Send Me Questions on Attachment

What happens when grief arrives unexpectedly, shattering the life you carefully built? Dr. Jerry Woodbridge knows this terrain intimately. After losing her husband to cancer just one day after his diagnosis, she found herself navigating not only her own grief but also guiding her children through theirs.

In this profound conversation, Dr. Woodbridge dispels common misconceptions about the grieving process. Forget the neat, orderly stages you've heard about—grief is more like "having a thousand hornets around your head" or bouncing on a trampoline while attempting to climb stairs. You make progress, fall back, bounce up again, and repeat in an unpredictable cycle that doesn't follow a timetable.

The discussion delves into how grief fundamentally challenges our identity. For Dr. Woodbridge, becoming a widow at 42 wasn't part of her plan. "I made a choice to become a wife," she explains, "I did not say yes to becoming a widow." This identity crisis led to honest, sometimes angry conversations with God that ultimately strengthened her faith through Scripture passages specifically addressing God's care for widows.

Perhaps most eye-opening is Dr. Woodbridge's insight into children's grief. Adults often try to shield children from pain or expect them to bounce back quickly, not realizing this approach can lead to unresolved grief manifesting later as identity issues, risky behaviors, and spiritual struggles. Her experience inspired her to write children's books about grief, filling a crucial gap in literature for middle-grade readers who need narratives validating their experiences.

A beautiful metaphor emerges: both sorrow and joy can coexist like liquids in a coffee cup, with love serving as the bridge between them. We grieve because we love, and eventually, that same love allows us to experience joy again—not as a replacement for our loss, but alongside it.

Whether you're currently walking through grief or supporting someone who is, this episode offers both comfort and practical wisdom. As Dr. Woodbridge reminds us, "You have to heal before you reveal," and sometimes the path to the high places of joy necessarily travels through the valleys of sorrow and suffering.

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God Attachment Healing

ABOUT ME 👇

My mission is to help you understand your attachment style to learn how you can heal from the pain you’ve experienced in your relationship with God, the church and yourself.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you draw closer to Christ!

Send Me Questions on Attachment

The complex relationship between faith and psychology takes center stage in this third installment of our shame series with theologian Jason Glenn. What happens when biblical understanding meets modern psychology? Can they coexist, or are they fundamentally at odds?

This rich conversation explores the suspicion many Christians hold toward therapeutic approaches, while acknowledging the growing recognition that faith practices positively impact mental health. Jason shares his perspective on how the counseling field has often prioritized making people "feel at peace with who they are" over addressing deeper spiritual needs, yet he also challenges harmful Christian misconceptions that equate mental health struggles with spiritual failure.

Through powerful personal stories, Jason reveals how his parents helped him navigate shame in psychologically and spiritually healthy ways. His mother's object lesson of burning written sins to illustrate God's forgiveness offered him a way to "disassociate my identity in Christ from my past sins" – creating resilience while maintaining appropriate conviction. Such formative experiences show how theology and psychology can work together rather than in opposition.

The discussion ventures into provocative territory when examining how church culture has shifted from fire-and-brimstone approaches to sometimes overcorrecting with therapeutic methods that prioritize affirmation over accountability. As Jason notes, "If the good news doesn't speak to your victimhood, it's not good news" has become an unspoken assumption in many congregations, reflecting how psychological concepts have subtly reshaped theological understanding.

For anyone struggling to reconcile their faith journey with psychological healing, this conversation offers a thoughtful middle path – one that honors both our complex psychological reality and timeless biblical truth. Whether you're a counselor, pastor, or simply someone navigating your own healing journey, you'll find wisdom for approaching shame in ways that lead to genuine transformation rather than either denial or identity-consuming guilt.

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God Attachment Healing

ABOUT ME 👇

My mission is to help you understand your attachment style to learn how you can heal from the pain you’ve experienced in your relationship with God, the church and yourself.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you draw closer to Christ!

Send Me Questions on Attachment

What's the difference between shame, guilt, and conviction in the Christian life? This question haunts many believers who struggle to navigate these complex emotions in their spiritual journey. 

Jason Glenn returns to unpack these crucial distinctions, revealing that the popular modern psychological framing of these terms often misaligns with biblical understanding. While contemporary culture frequently treats shame as an inherent negative to be eliminated, Scripture presents a more nuanced perspective where shame can serve redemptive purposes.

Our conversation explores biblical guilt as primarily a judicial status rather than an emotion—it's about causality and responsibility before God. Conviction emerges as the Holy Spirit's illuminating work, exposing our hearts and guiding us toward repentance. Shame, meanwhile, addresses our failures in relationship to our identity and community expectations.

We tackle difficult questions about debilitating shame versus healthy contrition. When Christians remain stuck in shame cycles, the problem often isn't shame itself but underlying pride, fear, or the strange comfort found in familiar self-condemnation. The gospel offers freedom from these patterns, though embracing this freedom requires significant faith and courage.

The discussion turns to Jesus' own use of corrective shame in the story of Simon the Pharisee and the sinful woman. While affirming the contrite woman's response to her shame—which brought forgiveness—Jesus exposed Simon's pride through a form of redemptive shame that invited self-reflection.

Whether you've struggled with persistent shame, confused conviction with guilt, or wondered how these emotions fit into your spiritual growth, this episode offers biblical clarity and practical wisdom for your journey toward wholeness in Christ. As Jason reminds us, "We should be more focused on the feeling of shame and less focused on shaming people."

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God Attachment Healing

ABOUT ME 👇

My mission is to help you understand your attachment style to learn how you can heal from the pain you’ve experienced in your relationship with God, the church and yourself.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you draw closer to Christ!

Send Me Questions on Attachment

What if shame isn't always toxic? In this thought-provoking conversation, theological scholar Jason Glenn challenges our modern assumptions about shame by exploring its biblical foundations and purpose in the Christian life.

Beginning with Hebrew linguistic roots, Jason traces shame throughout Scripture, revealing how both Old and New Testaments present shame as a necessary component of spiritual formation. From Ezra's collective shame before God to Paul's direct confrontation of the Corinthian church, we see biblical examples where shame serves as a catalyst for repentance and growth rather than destruction.

The discussion takes a fascinating turn as Jason demonstrates how our supposedly "shame-free" American culture hasn't actually abandoned shame—we've simply redirected it. While removing shame from behaviors Scripture identifies as harmful, we've intensified it in political and ideological spheres. This cultural blindspot leaves Christians confused about how to appropriately practice biblical correction and accountability.

Perhaps most valuable is the distinction between destructive identity-based shaming ("you always ruin everything") and redemptive behavior-focused correction ("what you're doing is harmful"). When applied with compassion and hope, biblical shame becomes a powerful tool for transformation rather than condemnation.

This episode is the first in a three-part series exploring shame from biblical, psychological, and theological perspectives. Whether you've experienced harmful shaming in church contexts or wonder how to practice loving accountability, this conversation offers a balanced, scripture-based framework for understanding this complex aspect of Christian life.

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God Attachment Healing

ABOUT ME 👇

My mission is to help you understand your attachment style to learn how you can heal from the pain you’ve experienced in your relationship with God, the church and yourself.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you draw closer to Christ!

Send Me Questions on Attachment

Dr. Lisa Stanton's journey from the depths of addiction to spiritual transformation offers a powerful testimony to God's ability to heal even our most broken parts. A social psychologist with expertise in behavior change, Dr. Stanton's professional knowledge couldn't save her from her own destructive patterns – she spent fifteen years cycling through anorexia, bulimia, and alcoholism while maintaining a façade of success.

Growing up caught between her atheist mother and Christian father, Lisa drifted toward atheism in her teens and embraced biological determinism in graduate school, convinced life was meaningless. Despite outward achievements, she was drinking to blackout regularly, struggling with severe eating disorders, and eventually spiraling into isolation during COVID, drinking box wine alone in her apartment while questioning if life had any purpose at all.

The turning point came in January 2021 when, after failed attempts at recovery through new age spirituality, she surrendered to God on her knees in a church. That moment became her sobriety date – one she's maintained for over four years. But what makes her story extraordinary isn't just getting sober; it's how her relationship with God has healed the underlying spiritual wounds that therapy alone couldn't touch.

Dr. Stanton speaks candidly about the limitations of both purely religious and purely psychological approaches to mental health. While some churches stigmatize counseling, many therapists miss the spiritual dimensions of healing, particularly around forgiveness and personal responsibility. Her experience suggests that true transformation requires both spiritual surrender and honest self-examination – a daily practice of pausing to identify resentments, control issues, and selfish motivations before they manifest as anxiety, depression, or relapse triggers.

Her book "52 Life-Changing Lessons I Learned in Recovery" explores these principles further, offering wisdom for anyone struggling with addiction, mental health challenges, or simply seeking a more authentic relationship with God. If you're battling your own demons or know someone who is, this episode provides both practical insights and profound hope that healing is possible at any depth of darkness.

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God Attachment Healing

ABOUT ME 👇

My mission is to help you understand your attachment style to learn how you can heal from the pain you’ve experienced in your relationship with God, the church and yourself.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you draw closer to Christ!

Send Me Questions on Attachment

How do you rebuild trust when the foundation of your relationship has been shattered by betrayal? Join us for a compelling conversation with my insightful guest, Kendra King, as we unravel the complexities of betrayal trauma in the context of sex addiction. We explore the unique challenges faced by Christian communities, where secrecy often overshadows vulnerability. Kendra and I discuss whether restoration in such relationships necessarily leads to reconciliation and the transformative role of forgiveness along this painful journey.

Unmet emotional needs can manifest in unexpected and destructive ways, often leading individuals towards infidelity and addiction. Our discussion sheds light on the distinct ways men and women experience and satisfy these needs, highlighting the powerful role of dopamine in addictive behaviors. Even within the framework of Christian beliefs about overcoming sinful desires, the biological drive for pleasure remains a significant force. This episode emphasizes mindfulness as a crucial tool in managing these behaviors, encouraging a balanced understanding of human nature and spirituality.

Betrayal within families and close-knit communities can be a harrowing experience. We tackle the emotional turmoil that arises when trusted individuals are accused of wrongdoing, especially within black and brown communities where these issues are compounded by cultural nuances. Kendra and I stress the importance of confronting these painful realities head-on, offering a path to healing through openness and compassion. By sharing these stories, we hope to foster a community of understanding and grace, paving the way for redemption and healing for all involved.

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God Attachment Healing

ABOUT ME 👇

My mission is to help you understand your attachment style to learn how you can heal from the pain you’ve experienced in your relationship with God, the church and yourself.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you draw closer to Christ!

Send Me Questions on Attachment

Could betrayal trauma be silently shaping your relationships? Join us for an enlightening episode featuring Kendra King, a respected expert in betrayal trauma and affair recovery. With over ten years of experience in mental health, Kendra shares her profound insights into the complex emotions and challenges that arise from betrayal in romantic relationships. Drawing from her extensive work at the Healing Heart Center, she sheds light on the intricate layers of betrayal trauma, which extend far beyond infidelity and include emotional betrayals such as withholding feelings or engaging in intimate conversations outside the partnership.

We explore the symptoms and triggers of betrayal trauma, highlighting the nuanced ways stress can lead individuals to unhealthy behaviors when they lack coping mechanisms. The conversation emphasizes the critical role of open communication and emotional safety as protective measures against betrayal. Kendra's inclusive approach makes her insights accessible to individuals of diverse faith backgrounds, breaking through the shame often surrounding these topics, especially within Christian communities. By understanding personal boundaries and perceptions, couples can navigate the risks of betrayal and strengthen their connections.

As we journey through the emotional aftermath of betrayal, we tackle the realities of PTSD, hypervigilance, and erosion of trust. Kendra underscores the importance of both partners confronting their emotional responses rather than concealing pain or expecting one person to resolve the issue alone. Through personal accountability, vulnerability, and therapy, individuals are encouraged to engage in self-reflection and growth. By embracing these principles, Kendra reveals how individuals can transform their actions and nurture healthier, more resilient relationships.

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FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM:
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God Attachment Healing

ABOUT ME 👇

My mission is to help you understand your attachment style to learn how you can heal from the pain you’ve experienced in your relationship with God, the church and yourself.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you draw closer to Christ!

Send Me Questions on Attachment

A chance encounter with a mysterious Bible verse in an old Puritan graveyard set the stage for Dr. Paul Cook's spiritual journey, which he shares with us on this episode of the God Attachment Healing Podcast. Raised in a Jewish family in Houston, Dr. Cook embarked on a path marked by questioning, exploration, and ultimately, involvement in a cult. His story takes us from the snowy landscapes of Vermont to a surprising meeting with a carpenter in Texas, offering a deeply personal glimpse into the ways people search for divine connection and meaning in their lives.

Dr. Cook's narrative challenges us to consider the courage it takes to leave behind familiar paths, especially when entangled in the complex dynamics of a cult. We discuss the pivotal moments that led him to question his upbringing and how these experiences shaped his understanding of spirituality and truth-seeking. This episode is an eye-opener for those interested in the intersections of faith, personal transformation, and the human quest for divine connection. Don't miss this compelling discussion, and remember to subscribe and leave a review to support our exploration of diverse spiritual experiences.

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FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM:
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God Attachment Healing

ABOUT ME 👇

My mission is to help you understand your attachment style to learn how you can heal from the pain you’ve experienced in your relationship with God, the church and yourself.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you draw closer to Christ!

Send Me Questions on Attachment

Our conversation explores the significant ways in which childhood experiences and family dynamics shape our views of God. By unpacking Ricardo's personal journey from skepticism to faith, we examine the impact of parental absence, cultural influences, and life changes as catalysts for understanding spirituality. 

• Discussion of Theosis and its meaning in Christian faith 
• Ricardo’s upbringing in a single-parent household 
• The absence of a father figure's impact on his perception of God 
• Maternal influences in shaping his understanding of faith 
• The move away from faith during adolescence and the journey to atheism 
• The role culture plays in developing beliefs about God 
• An intellectual awakening leading back to God 
• Reflection on stories and myths as windows into spirituality 
• Personal experiences leading to newfound appreciation for life in the U.S. 
• Emphasis on gratitude and faith in building a future for the next generation

Support the show

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM:
@godattachmenthealing

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God Attachment Healing

ABOUT ME 👇

My mission is to help you understand your attachment style to learn how you can heal from the pain you’ve experienced in your relationship with God, the church and yourself.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you draw closer to Christ!

Send Me Questions on Attachment

Can shame exist if you don't believe in a higher power? That's the question we tackle in our latest thought-provoking episode with my good friend Tim from our Psych and Theo podcast. We challenge conventional beliefs by exploring how shame manifests within Christianity and secular societal frameworks alike. With help from experts like Brené Brown, we dissect the intricate relationship between shame and identity, contrasting it with guilt, which is more about our actions. Together, we unravel how personal experiences and cultural norms shape these emotions, examining if and how shame persists without a theological backdrop. Our discussion is enriched by listener-submitted questions, which push us to consider whether societal moral frameworks can independently fuel feelings of shame.

We then take a global perspective, analyzing how shame operates across different cultures and eras, including biblical narratives. We explore the profound impacts of shame on individuals like the woman at the well and the apostle Paul, reflecting on how their stories reveal the complex interplay between shame, personal history, and spiritual beliefs. Additionally, we scrutinize the roles of fear, guilt, and shame in maintaining and challenging societal norms. Movements like LGBT rights and body positivity come under the spotlight, as we ponder whether rejecting shame in these areas is beneficial or detrimental. This episode invites you to rethink the role of shame in modern life, advocating for a nuanced understanding that balances acknowledgment with empathy.

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FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM:
@godattachmenthealing

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God Attachment Healing

ABOUT ME 👇

My mission is to help you understand your attachment style to learn how you can heal from the pain you’ve experienced in your relationship with God, the church and yourself.

I look forward to walking alongside you as you draw closer to Christ!