story, and offers a view of non-toxic Christian masculinity. Connect with Zachary Wagner on his website or Twitter. Find Zach's book Non-Toxic Masculinity: Recovering Healthy Male Sexuality Check out Dr. Carol's article When the Church Hurts a Woman’s Relationship with God Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! Leave a confidential comment here.
The toughest seasons of life often highlight the ways in which we've searched for hope in places and people that let us down. These hard times always challenge your relationship with God. Can your faith in Him remain intact? Or can it even grow? In an honest and uplifting conversation Dr. Carol talks with international speaker, Bible teacher, and author Michele Cushatt about simple, surprising, and practical ways to build your faith when your world is falling apart. And then they apply these ideas to what to do when your relationships are what's falling apart. Find Michele Cushatt on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Find Michele's latest book A Faith That Will Not Fail: 10 Practices to Build Up Your Faith When Your World Is Falling Apart Check out Dr. Carol's articles: - How to Experience God's Presence in Your Past Trauma - How to Experience God in Your Tomorrow You can leave Dr. Carol a confidential comment or question here.
Nothing hurts more than feeling betrayed in your closest personal relationships such as your marriage. Although your story is yours alone, what you're feeling is not unique. Understanding the way your heart has been damaged and what is needed for healing will be a roadmap forward. In today's podcast, Dr. Carol talks with Lyschel Burket, founder of Hope Redefined, a ministry organization helping women take steps toward healing, about her own story of betrayal, the specifics of how she made it through, and what you need to know that will bring you your own healing. Find Lyschel Burket on her Hope Redefined website, Facebook, or Instagram. If you'd like some simple ideas about what to do when you feel you can't talk to anyone, request your free material here. You can leave Dr. Carol a confidential question or comment here.
Sexual harm and abuse leaves deep wounds and toxic shame, so much so that many find it hard to believe healing is really possible. What's that process like? Is it worth it? How does God bring about that healing? What about if you're too angry with God to even want Him close? Dr. Carol talks with Mary Ann Otley about the many layers of healing her heart had to go through to find wholeness. Maryann shares in detail what it looks like to allow Jesus into the wounded places so He can minister healing. Connect with Mary Ann Otley on her website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find her book Love Triumphs: Rescued from the Deep Wounds and Dark Secrets of Childhood Sexual Abuse Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Develop a Healthy Internal Picture of God To leave a confidential message, or a question for Dr. Carol's upcoming Q&A episode around sex and intimacy, click here.
The key to your freedom is sharing the things you'd prefer to hide, even the dark and ugly things of your sexual story.
John Fort, Director of Training for Be Broken Ministries dicusses his sexual story which includes some very dark things that he experienced and also things he did to others. But more importantly, his story is a demonstration of how God has miraculously transformed his story into goodness for others.
In this don't-miss episode you'll hear about the power of sharing your story, finding redemption and why it matters. Connect with Be Broken Ministries, and especially their Family Care Ministry. Find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Youtube. Some of John Fort's books: Honest Talk: A new perspective on talking to your kids about sex, Father-Son Accountability: Integrity Through Relationships, and The Forbidden Scrolls: The Shadow of Black Rock Get our free 30-day email devotional series Toward Sexual Wholeness Check out our online course Sexpectations Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
The topic of race relations can be emotionally-charged both in culture and in the church. What if those emotions could be part of the key to bridging the differences we often sense? How can principles of psychology and spiritual formation help us have conversations that make things better? Dr. Veola Vazquez, psychologist, professor, and author, talks with Dr. Carol about scientifically and biblically based ways to have healing conversations about race. And then the two doctors demonstrate such a healing conversation in a very vulnerable and emotional way. You may feel your own emotions stirred up as you listen. Connect with Dr. Veola Vazquez on her website or Twitter Find the book Healing Conversations on Race: Four Key Practices from Scripture and Psychology,and check out all the additional videos and information on this page. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
How did you learn about sex? Was it helpful? Perhaps your sex ed was lacking, or shame-filled, or not based on a Christian worldview. You want something better for your children, but aren't sure how to make that happen. In this conversation Dr. Carol has a challenging conversation with sex educator Kristen Miele. She believes YOU can be the sex ed teacher for your kids. This conversation addresses hard questions your children will certainly face, and you'll find some tools that can equip you to give your kids what they need. Connect with Kristen Miele on the Sex Ed Reclaimed website, Facebook, or Instagram. Check out Dr. Carol's article Parents, Kids, Technology - and Sex
"I can't tell anyone about this." That's shame talking. And it always ends in destruction. But how do you find someone to talk to? How do you find the courage to tell your story? What do you say? Guests Katie Griggs and Amanda Aanestad from The Victory Collective talk with Dr. Carol about their individual experiences with porn addiction, and the difference that came when they found the courage to tell each other. You might discover how you can tell your story too, and the difference that will make. Connect with Katie and Amanda at The Victory Collective website or Instagram To learn more about coaching with Dr. Carol, click here. For some thoughts from Dr. Carol about what to do when you can't talk to anyone, click here.
The most frequent question that brings people to our website is, "How can I make my spouse want more sex?" Research from The Intimacy Project gives some very encouraging and practical answers that will help you do just that. Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Michael Sytsma, ordained minister, licensed professional counselor, certified sex therapist, and professor about his 30 years as a sex therapist and the fascinating results of his research on married sex. You're certain to discover some ways to make your married sex life much better and more satisfying. Connect with Dr. Sytsma on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find the book by Dr. Sytsma and Shaunti Feldhein Secrets of Sex and Marriage: 8 Surprises That Make all the Difference, and related resources Check out these articles on our website: - 9 Possible Reasons Your Spouse Doesn't Want to Sleep with You - Having the Sex Talk With Your Spouse If you need individualized help, check out Dr. Carol's Coaching services
Pornography addiction affections Christian women too. And Dr. Carol's guest on this episode, Jessica Harris, believes we need to be talking about it. Jessica shares her story of porn addiction, overcoming sexual shame, and finding the lasting satisfaction, healing, and real grace , and the answer to the thirst many women struggle with in their soul. And listen to hear what she means by "indoor plumbing;" it's got nothing to do with anatomy. Find Jessica's book Quenched: Discovering God’s Abundant Grace for Women Struggling with Pornography and Sexual Shame Connect with Jessica Harris on her website, Facebook, or Instagram. Dr. Carol would love to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Nearly 1.8 million people attempt suicide in this country every year. If you're not affected personally you know someone who is. Mental health is an increasingly big problem in our culture. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Heather Palacios, pastor's wife, suicide survivor, and founder of Wondherful, a venue dedicated to encouraging people with mental affliction through daily encouragement and LIFEBOX™s. Heather's story will inspire you. If you're in crisis right now, call the suicide hotline 988, or text GO to 741741. The call or text are free, and someone will connect with you live, right now. Connect with Heather Palacios on the Wondherful website, or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Dr. Carol would love to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
If you've ever had that "EEK" moment as a parent, you know how Barb Winters, Dr. Carol's guest on this episode, felt when she discovered her son was hooked on porn. How was she to help her son? How could she deal with the feelings this brought up in her own heart? Barb sees herself as offering a virtual hug to parents in tough spots. But she also shares a great deal of wisdom that will help any parent of schoolage or teenage children address this area that every young person today will have to face. Connect with Barb Winters on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You might also want to check out E3 Family Solutions. Check out Covenant Eyes resources for parents As a parent you'll want The Sex Talk video course to equip you to have "The Talk"
The unfilled longings in your heart are painful and can be misinterpreted. Sex and intimacy are related but they're not the same, and there's only one way to have the deepest needs in your soul fulfilled. Dr. Carol's guest on this episode, Amy Riordan, is a writer, speaker, licensed pastoral counselor, and founder of Longing for Intimacy. She shares her story that includes same-sex attraction and pornography addiction, and how she learned to experience true intimacy with Jesus, and also with her husband and friends. Connect with Amy Riordan on her website, Facebook, Youtube, or Instagram. Find Amy's books Longing for Intimacy: Hope For Women Struggling with Same-Sex Attraction and All of You: Hope and Healing for Women Seeking Freedom from Sexual Strongholds. Check out these articles on our website: - How to Pursue Intimacy Whether Married or Single - Being WITH Jesus in Ways That Bring Transformation Dr. Carol would love to hear from you! You can leave a confidential message here.
Has reading the Bible through in a year been one of those New Year's resolutions you always seem to fail at? What if there was a different way to think about interacting with Scripture? To start the new year off, Dr. Carol talks with Trillia Newbell, lover of Scripture, Bible teacher, author, and Acquisitions Director at Moody Publishers, about her journey of interacting with the Bible and some refreshing, flexible, and inspiring ways to make God's Word part of your life this year. Find Trillia Newbell's book 52 Weeks in the Word: A Companion for Reading through the Bible in a Year Connect with Trillia Newbell on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can contact her here.
You voted–we listened. In this special year-end episode we share clips from the five most-requested episodes of our podcast from 2022. You can find full episodes of these conversations using these links: - How to Make Your Sex Life Sizzle, with Dr. Jennifer Degler - How to Understand Your Calling and Transform Your Work-life, with Michaela O'Donnell - Is Your Attachment to God Secure or Insecure, with Krispin Mayfield - Dr. Carol Answers Your Toughest Questions about Marriage - Discover Spiritual Practices that lead to Wholeness for your Personality, with Suzanne Stabile Dr. Carol would love to hear from you with comments or questions. Leave a message here.
Christmas can be a season of wonder, hope, and joy. But, it can also be a very difficult season for many. In this special episode, Dr. Carol shares a few of her favorite things at Christmas, and how these objects signify aspects of the true meaning of Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
How often do you see or experience others as adversaries? You may be surprised to realize how often you slip into "enemy mode" with your spouse, your children, your coworkers, your friends, your church. But what can you do about it? In this episode Dr. Carol talks with Ray Woodridge, executive director of Life Model Works and coauthor with Dr. Jim Wilder of Escaping Enemy Mode. See what brain science and the Bible tell us about why we so easily see others as enemies, and what is needed for your brain to return to "relational mode." Discover additional resources about Escaping Enemy Mode Find the book Escaping Enemy Mode: How Our Brains Unite or Divide UsConnect with Life Model Works on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
With the overwhelming pace of life, many of us struggle to stop long enough to be present. Our long to-do lists and full calendars leave little breathing room to hear from God. We know we need to slow down but we don't even know how to begin. Author, leadership coach, and spiritual director Alan Fadling joins Dr. Carol in this refreshing episode to share practical ways your soul can live at the unhurried pace of Jesus even if your schedule is full. This is not about saying No; it's about saying Yes to the best things. Connect with Alan Fadling at Unhurried Living, or on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Find Alan Fadling's book A Year of Slowing Down: Daily Devotions for Unhurried Living. Use the promo code DRCAROL at checkout now through December 20 and get 30% off this or any of Alan's books, and free shipping. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
“Impossible” is often used when something or a situation seems hopeless, but as a follower of Jesus ALL things are possible.
In today's episode, Dr. Carol shares powerful stories of transformation and how generosity was a contributing factor. You'll not want to miss this.
You’ve heard about BlackFriday and CyberMonday, but what about GivingTuesday? Dr. Carol Ministries is participating in this international day of giving. We can’t wait to bring our community together to support helping others experience transformation and the life Jesus came to bring.
Partner with by giving to: https://www.drcarolministries.com/give/
Preparation for the Christmas season can often feel busy and frantic, but it doesn't have to be this way. How can hope and wonder replace chaos and worry? What if we stopped and listened to the movement and unfolding of God's plan around us?
In this delightful episode Dr. Carol talks with prophetic artist, writer, and speaker Bette Dickinson about the Advent season and spiritual practices that can nourish our souls, including the right-brain nourishment we need.
Find Bette Dickinson's book Making Room in Advent: 25 Devotions for a Season of Wonder
Connect with Bette Dickinson on her website, Facebook, or Instagram
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! Leave a confidential message for her here.
Garry and Melissa Ingraham each experienced deep sexual and relational brokenness from an early age, including pornography addiction, identity confusion, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, and more. Their struggles continued after becoming Christians, but over time God powerfully changed their lives, including bringing them together in marriage. Now they together run the Love and Truth Network ministry.
In this eye-opening episode Dr. Carol asks Garry and Melissa some hard questions; how are they handling sexuality in their marriage? What does their story say to other individuals and couples struggling with sexual brokenness? What does the body of Christ need to be doing about this?
Connect with Garry and Melissa and their resources at Love and Truth Network.
Connect with Bary and Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube
Other resources Garry and Melissa mentioned include:
- Pure Desire Ministries
- SHE Recovery
- Focus on the Family referral services
- The Freedom Fight resources and app
Dr. Carol would love to hear from you! You can leave a confidential message here.
Garry and Melissa Ingraham each experienced deep sexual and relational brokenness from an early age, including pornography addiction, identity confusion, pre-marital sex, homosexuality, and more. Their struggles continued after becoming Christians, but over time God powerfully changed their lives, including bringing them together in marriage. Now they together run the Love and Truth Network ministry.
In this eye-opening episode Dr. Carol asks Garry and Melissa some hard questions; how are they handling sexuality in their marriage? What does their story say to other individuals and couples struggling with sexual brokenness? What does the body of Christ need to be doing about this?
Connect with Garry and Melissa and their resources at Love and Truth Network.
Connect with Bary and Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, or Youtube
Other resources Garry and Melissa mentioned include:
- Pure Desire Ministries
- SHE Recovery
- Focus on the Family referral services
- The Freedom Fight resources and app
Dr. Carol would love to hear from you! You can leave a confidential message here.
God created each of us with the need, desire, and capacity for intimacy. But what exactly is healthy intimacy? And how can you experience it?
Recently Dr. Carol discussed the topic at the SHE Virtual Recovery Summit, an online experience for women and teen girls struggling with porn addiction or other sexual issues, and for the parents and Christian leaders seeking to better help these individuals.
Additional resources:
- our FREE pdf download Freedom from Pornography
- our FREE 30-day email devotional series Toward Sexual Wholeness
- our online course Sexpectations
- if you're married, check out or Fully Alive Marriage course
God created each of us with the need, desire, and capacity for intimacy. But what exactly is healthy intimacy? And how can you experience it?
Recently Dr. Carol discussed the topic at the SHE Virtual Recovery Summit, an online experience for women and teen girls struggling with porn addiction or other sexual issues, and for the parents and Christian leaders seeking to better help these individuals.
Additional resources:
- our FREE pdf download Freedom from Pornography
- our FREE 30-day email devotional series Toward Sexual Wholeness
- our online course Sexpectations
- if you're married, check out or Fully Alive Marriage course
Are you frustrated with church? The COVID-19 pandemic has brought that question to the forefront in ways perhaps never before contemplated. But if you're frustrated with "church," it might not be the worship experience or preaching, but the lack of experiencing church as Jesus intended that frustrates you.
In this episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Joel Comiskey, author and ministry coach, who helps Christian leaders around the world understand and implement the most important parts of church as Jesus intended. This may challenge you in the very best possible way.
Check out more about Dr. Joel Comiskey on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Find Dr. Comiskey's books Groups that Thrive: 8 Surprising Discoveries About Life-Giving Small Groups and Making Disciples in the Twenty-First Century Church: How the Cell-Based Church Shapes Followers of Jesus
Dr. Carol would love to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
The fall of Roe v. Wade in the United States a few months ago opened the abortion debate once again. And as important as that debate is, the women and men affected by abortion frequently struggle with unresolved emotions for years, even decades.
In this challenging but hope-filled conversation Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Theresa Burke, the founder of Rachel's Vineyard, the largest post-abortion ministry in the world. Hear Dr. Burke's perspective on what happens in a person's internal world after an abortion, and the path to experiencing restoration, renewal, and healing.
Find out more about Rachel's Vineyard (post-abortion ministry for women and men)
Find out more about Grief to Grace (healing the wounds of abuse)
Dr. Carol would love to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Have you ever wondered what God's will is for your life? What if you didn't have to struggle to figure out what to do for God ? What if your decisions could simply be following what God was already doing - in you, in your marriage and relationships, in your work or ministry?
In this very special episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Richard Blackaby, president of Blackaby Ministries, about Experiencing God - the paradigm that has blessed millions of followers of Jesus. And you'll hear about some beautiful new resources Blackaby ministries has available.
Find out more about Dr. Richard Blackaby on their website, or connect on Facebook or Twitter.
Check out the CSB Experiencing God Study Bible
Find Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Revised and Expanded, and theExperiencing God - Bible Study Book Check out our online course Fully Alive Marriage that will show you how to experience God right in the middle of your messy marriage.
Have you ever wondered what God's will is for your life? What if you didn't have to struggle to figure out what to do for God ? What if your decisions could simply be following what God was already doing - in you, in your marriage and relationships, in your work or ministry?
In this very special episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Richard Blackaby, president of Blackaby Ministries, about Experiencing God - the paradigm that has blessed millions of followers of Jesus. And you'll hear about some beautiful new resources Blackaby ministries has available.
Find out more about Dr. Richard Blackaby on their website, or connect on Facebook or Twitter.
Check out the CSB Experiencing God Study Bible
Find Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Revised and Expanded, and theExperiencing God - Bible Study Book Check out our online course Fully Alive Marriage that will show you how to experience God right in the middle of your messy marriage.
Is it OK to ask questions? Are there some questions you shouldn't ask? How does God feel about our questions? Does asking hard questions mean you are losing your faith?
Today Dr. Carol talks with writer Lore Ferguson Wilbert who believes that Christianity is not about knowing good answers but about asking good questions--ones that foster deeper intimacy with God and others. You can learn how "living the questions" can bring you a more meaningful and grounded relationship with God and with those closest to you.
Find Lore Ferguson Wilbert on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Find her book A Curious Faith: The Questions God Asks, We Ask, and We Wish Someone Would Ask Us
Check out our online course Fully Alive Marriage, and learn the questions to ask your own heart, your spouse, and God about your marriage that can lead to loving well.
Is it OK to ask questions? Are there some questions you shouldn't ask? How does God feel about our questions? Does asking hard questions mean you are losing your faith?
Today Dr. Carol talks with writer Lore Ferguson Wilbert who believes that Christianity is not about knowing good answers but about asking good questions--ones that foster deeper intimacy with God and others. You can learn how "living the questions" can bring you a more meaningful and grounded relationship with God and with those closest to you.
Find Lore Ferguson Wilbert on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Find her book A Curious Faith: The Questions God Asks, We Ask, and We Wish Someone Would Ask Us
Check out our online course Fully Alive Marriage, and learn the questions to ask your own heart, your spouse, and God about your marriage that can lead to loving well.
Life happens. If your marriage has not recently been through a storm it's likely one is coming. Will the storms life brings drive you and your spouse apart? What if you could use them to bring you closer together?
Gary Thomas is a best-selling author, pastor, speaker, and Relationship Prescriptions podcast favorite guest. In this conversation he talks with Dr. Carol about couples who have experienced severe storms in their marriage and what has made the difference in how they not only survived but thrived.
Connect with Gary Thomas on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Find Gary Thomas' latest book Making Your Marriage a Fortress: Strengthening Your Marriage to Withstand Life's Storms
Check out our new online course Fully Alive Marriage that provides you the skills and mindset to overcome marriage challenges, learn to love well, and build a relationship that lasts.
Life happens. If your marriage has not recently been through a storm it's likely one is coming. Will the storms life brings drive you and your spouse apart? What if you could use them to bring you closer together?
Gary Thomas is a best-selling author, pastor, speaker, and Relationship Prescriptions podcast favorite guest. In this conversation he talks with Dr. Carol about couples who have experienced severe storms in their marriage and what has made the difference in how they not only survived but thrived.
Connect with Gary Thomas on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Find Gary Thomas' latest book Making Your Marriage a Fortress: Strengthening Your Marriage to Withstand Life's Storms
Check out our new online course Fully Alive Marriage that provides you the skills and mindset to overcome marriage challenges, learn to love well, and build a relationship that lasts.
What's the state of your internal world? And who is the YOU that you are bringing to your marriage? Are you often feeling stuck in old behavior patterns that are less than helpful?
On today's program Dr. Carol's guest is Beth McCord. Beth along with her husband Jeff are Enneagram coaches, bringing a thoroughly Christ-centered approach to understanding your internal world. In this conversation Beth demonstrates some simple but powerful steps to growth and healing for yourself and even for your marriage.
Find Beth and Jeff McCord's book More Than Your Number: A Christ-Centered Enneagram Approach to Becoming AWARE of Your Internal World
Connect with Beth and Jeff McCord on their website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram.
Join Dr. Carol in our online course Fully Alive Marriage, where you'll learn the things nobody ever taught you about marriage, relationships, intimacy, and more. You can build a Fully Alive marriage that lasts!
You don't have to be someone "special" to have a successful marriage. But what IS required? What kind of difference does prayer make?
Today Dr. Carol talks with Mike and Jill Guindon. The Guindons have experienced God's work in their own messy marriage; their story itself is inspiring! And now they mentor other couples through individual coaching, marriage seminars, and training other Marriage Mentors. You won't want to miss their insights on this episode.
You can connect with Mike and Jill Guindon on their website, Facebook, or Instagram.
Join Dr. Carol in our online course Fully Alive Marriage, where you'll learn the things nobody ever taught you about marriage, relationships, intimacy, and more. You can build a Fully Alive marriage that lasts!
Is it too much to expect your sexlife to sizzle in a Christian marriage? More than obligation or duty, God designed physical intimacy between husband and wife to be life-giving, a celebration, and full of joy.
But for too many Christian wives, especially, that's not the case. On today's episode Dr. Carol talks with psychologist, author, and speaker Dr. Jennifer Degler about how to overcome the physical, emotional, and even spiritual roadblocks, and what sex can look like in a godly relationship.
Connect with Dr. Jennifer Degler on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
And come join Dr. Carol in our Fully Alive Marriage online course.
Uncover the mindsets and beliefs that set your marriage up for failure, and replace them with the understanding and skills to build a Fully Alive relationship that lasts!
Are you the only one whose marriage is having a hard time? Of course not. But it can certainly feel that way when you are struggling with really big problems in your relationship.
In this bonus episode Dr. Carol responds to questions about difficult marriage situations posed by Pastor Zonerphia Williams. You just might find your circumstances mentioned in these scenarios.
If you need help for your challenging marriage, get the Fully Alive Marriage online course today! These things work! And they can work for your difficult marriage too.
When you said "I do" you expected lasting love and connection. But perhaps now you're wondering, "What did I get myself into?" Whatever happened to "happily ever after?"
In this candid conversation between Dr. Carol and her friend Jamie Keith, they share the single most important step you can take that will begin transforming your marriage today! And you'll hear about a resource where you can learn what nobody ever taught you about love, relationships, and intimacy so you can build a Fully Alive marriage that lasts.
To learn more visit www.Fullalivemarriage.com
What thoughts are you thinking right now? Are they helpful? If not, do you know how to move to more helpful thoughts?
Dr. Carol's guest, Gem Fadling, is a spiritual director, life coach, and author. On this episode she unpacks powerful but simple ways to sort through the unhelpful voices in our heads and the graceful process of replacing them with more helpful thoughts as led by the Spirit.
Connect with Gem Fadling at Unhurried Living or on her Instagram or YouTube.
Find her book Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads.And if you pre-order prior to September 13, use promo code RP22 for 30% off the price as well as free shipping.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
What thoughts are you thinking right now? Are they helpful? If not, do you know how to move to more helpful thoughts?
Dr. Carol's guest, Gem Fadling, is a spiritual director, life coach, and author. On this episode she unpacks powerful but simple ways to sort through the unhelpful voices in our heads and the graceful process of replacing them with more helpful thoughts as led by the Spirit.
Connect with Gem Fadling at Unhurried Living or on her Instagram or YouTube.
Find her book Hold That Thought: Sorting Through the Voices in Our Heads.And if you pre-order prior to September 13, use promo code RP22 for 30% off the price as well as free shipping.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
As a parent, do you feel anxious or squeamish about having "The Talk" with your kids? Yes, we're talking about The Sex Talk.
In today's hyper-sexualized culture don't let porn sexually disciple your kids. Nick Liberto joins Dr. Carol on this episode to talk about ways you can get equipped to have a truly great sex talk with your kids.
Find out more and sign up for The Sex Talk video course for parents. And enter promo code DOCTORCAROL at checkout for 10% off.
For any comments or questions, Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.
Every facet of your life is shaped by desire–including your soul. But what is it that you really want? Underneath all our longings is the desire to be known―and it manifests itself in our deep need to make things of beauty and to take beauty into our souls.
In this best-of episode, Dr. Curt Thompson, author, board-certified psychiatrist and the founder of the Center for Being Known unpacks how connecting with our deepest desires opens the door to the deepest heart transformation.
Connect with Dr. Curt Thompson on his website, and specifically the beautiful Reflections. You can also find him on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Check out his Being Known podcast
Find his latest book The Soul of Desire: Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community
Are you satisfied with your Christian life? Are you more like Jesus now than a year ago? Or does "trying harder" cause frustration as it feels as if nothing seems to change? On today's podcast recorded at Horizon Worship Center in Round Rock, Texas, Dr. Carol shares from both God's word and from science about the process of spiritual transformation. And don't forget to stay tuned for the questions Dr. Carol gets to answer after the message.
The beauty standards promoted in culture are nearly impossible and destructive for many. Do we need a new and expanded perspective on beauty?
Today's guest helps us do that. Melissa Johnson, marriage and family therapist, and educator talks with Dr. Carol about her own story of leaving her distorted view of beauty behind to grasp God's perspective, and how she is now helping other people on the same journey.
Connect with Melissa Johnson on her website, Instagram, or Facebook.
Check out her Impossible Beauty podcast.
Check out the episode when Dr. Carol was on the Impossible Beauty podcast.
Dr. Carol would love to hear from you! You can leave a confidential message here.
Gender identity is not only a hot topic in culture; it's a hot topic in the Christian church. How would Jesus address these challenges? How can we as followers of Jesus address them with faithfulness and love?
Dr. Julia Sadusky, author, speaker, psychologist, and an expert in the area of sexuality, gender, and faith join the podcast to address the issue and provide biblically based insights. You will be both challenged and encouraged by this conversation.
Find Dr. Julia Sadusky on her website, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Find her book Gender Identity and Faith: Clinical Postures, Tools, and Case Studies for Client-Centered Care
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! Leave a confidential message here.
If you've purchased groceries or filled your gas tank, you've found that your money doesn't go as far as it used to. Economic uncertainty and the rise in Inflation make it more important than ever that we learn to manage money smartly God's way.
On this weeks podcast, Dr. Carol is joined by Katie Jones, money coach and investor to discuss practical advice for how to think about and manage money during inflationary times--God's way.
Connect with Katie Jones on her website, Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram.
Get Katie's detailed Biblical Money Management Checklist
God has a lot to say about this beyond "Do it". And it's time to learn why!
Clinical psychologist, author, speaker, and president of Authentic Intimacy, Dr. Juli Slattery, talks with Dr. Carol about the four pillars of a truly good married sex life and how these pillars apply in some challenging common issues husbands and wives face.
Find out more about Dr. Juli Slattery and Authentic Intimacy on their website or connect on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Get Dr. Juli's book God, Sex, and Your Marriage
Check out her podcast Java with Juli
Check out Dr. Carol's articles:
- What to do When Your Wife Doesn't Want Sex
- What to do When Your Husband Doesn't Want Sex
- Where to Start if Your Marriage Lacks Intimacy
And you can leave Dr. Carol a confidential message on our Contact page.
Trauma and loss do not have to be the end. Dr. Carol's guest on this episode Dawn Damon experienced abuse and the loss of everything meaningful to her. But her story of growth, healing, recovery and finding her brave heart will encourage and inspire you.
Connect with Dawn Damon on her website, Instagram, or Facebook.
Find Dawn's books When the Woman Abused Was You and When a Woman You Love Was Abused.
You can leave Dr. Carol a confidential message here.
We are all born to connect. But contemporary culture makes being connected difficult, and that affects our wellbeing in many ways. Hence, our connection or lack thereof with other human beings affects our sense of connection with God.
Psychologist and professor Dr. Todd Hall talks with Dr. Carol about how our spiritual formation is deeply impacted by our connections, and what it looks like to learn to love in connected ways.
Find Dr. Todd Hall on his website or Twitter.
Check out Dr. Todd Hall's book The Connected Life: The Art and Science of Relational Spirituality.And enter promo code RP22 for 30% off and free shipping through July 12th. Dr. Hall's academic book: Relational Spirituality: A Psychological-Theological Paradigm for Transformation
The abortion debate has divided pro-life and pro-choice groups deeply.
The US Supreme Court decision overturning Roe vs. Wade has made this a top cultural issue more than ever. But there's something glaringly absent from these debates–the matters of the heart.
What's going on in the heart of a woman faced with a crisis pregnancy? And even more important, what's been going on in her heart that led her to be in this situation? "How did this happen?"
This is not a biological question, but a heart question. That's what we need to be talking about.
I'd love to hear from you.
Do you imagine your job as a father is to get your kids to behave right? What if there's a more helpful thing to focus on?
Chad Hayenga from Connected Families has been coaching parents for over 25 years, and presents some powerful ways in which a father's connection with his children becomes more important and effective in helping them become who they need to be.
Find out about the Connected Families website and podcast
Do your kids seem to be always fighting? Only during the month of June, Name your Price to purchase the Sibling Conflict online course and go from bickering to bonding!
Are you struggling with the absence of love from your father? And how do you feel about God as "Father"?
The father wound, which may be from a father being absent either emotionally or physically, may be the root cause of those feelings that don't seem like they're ever going away.
John Finch, author and speaker joins Dr. Carol to discuss father wounds and how to find healing. You don't want to miss this episode.
Find out more about John Finch, and The Father Effect book and movie, on his website, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Check out these resources from Dr. Carol Ministries:
- article Is "God is Your Father" Good News or Bad News?
- article What to do if "God" has Become a "Bad Word" to You
God has positioned fathers to build up their children. But what happens when you fatherhood becomes tough? What about the failures you experienced from your own father? And does being a father impact how you understand God?
In today's episode, three fathers join Dr. Carol to discuss the various stages of fatherhood and why being a dad is significant.
Check out these resources from Dr. Carol Ministries:
- article Is "God is Your Father" Good News or Bad News?
- article What to do if "God" has Become a "Bad Word" to You
Do you desire to overcome the pain of your past and find joy? Author and marriage and family therapist Nicole Zasowski knows what it's like to take a blow that makes it difficult to look to the future with expectation. During a time of hardship she found the courage to celebrate. And she discovered God is as present in our joy as He is in our pain. You don't want to miss this special podcast.
Find Nicole Zasowski's book What If It’s Wonderful? Release Your Fears, Choose Joy, and find the Courage to CelebrateConnect with Nicole Zasowski on her website, Instagram, or Facebook.
If you'd like to leave me a confidential message, you can do so here.
And check out our online course Defeat Your Fear and Anxiety.
Millions of women battle with the after-effects of trauma and they’ve developed post-traumatic stress disorder—similar to suffering experienced by soldiers who’ve gone through war.
Wanda Sanchez joins the podcast today to discuss healing from PTSD and how to hear God’s words of love and deliverance even when things appear hopeless.
Find Love Letters from the Edge: Meditations for Those Struggling with Brokenness, Trauma, and the Pain of Lifeby Wanda Sanchez and Shelly Beach
Find out more of Wanda Sanchez' work at PTSD Perspectives
If you need help for trauma or know someone who does, check out Help for Trauma
Also, if you're ready to overcome stress, leave worry behind, and experience emotional well-being, check out Dr. Carol's Defeat Your Fear and Anxiety course.
Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, make choices, and relate to others. In today's podcast you'll learn the how, what, and why to Dr. Carol's mental health approach to thinking and feeling fully alive.
Show notes:
Are you you ready to overcome your feelings of fear or anxiety? Purchase the Defeat Your Fear and Anxiety course today!
When something goes wrong, do you tend to bounce back or fall apart?
When you have resilience, you harness the power of inner strength to overcome anxiety and depression.
On today's podcast, Maggie Hubbard provides her insights on ways you can develop the necessary skills to become more resilient.
Find Maggie Hubbard's podcast Faithful and Flawed
Connect with Maggie Hubbard on Faithful and Flawed on Instagram
Are you struggling with anxiety or related challenges? Do you need help to Retrain Your Brain? Get our new online course Defeat Your Fear and Anxiety.
Anxiety is one of the most pressing mental health issues of our day. With the pressures of modern life seemingly designed to cause anxiety, it no wonder there's an increased feeling of unease, even for those of Christian faith. Pastor Jason Cusick joins the podcast and tells the story of his own history with anxiety and offers insight and practical guidance to help you overcome.
Find Jason Cusick's book The Anxiety Field Guide: Healthy Habits for Long-Term Healing
Connect with Jason Cusick at Journey of Faith church, on Instagram, or Facebook
And check out our new online course Defeat Your Fear and Anxiety, where you'll learn how to retrain your brain physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Are you struggling with anxiety and fear? Have you felt that it makes you a bad Christian? In today's podcast, Dr. Carol dissects how love can be used to overcome it.
Joined by author Shay Mason, she shares her personal journey from a place of fear to a "spacious" place of contentment and freedom in the presence of God.
Connect with Shay Mason on her website, Instagram, or Facebook
Find Shay Mason's book Rest for the Weary: Finding Freedom from Fear in the Heart of the Father
Learn the keys to Retraining your Brain physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Check out our new online course Defeat Your Fear and Anxiety.
Are you dealing with stress or anxiety?
Dr. Carol and Woodley Auguste discuss how Dr. Carol learned to retrain her brain, and how you too can learn to overcome stress, leave worry behind, and experience real emotional wellbeing.
Join Dr. Carol in our new course Defeat Your Fear and Anxiety!
As we commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christians around the world are unified in their belief regarding the most momentous weekend in history. But what does this good news mean to you personally?
In this special message, Dr. Carol unpacks this as well as what this means in a world that seems out of control.
What does Good Friday and Easter mean to you? I'd love to hear from you.
Where does it hurt? Do you want to be made well?
Healing is something we all need, not only in body, but in mind and soul also. In this thoughtful conversation Dr. Carol talks with Amy Julia Becker, award-winning author and speaker, about healing for hurting bodies, souls, relationships and communities. Enjoy this conversation about what it's like to be made well.
Connect with Amy Julia Becker on her website, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
Find her book To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope
Check out our articles:
- Access God's Plan for You to Become and Remain Whole
- How to Find Healing: It's a Choice
You can leave me a confidential message on our Contact page.
Why does God feel so far away? The reason--and the solution--is in your attachment style.
We all experience moments when God's love and presence are tangible, but what about when it doesn't feel that way?
Krispin Mayfield, author and speaker joins the podcast to discuss why you may feel so far from God and what you can do about it.
Find Krispin Mayfield's book: Attached to God: A Practical Guide to Deeper Spiritual Experience
Connect with Krispin Mayfield on his website, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook
Check these articles on our website:
- 5 Things to Do When it Seems God Doesn't Care
- 5 Things You can Do to Hear God's Voice
You can leave me a confidential message here.
Have you been hurt by someone in the Church? Maybe it was a leader, a pastor or another believer. Or maybe, someone lied about you or betrayed you. Are you supposed to just get over it? In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Carol addresses how to recover from church hurt as well as whether to stay or leave. You don't want to miss this powerful episode.
Check out these articles on some topics addressed in this episode:
To Those Who Have Been Hurt in Church
What to Do if "God" Has Become a Bad Word for You
Three Things You Need to Recover from Church Hurt
Good or Not-So-Good Reasons to Leave Your Church
When Pain Makes it Feel Impossible to Connect with the Family of God
Does a person have to choose between Biblical faith and rigorous science?
Historically, religious thought and scientific thought tended to intersect at flash points that often ended negatively. But in today's world of polarization can these areas come together?
Deborah Haarsma, astronomer, speaker on modern science and Christian faith, and President of BioLogos joins the podcast to discuss the relationship between faith and science .
Check out BioLogos, a trusted resource for millions seeking both rigorous science and biblical faith to help guide their decision making.
If you parent, teach, or care for young people, check out Integrate, the new curriculum helping students and others explore theological and ethical questions raised by modern science from a Christian Biblical worldview.
The way Jesus made disciples is very different from the way many churches today seek to make disciples. What's the difference? Can we be more effective doing it how Jesus did it? What does that look like?
J. Lee Grady, author, award-winning journalist, ordained minister, and director of The Mordecai Project joins the podcast to discuss this and more. You don't want to miss this episode.
Find Lee Grady's book Follow Me: Make Disciples the Way Jesus Didand the soon-to-be-released companion Let's Go Deeper: A Practical Guide to Following Jesus
Connect with Lee Grady, and find out more about the Mordecai Project, on his website, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
What do you do when everything seems to fall apart and you lose faith? If you've been a Christian for any period of time, you likely have been hurt in church or wounded by the words and actions of leaders. If so, do you remain bitter or give up on church entirely? Is there another choice?
Dr. Lina Abujamra answers these tough questions in today's podcast as she unpacks why and how you can recover and find your way back – to God and to His people.
Find Dr. Lina Abujamra's book Fractured Faith: Finding Your Way Back to God in an Age of Deconstruction
Connect with Dr. Lina on her website, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube
What should the body of Christ do about racism? Author and former Dean for Intercultural Student Development at Calvin University, Dr. Christina Edmondson joins the podcast to discuss the truth that Christ has overcome the world, including racism, and how to resist its pernicious power.
Compelled by our grievous social moment and by the timeless truth of Scripture, Dr. Carol and Dr. Edmondson unpack how to move past talk and enter the fight against racism in both practical and hopeful ways as followers of Jesus.
Show notes:
Connect with Dr. Christina Edmondson on her website, Facebook, or Instagram.
Get the book Faithful Antiracism: Moving Past Talk to Systemic Change
Most of us imagine the tragedy of sex trafficking as something "out there." But it's much closer to home–in your town, your school, even your church.
Today's guest, Elizabeth Melendez Fisher Good, has been a leader in the anti-sex trafficking movement for over a decade. She talks about their success in helping thousands of survivors find freedom and a new life, the work that still needs to be done, and what you can do.
Check out The Foundation United, global solutions to end sexual exploitation
Check out Free with E, Elizabeth Melendez Fisher Good's resources to awaken and equip the church
Connect with Elizabeth Melendez Fisher Good on Facebook or Instagram
Let's face it, marriage isn't easy. With recent studies showing that Christians marry at a higher percentage than non-believers, recent trends indicate that they are also growing more comfortable with divorce. How do you navigate the challenges of married life? In today's podcast, Dr. Carol answers some of your toughest questions about marriage. Resources mentioned on the program:
- Our Relationships page
- Five Ways to Pray About Your Troubled Marriage - Help! My Spouse is Emotionally Cheating!
- What Forgiveness Does NOT Do For Your Marriage - Do's and Don'ts for Raising a Successful Blended Family
- How to Know if You Are Released From Your Marriage
What would it mean if you were debt-free? Are you overwhelmed by debt and living paycheck to paycheck, wondering if its possible to ever get ahead, or even catch up?
On today's podcast, author and speaker Jessi Fearon joins the podcast to discuss how she and her husband decided to make a drastic lifestyle change that would put them back on the path toward their dreams. In two years they were able to pay off their consumer debt, and in six years they paid off their home mortgage--all on their $47,000-a-year income.
If you've wondered what it takes or if it's even possible to be debt free, you don't want to miss this.
Connect with Jessi Fearon on her website, YouTube, Facebook, or Instagram.
Get Jessi's book Getting Good with Money: Pay Off Your Debt and Find a Life of Freedom–Without Losing Your Mind
I love to hear from you any time! You can leave me a confidential comment here.
Do you know what God's purpose is for your life? Far too often the idea of calling and purpose has been confusing for many Christians.
If you feel stuck and aren't sure what your calling is or even where to start then you don't want to miss this podcast.
Author and speaker, Michaela O'Donnell joins the podcast to discuss the "why" and "how" to determine God's plan for your life.
Find Michaela O'Donnell's book Make Work Matter: Your Guide to Meaningful Work in a Changing World
Connect with Michaela O'Donnell on her website, at the Max De Pree Center for Leadership, or on Instagram
Are you feeling stuck, frustrated and wondering why God hasn't been answering your prayers? One action step can change that.
Jesus desires you to experience the "Fully Alive" kind of life that He paid so much to bring you, but it's not magic or wishful thinking.
In this episode, Dr. Carol is joined by Woodley Auguste to discuss how to discover those action steps!
Join our Powerful Breakthrough Prayers Course today!
Are you spiritually whole? The innate desire to be well in every way is a longing we all have in our hearts.
The concept of wholeness goes back to the Old Testament and is so much more than just having inner peace. It's a journey filled with peaks, valleys and adventures. Author and speaker, Suzanne Stabile joins the podcast to discuss the importance of wholeness and how your Ennegram type is applicable to it.
Find Suzanne Stabile's book The Journey Toward Wholeness: Enneagram Wisdom for Stress, Balance, and TransformationConnect with Suzanne Stabile on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Check out Suzanne Stabile's Enneagram Journey podcast
As we begin the new year, the focus on finding purpose is always top of mind. But how does God prepare us? In today's episode, Dr. Carol provides the keys to discerning God's calling for your life, and how God prepares you to be who you need to be to fulfill that purpose.
I'd love to hear from you! You can leave me a confidential message here.
It's the end of 2021 and to celebrate, we're featuring some of the best podcasts of the year with several of our special guests.
To hear full episodes of these conversations:
- How to Face Uncertainty with Grace: Dementia, Caregiving, and Love, with Marti Pieper- Does being a Christian mean being Sexless? with Kat Harris
- The Spiritual Root of Food Addiction and How to Break It’s Grip, with Dr. Rhona Epstein
- What Do You Want? How Desire Shapes Our Spiritual Formation, with Dr. Curt Thompson
- Can Church Be a Safe Place to Deal with Sexual Brokenness?with Nick Stumbo
Relationship Prescriptions is a listener-supported production of Dr. Carol Ministries. We invite you to partner with Dr. Carol Ministries and make a year-end financial gift now.
A baby changes everything. In this special podcast, Dr. Carol draws from her unique perspective as an OB-GYN physician to discuss how one Baby's birth impacted generations.
Merry Christmas!
I'd love to hear from you and offer some encouragement. You can leave me a confidential message here.
The holiday season can be an incredible time filled with festive lights, events, gifts, and connecting with others. But for some people, it may not be the most wonderful time of the year. In fact, it can be a source of sadness or even loss.
Dr. Carol unpacks five ways to deal with the "Holiday Blues" in this special episode.
If the holidays are hard for you, I'd love to hear from you and offer some encouragement. You can leave me a confidential message here.
Is your husband a hero? If that appears be to non-existent, your role as a wife may be the key to unlocking that "hero" in your marriage.
Dr. Juli Slattery, clinical psychologist, author and founder of Authentic Intimacy joins the podcast to discuss how meeting your deepest longings for a stronger marriage could be tethered to finding the hero in your husband and why it matters.
Find Dr. Juli Slattery's book Finding the Hero in Your Husband, Revisited Connect with Dr. Juli Slattery on the Authentic Intimacy site, or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Check out our Relationships Resources, and especially our Guide to Healthy Communication in Marriage
God’s greatest gift for humanity is to be transformed. We can go from a life of sin and longing for purpose to wonderful vessels of God’s glory and goodness. But how do you get there? And is it possible for it to last beyond a feeling?
Dr. Andrew Fox, author, minister and board member of Dr. Carol Ministries joins the podcast to discuss the importance of lasting transformation and how to help someone experience it for themselves. Specific resources mentioned:
- Help for Relationships and Marriage
- The Christian's Journey through Grief
- Toward Sexual Wholeness series
Become one of our monthly partners, and be the key to someone else's lasting transformation. Support Dr. Carol Ministries today.
As we celebrate Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, Dr. Carol shares powerful scientific truths about the power of gratitude as well as the three things she is most thankful for.
Happy Thanksgiving.
How we grow spiritually is dependent on community. God intentionally designed us to be connected with people as well as Him. But all too often things in our relationships aren't what they were meant to be - and it shows.
In today's podcast, Dan Rogers, author, and officer in the U.S. Coast Guard discusses the importance of spiritual formation and the power of secure attachment in Christ.
Find Dan Rogers' devotionals, poetry, and more on his website Loose the Word.
I'd love to connect with you. You can send me a confidential message here.
What would you do if you became pregnant unexpectedly? While some women know what they want from the outset, others can find the decision-making process difficult.
In today's podcast, Deborah McGregor, president of CareNet Pregnancy Center, shares what makes the difference for a woman facing a crisis pregnancy.
Deborah McGregor, President and CEO of CareNet Pregnancy Center of Central Texas
You can leave me a confidential message on our Contact page
Have you been hurt? If you've ever suffered harm, the process of moving past that is difficult–but not impossible.
Licensed psychologist and author, Dr. Barbara Lowe, joins the podcast to discuss her own story as well as the process of finding wholeness and joy through pain.
Get Dr. Barbara Lowe's free download 10 Tools to Transform Rejection into Confidence
Connect with Dr. Barbara on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Join me in our online course Navigating Midlife
Midlife happens. If you're in that season, it can be demanding and stressful physically, mentally, and even spiritually.
In today's episode, Dr. Carol shares seven things you can do immediately to impact your wellness in every facet of life that can transform your midlife journey.
Check out the phytonutrient supplement I take: JuicePlus+
Join me in our Navigating Midlife online course especially for women.
What impact do you want to leave on your children? In today's culture, parenting has become increasingly difficult with so many voice's vying for their attention.
If that concerns you in light of what's happening in culture then you don't want to miss today's episode. Janel Breitenstein, author and minister joins the podcast to discuss how to pursue and win the most important part of your children–their hearts.
Connect with Janel Breitenstein on her website, on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Find her book Permanent Markers: Spiritual Life Skills to Write on Your Kids’ Hearts
Find out more about our resource especially for women: Navigating Midlife
Menopause happens to 100% of women. But does that mean your sex life is over?
In today's podcast, Dr. Lisa Savage, OB-Gyn physician and menopause specialist, discusses things that every menopausal woman wanted to know about sex and menopause but were afraid to ask.
If you're a woman being impacted by menopause, check out the online clinic and resources at Gennev.
Check out our new online course Navigating Midlife especially for women, and discover how this can be the BEST season of your life.
If you could use some help in dealing with your sexual story, to find healing, growth, and wholeness, check out our online Sexpectations course.
What do you want, really? The question of desire informs almost every facet of our life–including our soul. Underneath all our longings is the desire to be known―and it manifests itself in our deep need to make things of beauty, revealing who we are to others.
Dr. Curt Thompson, author, board-certified psychiatrist and the founder of Being Known unpacks how connecting with our deepest desires opens the door to the deepest heart transformation. You won't want to miss this.
Connect with Dr Curt Thompson on his website, and specifically the beautiful Reflections. You can also find him on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Check out his Being Known podcast
Find his latest book The Soul of Desire: Discovering the Neuroscience of Longing, Beauty, and Community
Check out our new online course Navigating Midlife especially for women, and discover how this can be the BEST season of your life
How are you growing spiritually? For many of us, feelings of being stagnate in our Christian life makes things unclear. It's easy to feel stuck, and to either give up or wear yourself out "trying harder". What's wrong? What next step do I need to take?
Co-Author of Journey of the Soul, Kristi Gaultiere join Dr. Carol and will help you identify your current stage of faith and the next steps to take based on your unique needs and struggles. * Connect with Bill and Kristi Gaultiere on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
* Check out their Soul Talks podcast
* Find their book Journey of the Soul: A Practical Guide to Emotional and Spiritual Growth
Check out our new online course Navigating Midlife especially for women, and discover how this can be the BEST season of your life
When you reach the milestone of midlife, especially for women, everything changes including your body, mind, emotions, family, sex life, future, even your relationship with God.
But midlife can also be the best season of your life. In this BONUS episode you'll hear from some of Dr. Carol's friends discuss their midlife/menopause challenges. And also about an exciting new resource that will help you navigate your midlife journey effectively.
Resources highlighted in this episode:
Get tips on stopping smoking.
Join me in the Navigating Midlife online course, where you will find an honest look at menopause, aging, and how to live Fully Alive.
We're told that freedom and opportunity are our ticket to the good life. And that limitless possibilities await anyone with vision and willingness to hustle. However, for many, instead the result leaves you depleted and dissatisfied with life, faith and even God. Ashley Hales, author and speaker joins the podcast to discuss why God desires for us to have limits and that the notion of "more" is not necessarily His best. You don't want to miss this! Connect with Ashley Hales on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Find Ashley's book: A Spacious Life: Trading Hustle and Hurry for the Goodness of Limits
Additional resources: * Join my FREE webinar: Satisfaction for a Woman's Body, Mind, and Soul * Request your FREE info: Keys to Taking Charge of Your Hormones
Do you feel like you don't have anything to offer your grandchildren besides do's and don'ts? Teens today are inundated with information, yet starving for wisdom. You have a place in their lives that they can draw from. Your gray hair, wisdom, and involvement in their lives help counter the negative influence in much of today's teen culture. Mark Gregston joins the podcast to discuss how you can better connect and engage with your grandchildren in a way that's authentic and easy to do. * Connect with Mark Gregston on his website, Facebook, or Instagram * Listen to Parenting Today's Teens Radio Show/Podcast * Find Mark's book Grandparenting Teens: Leaving a Legacy of Hope
Join us for Change(d) 2021: A Woman Fully Alive
Leave me a confidential message here
Emotions are a fact of human life. But how do you manage your feelings when they seem to be difficult to get past or even impact you physically? God created your emotions, but they don't have to rule you on either side of the spectrum.
In today's podcast, Peace Amadi, author and professor of psychology joins Dr. Carol to discuss the power of emotion from a biblical worldview. * Connect with Peace Amadi on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter * Find her book Why Do I Feel Like This?: Understand Your Difficult Emotions and Find Grace to Move Through
Join us for Change(d) 2021: A Woman Fully Alive
Leave me a confidential message here
Does a certain behavior or action seem to repeatedly derail you? Why do you keep falling into the same hole? We all have behaviors that have been formed by pain, trauma, or choices that we’ve made. But when it comes to a solution, we usually look for a quick fix, filling the hole with activities and even addictions disguised as culturally acceptable life choices. Steve Carter, author and pastor joins the podcast to discuss how these "potholes" are formed and how God wants to fill them with His grace and love. * Connect with Steve Carter on his website, Instagram, or Twitter * Find Steve's book The Thing Beneath the Thing: What's Hidden Inside (and What God Helps Us Do About It)
Join us for Change(d) 2021: A Woman Fully Alive
Leave me a confidential message here
Do you feel like you don't belong? That was the experience of today's guest, author and speaker Gregory Cole.
God created human beings to live in close fellowship with Him and with others. But so often we feel like we are strangers to God or don't belong where we find ourselves in our world. A sense of alienation can set in. If you're looking for answers, you don't want to miss this episode. * Find Gregory Cole's book No Longer Strangers: Finding Belonging in a World of Alienation * Connect with Gregory Coles on his website, Facebook, or Instagram
I'd love to hear from you with any question or comment.
Are you struggling to build a deeper relationship with your daughter and nothing seems to work? Or do you know a girl dad who's facing challenges? You don't want to miss this powerful episode.
In this thoughtful conversation, Dr. Michelle Watson, draws from her decades of experience in counseling young women and coaching fathers to give listeners a blueprint for developing a stronger relationship based on trust, love and honesty.
- Connect with Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter
- Find her book Let's Talk: Conversation Starters for Dads and Daughters
I'd love to hear from you! You can send a confidential message here.
What does it mean to be a Christian? Is Jesus more interested in the things you're doing wrong or does He truly care more about the condition of your heart?
Excerpted from a live keynote recorded at Christian Healthcare Ministries, Dr. Carol answers this question and more as she unpacks a core truth in the life of a follower of Jesus.
Check out Christian Healthcare Ministries - a faith-based healthcare cost solution for Christians in all 50 states, and around the world.
Let's face it, the Christian life isn't easy. If you've ever gone through suffering or what feels like a tribulation, how do you deal with the "why".
Vanessa Risner, author and speaker joins the podcast to discuss how to connect with God through suffering and what you can do when things seems hopeless.
- Connect with Vaneetha Risner on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter
- Find her book Walking Through the Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption
I'd love to hear from you. You can leave me a message here.
Help! My husband’s addicted to porn!
If these words are familiar to you or someone you know, you’ve found the right resource. Dr Carol's guest on this program, Rosie Makinney, knows what that fight is like.
FIGHT FOR LOVE is a biblical battle plan for wives seeking to take their marriage back from porn.
- Connect with Rosie Makinney on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter
- Check out her Fight For Love podcast
- Find her book Fight for Love: How to Take Your Marriage Back from Porn
Check out our Sexpectations online course.
How's your love life? Did you know that God created you with a need, desire and capacity for intimacy? But if misaligned from God's purposes this gift can change the course of our lives for the worse. In today's podcast, Dr. Carol unpacks the keys to the matters of your heart and why it can guide the actions you take for the good.
This conversation is taken from Dr Carol's visit to the Hope Today program on Cornerstone TV network
Check out our Sexpectations online course. Find the tools to deal with your sexual story with honesty and compassion, and write the next chapter with hope.
Can you rebuild a relationship after trust has been broken? Whether infidelity, sex addiction, etc. rebuilding is not an easy process.
Michael and Joanna Raabsmith join today's podcast to discuss their personal journey of restoration and how God is using them to help others.
- Michael and Joanna Raabsmith invite you to reach out on their website: Renovate Love
Leave me a comment or question any time on our Contact page.
When it comes to the subject of sex, sexuality and the life of Christian, there is often a focus placed on behavior. Blindly following a list of "do's and don'ts" is not only unhealthy but can make matters worse. Kat Harris, author and educator joins the podcast to discuss her personal journey, what singleness and sexuality is really like, and what it looks like to ask the hard questions as a follower of Jesus. * Connect with Kat Harris on her website, her podcast, on Instagram * Find her book Sexless in the City: A Sometimes Sassy, Sometimes Painful, Always Honest Look at Dating, Desire, and Sex
And also check out our online course Sexpectations
Every day, someone you know is thinking about committing suicide. And they aren't the only one. Ten million Americans will consider killing themselves this year. Dr. Matthew Sleeth shares his personal and professional experiences on the podcast as he illustrates how Christians can become part of the solution. * Connect with Dr Matthew Sleeth on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube * Find his book Hope Always: How to Be a Force for Life in a Culture of Suicide * Put the suicide hotline number in your phone, and share it when you meet someone who is depressed: 1-800-273-8255
I'd love to hear from you confidentially on our contact page.
Do you constantly compare yourself with others? Whether on social media, at church, or at work, measuring yourself against others isn’t healthy. And it isn’t God’s plan.
Author and speaker Shannon Popkin joins the podcast and shares what she has discovered about her measuring-up, fear and pride in this powerful episode. * Connect with Shannon Popkin on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram * Find her book Comparison Girl: Lessons from Jesus on Me-Free Living in a Measure-Up World
If you'd like to be entered to win one of two free copies of Comparison Girl, leave me a message on our Contact Us page, and let me know you'd like a copy!
Is it possible to live well while you're struggling with mental illness? And does the church have a role in helping those living with mental illness? Studies show when people are struggling with mental illness the first place they usually turn to is the church. But many people do not experience the church as a friendly plan when they are struggling with mental/emotional challenges. In today's podcast, Brett Ulman, author and speaker joins to discuss practical ways in which you can experience mental illness and mental health at the same time. * Connect with Brett Ullman on his website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube * Brett's book Parenting: Navigating Everything
Find out more about One-on-One Coaching with Dr Carol
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. experiences mental health challenges. Many turn to their faith as well as church for spiritual guidance. But what happens when the church fails to address the issues?
In today's podcast, Eric Scalise joins the podcast to discuss what the Body of Christ can do to stop the stigma of shame as it relates to mental health and provide real help to those who are hurting.
Do you have a heart for those who are hurting and broken? Check out Lifeline to Hope, and become better equipped to be a better helper.
And if you'd like to consider getting one-on-one help from Dr Carol, find out more about Coaching.
Are you in distress or feeling bound? If so, it could mean that you need a rescuer.
Jason Sautel had it all. Confident in his abilities and trusted by his fellow firefighters. His adrenaline-fueled job even helped him forget the pain of his childhood—until the day he came face to face with a darkness he knew would take him down as well.
You don't wont to miss this powerful episode. Filled with brutal honesty, Jason unpacks his personal journey as well as outlining how you too can experience the power of the rescuer.
- Connect with Jason Sautel on his website, or Facebook
- Find Jason's book The Rescuer: One Firefighter’s Story of Courage, Darkness, and the Relentless Love That Saved HimJoin with us in helping others experience rescue and transformation.
Can you talk about sex in church? For many the answer is "no", but what if it was? And what would it take to change?
Often sex and sexuality is ignored, but Nick Stumbo, executive director of Pure Desire and a former lead pastor, not only has a unique view of how things can change, but also implemented it as a ministry leader. You'll not want to miss this episode.
Connect with Pure Desire Ministries on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Youtube
Check out our online course Sexpectations, and learn how to address your sexual story with both honesty and compassion.
Do you find yourself always thinking about food? Do you struggle with eating for health instead of as a way to handle emotions? Although a relatively new topic, food addiction is a complex condition that has similarities to other types of addiction, such as drugs, alcohol, shopping, or gambling. In today's episode, Dr. Rhona Epstein joins the podcast to discuss both the physical and spiritual aspects of eating and how to break the power of food addiction.
Connect with Dr Rhona on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Find Dr Rhona's books: Satisfied: A 90-Day Spiritual Journey Toward Food Freedom, and The Satisfied Workbook: A Spiritual Guide to Recovery and Food Freedom
Ministers Brittni and Richard De La Mora have both experienced God's transformation process. Before coming to faith, Brittni was an adult movie star experiencing the trappings of success. And her husband Richard, struggling with life-threatening anxiety, was pursuing full-time ministry. How they ended up falling in love and marrying is a story for the ages.
And the story of how God is using them to not only demonstrate His love but to also transform many other lives is even more powerful.
- Connect with Richard and Brittni De La Mora at Love Always Ministries, or Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube
- Listen to Let's Talk Purity podcast
To help us help more people experience transformation, support Dr Carol Ministries here.
Our culture is saturated with false teaching on what it means to live blessed lives. Has God provided a way to experience a change in our relationships through generosity? Could that also apply in other areas of our life?
Kevin White, founder and executive director of Global Hope India joins the podcast to discuss how his own life was transformed by the power of audacious giving and how you can experience it and make it part of your lifestyle.
- Connect with Kevin White and Global Hope India at their website, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook
- Find Kevin's book Audacious Generosity: How to Experience, Receive, and Give More Than You Ever Thought Possible
At Dr Carol Ministries we invite your generosity by praying for us, sharing our materials with others, and financially supporting as God would lead you.
As a woman do you feel held back? The Gospel was never intended to restrain women from pursuing God or to prevent them from fulfilling their divine destiny. In this powerful conversation, Lee Grady, author, minister and former editor of Charisma magazine joins Dr. Carol to discuss God's plan for women and how it differs from feminism, sex, power and more.
Connect with Lee Grady on his website, the Mordecai Project website, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram
- Find Lee Grady's books 10 Lies the Church Tells Women, and 10 Lies Men Believe: The Truth About Women, Power, Sex, and God
If you need to undo some of the lies around sex in your own soul, check out our online course Sexpectations.
Have you experienced wins in life? How about losing? If you feel that life is one-sided, there is hope. NCAA basketball coach of Oral Roberts University, Paul Mills joins the podcast to discuss key principles for navigating the ups and downs of life as well as his recent experience leading a team to the Sweet 16 during March Madness.
You don't want to miss this conversation.
For comments or questions, I'd love to hear from you.
Do you struggle with spending time with God on a daily basis? If you've ever felt like quiet time with God isn't meaningful or boring–you're not alone. When our days get busy and times are tough, the first thing that often goes out the window is our time spent with God. Author Craig Denison joins the podcast to discuss why this happens and what you can do to partner with God for a renewed perspective on quiet time with God. * Check out the First15 daily devotional, as well over a million others have * Check out Living Intentionally: Finding Meaning with a Modern Rule of Life. * Connect with First15 on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a comment or question.
Marriage is messy. It's God's idea, but navigating the highs and lows of a relationship is part of learning to love well.
Joshua Rogers, author and speaker joins the podcast to discuss how to look at your own love story, and pay attention to the ways God may be at work.
- Find Joshua Rogers' book: Confessions of a Happily Married Man: Finding God in the Messiness of Marriage
- Connect with Joshua Rogers on his website, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook
Check out our online course Sexpectations, where you can deal with the matters in your own heart around sex and intimacy.
Find more of our Marriage Resources on our Healthy Relationships page.
Christians today are encountering a culture that sends mixed messages when it comes to sex, sexuality and more. And sometimes the religious messages only add to confusion. Those messages have a profound impact and can lead to unhealthy sexual behavior or sexual aversion.
In today's podcast, Dr. Carol discusses your Sexpectations and how it effects your sexual story.
Check out our online course Sexpectations, and find help to deal with your sexual story.
Power and authority can be used for good, or for great evil. And when abuse happens in the name of God, the damage is even more severe. Dr. Diane Langberg joins the podcast to discuss the impact of abusive behavior in the church and what can be done about it.
- Connect with Dr Diane Langberg on her website or Twitter.
- Find her book Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority and Abuse in the Church
Need to deal with your own sexual story? Need some hope along the way? Check out our online course Sexpectations.
Intimacy in marriage is important. But what should you do when it's broken? On today's show, Tina Konkin discusses how to preserve intimacy in a relationship in the most troubling of times.
Resources Mentioned: * Connect with Tina Konkin on her Website, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram * Find Tina's book How God Used the Other Woman
Make sure to check out our online course Sexpectations, and discover how to look at your sexual story with honesty and compassion and write the next chapter with hope.
Coming to terms with past sexual abuse isn't easy. Often, the lasting physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual ramifications of sexual abuse can take a toll on not only the victim, but those closest to them.
Dr. Dan Allender joins the podcast to discuss the path to renewed joy for those who are looking for healing.
- Find Dr Dan Allender's book Healing the Wounded Heart
- Find out more about The Allender Center at The Seattle School
- Find Dr Dan Allender and The Allender Center on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Make sure to check out our online course Sexpectations, and discover how to look at your sexual story with honesty and compassion and write the next chapter with hope.
Have you been trying to stop unwanted sexual behavior, such as porn? In today's podcast, Jay Stringer unpacks the reason why these unwanted behaviors create a vicious cycle if not addressed, and some important keys to breaking the cycle.
- Find Jay Stringer's book Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing
- Connect with Jay on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Make sure to check out our online course Sexpectations, and discover how to look at your sexual story with honesty and compassion and write the next chapter with hope.
If you’ve been raised in church you’ve probably heard this is how it’s “supposed” to be. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, have sex for the first time on their wedding night, and "fireworks". They immediately enter a fulfilling sexual relationship that lasts for the rest of their lives. But there’s a good chance that’s not your story.
Laurie Krieg joins the podcast to discuss the heart issues impacting your view of sex, love and more.
- Find Laurie and Matt Krieg's book An Impossible Marriage: What Our Mixed-Orientation Marriage Has Taught Us About Love and the Gospel- Connect with Laurie Krieg on her website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter
Make sure to check out our online course Sexpectations, and discover how to look at your sexual story with honesty and compassion and write the next chapter with hope.
Whether you love it or hate it, the issue of sex affects you deeply.
Sex is more than a physical act; it’s about the heart. Instead of moral formulas and a list of do’s and don’ts, you need a way to deal with ALL of your story.
In today's podcast, Dr. Carol discusses the keys to understanding your sexual story and how it impacts every facet of your life.
Make sure to check out our online course Sexpectations, and discover how to look at your sexual story with honesty and compassion and write the next chapter with hope.
Experiencing spiritual doubt can feel uneasy, but according to a recent study from Barna Research, it’s much more common than you think. J. Warner Wallace, author and cold-case homicide detective joins the podcast to discuss his investigation of the Gospel's authenticity and what it means to question your faith in God. * Find Detective Wallace's book Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels * Check out Cold Case Christianity, or Case Makers Academy for kids * Find Detective Wallace on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube
Confronting situations where you felt like a victim isn't easy. Is it possible to quit playing the blame game and defeat fear and a victim mentality? Longtime television host Cynthia Garrett knows this to be true and joins the podcast to illustrate the keys to navigating the most challenging life circumstances. Regardless of the situation, God’s unconditional love will help overcome the victim narrative.
- Find Cynthia Garrett's book I Choose Victory: Moving From Victim To Victor
- Connect with Cynthia Garrett on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
Midlife is a season of challenge and change. Though many often associate "midlife" with "crisis," author and speaker, Dorothy Littell Greco reminds us that it doesn't have to be that way–especially when it comes to marriage. On today's episode, learn the keys to making your marriage thrive and live fully alive - even in midlife and beyond. * Connect with Dorothy Greco on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram * Find her book Marriage in the Middle: Embracing Midlife Surprises, Challenges, and Joys
God has multiple ways to help you grow. But they involve somehow being connected to others.
Your challenges did not develop in a day! Sometimes you need something personal, some one-on-one coaching, to provide a new perspective and help you find the steps to take toward wholeness.
Dr Carol loves to connect with you one-on-one. Find out if personal coaching might be right for you.
And if you become a part of our online community the Fully Alive Group, with your membership comes substantial discounts on coaching sessions with Dr Carol.
According to a recent survey by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), more than 5 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimers disease. And often the responsibility of caregiving rests on family members.
Often the demands of care for those suffering with Alzheimer’s and related dementias are at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and poorer quality of life than caregivers of people with other conditions.
Marti Pieper joins Dr. Carol to discuss how to rely on God when caring for a loved one when you don't know what the future will bring in this powerful interview.
Connect with Marti on her Website, Twitter, or Facebook
Whether we think about it or not, hope is a part of daily life. Those feelings of expectation or desire are an inherent part of being a human being. But can that feeling be chosen in a time of loss or pain?
In today's episode, Dr. Carol is joined by Ron Hutchcraft to discuss how your greatest loss can lead to your greatest gain. * Connect with Ron Hutchcraft on his Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube * Find Ron's book Hope When Your Heart is Breaking
As we look to 2021 with expectancy, in this special episode we highlight our most requested podcasts of 2020.
Listen to complete episodes of our most-requested programs from 2020, and connect with our guests:
5. What to Do When Your Marriage Becomes Toxic * Gary Thomas, author When to Walk Away
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Passing the Money Test: Overcoming Fear over your Finances * Crown Financial Ministries
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What Does the Super Bowl Have to do with Human Trafficking, Porn, and You? * Kathrine Lee, founder Pure Hope Foundation
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How to Pray Powerful Breakthrough Prayers that Get Results * Our Powerful Breakthrough Prayers online course
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The Role of Christian Faith when Facing Mental Illness * Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, many have faced an internal struggle to celebrate the Christmas season. But it doesn't have to be so. You can find the holiday spirit even in the most troubling of times.
Joining Dr. Carol is Dr. Andrew Fox, friend and ministry board member, to discuss the meaning of Christmas as well as the various traditions that take place during the most celebrated holiday in the world.
Connect with Dr Andrew Fox on his website, Facebook, or Instagram.
The holiday season isn't a cheerful time for everyone. It can trigger negative emotions for a number a reasons. And during this pandemic season your holiday plans (or lack thereof) may have added further challenges.
Dr. Michael Bishop joins the conversation to discuss ways to be resilient and avoid the holiday blues in this powerful episode.
Encountering feelings of guilt as a parent is real. According to experts, parenting guilt is an affliction that can impact regardless of age, income level, education, or living in the big city or small town. Lori Wildenberg joins the podcast to discuss how to replace parent guilt with healthy connections, especially during this holiday season.
Connect with Lori Wildenberg on her Website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or the Moms Together Podcast Find Lori's books: * The Messy Life of Parenting: Powerful and Practical Ways to Strengthen Family Connections * Messy Journey: How Grace & Truth Offer the Prodigal A Way Home
Did you know that Depression affects one in ten people or over 18 million adults according to recent studies? And Anxiety affects one in six, or over 40 million adults. Depression, anxiety and stress affects all people regardless of race, income or religious belief. In today's episode, Dr. Carol answers key questions about stress, anxiety and depression and what you can do about it.
- Find out more about our Powerful Breakthrough Prayers online course
- Leave me a confidential message
What are you most thankful for? 2020 hasn't been easy, but even during the most disruptive of times, we can choose where to focus. In today's show, Dr. Carol shares what she's most thankful for on this special episode.
For shownotes: * Click here to partner with Dr Carol Ministries * Check out our Powerful Breakthrough Prayers course
Improving the lives of kids in desperate situations isn't easy–but it's possible.
Peter Lublink, executive director of Bethany Kids, a compassionate Christian mission chronicles his experience of transforming the lives of children with surgical conditions and disabilities through pediatric surgery, rehabilitation, public education.
Connect with Peter Lublink, Executive Director of Bethany Kids on their Website or Instagram.
When was the last time you had an honest, heartfelt, yet kind and productive conversation with someone about mental illness, substance abuse, politics, pornography, premarital sex, racism, divorce, abortion, etc. at church? Our tendency is either to avoid talking about such volatile topics at all--even with other Christians--or to go on the attack, causing rifts that do nothing to encourage further discussion or growth.
If you're tired of avoiding tough conversations, you don't want to miss this show. Author and minister, Jason Jimenez joins Dr. Carol to discuss practical ways to have those tough conversations.
- Find Jason Jimenez' book Challenging Conversations: A Practical Guide to Discuss Controversial Topics in the Church
- Connect with Jason Jimenez on his Stand Strong Ministries website, or on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook
Would you like to change your most difficult relationships? Author and speaker, Karla Downing knows firsthand what's that like. For the first two decades of her relationship, things weren't easy in her marriage. But she didn't quit and applied several key principles that you can implement to deal with the dysfunction and emotional baggage that we bring into relationships. * Connect with Karla Downing on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube * Check out Karla's book Change My Relationship: 365 Devotions for Christians in Difficult Relationships
Have you ever heard God's voice? Hearing from Him is one of the greatest benefits of the Christian life, but what do you do when the Heavens are silent and you desperately want to hear Him?
In today's episode, Dr. Carol unpacks how to hear God clearly with these five practical insights.
Discover the Powerful Breakthrough Prayers that will change your life.
Building a blended family successfully is not easy. Under the most ideal circumstances it takes time–lots of it. However, it can be done well. Ron Deal joins Dr. Carol to discuss how your family can be blended and blessed in today's episode. * Check out Ron Deal's latest book (with Gary Chapman) Building Love Together in Blended Families with Gary Chapman * Connect with Ron Deal at Family Life Blended or Smart Stepfamilies, or on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter
Check out our online community the Fully Alive Group (where this interview was first aired).
Purchase our new online course Powerful Breakthrough Prayers, where you will discover practical strategies to apply to any problem you face.
How do you hold onto faith when everything seems lost? Whether illness, death, failure or the break-up of a relationship, pain and suffering causes us to question God. But when God seems silence that pain is often magnified and we question Him. Michele Cushatt joins Dr. Carol to discuss her personal journey as well as how to be certain of God's presence when everything has fallen apart. * Connect with Michele Cushatt on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. * Find Michele's book Relentless: The Unshakeable Presence of a God Who Never Leaves
Find out more about our Powerful Breakthrough Prayers online course
Feeling stuck, frustrated, and wondering why God hasn’t been answering your prayers - it’s very real. But one action step can change that!
God does not magically drop breakthrough on you from "on high." He invites you to work together with Him in order to experience what He has for you.
Jesus desires you to experience the Fully Alive kind of life that He paid so much for to bring you, but it’s not magic or wishful thinking.
In this episode, Dr Carol and Woodley Auguste talk about discovering those action steps, and invite you to an online experience to help you actually take them!
Register for the Powerful Breakthrough Prayers course today, and discover the next step toward your breakthrough!
Get the Course
Emotional wounds are serious. With depression and anxiety affecting more than 17 million Americans, finding ways to self-medicate like watching porn aren't uncommon when we've been hurt.
On today's episode Erik Hildebrandt joins Dr. Carol to discuss his own personal journey and how to find lasting freedom.
If you're interested in Erik Hildebrandt's film project, check out Anxious and Depressed.
I always love to hear from you! Leave me a message here.
Are you stressing about money? Since the onset of Covid-19, millions of people have lost jobs. So what can Christians do to handle the financial stress? Ryan Mack, president of Optimum Capital Management joins us to discuss ways to manage financing God's way.
Check out Ryan Mack's book Provisions for Abundance: A Christian's Guide to Money Management, Gratitude, and Giving Back
Follow Ryan Mack on Twitter or LinkedIn
I'd love to hear from you. Leave me a comment here.
Is intimacy a point of conflict in your relationship?
Whether newly married or wondering if divorce is the way forward, trusting God and his promises for the success of your marriage is vitality important. But what does sex mean in a marriage and is it that important to your husband?
In today's episode Dr. Carol talks specifically to wives, provides new perspective, and answers some of the toughest questions when it comes to men and sex.
Join us in our online community the Fully Alive Group
Mental illness affects 1 in 4 people. Although we know much more about it now, there is still confusion, stigma and shame surrounding the topic even among Christians.
Kayla Stocklien joins Dr. Carol to discuss her experience of walking through the challenges of mental illness when her husband–a pastor who struggled with it and eventually took his life, and how God brought her through the challenges and grief surrounding it.
- Find Kayla Stocklein's book Fear Gone Wild: A Story of Mental Illness, Suicide, and Hope Through Loss
- Connect with Kayla Stocklein on her website, or Instagram.
Along with the joy of having a child and raising kids comes a major challenge to a relationship–lack of intimacy. Is there a way to preserve emotional and physical bonding between you and your spouse without neglecting other responsibilities?
Daniel and Christina Im experienced this first-hand as they juggled raising kids, ministry and careers. In today's podcast they share the keys to not just maintaining intimacy but also ways to make it thrive. You won't want to miss this episode.
Check out more about Daniel and Christina Im and their ImBetween podcast on their Website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
And I'd love you to leave me a message on our Contact Us page.
If God is everywhere, why is it necessary to go to a building–or stream church service? If you're struggling with the idea of church, you are not alone. Recent Barna research has shown that one in three practicing Christians has stopped attending. But those same Christians have found themselves more emotionally stressed. Is there something powerful that takes place when we gather together? Kevin Makins joins Dr.Carol to discuss this and more in today's episode. * Connect with Kevin Makins on his Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube * Find his book Why Would Anyone Go to Church?
Connect with our online community the Fully Alive Group
In our age of extremes, it's easy to find ourselves agreeing with either excessive moral pronouncements or simply excusing bad behavior altogether. Whether socially, politically or in church, it's a challenge to avoid falling into the "ditch" of either viewpoint.
In today's podcast you'll learn the keys to avoiding the extremes of judgmental behavior or tolerating wrongdoing by living the way Jesus prescribed.
When was the last time you thought about making an impact that could affect the world? God designed us to look beyond ourselves, but it's not always easy when facing personal problems or challenges.
In today's episode, Jonathan Shibley of Global Advance discusses how to change our mindsets from being self-focused to making an impact and helping others.
Find out what Global Advance is doing through their website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
If God impresses you to do so, please support the work they are doing.
What kind of a home are you building for your children? Parenting isn't easy, but there are strategies to raise kids even in times of uncertainty - iPads and all. Author and speaker Arlene Pellicane joins Dr. Carol to discuss this and more on today's episode.
- Connect with Arlene Pellicane on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram
- Check out Arlene's The Happy Home Podcast
- You can pre-order Arlene's books Screen Kids: 5 Skills Every Child Needs in a Tech-Driven World, and Grandparenting Screen Kids: How to Help, What to Say, and Where to Begin
Send me a comment or question on our Contact page.
Each of us has more influence that we think. But where do you start? And how do you leverage the talents God has given you? If you've wanted to make a difference then you don't want to miss this episode. Today Kathleen Cooke, of Cooke Media Group discusses how she's been able to maximize her life for the Kingdom of God in Hollywood and ways you can do it too. * Connect with Kathleen Cooke on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram * Find out more about Phil and Kathleen Cooke's work at Influence Lab and Cooke Media Group * Find Kathleen Cooke's book Hope 4 Today - a Devotional: Stay Connected to God in a Distracted Culture
With the divorce rate over 50 percent for both Christians and non-believers, the chances of finding the wrong person to marry is significantly high.
So what is a Christian to do when looking for a spouse? If you desire to be married, learn what are the five traits of Mr. or Mrs. Wrong and how to avoid them.
You don't want to miss today's episode!
How you define life determines every facet of your being. Whatever that perspective is will influence how you love, use your giftings and more. In today's episode, Dr. Carol is joined by Steve Graves to discuss ways to not only discover your purpose but also how to flourish. * Connect with Steve Graves on his website, LinkedIn, or Facebook. * Request your copy of Flourishing: Why Some People Thrive while Others Just Survive, by Steve Graves (ebook) here.
Make sure to check out our online community the Fully Alive Group.
What are you giving your attention to? With so many events happening in our world it can often feel like your heart is being pulled in a number of directions. In today's podcast, you'll learn the keys to retain your focus both mentally and spiritually so you tune the noises out as your pursue God's calling.
Are you experiencing financial challenges and the ends simply aren't meeting? Whether due to Covid-19 related economic disruptions or unexpected bills, there is light at the tunnel emotionally and even spiritually.
Megan Buerkle of the Crown Financial Ministries joins Dr. Carol on this special episode to discuss ways to overcome fear over your finances.
For shownotes:
Check out the multitude of helpful resources at Crown Financial Ministries
Check out our online community the Fully Alive Group
For many Christians, responding to the killing of George Floyd becomes a complicated matter. Arnita Willis Taylor joins Dr. Carol to discuss the issues of race from a Gospel perspective and how God sees the matter. * Connect with Arnita Willis Taylor on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram * Check out her book A Language of Healing for a Polarized Nation
Women and porn. Often viewed as a "men's" issue, women viewing adult entertainment or erotica has become commonplace. But the damage caused by this entertainment can have devastating effects to the mind, body, and spirit. On today's episode, Crystal Renaud Day joins Dr. Carol to discuss this issue as well as how to break free from sexual addiction. * Connect with Crystal Renaud Day on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. * Find Crystals Recovery Journal for women struggling with sex addiction
Get our 30-day email devotional series Toward Sexual Integrity
What do you do when it seems like everything falling is apart around you? Sarah Thebarge, a Yale-trained physician assistant knows first hand. At 27, she nearly died of breast cancer, but that did not end her deeply felt spiritual calling. Risking her health, she moved to West Africa, experienced God's redemption in a powerful way. In today's episode you'll learn Sarah's story as well as how God can transform your life in the most difficult of circumstances. * Connect with Sarah Thebarge on her Website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter * Sarah's book The Invisible Girls: A Memoir * Sarah's book Well: Healing our Beautiful, Broken World from a Hospital in West Africa
Not all prayers are created equal. When facing life's biggest challenges you want to be sure that your prayers get results. In today's episode you learn not only how to pray to get a breakthrough in every situation, but also learn how to do it persistently.
For your 30-day email devotional series Powerful Breakthrough Prayers, text "MYPRAYER" to 44222, or click here.
Your spouse’s bad behavior can make your life seem as though it’s falling apart. Arguments, the cold shoulder and even withholding sex can create feelings of resentment, bitterness and more.
In today's podcast, you'll hear Dr Carol answer questions from real listeners and learn some concrete ways to move forward regardless of the situation.
- To send Dr Carol a confidential message, click here.
- Check out the Guide to Healthy Communication in Marriage
- Our online community the Fully Alive Support Group
Do you have a behavior that you turn to when facing anxiety or disruption? Whether it's for distraction or pleasure, those actions are on the rise. In today's episode, Jay Stringer, licensed mental health counselor and author joins Dr. Carol to discuss the ways destructive behaviors are formed and what you can do about it. * Connect with Jay Stringer on his website, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. * Find Jay's Book: Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing * Find out more about The Journey Course
And join our online community the Fully Alive COVID-19 Support Group.
Your spouse’s bad behavior can make your life seem as though it’s falling apart. Physical abuse, addiction and even withholding sex can create feelings of resentment, bitterness and more.
In today's podcast, you'll hear Dr Carol answer questions from real listeners and learn some concrete ways to move forward, or at least a clear way to think about things when your husband behaves badly.
- To send Dr Carol a confidential message, click here.
- Check out the Guide to Healthy Communication in Marriage
- Our online community the Fully Alive COVID-19 Support Group
The challenges that marriages face are not unique. Whether financial, the kids or relational, all marriages are facing stress like never before.
Jeff and Sarah Walton join Dr. Carol to discuss their own experiences in a marriage that has faced chronic illness, the after-effects of abuse, a child with neurological challenges, and financial difficulties—and show how to cling to Christ and each other.
- Connect with Sarah on her blog.
- On Twitter find Sarah Walton and Jeff Walton
- Find their book Together Through the Storms: Biblical Encouragement for your Marriage When Life Hurts
What is God saying to us during the Covid-19 crisis? Could we learn something from the various changes that have ensued since the lockdown? In today's podcast, Dr. Carol explores this as well as why history could provide us with some answers as to what God has in store for followers of Christ after the pandemic.
Resources Mentioned:
- Join our online community
Toxic masculinity has become a catchall explanation for men at their worst. But is there validity to it? How should Christian's view the differences between men and women in light of scripture in the 21st century?
Author and cultural commentator, Denise McAllister joins Dr. Carol to discuss the beauty and differences between masculinity and femininity and how culture has created distortions in education, faith and relationships.
- Find Denise McAllister's book What Men Want to Say to Women (But Can't)
- Connect with Denise on Twitter
Are you experiencing a marriage that's become toxic? How do you honor God and your relationship when things don't seem to be working out? Gary Thomas joins Dr. Carol to discusses how to handle conflicts and more in today's podcast.
To learn more about Gary Thomas, visit his website here
Information on the Fully Alive Group
With the spread and risk of the Covid-19 virus health warnings are at a fever pitch. However, there is more to staying healthy than social distancing and washing hands. In today's episode, Dr. Carol draws from her medical training and provides 7 keys on how you can bolster your immune system not just in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, but for life. * More about the phytonutrient supplement Dr Carol takes, JuicePlus+ * Get your free download Your Prescription for Fear and Anxiety
As social distancing policies are extended and the number of those diagnosed with Coronavirus increases, fear and anxiety only get worse. How do you stop worrying when things are so uncertain? Clinical psychologist, Linda Mintle, Ph.D. joins Dr. Carol to outline what you can do to overcome feelings of unease on today's episode.
Shownotes:
- Get Dr Linda Mintle's book Letting Go of Worry
- Connect with Dr Mintle on her website, Facebook, or Twitter.
- Listen to the Dr Linda Mintle Show on Faith Radio.
And text PRESCRIPTION to 44222 for your free download Your Prescription for Fear and Anxiety.
The war against the COVID-19 coronavirus has intensified around the world as life as we know has changed. How do you cope when fear and anxiety seems to be the norm minute by minute? In today's special podcast, Dr. Carol unpacks five strategies for you to handle the uncertainty.
For a free download Your Prescription for Fear and Anxiety, text PRESCRIPTION to 44222.
To get our free 40-day email devotional series Freedom from Fear and Anxiety, text 40DAYS to 44222.
Does the daily whirlwind of life activities cause your greatest priorities took a back seat? If your life has become a never ending to-do list then this podcast is for you.
Joining Dr. Carol today is Chad Cannon, Chief Sales Officer of Michael Hyatt and Company to discuss ways to not let your to-do list dictate your life.
Check out the Full Focus Planner that Chad Cannon describes here
If you've ever felt burnt out, emotionally drained or mentally exhausted, it can wreak havoc on your health, happiness, relationships and more.
In part two of today's episode you'll learn how to know if you're suffering from burnout and the keys to experiencing the life that Jesus desires for you.
Do you feel burned out, emotionally drained or mentally exhausted? Those feelings can wreak havoc on your health, happiness, relationships, job performance and more.
In today's episode you'll learn how to know if you're suffering from burnout and the keys to experiencing the life that Jesus desires for you.
God has big plans for woman and He wants to use them for His purposes. But often it entails getting unstuck from behaviors, conflicts and mindsets to becoming all that God desires.
Today, Dr. Carol is joined by Dr. Barbara Lowe, a licensed psychologist to discuss what wholeness from God's perspective entails as well as how to be part of a special event happening in March 2020.
- Sign up to be part of the FREE World Women’s Wholeness Summit
- Find out more about or connect with Dr Barbara Lowe on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
Mental illness is a highly stigmatized topic in the church. However, approximately one in four people will be challenged with a mental health issue. On today's podcast, Dr. Carol is joined by Vicky Coffee to discuss mental health and the role of faith and Christian community in addressing this very large challenge. Resources Mentioned: * More about Vicky Coffee at the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health * NAMI: The National Alliance on Mental Illness * FaithNet: faith-based resources from NAMI for leaders and individuals about mental illness
Today, children are more exposed to sexualized messages than ever before. Movies, television, music and other media are all sources that expose these messages earlier than any other generation.
As a byproduct of the digital age, children are able to view these often inaccurate and potentially harmful content daily. So what can you as a parent or caregiver do? In today's podcast, Dr. Carol discusses not just the problem, but practical ways to protect your loved ones in this powerful episode.
Resources mentioned:
- Connect with Anne Kerr and her work with Allies on her website, Facebook, or Instagram.
There is likely no area of life that has the most impact on human relationships than marriage. But the reasons why people get married vary from feelings of love, loneliness, etc.
Inevitably, a marriage based on those feelings will not be enough to support a forever healthy marriage.
Learn why and what to do about it in today's episode.
With hundreds of thousands of football fans flocking to Florida - already the state with the third highest rate of human trafficking in the country; the combination of the major sporting event and clubs will create a perfect storm of sex trafficking.
Hear from an advocate who has worked personally with those exploited and discover what steps you can take to help ALL involved find true and lasting freedom.
Resources mentioned:
- Fight the New Drug
- Pure Hope Foundation
- Get our full Resource List about Human Trafficking, Porn, and more.
Being in a relationship is often not easy. In today's episode, Dr. Carol answers the tough questions about relationships, depression, guilt and more.
Check out our online community Fully Alive Group
To request samples of the resources available in the Fully Alive Group, click here.
And if you have a question you'd like addressed on an upcoming Q&A podcast, leave a comment here.
Do you have a dream buried in your heart that you don't want to let go of? If you feel stuck and desire more, then it's time to become more curious.
Joining Dr. Carol is New York Times best-selling author, a former practicing attorney and humanitarian, Bob Goff to discuss practical ways to create an amazing life by eagerly learning something new.
Find out more and connect with Bob Goff on his website, or his Love Does organization.
Bob is also on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Find Bob's books Love Does, Everybody Always, and Live in Grace.
Is your life perspective too small? What would happen if you looked to see things the way God does–globally? Joining Dr. Carol are recording artists, Seth and Nirva Ready to discuss their personal journey and how they allowed God to not only direct their lives in a larger way, but also to be used for His glory.
To connect with Seth and Nirva and their music, check out their website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
Every new year is a new start. What will be different for you in 2020? In today's podcast, Dr. Carol explores ways for you to not only start well in the new decade but also how to continue the momentum when facing resistance or get distracted and want to quit.
Check out our online community the Fully Alive Group.
One of the greatest illustrations of God's desire for humanity is the birth of Jesus. Delight in the heartwarming story of God's gift to mankind in this special episode of Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol.
According to recent CDC statics, mental or emotional disorders among children affect one in five families. Whether ADHD, anxiety, depression, etc. these changes can affect every aspect of the individuals's own life and that of the whole family.
Joining Dr. Carol is Matthew S. Stanford, PhD, author and CEO of the Hope and Healing Center & Institute (HHCI) in Houston, TX to discuss practical ways to navigating the challenges facing children and their families from both a scientific and biblical perspective.
Resources Mentioned:
- Get the book Grace for the Children: Finding Hope in the Midst of Child and Adolescent Mental Illness
- Connect with Dr Stanford's resources on the Mental Health Gateway website, Facebook, or Twitter.
In a recent study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), chronic pain is one of the most common reasons adults seek medical care and has been linked to dependence on opioids, anxiety, depression, and/or reduced quality of life.
Could there be a spiritual or mental link to determining the root of pain?
In today's podcast, Linda Mintle, Ph.D. joins Dr. Carol to offer practical insight she's learned from her research findings as well as solutions to alleviating or managing chronic pain.
- Get the book Living Beyond Pain: A Holistic Approach to Manage Pain and Get Your Life Back
- Connect with Dr Mintle on her website, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook
Do you dread Christmas and the holiday season? Discover three ways you can overcome the holiday blues and find healing and wholeness in this special episode.
Check out Advent Bible reading plans
Join our online community Fully Alive Group
Being thankful when things aren't going well isn't easy. In today's special episode, Dr. Carol discusses how gratitude impacts us spiritually as well as her "top 3" things she is most grateful for.
Walking through the process of grief in a healthy way isn't easy. Incomplete recovery can lead to a trail of negative consequences in every area of life.
In today's podcast, Dr. Carol provides practical steps to working through the crisis of faith grief often brings including:
- What to expect while grieving
- What is normal and abnormal grief
- How to deal with the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of grief
-
How grief affects one’s relationship with God
-
Get your 30 day email devotional series forThe Christian's Journey Through Grief
- Get your copy of the book The Christian's Journey Through Grief
Are you struggling with stress and anxiety? According to a recent Harvard study, about 30% of people with anxiety disorders go through life untreated and nearly two-thirds of the estimated 40 million adults with anxiety disorders are women. If you desire to take charge of your emotional health then it's time for a change. Author and blogger, Rebekah Lyons joins Dr. Carol today to discuss how to overcome anxiety for the vibrant life you were meant to live through four profound rhythms: rest, restore, connect, and create. * Find Rebekah Lyons' book on Amazon: Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose * Take her free Stress and Anxiety Rhythms quiz here. * Connect with Rebekah Lyons on her website, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
How's your spiritual health? Is it a clean bill of health or not so much? Did you know that toxic spirituality not only destroys our relationships but it also hinders God from transforming our lives?
In this week's episode, Dr. Carol unpacks what healthy spirituality looks like and what to do if you're in need of a major overhaul.
To learn about the Fully Alive group, visit https://fullyalivegroup.com/
A recent Pew Research Center survey found that over 40% of all new marriages in the US are remarriages for one or both of the partners. Often, those marriage forms a blended family. Is it possible to build healthy family relationships in the era of his, hers and ours?
In today's episode, Dr. Carol tackles this subject and offers biblical-based counsel, practical advice along with her own personal story.
Being the adult child of parents who didn't provide or lacked emotional spiritual or even financial wholeness isn't easy. It can become an emotional burden that can be difficult to navigate as an adult, with long-lasting repercussions.
"Your parents know how to push your buttons because they installed them!"
In today's episode, Dr. Carol unpacks strategies for dealing with difficult or "toxic" parenting situations from a Godly perspective.
Resources Mentioned:
Leave a confidential message for Dr. Carol with a question, comment, or topic you'd like addressed on an upcoming episode.
Check out our Fully Alive Group online community.
The food we eat makes a world of difference to our well-being. Recent studies have shown that the typical American diet exceeds the recommended intake levels from sugars; refined grains; sodium; and saturated fat.
Dr. Elizabeth Bohan, a registered dietician, and medical physician joins Dr. Carol to discuss how the foods you eat can heal or harm, and impact both your energy and your emotions.
Resources mentioned:
Connect with Dr. Elizabeth Boham on her website. And while there, use the promo code breast30wellness to get 30% off her breast health DVD.
Check out the UltraWellness Center also.
And connect with Dr. Boham on Facebook or Twitter.
Check out our Fully Alive Group online community.
Have you ever experienced a loss of peace or joy based on a toxic relationship? Regardless of the situation there's good news--you don't have to live like this!
Bible teacher, pastor and counselor Gary Thomas joins Dr. Carol to offer practical, Bible-based principles to deal with relationships that are toxic and more.
Resources mentioned:
- When to Walk Away: Finding Freedom from Toxic People
- Connect with Gary Thomas on his website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Join us in the Fully Alive Group online community.
A recent study from the Brigham Young University and Colorado State University found that couples who talk to one another regularly can strengthen a relationship.
More than watching television or sharing a meal, regular conversation is integral to a lasting relationship, deeper intimacy and even more sex. But how do you engage your spouse when you're in a "communication rut?"
In today's podcast, learn the keys to building more meaningful communication with your spouse in this thought provoking episode.
Check out Dr Carol's Guide to Healthy Communication in Marriage.
Become part of the Fully Alive Group online community this month for more in-depth conversations about Marriage Communication and other marriage challenges.
Join us at Change(d) Conference 2019: Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing
The journey to experiencing better wellbeing is never easy. But the journey to a life the way God intended can begin by taking some small steps that will create lasting change in your mental and emotional wellness.
Learn how in this fascinating discussion with Dr. Carol and Dr. Michael Bishop.
Resources mentioned:
Change(d) Conference 2019: Mental Health and Emotional Wellness
In the years that Barna Research has tracked the Christian faith of Millenials and Generation Z, the numbers are quite troubling. In 2011, 59% of young Americans who grew up Christian had stopped attending their churches and those numbers are increasing.
What can be done to offset the decline of faith amongst the next generation? Mark Matlock, co-author of Faith for Exiles joins Dr. Carol to discuss the startling trends as well as the solutions in this fascinating discussion.
- More about Faith for Exiles on their website.
- Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylonon Amazon
- Find out more about the Barna organization who conducted the research behind this book.
- Connect with Mark Matlock on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook
Find out more about the Change(d) Conference 2019
Arguing with your spouse about money–whether a lack of it or what to do with it-is the leading cause of relationship strain or even divorce. Is there a way to create harmony between you two when it comes to finances? Nnamdi Operanozie, stewardship pastor at Celebration Church, joins Dr. Carol to discuss how to help your marriage by getting on the same page when it comes to personal finances.
Resources Mentioned: * Financial Peace University: Manage Your Money Wisely
* Healthy Communication in Marriage ebook
Hormone changes, especially during menopause, can cause many women trouble. Learn the keys that will help you take charge of your hormonal health in this special episode.
Resources mentioned:
- Check out the phytonutrient supplement Dr Carol Takes: JuicePlus+
- The book Dr Carol's Guide to Women's Health
- Join us in the Fully Alive Group
According to a recent Barna Research study, more than 50 percent of Christian marriages ends in divorce. With single parenting becoming more common than ever, the church has not always served single parents nor their families well.
Linda Ranson Jacobs,one of the foremost leaders in single-parent ministry joins Dr. Carol to discuss the challenges of divorce and how to overcome them. Having been both divorced and widowed, Linda knows firsthand the needs of single-parent families and provides key insight in this powerful episode.
Resources Mentioned:
- Get Linda Jacobs' book The Single Parent: Confident and Successful
- Find out more about DivorceCare, and connect on Facebook
- Find out more about DivorceCare for Kids, and connect on Facebook
Are you emotionally fit? For many, the thought of fitness evokes images of Fitbits, protein shakes and cardio. But just as physical fitness provides long term positive effects on the body; emotional wellness provides psychological and emotional health.
In this "best of" episode, Dr. Carol is joined by Miles Adcox of Onsite, an internationally-known organization that delivers life-changing personal growth and wholeness for anyone seeking better mental and emotional health.
Resources Mentioned
- Miles Adcox website
- Onsite Workshops website
- Follow Miles Adcox on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter
- More about Onsite Workshops on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube
Are there times where you've woken up and still felt drained? Despite adequate sleep, restlessness affects millions of people and prolonged exposure to emotional, physical and psychological stressors can lead to burnout.
Sandra Dalton-Smith,MD joins Dr. Carol to discuss seven solutions to reset during times of being overwhelmed and the impact of proper rest on creativity, decision-making and more.
Resources mentioned:
- Take the free Rest Quiz
- Connect with Dr Saundra Dalton-Smith on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
- Check out her book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity
How's your intimacy? Is your sex life thriving? Or are you experiencing a disconnection when it comes to intimacy? Whether married or single, God's design for our sex life includes wholeness and healing.
Learn how God's design for sex, marriage, and intimacy to be connected has been disrupted, and some steps to take toward healing and integrity in this fascinating podcast.
Resources Mentioned:
Receive the 30-day email series Toward Sexual Integrity here
Join the Fully Alive Group online community here
In 2018 alone, more than 5,517,000,000 hours of porn were consumed on the world largest porn site.
Whether married, single, male or female, pornography is impacting our culture and countless lives.
Ron DeHaas president and co-founder of Covenant Eyes joins Dr. Carol to discuss why those number have increased and what can be done if you or someone you know is struggling with sex addiction.
Discover Covenant Eyes for yourself on their website.
Connect with Covenant Eyes on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Find the book Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Porn-Proofing Today's Young Kids.
Keith Wheeler is carrying a 12-foot wooden cross around the world to share the simple message of God’s love. Since 1985, it's taken him to over 175 countries on all seven continents.
Today, he joins Dr. Carol to discuss that as well as why following Jesus even in hardship is part of the Christian life.
Follow Keith Wheeler's travels around the world, and find out how you can support his ministry, on their website.
Connect on social media:
Facebook: facebook.com/kw.cross
Instagram: instagram.com/Kwheels1/
Twitter: twitter.com/kwheels1
Or visit his site kw.org here
David and Karin Hunter of Discovery Channel's Raised Hunting join Dr. Carol to discuss how a love for the outdoors was the catalyst for building and growing their faith, strengthening their marriage and transforming their family all for God's glory.
Find David and Karin's new book Raised Hunting: True Stories of Faith, Family, and the Adventure of Hunting
Watch Raised Hunting on the Discovery Channel
Connect with Raised Hunting on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter
If you've ever felt as though you have no one to talk with, you’re not alone. Loneliness is an epidemic. According to a recent study, the average adult has no one with whom they can discuss important matters.
The impact of having no one to talk with impacts more than your emotional state. Loneliness rivals smoking and obesity as a risk factor for illness, disability, and even early death.
In today's episode find out what you can do about it and the keys to rebounding physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Get your free electronic download: When You Can't Talk to Anyone along with some detailed steps you can take that will help.
Do you desire to improve your relationships, finances or another area in life? Change is never easy, but it can be accomplished.
Katherine Lee joins Dr. Carol in today's broadcast to set the record straight on how to not only take the first step but accelerate the process for transformation.
Filled with easy-to-apply changes, this podcast could be the catalyst to the lasting changes you desire.
Kathrine Lee's Pure Hope Foundation - website, Facebook, Instagram
Connect with Kathrine on Instagram, or Twitter.
Join our online community the Fully Alive Group.
"What happens in your soul happens in your cells."
Is there trauma in your life that has not been fully resolved? If you've experienced physical symptoms affecting your health, there may be a link spiritually and mentally.
Listen as Susie Larson, author, speaker, and talk-show host discusses her personal story with Dr. Carol as well as the keys to being Fully Alive in every area of life.
Resources mentioned:
Connect with Susie Larson on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Listen to Susie Larson at noon Central each weekday on Faith Radio.
Check out Susie Larson's latest book Fully Alive – Learning to Flourish in Mind, Body, and Spirit
Does God want us to suffer? Or is it the byproduct of actions we bring on ourselves through our sin and brokenness? In today's episode, Dr. Carol unpacks one of the most often asked questions by Christians.
Drawing from Scripture and practical examples, she demystifies what suffering is and is not in this insightful podcast.
Read the articles referenced by Dr. Carol: • How to Escape Unnecessary Suffering • How to Handle Suffering you Cannot Avoid Join our online community - The Fully Alive Group.
Since the landmark U.S. Supreme court Roe v. Wade decision, abortion is legal in all 50 states. However recent legislation on a state level has renewed the legal and Moral battle.
In this deeply moving episode, Dr. Carol discusses Robin's story of abortion as a Christian and God's redeeming grace on her life and ministry.
Rachel's Vineyard is a therapeutic support group in the United States and Canada for women seeking healing after abortion.
In today's episode, Dr. Carol is joined by New York Times best-selling author, Mo Isom to discuss how sex should and can be redeemed by the church for the betterment of God's people.
Mo Isom has a number of resources yo'll want to check out:
- Connect with Mo Isom on her website, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
- Find the new curriculum, Sex and Jesus; the Conversation Continued
- Find Mo's book, Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot
Have you ever had God do a 180 on you? On today's episode, Chad and Julie Canon join Dr. Carol to share their story that included the adoption of their daughter and how their lives were transformed–in a good and surprising way.
To get in touch with Chad or Julie Cannon, send Dr. Carol a message and she'll be glad to connect you.
Resources mentioned by Chad and Julie:
- Faithful Adoption Consultants
- The Soul of Shame, Curt Thompson
Do you desire to experience God’s kind of life physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually? In today's special episode, Dr. Carol provides insight on how to do that as well as a new resource designed to help you live the way Jesus intended.
If you'd like to find connection and encouragement from others who are also seeking to grow in these ways visit the Fully Alive Group.
If you've experienced a loss, there is a pathway to healing and hope. In today's podcast, Dr. Carol unpacks everything you need to know to work through the crises of faith and emotional hurt drawing from the scriptures and her own personal journey.
Find The Christian's Journey Through Grief on Amazon, or wherever Christian books are sold.
Begin your 30-day email devotional series by texting GRIEVE to 44222, or clicking here.
The apostle Paul declared Christians do not grieve in the same way as those who do not have hope (1 Thess. 4:13). But that doesn’t mean we don’t or shouldn’t grieve. Dr. Carol is joined today by Drs. Sam and Brenda Chand as they discuss what exactly is a Christian’s grieving process, how to embrace God’s comfort and more.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Get your copy or The Christian's Journey Through Grief
- Get your 30 day email devotional series Journey Through Grief
What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you? Are you in the midst of it right now? Our world is full of things that are not OK and often we don't know how to handle it or help someone that's experiencing their worst day(s).
In today's podcast, Dr. Carol unpacks what to do if you are hurting and things appear insurmountable.
Resources mentioned:
- Get your copy of The Christian's Journey Through Grief
- Get your 30 day email devotional series Journey Through Grief
Girls and women are affected with pornography too. Today Dr Carol talks with Jessica Harris about her experience being addicted to - and finding freedom from - pornography addiction. They also talk about Jessica's recent marriage, and the issue that has been even harder for her and her husband to address than her past with pornography. Connect with Jessica Harris on her website, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
You can find Jessica's books here: * Beggars Daughter: From the Rags of Pornography to the Riches of Grace
* Love Done Right: Reflections
How do you invite God's intervention into your life? And why does mindset play a vital role in overcoming or maintaining health?
In today's episode, Dr. Carol is joined by board-certified neurosurgeon and medical missionary, Glenn Harper, MD to discuss faith, wellness and more.
The topic of sex has various perspectives that elicit strong opinions. But what does God say about it and how can your sexuality be submitted to Him?
In today's episode, Dr. Carol is joined by Matt and Laurie Krieg of Hole in My Heart Ministries to discusses sexuality and the Gospel, identity and their personal journey.
Show Notes:
To find out more and connect with Matt and Laurie Krieg:
- Laurie at Hole in my Heart Ministries
- Matt at Caring Well Counseling
- On social media: Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
April is National Donate Life Month. Joining Dr. Carol is Lemuel Bradshaw to discussing how you can inspire others to provide hope through donor registration and living donations.
Find out more about Donate Life Month
Find out more about tissue and organ donation, and register to be a donor on your state's Donate Life website, or the national site Donate Life America.
Studies have found that forgiveness is directly linked to better emotional, physical and mental health. But how do you let it "go" when someone has wronged you? Are some things truly unforgivable? And more importantly, what does God have to say about it? Learn this and more in today's episode.
Have you ever felt like you're not making a difference? Or that when it comes to work, you don't have a specific calling? In this fascinating discussion, Dr. Carol is joined by New York Times best-selling author, Dan Miller as they demystify the differences between purpose and calling and how to find it personally regardless of where you are in life.
Connect with Dan Miller at 48 Days, or his membership site 48 Days Eagles.
Get Dan's book 48 Days to the Work You Love
Join Dan on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
With somewhere around one out of two Christian marriages ending in divorce, the probability of becoming a step-parent is high when a remarriage takes place.
Laura Petherbridge, author of The Smart Stepmom, joins the podcast to discuss the challenges of being a stepmother as well as the keys to making such relationships thrive.
Shownotes:
Connect with Laura Petherbridge on her website or on Facebook.
Get The Smart Stepmom, authored by Laura Petherbridge and Ron Deal
Dr. Carol is joined by Elisha Dorsett, Vocal Director at Celebration Church and Music Teacher at Summit Christian Academy, to discuss her personal journey through two challenging pregnancies, and how one decision can change everything.
You can connect with Elisha on Instagram or Facebook.
Six-time Grammy and 18 Dove award winner Russ Taff and his wife Tori join Dr. Carol to discuss their story of enduring faith, fame, alcoholism and ultimately recovery. Their story of brokenness and persistence will encourage anyone to not let the trauma of the past hold you back from restoration and God's love.
Show Notes:
To purchase your copy of Russ and Tori's book, I Still Believe click here
To connect with Russ Taff, join him on Facebook or Twitter.
Pastor Mel and Diane Stauber, missions and outreach pastors of Celebration Church join Dr. Carol to highlight their experiences of raising children in Mozambique and the benefits of obeying God as a family despite the challenge.
You know that kid who is always getting into trouble - serious trouble? Is there any real hope for him/her?
Judge Edna Staudt thinks so. She joins Dr Carol on this episode to talk about the mentoring program she has developed that helps to turn kids' lives around.
Are you emotionally fit? For many, the thought of fitness evokes images of Fitbits, protein shakes and and cardio. But just a physical fitness provides long term positive effects on the body; emotional wellness provides psychological and emotional health.
In today's episode, Dr. Carol is joined by Miles Adcox of Onsite, an internationally-known organization that delivers life-changing personal growth and wholeness for anyone seeking better mental and emotional health.
The consequences of loss are far reaching. But how do you cope with grief while serving in full-time ministry? In today's episode, worship leader and recording artist, Matt Perkins and his wife Kari discuss recovery from the loss of a loved one, finding love again, and how to move forward.
Mentioned on this episode:
- Connect with Matt and Kari at The Family Blend
- On Social Media: YouTube Facebook
According to a recent survey, one in eight couples (or 12%) have trouble getting pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. (2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth, CDC)
Approximately one-third of infertility is attributed to the female partner, one-third attributed to the male partner and one-third is caused by a combination of problems in both partners or, is unexplained.
For Christian couples facing this difficult journey, how does God see this situation? Can the miraculous happen?
Blogger and infertility warrior, Elisha Kearns joins Dr. Carol to describe her own story and provides insight to couples who need hope and support.
Resources mentioned in the podcast:
Connect with Elisha Kearns:
- on her website
- on Facebook
- on Instagram
Have you ever felt like no matter what you did to overcome a habit or thought pattern that you moved one step forward and then fall right back into the same circumstance?
In today's podcast, learn the keys to experience the type of change that will finally stick.
Resources mentioned in this episode: * Spiritual Maturity Assessment * 30 day email devotional Positive Spiritual Growth * Upcoming webinar You Don't Have to live Like This
Or Text MATURE to 44222, and receive an email with all these links included.
God created sex. But what happens when those healthy desires lead to sexual addiction or brokenness? In today's episode, Dr. Carol provides three steps to finding freedom for anyone who desires to experience complete freedom.
Get our Resource Guide Freedom from Pornography
Happy New Year! Are your dreams to small? Learn the four keys to making 2019 your best year ever--even when it seems impossible.
Christmas is just a few days away. But, beyond the confections, holiday parties and festivities the birth of baby remains central.
In today's episode, Dr. Carol looks at the birth of the most recognized baby in the world from the perspective of an OB-GYN and why this delivery during a time of division, civil unrest and economic disarray mattered.
Delight in the heartwarming story of God's gift to mankind in this special episode of Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol.
Do you dread Christmas and the holiday season? Discover how to overcome the holiday blues and find healing and wholeness in this timely episode.
Is there some desire in your heart to make a lasting difference for the kingdom of God? On this episode Dr Carol talks with Lauren Derstine, who with her family have ministered in India for over three decades, even under persecution. Hear what it takes to last.
Resources from this episode:
Find out more about Laurel Derstine's ministry:
- Supreme Task
- Smash Hunger
Connect with Lauren on Facebook or Instagram.
Raising Godly children in a secular environment has never been this difficult. Lori Champion, co-pastor of Celebration Church in Austin, Texas joins Dr. Carol to discuss her personal journey of raising children devoted to God and provides the keys to ensuring that you can experience the same results in your life.
Find out more about Celebration Church
Follow Pastor Lori on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
In this special Thanksgiving episode, Dr. Carol talks about how gratitude is the key to lasting change.
Resources:
What three things are YOU grateful for this Thanksgiving? Let us know on our Facebook page here.
According to a recent study, singles now outnumber married adults in the United States. For many, finding resources or support is challenging despite the tools available for their married counterparts.
Drawn from a question posed to Dr. Carol on social media, she unpacks her own "single journey" and gives the keys to thriving as a Christian single.
Resources Mentioned:
Our Monthly Resources for Singles
Becoming more like Jesus isn't easy. In a world of instant gratification, it often feels like God's process of changing our situation, attitudes, etc. takes forever. In this powerful episode, learn the five catalysts to spiritual growth that will affect every facet of your being and why rapid change doesn't always last.
Are you struggling to figure out a new or not so new relationship?
Dating, courting, just friends or friends with benefits are just some of the labels used to describe a relationship's status for both Christians and those who don't believe. So what's a girl to do?
In today's episode, Dr. Carol is joined by Kristen Clark, author, blogger and co-founder of GirlDefined Ministries to discuss marriage, dating, sex and a whole lot more.
Resources
Kristen and Bethany's website GirlDefined.com or click here
Books: Girl Defined, and Love Defined
YouTube - www.youtube.com/user/girldefined
Facebook - www.facebook.com/girldefined
Instagram- www.instagram.com/girldefined
Did you know that turning the other cheek isn't always the best solution when dealing with a problem--especially for a child? Dr. Carol is joined by Paul Coughlin, of the Protectors to discuss why bullying is the precursor to aggressive behavior and racism as well as the leading form of child abuse in America.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
The Protectors: Freedom from Bullying through Courage, Character, and Leadership
Paul Coughlin's book Free Us from Bullying: Real Solutions Beyond Being Nice
Join The Protectors on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Are you struggling to have your needs meet? Uncover the true source of these "intimacy killers" and what you can do about it.
Resources
Find Dr. Carol's Guide to Health Communication In Marriage ebook here
Communication In Marriage Assessment Personality Quiz here
Have you ever wanted to make a difference in someone's life, but didn't know where to start? Dr. Carol is joined by David Trevett of Compassion International live from Catalyst Atlanta to discuss how you can directly impact the life of a child for less than a cup of Starbucks.
To learn more about Compassion International click here
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/compassionintl
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/compassion/
If your married and not having sex, you need to listen to this! In this lively discussion, Dr. Carol shares what could be the root cause of not experiencing more physical intimacy with your spouse in this special episode.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Your free Communication Personality Assessment
- Check out Dr Carol's Guide to Healthy Communication in Marriage
- Get help to find Freedom from Pornography
Although commonly thought to be a problem overseas, human traffickers generate hundreds of billions of dollars in profits by trapping American children in horrific situations. Learn the keys to protecting your kids from Bob Rodgers, president and CEO of Street Grace.
Find out more about Street Grace on their website.
Follow Street Grace on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.
Connect with Bob Rodgers on Twitter.
Have you prayed and it seems like God hasn't answered? Dr. Carol is joined by Celeste Gonzales, Women's Hub Pastor at Celebration Church, for this insightful discussion on what to do when it feels like heaven is silent.
To connect with Pastor Celeste Gonzales, you can find her on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
Are you in the middle of a big decision and lack clarity? Have you attempted to do something and encountered one setback after another? In today's episode hear why these two strategies will help you regain momentum even in the hardest of times.
When the Kingdom of God is functioning, everything increases. In this delightful conversation, learn how attempting something for God is destined for failure unless He's involved, with Christian radio pioneer, Joe Emert.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Radio ministry covering Papua New Guinea: Wantok Radio
To connect with Joe Emert: New Life Radio Ministries
Or find Joe on Facebook
After the loss of a loved one, those directly affected often experience depression, grief, and a profound sense of loss. Is it possible to recover? In this powerful discussion, Dr. Carol is joined by Judge Edna Staudt and Evelyn Davidson to discuss a topic that will affect everyone irrespective of age, race or gender as well as how to find hope and healing.
Resources mentioned on this episode:
Find out more about the Change(d) Conference coming September 15, 2018.
A recent survey conducted by the Barna Group found that approximately two thirds of Americans view pornography at least monthly.
That number includes Christians who struggle with sexual compulsion or addiction that want to experience freedom, but don't know where to begin. In today's episode, we discover what happens to a marriage when it's fully restored and how to experience it for yourself or a loved one.
Resources mentioned on this episode:
Connect with Lynn Marie Cherry on her website.
Find Lynn's book Keep Walking: 40 Days to Hope and Freedom After Betrayal
Connect with Lynn on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter
Upcoming events with Lynn Cherry:
- Hope Rising conference for betrayed spouses
- Lonestar Coalition Against Pornography
Zion and Avery Montgomery join Dr. Carol to discuss why Jesus loves you just the way are. And why He desires to do more in your life than modify your behavior.
Find out more about the Change(d) Conference and get your tickets here.
Have you ever asked God to take a desire away from you? Learn why God doesn't always take away the "want". Whether it's sexual feelings or any behavior outside of God's design, join Dr. Carol and Jonathan Daughtery, founder of Be Broken Ministries to learn the keys to experiencing God's grace and true freedom.
Connect with Jonathan Daugherty and his ministry at BeBroken.com
or on social media Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
To order Jonathan's books on Amazon click here: Secrets, and Grace Based Recovery
For husband: Gateway Men
For wives: WivesCare
How do you respond to those that mistreat you? In today's episode, Dr. Carol is joined by Stephanie Gillette, MD, a member of Samaritan's Purse's Disaster Assistance Response medical team as she discusses providing medical care while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ to those that many see as unloveable.
Mentioned in this episode:
Disaster Assistance Response Team information and application.
Help bring relief to the Middle East
If you'd like to connect with Dr. Gillette, just leave a message on our Contact page, and we'll be glad to connect you.
Dr. Juli Slattery clinical psychologist, speaker, author, and founder of Authentic Intimacy joins Dr. Carol to discuss why every question you've had about sex touches on spiritual matters. Sexuality is God's invention that has a purpose and design. Learn the keys to fulfilment and wholeness. Learn more about Dr Juli Slattery and Authentic Intimacy.
See the trailer and find out more about Rethinking Sexuality.
Or oder your copy of Rethinking Sexuality on Amazon. Connect with Juli on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Being filled with God's spirit is more than a pleasant descriptor used in Scripture. In this fascinating conversation, Dr. Carol is joined by Dr. Thomson Mathew, professor of Pastoral Care and former dean of the College of Theology and Ministry at Oral Roberts University to discuss why your spiritual identity goes beyond church attendance and working hard for God.
For more about the resources mentioned in this episode including
Dr Thomson K. Mathew, and his book: Spiritual Identity and Spirit-Empowered Life click the following links: http://thomsonkmathew.com/ https://amzn.to/2Kzzz3F
Kathrine Lee, life and business strategist joins us today to discuss her personal transformation story and how God desires to mold us through the "w's" of transformation: Word, Worship, and Witness.
And you'll also hear how Kathrine is helping other women experience transformation in their challenged lives as well.
To learn more about Kathrine, her foundation, or to connect, visit the following links:
- The Pure Hope Foundation Website
- The Pure Hope Foundation on Facebook
- Kathrine's book: Interrupted: A Memoir
In 2016, 91 billion pornographic videos were watched on one x-rated website.
For the first time in history, sexually explicit content is more readily available than in previous generations--with the vast majority of it accessed on smartphones. What's a parent to do? Dr. Carol is joined by Jimmy Meyers, PhD and head of The Timothy Center as they discuss the effects of pornography on kids and young adults and how to protect those you love.
Resources mentioned on this episode:
Fearless Parenting by Dr Jimmy Myers and George Barna: https://amzn.to/2yE1RoR
Connect with Dr Jimmy Myers:
Twitter - @docjimmymyers FB - https://www.facebook.com/docjimmymyers/
Website: https://www.timothycenter.com/
Pairadocs podcast: https://www.pairadocspodcast.com/
Freedom from Pornography Resource Guide https://drcarolministries.lpages.co/leadbox/1425b2373f72a2%3A13eabd9e6746dc/5681717746597888/
Covenant Eyes https://covenanteyes.sjv.io/c/1243394/387466/5624
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression. But God desires to take what seems insurmountable and use it for his glory. Donald Dean, ordained minister and businessman joins the podcast and discusses his personal journey of overcoming depression through the power of worship. In addition, he provides listeners with the keys for experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit to replace sadness with joy.
To connect with Donald Dean you can reach him via email at Donald.dean10@comcast.net
In this fascinating teaching, discover why your dominant thoughts lead to actions that may not get you the best results and four fool-proof ways to think like Christ.
Bringing the Kingdom of God to people and places that need it most.
Ian Green has decades of experience bringing hope to dark places around the world and seeing lives and communities transformed. If you desire to bring the kingdom of God into your world and play a part in the miraculous, as Ian says, "you don't know how easy it can be!"
For more about Ian Green, visit his website http://iangreen.org/ Or to learn about the Diaper a Day project and the many other "felt need" projects the Proton Foundation is involved in; http://protonfoundation.com/projects/
Twitter: @Ian_Green
Facebook: @IanGreenCommunications Instagram: @iangreen56
How do you walk towards healing after loss, abuse or some other traumatic situation? In this fascinating discussion with author of Love Letters from the Edge, Shelly Beach, learn the keys to how God can help you overcome emotional pain.
Resources mentioned in the episode: You can connect with Shelly Beach on her website. Find her book Love Letters from the Edge on Amazon or ChristianBook.com.
Learn the keys to finding lasting freedom from a sexual addiction in this insightful discussion.
If this is meaningful to you, you may be interested in our Resource Guide, downloadable: Freedom from Pornography. You can access it at that link, free.
If you're married and your sex life is not what it used to be, then listen to this! In this thought-provoking podcast, Dr. Carol shares three simple steps to experience more physical intimacy with your spouse and more.
"What is my purpose?" is one of the most pressing question asked by believers. Learn the keys to experiencing a life of fulfillment regardless of age, spiritual maturity or vocation.
Identifying the war zones of your heart is the first step for receiving the promises of God. But how do you experience the fullness of Christ's love? Join Dr. Carol and Avery Montgomery of Celebration Church in Austin, Texas and discover how to win the battlefield of love.
Navigating through the challenges of relationships is difficult. In this fascinating discussion, Dr. Carol identifies the top three mistakes made in relationships and how to overcome them.
In this life changing podcast, Dr. Carol provides advice and counsel for anyone who wants to get past whatever is hindering them from God's best.
Are you challenged by nagging habits or hang-ups that you can't seem to overcome? Learn why "trying harder" doesn't work and what you can do that will permanently change your view of Christianity.
How do you trust God when things are going bad? Dr. Carol is joined by Andrew Fox, PhD., pastor of education at Celebration Church to discuss how to live in confidence, that not only will God be there for you, but will provide comfort and guidance.
Do you struggle with temptation? Are you experiencing challenges with living a new life in Christ? Learn what to do when things appear to be hopeless in your Christian walk.
Intimacy is one of the most basic human needs. But what happens when it goes unchecked? Are you looking for love in all the wrong places? In the conclusion of this two-part series, Dr. Carol gives the ultimate relationship prescription for love--the way God intended.
Intimacy is one of the most basic human needs. But what happens when that need goes unmet? Are you looking for love in all the wrong places? In part one of this two-part series, Dr. Carol gives the ultimate relationship prescription for love--the way God intended.
Is there a Mr. or Mrs. Right? Or is it just a pipe dream?
Dr. Carol tackles this often asked question as well as how we set ourselves for "crimes of the heart" when those feelings of love are stolen away.
Dr. Carol reveals how "one small mistake" could be costly to your well-being as she answers a listener question on how to deal with feelings of loneliness.
Does fear have a grip on your life? Take action by partnering with God and find lasting freedom.
Recorded live at the Radiant Conference in Austin, Texas, the second part of this insightful discussion will equip you with the tools to "fear not".
Does fear have a grip over your life? Take action by partnering with God and find lasting freedom.
Recorded live at the Radiant Conference in Austin, Texas, this insightful discussion will equip you with the tools to "fear not".
In this special Easter episode, receive the keys to experiencing a new life, despite the pain of your past.
Are you frustrated that overcoming bad habits or negative thinking isn't taking place fast enough? In this fascinating discussion, Dr. Carol illustrates why asking God for a "quick fix" doesn't always work and what you can do about it.
If your married and not having sex, you need to listen to this! In this lively discussion, Dr. Carol shares what could be the root cause for not experiencing more physical intimacy with your spouse.
In this special episode, you'll learn why God desires for you to experience freedom in every facet of life. Discover the source of your fear and anxiety and break their hold.
Are you tired of things not improving in your relationship. Learn how the "spaghetti principle" could address the root issue and how to overcome it in this insightful discussion.
In this powerful episode, Dr. Carol draws from her own story to help a listener achieve spiritual transformation.
The need to be loved is universal. Studies show that poor communication is the number one reason marriages end in divorce. In this episode, Dr. Carol advises a listener who is experiencing a loveless marriage.
The change true transformation brings is as different as life is from death. You may be living a life of victimhood, people pleasing, addiction, marriage misery, fear, or any variety of brokenness. But God specializes in resurrection. In this insightful conversation, Dr. Carol describes how God brings transformation in order to bring dead things back to life.
One in six U.S. adults lives with a mental illness (44.7 million in 2016) that include conditions that vary in degree of severity, ranging from mild to severe. In this episode, Dr. Carol offers practical advice when dealing with a spouse that suffers from a mental disorder.
In this special podcast, Dr. Carol discusses how to heal from the loss of a loved one and God's redemptive plan to "wipe away every tear".
In this episode, Dr. Carol provides insight on how to repair a relationship when your emotional needs aren't being met.
In part two, Dr. Carol continues her discussion with Evelyn Davison, host of LoveTalk on practical ways to use communication in improving the connection between you and your spouse.
Does it have to be either your wife’s happiness or your satisfaction? Discover how a frustrated husband can help his wife overcome barriers to intimacy and the keys to talking about sex without fighting.
In part one of two, Dr. Carol joins Evelyn Davison, host of LoveTalk to discuss how understanding the most important key to better communication in your marriage will deepen the love between you.
Rebuilding trust is difficult after a prolonged separation or whenever trust is seriously broken. Learn the keys to how to pray for your broken marriage, and what factors are critical in a reconciliation process.
How do you get past the arguments in your relationship? Learn the keys to getting to the root cause of both physical and emotional intimacy by using your spouse’s communication language.
Excerpted from the Women Physicians In Christ Conference, Dr. Carol reveals why there is a connection between your spirituality and health. And how to make your faith work for you!
Contrary to the way some people may treat you, divorce does not have to make you feel like a “second-class citizen". Discover who you are in God’s eyes and learn the keys to healing and living out His purposes. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
The new year is a great time to take inventory of your relationship, and assess whether your communication could use a tune-up. Find out how you can discover your communication style, improve the communication between you and your spouse, and deepen your intimacy and satisfaction.
How can you trust again? When you've been hurt before, how can you overcome the fear of hurt and rejection and establish a relationship with a potential spouse? Learn the keys to developinga friendship first--before romance. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Rising costs of medical care, traditional health insurance, as well as challenges with ObamaCare, have made many Christians consider alternatives. In this episode, Dr. Carol interviews Dr. Howard Russell, president of Christian Healthcare Ministries, about a low-cost alternative.
Have distorted or overly romanticized views of sexuality shortchanged your ability to fully enjoy intimacy in marriage? Learn how you can discover and embrace God's perspective on physical love with your spouse. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Does having a challenging conversation with your spouse result in a fight, hurt feelings or worse? Discover five ways to better communication in your relationship and more.
Wounds from sexual abuse by a parent or caregiver can be the cause of emotional paralysis and pain in your life. Learn why your heart’s healing is important and how to grow in your relationship with God even if you struggle with unforgiveness. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Hope and moving forward in life are possible as you start the new year. Focus on investing in your relationship with God and others by stepping forward into the purpose that He has for you. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Need a survival guide for marriage with a blended family? These truths will help you love well when a blended family comes as part of your relationship package. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Expectations are about the future just like Jesus’ birth was on the first Christmas. Let His purpose be birthed in you by following the helpful tips included in this week’s podcast. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Does the thought of dealing with your parents create feelings of stress and anxiety? Is “Mama Drama" an experience you'd rather avoid? Learn how to handle challenging situations with your parents and how to have your needs met--every time.
For more resources and information, visit https://www.drcarolministries.com/podcast/
Loss of a relationship or loved one during the holiday season can cause pain that can feel overwhelming. You can experience healing this Christmas by surrendering your hurt in God’s presence. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Do you struggle with intimacy or haven't been able to get past sexual brokeness? God desires to restore you and make you. For more resources and information, go to: https://www.drcarolministries.com/podcast/
Does Christmas carry a negative meaning for you? Remember, that Jesus, the son of God was born on this earth as Emmanuel “God with us.” You are not alone. Listen to this podcast to find out how you can create new holiday memories. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast/
When trust has been broken, can a marriage recover? Is it possible for a relationship to be so broken that God can’t fix it? Discover howyou and your spouse can heal both your hearts and marriage. For more resources and information, go to: https://www.drcarolministries.com/podcast/
Do you dread the holiday season? Does this time of year remind you of really sad memories? For the next five weeks discover tips on how to overcome the holiday blues. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
What does submission look like in a healthy Christian marriage? Learn about the keys to establishing godly submission when seeking to meet each other’s needs. For more resources and information, go to: https://www.drcarolministries.com/podcast/
Tired of looking for love in the wrong places? Discover the key to finding the special person to share your life with.
Rediscover the keys to spiritual, emotional, and physical intimacy by learning the difference between open and closed heart communication. For more resources and information, visit: www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Do you or someone you know want to overcome fear, depression, and loneliness? In this podcast episode, you will learn how to feed yourself with God’s nourishing and fulfilling Word, enter into God’s presence in worship, and encourage a friend. For more resources and information, visit: www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Is there a substance addiction that you are struggling with and want to overcome? You are not alone, and God can set you free. Hear Dr. Carol's advice for a listener struggling to quit smoking. For more resources and information, visit: www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Do you struggle with lustful thoughts? Are you addicted to pornography? You are not too broken, too sinful, or too addicted for God to save you. Listen to this episode to find out more about how God CAN set you free. For more resources and information, visit: www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
Additional resource:
www.xxxchurch.com
How can God heal you and your family from the hurt of infidelity and wounds of bitterness? Is it possible to forgive? If so, how do you give it to God and seek His grace? For more resources and information, visit: www.drcarolministries.com/podcast
In this inaugural episode of Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol, she reveals practical advice on healthy living and relationships.
Do you feel overwhelmed with life? Have you experienced infidelity? When you pray, fast, or serve in the church do you feel that God is silent? God can restore your marriage relationship and make it better than ever. Learn how you can be healed and restored. For more resources and information, visit www.drcarolministries.com/podcast