Solo Parent

This week we're discussing what Essential Relationships That Single Parents Need.

We all know that connection is critical, but for single parents, the path to finding safe, trustworthy, and life-giving relationships can feel anything but simple. Time is limited. Trust may feel broken. And the need for support runs deep. That's why this week's episode is focused on practical, real-life ways to identify, nurture, and invest in the kinds of relationships that sustain us. Whether you're grieving the absence of a partner, rebuilding your community, or simply trying to figure out how to connect with others while barely keeping up with your to-do list, this conversation offers grounded guidance and hope.

Today, we cover three main points:

1. Different people meet different needs.
2. Safe, trusting relationships don't always come naturally.
3. Reflection helps you build better connections.

We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Submit your listener questions HERE.

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Peace often feels like a destination just out of reach: If I could just fix my anxiety... if my circumstances changed... then I'd finally have peace. But that kind of striving keeps us spinning. In this episode, we're joined by Brian Hardin, founder of Daily Audio Bible and longtime student of scripture, who offers a powerful reminder for solo parents: peace isn't something you organize around you. It's something formed within you—often through surrender, struggle, and stillness.

Today, we cover three main points:

1. Why external striving won't bring true peace.
2. What it means to live an integrated life.
3. Why wilderness is necessary.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Daily Audio Bible - Brian's daily podcast that walks listeners through the Bible in a year. It's also a global community and one of the most accessible daily spiritual rhythms available.

• Books by Brian Hardin:

• Passages: How Reading the Bible in a Year Will Change Everything for You

• Reframe: From the God We've Made... to God With Us

We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Submit your listener questions HERE.

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This week we're discussing what it really means to Heal What You Can't Erase.

For so many solo parents, pain feels like something to avoid, something that has to be buried, fixed, or outrun. But what if healing doesn't begin by pushing past the ache, but by stepping directly into it? Whether it's overthinking to stay in control, using willpower to force peace, or burying shame so deeply we forget it's there, the pain we carry is not a sign of weakness. It's often the doorway to wholeness. In this powerful episode, we're joined by Christopher Cook, a podcast host, leadership coach, and author of Healing What You Can't Erase, who guides us into a deeper understanding of why true transformation can only begin from the inside out.

Today, we cover three main points:

1. Why self-help and willpower can't heal what was never meant to be carried alone.
2. How overthinking, busyness, and even good habits can become armor that protects us from deeper wounds.
3. Why grief is not the end of the story…it's the beginning of peace.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Healing What You Can't Erase by Christopher Cook
• Win Today with Christopher Cook – Weekly podcast focused on mental, emotional, and spiritual health

We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Submit your listener questions HERE.

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This week we're discussing what it really means to tell the difference between a healthy coping strategy and a hidden vice.

When you're walking through the exhaustion, grief, or stress of solo parenting, it's easy to reach for anything that brings a moment of relief. But what happens when that "relief" starts taking more than it gives? Whether it's overworking, social scrolling, constant busyness, or even pouring into your kids or community, some behaviors that seem helpful can quietly become harmful. This week, we're joined by Amber Fuller, a counselor with a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy (MMFT), to explore how to recognize the difference, and how to care for your needs in ways that lead to healing, not just distraction.

Today, we cover three main points:

1. What common vices solo parents turn to and why
2. How to distinguish between a healthy coping strategy and a destructive vice
3. Practical ways to meet your needs without avoiding your pain

We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Submit your listener questions HERE.

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This week we're discussing the idea that You're Being Trained, And You Don't Even Know It.

In this conversation with Amber Fuller - a counselor with a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy (MMFT) - we explore how our digital world is training us in ways we don't even realize—and how reclaiming stillness might be one of the most healing things we can do.

It's easy to think we're just scrolling, checking, or Googling, but what if the constant presence of technology is actually shaping how we relate to ourselves, to others, and even to God? For solo parents especially, those quiet, in-between moments can be some of the only opportunities we have to connect inwardly. But what happens when silence feels impossible? When we're too distracted to be still? In this episode, we explore why stillness matters, what we're losing in our addiction to connectivity, and how to take back our attention.

Today, we cover three main points:

1. Who or what is training us?
2. The cost of constant connectivity
3. Reclaiming the value of stillness and waiting

We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Submit your listener questions HERE.

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This week we're discussing what it really means to Stop Chasing Peace and Start with This.

Our guest today is Laurie Lokey, a licensed professional counselor and co-founder of Resilient Love. Laurie specializes in trauma recovery and relationship health, and her compassionate, no-nonsense approach helps people move from self-protection to deep emotional connection. Her work blends clinical expertise with personal experience in a warm, accessible way.

For so many solo parents, peace feels like something we have to earn…by fixing ourselves, performing, or knowing all the right answers. But often, the more we try to "get better," the more disconnected we feel from who we really are. What if peace isn't found in doing more, but in learning to just be?

Today, we cover three main points:

• Why fixing ourselves doesn't work
• How shame hijacks healing
• Finding peace in the present moment

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• billandlaurielokey.com: Free video teachings on relationships and emotional health
• resilientloveprogram.com: Group program focused on healing and self-reconnection

We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Submit your listener questions HERE.

• Full Show Notes
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This week we are discussing The Growth Secret No One Talks About.

We often equate growth with activity and achievement, but in doing so, we overlook one of its most profound forms—the ability to sit with discomfort without immediately seeking a way out. How can we embrace stillness as a path to growth?

Today, we cover three main points:

• How to redefine growth
• The power of stillness
• Stillness as a tool

We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Submit your listener questions HERE.

Additional Resources:

• Full Show Notes
• Download our Solo Parent App
• Join a Solo Parent Group
• Learn more about Solo Parent
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This week we are discussing How To Feel Better In Minutes.

When we're hit with overwhelming feelings, sometimes we need an immediate solution. We don't have time to unpack it with a therapist or we don't have the energy to completely change our lifestyle, but we have a strong felt need. What are some easy and tangible ways to feel better within a matter of minutes?

Today, we cover three main points:

1. How to feel better where you are.
2. How to boost yourself emotionally.
3. Responding to physical needs.

We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Submit your listener questions HERE.

Additional Resources:

• Full Show Notes
• Download our Solo Parent App
• Join a Solo Parent Group
• Learn more about Solo Parent
• Follow us on Instagram

This week we are talking with Justin and Trisha Davis about 'One Choice Away From Change.'

Sometimes, we are so stuck in unhealthy relationship patterns with others or ourselves, that we don't even realize it. Or, we just don't know how to break that cycle and build lasting change, so we're left with hurt, disappointment, discouragement, and exhaustion. With so many responsibilities and pressure already on our shoulders, how do we as single parents identify and overcome these dysfunctional cycles that hold us back, one choice at a time?

Justin and Trisha Davis are pastors, speakers, and the founders of RefineUs Ministries. They coauthored Beyond Ordinary: When a Good Marriage Just Isn't Good Enough, and Justin's book Being Real > Being Perfect: How Transparency Leads to Transformation is a USA Today bestseller. Justin and Trisha have five kids and live in Indianapolis.

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links click - https://soloparent.org/show-notes-blog

ASK US ANYTHING! We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Go to SoloParent.org/TalkToUs and ask us anything…it can be related to a topic we cover on the podcast, something you are facing or just something you are curious about. We want you to be part of our podcast!

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This week we are discussing the One Thing That's Standing in the Way of the Future You Want.

Sometimes, pain numbs us to the point that we can't see a future we're motivated to move toward. We feel stuck, directionless, and not excited about what lies ahead. How do we move forward in positive expectation?

Today, we cover three main points:

1. How to define horizonlessness

2. Normalizing horizonlessness

3. Looking toward the future

For all the detailed show notes, tips and links click - https://soloparent.org/show-notes-blog

ASK US ANYTHING! We want to answer any Solo Parent questions you may have. Go to SoloParent.org/TalkToUs and ask us anything…it can be related to a topic we cover on the podcast, something you are facing or just something you are curious about. We want you to be part of our podcast!

Learn More About Solo Parent