Love Your People Well | A Therapist’s Tips For Christian Mom Life, Marriage Help, And Family Relationships

Episode 32 // Counseling can raise a lot of questions for us. Should Christians go to counseling? What is a life coach? Is therapy the same thing as counseling? Do I need counseling? How do I find a great therapist? We are tackling these questions in a two-part series with the goal of building your comfort and confidence in thinking about the counseling process. I am a licensed therapist and I’m e...

Episode 31 // We love our kids… but sometimes, they drive us crazy! That’s just real life. We all get frustrated, impatient, and angry at times. But we want to handle those emotions well. We want to avoid yelling and stay emotionally present (and calm) with our kiddos.  That’s why I’m sharing my 4-step process for how I personally handle frustration with my kids. In fact, it’s the same process I u...

Episode 30 // How well do you REALLY know your spouse? This question is central to your marriage. You simply cannot have a meaningful, healthy, lasting, joy-filled marriage without a deep knowledge of each other.  But don’t worry - this doesn’t have to take a ton of time or energy! As a counselor, there is a simple activity that I do with every couple who walks through the door. And today, I’m sha...

Episode 29 // When was the last time you picked up pen and paper? It’s worth doing every once in awhile! Actually, as a Christian counselor, there are a lot of things that I recommend to my clients that involves them writing things down.  That’s not a coincidence. It’s because there are specific ways that writing things down helps us! Today, I’m going to walk through 5 benefits to our mental healt...

Episode 28 // Do you feel good about how you spend your time? What about how you spend your energy and emotions? These are precious resources, and we want to give them to the things that matter most: our people! Relationships are always more important than tasks. But when the to-do list is getting longer instead of shorter and our days get busier and busier, it can be difficult to balance our prio...

Episode 27 // Mom guilt is real, my friend, and it is no fun. But you know what? It’s also not necessary. What IS necessary is taking time to care for yourself! Whether you think of it as self care, emotional refreshment, me time - whatever you call it, we all need time to rest and refresh. It is a requirement for good mental health, and for strong family relationships. That’s why in today’s episo...

Episode 26 // When you decided to follow Christ, the Holy Spirit came to live in you. A big part of his role in our life is to convict us of sin.  Eek! This is not an easy experience. How do we know if we are hearing his voice? What do we do when we feel convicted? How do we move forward? We are tackling these questions in today’s episode. Not only will we look at what the Bible tells us about the...

Episode 25 // Do you sometimes wish you could communicate more clearly with people? With your spouse, your kids, your friends, your co-workers? The best way to connect with people is to have great communication skills. The skills that make them feel heard, valued, understood, and loved.  One of those key communication skills is active listening. Have you heard of it? I teach people how to use acti...

Episode 24 // Spoiler alert, mama… your kids are growing up. Have you thought about the relationship that you want to have with them when they’re older? Every mom wants to parent great kids, who turn into great adults, who call us regularly and want to spend the holidays with us. But are we intentionally parenting in a way that builds this deep relationship?  The day-to-day realities of raising ki...

The school year is starting, and life is about to get B-U-S-Y! What I've found as a counselor over the years is that busyness leads to routine which leads to a rut. We get stuck on autopilot. That might be fine in handling our to-do list, but we do not want to run on autopilot in our relationships! That doesn't feel good. We feel discouraged. We get bored. We disconnect.  No more, mama! Check out...

Episode 23 // Meaningful relationships don’t happen without intimacy. We limit ourselves when we think it's just about the marriage relationship and what happens behind our bedroom doors. Sure, that’s part of it! But family relationships all require intimacy. If we want to be a purposeful parent and develop close relationships with our kids, we must build intimacy.  There are two big struggles wit...

Episode 22 // It is so easy to fill the family calendar. We want to give our kids every opportunity! We want them to have fun new experiences. We want our own time for volunteering, work obligations, coffee with friends... not to mention the never-ending list of cooking and cleaning for the family. We get busy. But do you ever think about the possible risks that this busyness brings to your family...

Episode 21 // Nothing is better than making someone we love smile. That’s the photo-worthy moment right there! The thing is... we sometimes put so much pressure on those moments to be photo-worthy that we miss the moment itself.  But what is the moment really about? It's about the special person you are celebrating. It's about their happiness, the relationship, and making them feel special. It’s n...

Episode 20 // Reading through the Bible, it is very clear that God calls us to be joyful people. Our lives are meant to be defined by gratitude and thanksgiving, worship and praise, rejoicing and love. But what about during our seasons of trial? What about when it feels like everything is falling apart around us? When I’m hurting, grieving, or feeling defeated and overwhelmed by life? We are still...

Episode 19 // Do you enjoy conflict? It’s almost a trick question. No one likes conflict! As a marriage therapist, one of the most common things that I do is help couples manage conflict well. Every marriage has its own hot button issues, and conversations about those topics often bring up hard emotions and a lot of emotional baggage. Many couples struggle with anger management, conflict resolutio...

Episode 18 // I often find that the summertime is a season of way too much busyness for our family. There is so much going on, so many fun family activities, but it is easy for things to pile up. We get more and more on our plates, and I start to be one overwhelmed mama! Well, if this is you (at any season of life!) then this podcast will help you out.  In today’s episode, I’ve got 4 quick tips th...

Episode 17 // Every parent wonders what they need to do to be a good parent. How do we care for, teach, and lead our kids in this crazy world? We worry about how our kids will turn out. It is so easy to question our decisions and for the “mom guilt” to sneak in.  If you are a parent or plan to be, this podcast episode will provide a helpful application of 4 common Bible passages to the topic of pa...

I don't know about you, but I love to celebrate my people - and birthdays are one of the best times to celebrate the people we love! You know what, friend? It's almost MY birthday! I love to take my birthday as an opportunity to reflect on what God has done in the past year and what I am working toward, praying for, and dreaming of for the upcoming year.  This year, I want to celebrate with YOU! T...

Episode 16 // The quality of our relationships often depends on the quality of our communication. In today’s episode, we are going to dig into one specific, simple, straightforward action step that will bless and build up your relationships. This action step will improve your communication without much effort, but with huge results! You'll build more emotional connection with your husband and kids...

Episode 15 // I think it is human nature that we want things to be perfect. We want to be a perfect wife. We long for the perfect marriage. And then what happens? We set unrealistic expectations of ourselves. We pour our energy into the tasks, projects, and relationships in front of us, trying to make everything perfect... and it never is. It can't be! If you've wound up feeling like a failure bec...

Episode 14 // Today, I'm sharing ONE change to your morning routine that I believe will change the rest of your day. It's not a magic wand, it's not a miracle cure, but it is powerful.  As I have made this change in my own morning routine, I have found myself to feel happier and have a better attitude throughout the day. It lowers stress and anxiety. It even blesses your relationship, helping your...

Episode 13 // Today, we are going to talk about BOUNDARIES.  Wait. Let's pause there. What comes up for you when I even say the word boundaries?  For so many of us, we hear the word "boundaries" and we start to feel anxious. We start to feel guilty, stressed, or even scared. Boundaries are important, but they are so difficult. Friend, if this is you, join me in today's episode. Boundaries does not...

Episode 12 // How is the spiritual intimacy in your marriage? Do you have regular devotional times with your husband? For most couples, we get so busy, tired, or stuck in a rut that we lose track of this marital priority. We focus on our emotional intimacy and our physical intimacy, but squirm away from spiritual intimacy.  As a marriage counselor, I have seen firsthand the impact that spiritual i...

Episode 11 // Are your thoughts grounded in truth? In today's episode we are digging into 2 Truths & A Lie - two truths that we need to rest in and remember, and one lie that we often start to believe instead.  Sometimes, we are much more intentional about how we use our words with other people... but what about how you use your words with yourself? Do you speak truth to yourself? Do your thoughts...

Episode 10 // Today, we're wrapping up our mini series walking through the What, Why, and How of the four pillars of this podcast. We are looking at a top 10 list of practical action steps we can take to answer the question: HOW do we love others well? How do you care for your friends? What about your co-workers and neighbors? Do you feel connected at church?  These relationships matter! But life...