This week starts the first in a series of episodes that I'm calling "Faith Over Fear." I have hand-picked some guests to address some of the topics that I think cause a lot of fear for parents of teenagers.

Today's guest is my dear friend Crystal. I think you'll love her!

Crystal Bowman is a licensed relationship therapist (MAS_LMFT). She helps people deepen their connection and find peace in their relationships with others and themselves. Crystal graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor's degree in Interpersonal Communications and a Masters degree in Marriage & Family Therapy. She is currently the Director of Development at Arizona Family Institue.

Crystal's favorite things to do are laughing and learning. Her best teachers in life have been her six children and her husband, who continue to laugh with her and at her. Prior to becoming a therapist, Crystal's life was filled with raising her children, being a foster mom, substitute teacher, running a dance program, and reading as much as possible.

Tis the season for fresh starts and New Year's Resolutions!

Today we're talking about three things (well... kinda four things) for you to keep in mind as your are setting goals for yourself.

Quote by Boyd K Packer here

Quote by James Clear here

We believe in being nice. We believe in making sacrifices and "putting off the natural man," in an effort to become holier people.

But sometimes in our quest to be kind and unselfish, we get confused.

We cross the line from healthy to unhealthy as we try to make other people happy at our own expense.

In today's episode we explore the difference between "people pleasing" and living the law of sacrifice.

Doctrine and Covenants 97:8

Mosiah 3:19

2 Corinthians 9:7

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As a mom, it's easy to feel overworked and underappreciated-especially at this time of year, when so much of the magic making falls to us!

If we're not careful, the busyness and expectations of the holidays can be exhausting and lead to burnout and resentment.

Today's episode is all about how to feel whatever you want to feel this holiday season. You get to choose it!

You can call me a re-gifter if you want.

Today I'm re-airing an episode from last year because I love it so much!

This is a guided meditation that I have done several times myself, and I've heard from listeners that it was a favorite for them too.

So get comfy, and join me for a meditation on the Light of the World. 

I've spoken with so many parents who thought the teenage years were hard, only to find that parenting adult children is no easier!

In this episode I talk about three struggles that I see many parents having. I'll identify the reason for the struggles and give you some ideas of what you can do instead.

Here are links to the two books I talked about:

Doing Life With Your Adult Children

How to Really Love Your Adult Child

Today I'm you of two simple steps to making sure your holiday gatherings are enjoyable and drama-free.

1. You be in charge of yourself

2. Let everyone else be in charge of themselves.

It's simple, but not always easy.

In this episode I'll show you how to apply these two principles so that you can enjoy your holiday gatherings- no matter who you gather with!

Link here to the episode I mentioned "One Hundred Percent Loveable"

Today's episode is a recording of a class I taught at the Williams Field Stake Relief Society conference.

Here is a link to the video, in case you'd like to watch it.

I'm sharing some of my personal story, and the unexpected things I have learned.

I know what they say.

They say that mom and dad should be on the same page when it comes to parenting strategies.

It sounds lovely.

But the reality for most of us is that we don't always see eye to eye with our spouses.

So what are we supposed to do?

Listen in to learn what NOT to do, and what TO DO instead when you disagree with your spouse about how to parent your teenager.

Sometimes it feels like we have two choices with our kids- either we have to be mean to get them to cooperate, or we have to be a push-over just to keep the peace.

The truth, of course, is that these are not the only two options.

Today we'll be talking about why providing a safe and solid structure is actually the most loving thing we can do. 

We'll also discuss how to hold the important boundary lines from a place of love and compassion.

Quote by M. Russell Ballard, "There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children."