What's God Got To Do With It? With Leanne Ellington

In this powerful conversation, Dr. Alison Cook gets honest about something many of us don't realize: we can know all the right things about God, healing, and ourselves—and still have parts of us that don't feel safe, connected, or secure. As a psychologist of religion, licensed therapist, and bestselling author, Alison has spent decades exploring the intersection of psychology, faith, and sp...

Colleen was a pastor. She was teaching God's word, leading others, preaching identity in Christ. But behind closed doors, she felt like a hypocrite. She knew what God said about her. She could teach it. She believed it was true... for everyone else. But for her, it felt like words on a page that wouldn't land in her heart. And on top of that, she was carrying a lifetime of shame about her body. Si...

In this powerful conversation, Lysa TerKeurst gets honest about something most of us don't want to admit: we all have control issues. And often, what we call "being responsible" or "planning ahead" is actually fear disguised as strength. As the founder of Proverbs 31 Ministries and a #1 New York Times bestselling author, Lysa has spent years helping women navigate boundaries, forgiveness, and fait...

Join us as Leanne continues to explore the complex topic of worthiness, diving into the paradox of feeling worthy when you DON'T feel worthy. Once again Leanne talks about the 5 Blocks to God’s love, originally introduced as a 'Self-Imaging' formula, and how these blocks, if not addressed, can hinder your experience of love and worthiness. This time however, the spotlight turns to the second...

In this episode of the "God Pod", Leanne invites you to redefine "surrender" and actively shift from self-reliance to God's guidance. Diving into the first ingredient AND the first "God Block", the focus is on Self-Acceptance as both an ingredient for a loving Self-Image and a potential block to receiving God's love. Consider this episode a roadmap to recognizing and addressing your own "God...

Leanne is kicking off a new series based on her own experiences navigating "The Paradox of Worthiness" (as she calls it). As in, how do you feel worthy when you don't feel worthy? There is so much talk nowadays about self-love and worthiness, but the crucial question remains: How do we truly embrace it if all we’ve ever known is the opposite? How do you suddenly feel worthy if all you&r...

PART 4 of 4: If you're tired of the 'say-do' gap, this episode will help bridge the divide and you'll see that you can achieve results by working smarter, not harder. The final part to break free from negativity and help you nurture an "emotionally healthy" brain is the doing and you're awesome for making it to the homestretch! In PART 4 you learn: - How to play a "winning game" (And STOP playing...

PART 3 of 4: In this episode you will discover the truth about beliefs & change with Amy as Leanne shatters myths, revealing the powerful role of genuine belief in transforming your life. In PART 3 you learn: - How your CURRENT Self-Image & Beliefs unconsciously undermine what you truly want. - Why "You can’t kid a kidder" (Why you cannot "B.S." your self-image) - Positive vs negativ...

PART 2 of 4: Ever wonder why your thoughts and feelings don't sync up? Amy & Leanne share a fresh-yet-totally-doable approach that will help you reclaim the reins of confusing thoughts in our head…so that stepping into WHO YOU WANT TO BE actually becomes possible! In PART 2 you learn: - Why it's not your CIRCUMSTANCES that dictate your reality, it's your THOUGHTS, and how every single t...

PART 1 of 4: Are you feeling stuck or battling self-doubt? Do you want to take ownership of your life by taking ownership of your thoughts? If yes and yes, then "Acting As If" is for you! Amy Brown & Self-Image Scientist Leanne Ellington designed this 4-part series to help you shift your thoughts, so that “Acting As If” becomes possible for your brain to adopt. In each episode, you...

Sydney was in ministry. She was serving God, leading others, preaching His love and promises. But behind closed doors, she felt miles away from Him. She knew God's word. She could quote the promises. She believed they were true... for everyone else. But for her, they felt so far off. Like words on a page that didn't quite land in her heart. And on top of that, she was going through a breakup, ques...

What if the emotions you fear most are actually the gateway to your greatest freedom? In this final episode of our series, Chip and Leanne explore how to stop fearing emotions and start listening to them instead. They break down the connection between numbing and disconnection, why vulnerability is the key to healing, and how embracing your emotions can lead to real joy and fulfillment. With...

If willpower alone isn’t enough to stop numbing, what is? In this episode, Chip and Leanne explore why true healing starts with understanding the function of our coping behaviors—not just trying to “fix” them. They share the first steps to recognizing an unhealthy coping pattern, decoding what it’s really telling you, and shifting from avoidance to awareness. This epi...

Why do we turn to food, alcohol, shopping, or even busyness when life feels overwhelming? In this episode, Chip and Leanne dive into the real reason we numb—what we’re actually trying to escape or avoid—and how society conditions us to suppress rather than process emotions. They break down the neuroscience behind coping mechanisms, revealing why they provide short-term relief but...

Addiction isn’t just about substances—it’s about the ways we cope with pain, stress, and unmet needs. In this episode, Chip Dodd and Leanne unpack how behaviors like emotional eating, over-exercising, workaholism, and social media addiction follow the same addictive patterns as substances. They explore the difference between coping mechanisms that help us heal versus those that k...

Mylaina is 22 years old. And she just did what most women wish they'd done decades earlier. She was a psychology student getting certified in nutrition and wellness. She knew  intellectually  how to take care of her body, how to eat, how to work out. But mentally, she was destroying herself. Every morsel of food was tracked. Most foods were off limits. She was the one not licking the spo...

What if you didn't have to manage your anxiety, your trauma, your patterns for the rest of your life? What if you could actually repair the root problem—and move on? In this final episode of our series, Dr. Lee Warren and I talk about the solution. The shift from "holding pressure on the wound forever" to actually stitching it up and letting it heal. The shift from symptom management to root...

What if the very thing mental health culture tells you to do—focus on your trauma, honor your feelings, explore your pain—is actually reinforcing the patterns that are keeping you stuck? In this episode, Dr. Lee Warren and I tackle one of the most controversial (and most important) truths about how the brain works: where you put your attention literally shapes your reality. What you fo...

We have more mental health resources, more awareness, more support than ever before. So why are anxiety, depression, and suicide rates at all-time highs? In this first episode of our brand-new Spiritual Brain Surgery series, Dr. Lee Warren and I dive into the paradox that's plaguing our culture: more help, worse outcomes. We unpack the stats, explore what's missing from the current mental health m...

In this final episode of the Teenager Brain series, Leanne dives into the root of it all: the identity crisis. Teens today don't have a stable sense of self. They don't know who they are, what they value, or what they stand for. And their sense of self rises and falls with every like, every comment, every comparison. One day they're confident. The next day they're convinced they're not enough. And...

In this episode, Leanne dives into emotional dysregulation—why your teen melts down over the smallest things and can't bring themselves back down. When a teen experiences something that feels threatening, stressful, or overwhelming, their brain's alarm system (the amygdala) goes off and sends them into fight-or-flight mode. Their heart rate spikes, their breathing gets shallow, and their pre...

In this episode, Leanne exposes the attention crisis that's affecting every single teenager right now—and reveals what social media platforms know about teen brains that most parents and educators don't. The average teen now spends between four and five hours a day on social media. And teens who spend three or more hours a day have double the risk of anxiety and depression. Heavily addicted...

In this episode, Leanne dives into why schools have become mental health first responders—and why they're not equipped to handle it. 96% of schools report skyrocketing mental health needs, but only half have the staff to address them. Counselors are managing caseloads of 400-600 students. And teachers—who became educators to inspire minds—are now carrying the emotional weight of...

In this episode, Leanne launches a special 5-part series on the teenage brain crisis—and why today's teens are struggling in ways we've never seen before. Nearly 1 in 3 teen girls seriously considered suicide in the past year. 42% of high school students report persistent sadness or hopelessness. This isn't just a mental health crisis. It's a brain wiring crisis. Leanne explains how social m...

In this episode, Leanne explores the question: “What would it look like to trust God with my body?” Drawing from her personal journey and the experiences of many women, Leanne delves into the idea that trusting God with our bodies isn't about achieving perfection but about surrendering control and embracing our God-given worth. Leanne outlines five transformative shifts that can lead t...