The Best of You

Welcome to The Best of You Every Day. Today’s Scripture is Galatians 6:2–5. Go Deeper: Episode 138: The Hidden Cost of Overfunctioning Episode 155: Prioritize What Matters, Avoid Burnout, and Navigate Toxicity ⁠Sign up⁠ for Dr. Alison’s free weekly email for ongoing reflection and support. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are n...

How do you actually heal and change—not just cope or try harder? In this solo episode, Dr. Alison reflects on five core insights about faith, attachment, and the inner life—not as a plan for self-improvement, but as wisdom for formation. January often comes with pressure to reset, optimize, and fix ourselves. But many of us begin the year already tired — weary of striving, and hungry for something...

Welcome to The Best of You Every Day. Today’s Scripture is Deuteronomy 6:4–9. Go Deeper: Episode 186: A Simple Practice to Interrupt Stress, Overwhelm, and Habit Loops Episode 190: Self-Brain Surgery, Overcoming Trauma, and the Courage to Change How You Think ⁠Sign up⁠ for Dr. Alison’s free weekly email for ongoing reflection and support. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast...

Welcome to The Best of You Every Day. Today’s Scripture is Luke 6:27-42 .Go Deeper: Episode 95: 4 Toxic Behaviors & How to Protect Yourself Get a free Map of the Soul to help you get curious about the parts of your own soul in partnership with God’s Spirit. ⁠Sign up⁠ for Dr. Alison’s free weekly email for ongoing reflection and support. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast an...

Welcome to The Best of You Every Day. Today’s Scripture is Psalm 1:1-4. Go Deeper: Episode 141: How Self-Compassion Shapes Resilience with Aundi Kolber Episode 76: Finding the Strength to Move Forward After Loss with Granger Smith Episode 46: How Jesus Regulated Emotions with Aundi Kolber ⁠I Shouldn’t Feel This Way⁠ — Learn to understand & regulate your emotions. ⁠The Best of You ⁠— Learn to set h...

Welcome to The Best of You Every Day. Today’s Scripture is Romans 8:5-6 . Go Deeper: Episode 56: Am I Really Supposed to Die to Myself Episode 29: How to Stop Chasing Approval and Start Living the Life You Actually Want ⁠I Shouldn’t Feel This Way⁠ — Learn to understand & regulate your emotions. ⁠The Best of You ⁠— Discover your true self in God. ⁠Boundaries For Your Soul⁠ — Learn to access the Spi...

What if healing doesn’t start with managing your emotions—but with understanding how your brain responds to fear, grief, and hope? In this episode, Dr. Alison sits down with neurosurgeon, author, and Iraq War veteran Dr. Lee Warren to explore trauma, loss, faith, and the brain’s God-given capacity to change.  After unimaginable loss, Dr. Warren shares how “self-brain surgery”—learning to notice an...

Welcome to The Best of You Every Day. Today’s Scripture is Exodus 20:12. Go Deeper: Episode 161: Healing from Dysfunctional Family Patterns Episode 162: When Reconnection Feels Impossible Episode 147: Making Sense of Your Family Story ⁠⁠I Shouldn’t Feel This Way⁠⁠ — Learn to understand & regulate your emotions. ⁠⁠The Best of You⁠ ⁠— Heal painful patterns. ⁠⁠Boundaries For Your Soul⁠ ⁠— Manage over...

Welcome to The Best of You Every Day. Today’s Scripture is Luke 10:38-42. Go Deeper:⁠ Episode 185⁠: For the Ones who are Overwhelmed ⁠Episode 170⁠: The Truth About Venting ⁠⁠I Shouldn’t Feel This Way⁠⁠ — Learn to understand & regulate your emotions. ⁠⁠The Best of You ⁠⁠— Learn to set healthy boundaries. ⁠⁠Boundaries For Your Soul⁠⁠ — Learn a proven method of inner healing. ⁠⁠Sign up⁠⁠ for Dr. Alis...

Welcome to The Best of You Every Day. Today’s Scripture is Psalm 131. Go Deeper: Episode 16: What are Attachment Styles? Episode 143: Reparenting Your Younger Self ⁠I Shouldn’t Feel This Way⁠ — Learn to understand & regulate your emotions. ⁠The Best of You ⁠— Learn to set healthy boundaries. ⁠Boundaries For Your Soul⁠ — Learn a proven method of inner healing. ⁠Sign up⁠ for Dr. Alison’s free weekly...

Welcome to The Best of You Every Day! Today's Scripture is Matthew 6:25–29 & 34. Go Deeper: ⁠Episode 129⁠⁠: Understanding Your Anxiety—A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Calm Episode 167: Can I Pray the Anxiety Away? I Shouldn’t Feel This Way — Learn to understand and regulate your emotions. The Best of You — Learn to set healthy boundaries. Boundaries For Your Soul — Learn a proven method of inner h...

January has a way of pulling us straight into the how. How will I fix what feels off? How will I be more disciplined? How will I finally get it right? But what if there’s a deeper—and more grounding—place to begin? Dr. Alison opens the year by inviting you to start somewhere different. Instead of beginning with self-improvement or striving, Scripture starts with meaning, presence, and relationship...

If gratitude and grief seem to arrive hand in hand this season or hope feels costly, like putting your armor down in the middle of a battle… Nothing is wrong with you. Your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do. Dr. Alison sits down with researcher, author, trauma educator, and joy scholar Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald to explore the often misunderstood relationship between trauma and joy...

If the holidays bring up a lot for you, old roles, old emotions, or the pressure to keep everyone happy, you’re not alone. Christmas has a way of activating the patterns and survival strategies that once helped you feel safe, pleasing, perfecting, over-functioning, or shutting down. In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook shares how these patterns show up in her own life, why they resurface, and how you...

If stress or discomfort sends you into overthinking, numbing, or trying to fix what you can’t control… If certain habits feel automatic no matter how much you try to change them… You’re not alone, and your brain is more trainable than you think. In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook sits down with Dr. Jud Brewer—psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and New York Times best-selling author who specializes in hab...

If you’ve ever found yourself wide awake at night replaying a conversation If you spiral through guilt after setting even the gentlest boundary If you carry everyone else’s emotions while losing sight of your own You’re in good company. In today’s episode, Dr. Alison shares personally about these moments in her own life and guides you through a real-time practice you can do right where you are. It...

We spend so much energy trying to silence anxiety. But what if it isn’t an enemy to defeat—what if it’s a signal to understand? This week, Dr. Alison talks with Dr. Bethany Teachman, professor of clinical psychology at the University of Virginia and director of the PACT Lab, about what healthy anxiety looks like, why it’s actually useful, and how to stop letting it run your life.  Dr. Teachman exp...

It can happen so fast - you feel grateful one moment, and five minutes on Instagram later you’re suddenly feeling small or behind. But what if comparison isn’t the problem itself, but a messenger? Dr. Alison explores how comparison, when we pause to listen, can actually reveal our deepest longings and lead us back to connection with God, with others, and with ourselves. She explains why comparison...

When insecurity takes over, most of us double down on self-improvement. But what if freedom doesn’t come from focusing more on yourself - but less? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Alison and author of Free of Me and Gazing at God, Sharon Hodde Miller, discuss the promises and pitfalls of self-esteem culture - and why a bigger story of belovedness, stewardship, and connection sets us free.  We t...

What do you do when relationships feels risky after you’ve been hurt, betrayed, or let down, yet you still crave real connection? This week, Dr. Alison is joined by speaker, and author Toni Collier, for a powerful and honest conversation about healing through community and learning how to trust again after deep pain.  Toni shares her story of betrayal and loss, and how she discovered the power of...

What do you do when someone you love - whether it’s your kids, a spouse, or a friend - keeps doing the same maddening things?  This week, we’re tackling how to approach the most frustrating dynamics in any relationship. Dr. Alison is joined by award-winning psychologist Dr. J. Stuart Ablon, founder of Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School. ...

The Best of You Podcast is your weekly space for wholehearted healing and soul-deep growth. Every Thursday you'll learn from Dr. Alison Cook—a psychologist, author, and former teacher who’s passionate about breaking down complex ideas into simple, practical tools you can use every day. You’ll find science-backed strategies and spiritual wisdom to help you: Heal from past wounds Set healthy, soul-h...

What if you weren’t meant to trust blindly, but to trust wisely? Trust is sacred - and when it’s broken, it’s easy to shut down or swing toward over-trusting. In this episode, Alison explores how to cultivate a steady, discerning trust, one that honors both your boundaries and your desire for connection. Dr. Alison explores what it means to build wise trust: the kind that’s discerning but still op...

What do you do when someone’s behavior leaves you feeling small, confused, or constantly on edge?  That uneasy feeling isn’t random, it’s often a signal that something toxic is at play. The Bible urges us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves - to stay discerning, not naïve, in our relationships. Yet many of us brush off harmful patterns because we want to keep the peace, avoid conflict, or...

Where do you turn when heartache threatens to take over your whole life? This week, Dr Alison is joined by Amber Smith to talk about her journey from crushing grief to quiet, hard-won hope. Many of you know part of her story: the unthinkable loss of her three-year-old son, River, in 2019.  Together, they talk about the raw reality of grief; how faith can be both anchor and wrestle, how a marriage...