Healing the Unresolved

Today’s podcast answers two questions. The first is about if we can heal from painful prenatal experiences that are stored in implicit memory. The second question pertains to whether or not there are appropriate situations were complete cut off from a family member is okay.

Today’s podcast offers three brief reflections. We find ourselves in the midst of a season of great change. Rather than feel helpless in the face of all the change around us, we could choose to be deliberate with the time that God has given us. If we can be good stewards of the time that God has given us, gratitude will be easier to come by. Gratitude and self-acceptance open the doors to the peace of Christ.

Today’s podcast speaks about a deep and gnawing fear that many people struggle with, and that is the fear of not being good enough. When we live with this fear we find ourselves trapped in a never ending quest to seek affirmation, please others, and be successful.

Our life can be spent in the never-ending act of treading water by trying to keep our heads above the emotional waterline between being good enough and shame.

Today’s podcast answers a question from someone whose spouse has been suffering from untreated mental illness which is exacting a heavy toll on the submitter of the question. Both the husband and the wife have a responsibility to look out for each other, protect each other, and play a role in carrying each other‘s crosses. If one member of the marriage believes it’s all on them to carry the load alone, it will lead to burn out, and to the very thing they are trying to avoid.

Today’s podcast answers a question from someone whose elderly mother is in need of help, but has cut herself off from her adult children. The mother has behaved harmfully to her kids in the past and suffers from mental illness. The submitter of the question is racked with despair, sadness, anger, and guilt. She is also profoundly struggling with confusion over what her role or duty is as a daughter. When dealing with a dysfunctional family of origin, we need to stay tethered to our own family now, so as not to lose ourselves in the dysfunction of the past.

Today’s podcast answers a question from someone who suffered abuse when very young. In addition to that, she suffered abandonment from her parents when they did not support her and kept it as a shameful secret. Despite all of this, the submitter of the question seeks God and comes to church, but carries heavy burdens of beliefs that God doesn’t love her, is fed up with her, and that she does a poor job of showing Christian love. The reality is, her life is a shining example of the Christian life and of sacrificial love. Such is the devotion and faithfulness of a child, they are willing to carry their parents guilt and shame, rather than see their parents as bad or unhealthy...

Today's podcast answers a series of questions from someone wanting to help their friend not be so vulnerable to relationships with people suffer from narcissistic traits. Specifically, what makes people vulnerable to narcissistic behaviors and how to heal from the very things that make us vulnerable to being manipulated. The real reality is, everything that we need is within us and overlooked. Today’s podcast offers detailed insights into the dynamics that keep people trapped in trying to please a narcissist.

Today’s podcast discusses a difficult topic. Narcissism is a word that evokes strong emotions in many. It is a loaded word that no one wants to be associated with. However, it is on the rise, and it is time for us to start having very open and genuine discussions about it. Narcissism is a continuum or spectrum. The various presentations of it on each part of the spectrum are discussed.

Today’s podcast answers a question from someone who is trying to understand why their friendships and relationships don’t go very far and always seem to end broken. Despite doing years of talk therapy this pattern persists. To break out from trauma, there will be behaviors that need to be changed and new procedural memories to be learned.

Today’s podcast offers a brief reflection of how to incorporate our traumatic or painful experiences into our spiritual life. It also speaks to the negative beliefs of believing that somehow it means something bad about us or our relationship with God that we had these experiences. Our spiritual life is spent ascending the slopes of Mount Tabor. Having to do the healing work offers us unique gifts and tools to help us ascend more efficiently.