Lion Counseling Podcast

🎙️ Episode 54: Don’t Let Your Life Become a Bad Country Song | How Strong Fathers Aim Too Low Some of the most disciplined, high-performing men I work with are winning in business… but quietly wondering if they’re losing at home. In this episode, I unpack a humorous but revealing set of lyrics from country artist Walker Hayes — and what they expose about the modern bar for fatherhood. “Just trying...

🎙️ Episode 53: She Says You’re Emotionally Abusive… But Are You? More and more men are walking into counseling asking the same question: “What if I’m the problem?” Their wife or girlfriend says they’re narcissistic. Emotionally abusive. Controlling. And because they’re conscientious, self-reflective men… they start to believe it. But what if the truth is more complicated? In this episode, Mark and...

🎙️ Episode 52 – Story, Symbol, and Meaning: Another Legacy Highlight with Jonathan Pageau In this second Lion Legacy Highlight with Orthodox icon carver and symbolic thinker Jonathan Pageau , we dive even deeper into the intersection of faith, art, EMDR therapy, and how storytelling reveals hidden meaning in our lives. Jonathan reflects on the cultural moment we're in—where meaning is collapsing f...

🎙️ Episode 51 – Stop Being the Emotional Punching Bag | Boundaries Aren’t Punishment What if the most loving thing you could do in your marriage… is stop tolerating disrespect? In this episode, Mark and Zack tackle a pattern we see constantly in our counseling offices: good men who love their wives, own their mistakes, work hard for their families—and still feel like the emotional punching bag yea...

🎙️ Episode 50 – The Inner Critic Behind High Achievement—and Why Success Can Feel Lonely | A Lion Legacy Conversation with Matt Anderson What if your drive to succeed isn’t actually about winning—but about belonging? In this powerful Lion Legacy Conversation , Mark Odland sits down with strategist, coach, and author Matt Anderson to explore the hidden emotional cost of high achievement. Together,...

🎙️ Episode 49 – A Therapist Reacts to Ted Lasso Getting Therapy What happens when one of TV’s most optimistic characters finally sits down in the therapist’s chair? In this episode of the Lion Counseling Podcast , Mark Odland and Zack Carter react to a powerful therapy scene from Ted Lasso —and break it down through the lens of real-world counseling, EMDR, and how men actually experience therapy....

🎙️ Episode 48 – Finding Meaning in Suffering: A Legacy Highlight with Jonathan Pageau What if suffering wasn’t just something to escape—but an invitation to transform? In this short but profound highlight from our full-length interview, symbolic thinker and artist Jonathan Pageau reflects on how symbolic stories, biblical patterns, and personal failures reveal deeper meaning—even in the darkest se...

🎙️ Episode 47: Why EMDR Therapy Works – Trauma, Anger, and the Brain Explained: EMDR Lesson #2 Why do traumatic experiences keep showing up years later—through anxiety, anger, addiction, or relationship conflict—even when you know you’re safe now? In this episode, Mark Odland breaks down why EMDR therapy works by walking through two powerful, fictionalized case examples that reflect what many peop...

🎙️ Episode 46 – Why You’re Not Motivated (And What Actually Works) Most men think they fail at their goals because they’re lazy or undisciplined. That’s wrong. In this episode of the Lion Counseling Podcast, Mark Odland and Zack Carter break down the three real reasons men struggle with motivation—and why forcing discipline usually backfires. Drawing from real client stories, CBT principles, and p...

🎙️ Episode 45 – How Trauma Shapes the Brain (And How Healing Is Possible) - Part 1 We live in a world shaped by loss, stress, and unresolved pain. From global crises to family hardship, illness, broken relationships, and personal regret, emotional wounds are everywhere — even when we try to ignore them. In this episode, Mark Odland , licensed therapist and EMDR consultant, explains how past experi...

Pageau - Why Your Grandmother’s Love is More Real Than Your Trauma In this Legacy Highlight, Jonathan Pageau and Mark Odland explore one of the most profound ideas to ever come out of trauma work: the memories that give life are more real than the ones that destroy it. Mark describes how EMDR helps men see old wounds with new clarity -calmer, farther away, and no longer the center of their identit...

🎙️ Episode 43 | Are We Catastrophizing the Rise of AI? A Christian Counseling Perspective AI is advancing fast—and for many men, it’s triggering anxiety about jobs, purpose, meaning, and the future of humanity itself. Are we headed for paradise… or a Terminator-style nightmare? In this episode of the Lion Counseling Podcast, Mark Odland and Zack Carter tackle the fear-driven thinking surrounding A...

🎙️ Episode 42 | The “Let Them” Theory Might Be Hurting Your Relationships The “Let Them” theory—popularized by Mel Robbins—sounds freeing: stop trying to control people and just let them be who they are. But is it wisdom… or a subtle way to avoid conflict, accountability, and emotional repair? In this episode, Christian counselors Mark Odland (EMDR therapist) and Zack Carter analyze the Let Them t...

🎙️ Why You Relapse: The 3 Hidden Reasons Men Fall Back Into Porn Most men think relapse is random — or worse, that it means they’re “broken,” “bad,” or “addicted forever.” In this short, power-packed teaching, counselor and coach Zack Carter breaks down the real reasons high-achieving Christian men keep turning back to pornography, even when life is going well. Zack explains the three forces that...

🎙️ Jonathan Pageau: Wallowing Is Pride — How Guilt, Shame & Memory Lead to Transformation In this rare and powerful short-form conversation, Orthodox icon carver and symbolic thinker Jonathan Pageau unpacks the hidden pride inside our guilt, the spiritual dangers of wallowing, and how biblical memory is the path to true humility and healing. Therapist Mark Odland (EMDR specialist and host of t...

🎙️ Episode 39 – When God Feels Silent: The Dark Night of the Soul Have you ever prayed and felt absolutely nothing? Have you been hit with doubts, spiritual confusion, or the terrifying sense that God has gone silent? In this raw and honest episode, Mark Odland shares his personal story of walking through the “dark night of the soul”—a season where faith felt distant, prayer felt empty, and life’s...

🎙️ Episode 38 – The 3 Types of Men: Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs In this short but powerful episode, Mark and Zack break down a timeless framework for understanding masculinity — and challenge you to examine what kind of man you really are. Are you a sheep who avoids conflict and responsibility? A wolf who uses strength for selfish gain? Or a sheepdog, dangerous but disciplined — a protector, prov...

🎙️ Episode 37 – The EMDR Gauntlet: 3 Days That Can Change Your Life What if you could complete 3 months of deep trauma therapy in just 3 days? This short episode is different. It’s not just another interview or conversation—it's a direct invitation... an invitation from the world-leader in helping high-achieving Christian men heal from trauma. In this rare, 5-minute solo episode, Mark Odland (Cert...

🎙️ If You Had One Year Left… Would You Still Work This Much? In this episode, we explore how contemplating death can clarify your priorities and help you fix your work-life balance before it’s too late. From young entrepreneurs to seasoned executives, most men struggle with knowing when to hustle and when to rest. This conversation blends humor, personal stories, and practical wisdom to help you r...

🎙️ Episode 35 – Why Your Relationships Keep Falling Apart (Attachment Styles Explained) Why do your relationships always seem to blow up or fizzle out? Why does closeness feel so hard—or even scary? In this powerful episode of the Lion Counseling Podcast , Mark Odland and Zack Carter unpack how your attachment style shapes the way you love, fight, and even parent. Whether you're the one who always...

🎙️ Episode 33 – Steel in the Soul: A Conversation with Stephen Mansfield This is a Lion Legacy Conversation — a long-form interview highlighting the wisdom, resilience, and faith of remarkable men. In this powerful episode, Mark Odland sits down with Stephen Mansfield, New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and founder of the Great Man movement. Together, they explore fatherhood, masculine id...

🎙️ Episode 33 – Real Therapy Isn’t Comfortable: Why You Need to Face the Pain What if the true path to healing isn’t found in comfort—but in courage ? In this powerful episode, Mark Odland and Zack Carter unpack what therapy is really about—and why the popularized version of “feel-good therapy” often misses the mark for men. Using imagery from samurai sword-forging and field-tested coaching insigh...

🎙️ Episode 32 – Should Men Be Skeptical of Therapy? In this episode of the Lion Counseling Podcast, Certified EMDR Therapist Mark Odland takes a bold and honest look at a topic many men are quietly thinking about but rarely say out loud: Should men be skeptical of therapy? The answer? Yes—and no. Mark explores why discernment is essential when choosing a counselor or therapist—especially for men w...

🎙️ Episode 31 – How to Create a Career (Even If You’re Stuck) Forget “finding your dream job.” What if your dream career doesn't exist yet… because you're meant to build it? In this episode of the Lion Counseling Podcast, Mark and Zack explore what it means to create meaningful work in a world that often pressures men to “figure it all out” by 25. They break down the difference between a job and a...

🎙️ Episode 30 – What I Learned from Dr. John Deloney (and How It Can Help You Build a Non-Anxious Life) 👉 Ready for the next step? SCHEDULE A FREE, 30-MINUTE CONSULT with Mark or Zack at: https://escapethecagenow.com/call/ In this solo episode of The Lion Counseling Podcast, Mark Odland shares the unexpected story of meeting Dr. John Deloney at a Texas cattle ranch during the EntreLeadership Summ...