When the world feels on fire, how do our souls find rest in God alone?

This week’s two-part episode is close to my heart.

In the wake of recent violence, I first pause to reflect on what it means to choose love in an age when outrage feels easier.

From there, I turn to a conversation with my friend and mentor, Dr. Stephen Macchia. Steve has spent decades guiding people into deeper intimacy with God through practices of silence, prayer, and community. Together we explore the barriers distraction creates, why being truly listened to is so healing, and how slowing down opens space for God’s presence in our lives.

This episode is an invitation to lay down outrage, pick up compassion, and step into the quiet spaces where God does His best work.

📥 Grab your 3 free Boundaries For Your Soul resources here 

📚 Books you wont want to miss from Dr. Steven Macchia:

Here are some other episodes you might like :

Episode 75: Your Secret Weapon Against Stress & Anxiety - How to Transform Your Mind Through the Power of Prayer

Episode 88: What to Do When Change Stirs up Anxiety, Uncertainty, or Confusion

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

*Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍

© 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author.

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The world has changed, and raising kids now requires a new kind of courage.

In this encouraging, yet practical episode, Dr. Alison is joined by counselors and best-selling authors Sissy Goff and David Thomas of Daystar Counseling in Nashville.

Together, they discuss why anxiety is showing up earlier and more intensely in children, and how parents can respond with both empathy and practical tools. 

Sissy and David share practical & creative ways they’re helping kids build courage, resilience, self-control, and perspective. From therapy dogs and illustrated children’s books, to powerful stories from their counseling practice, Sissy and David deliver hopeful reminders that your calm matters, and practical strategies can help your kids step into the world with more confidence. 

This episode explores:

This episode is a hopeful reminder: Kids don’t need a perfect parent. They need a present one who believes in their courage and helps them practice it.

For More from David and Sissy: Check out their website, https://www.raisingboysandgirls.com and pre-order the DayStar Dogs books here:

📚Pippa Learns to Share the Spotlight: A Lesson About Jealousy

📚Happy Finds Her Calm: A Lesson in Self-Control 

📥 Grab your 3 free Boundaries For Your Soul resources here: 

📥 Download Alison’s free printable with the five boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email.

Here are some other episodes you might like :

Episode 65: Vulnerability, Parenting, and Letting Go of Control

Episode 85: The Goal of a Healthy Family & 6 Roles We Take On In Dysfunction 

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍

© 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Dr. Alison is joined by counselor and podcast host Trey Tucker for an honest conversation about the rise of therapy culture online, the pitfalls of over-identifying with a diagnosis, and how parents can help kids build resilience instead of anxiety.

Together, they unpack:

Alison and Trey bring different perspectives with a shared passion for nuance, honesty, and practical hope. It’s a refreshing, thought-provoking dialogue that will encourage you to think differently about therapy, identity, and how we show up in family life.

📚 Learn more about Trey’s work at www.ruggedcounseling.com.

📥For more in-depth listening, check out his podcast, Rugged with Trey Tucker and follow him on Instagram or TikTok @ruggedcounseling.📥 Grab your 3 free Boundaries For Your Soul resources here 

📥 Download Alison’s free printable with the five boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email.

Here are some other episodes you might like :

Episode 41: Boundaries With Fear And Anxiety—How to Calm the Chaos Within and the Joy of Internal Boundaries

Episode 65:Vulnerability, Parenting, and Letting Go of Control—Inside A Guy’s Perspective With Our Friends From Dadville

Episode 66:  The Truth About Anxiety & How to Become a Worry Free Parent with Sissy Goff

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode.

Note: Some links may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase - at no additional cost to you.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

Editing by Giulia Hjort

Sound engineering by Kelly Kramarik

Music by Andy Luiten

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍

© 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to make the church a safer place for women’s voices?

This week Dr. Alison is joined by husband-and-wife therapists Dr. Christy Bauman and Dr. Andrew Bauman, who are doing groundbreaking work at the intersection of women’s stories, embodiment, and spiritual safety.

Together, they offer both prophetic challenge and practical hope for how we can build healthier faith communities.

In the first half of the episode, Christy takes us into the sacred rites of passage women experience, highlighting women’s voices in the Bible. In the second half, Andrew shares from his extensive research, offering a vision for safe churches where power is shared, voices are honored, and healing is possible.

Together, Christy and Andrew model what’s possible when men and women work side by side for change. 

You’ll learn:

A note of care: This episode includes sensitive topics such as pornography, domestic violence, and harm related to women’s bodies. Please listen gently and step away if you need to.

Learn more from Christy and Andrew:

📕 Christy Bauman’s Book: Her Rites: Women’s Rites of Passage, A Sacred Journey for Mind, Body, and Soul

📕 Andrew Bauman’s Book: Safe Church: How to Guard Against Sexism and Abuse in the Church

📥Free Resources from Christy: 

Body Map PDF

Theology of the Womb Video Course (use code: TOTWcomp)

Learn more about their work at the Christian Counseling Center for Sexual Health & Trauma

Related episodes you might like:

Episode 48: Loving Your Body as a Spiritual Practice, Why the Flesh Isn't the Body, and 3 Heresies We Kind of Believe

Episode 11: How to Start Loving Your Body with Christy Meeks

Episode 126: Restoring Wonder & Play in Intimacy - Navigating Sexual Brokenness, Safety, and Vulnerability with Therapist Sam Jolman

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

Editing by Giulia Hjort

Sound engineering by Kelly Kramarik

Music by Andy Luiten

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever found yourself afraid to feel joy - worried that if you celebrate, the other shoe will inevitably drop?

So many of us quietly hold joy at arm’s length. We tell ourselves it’s safer not to get our hopes up than to risk being let down again. What if joy isn’t a fleeting feeling for the lucky few, but a courageous practice we can all learn?

Dr Alison sits down with therapist and author Nicole Zasowski to talk about her journey of choosing joy in the face of loss. Nicole shares how she discovered that joy can be the most vulnerable emotion of all - and why learning to celebrate is one of the most important practices we can cultivate in our lives.

Together, you’ll learn:

📕 Learn more from Nicole: Check out her book What If It’s Wonderful? And her Daring Joy Bible study workbook for practical steps to cultivate joy.

📥 Download Alison’s free printable with the five boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email.

Looking for more? Here are a few favorites:

Episode 168: How do I trust God after loss?

Episode 74: How to Find Hope in Hard Times

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

Editing by Giulia Hjort

Sound engineering by Kelly Kramarik

Music by Andy Luiten

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍

© 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why do we work so hard to earn the approval of others? And what is it really costing us?

In this candid, practical episode, Dr. Alison tackles one of the most common struggles she hears from so many of you: people pleasing.

You’ll hear powerful voice messages from listeners as she explores the many forms this pattern can take—from avoiding conflict, to saying “yes” when you want to say “no,” to slowly losing sight of who you really are.

Together, you’ll learn:

📥 Pick up your copy of The Best of You—Dr. Alison’s book on this topic here

📥 Download Alison’s free printable with the five boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email.

Other episodes you might like :

Episode 46: People Pleasing as Survival

Episode 33: People Pleasing & Developing Your Own Inner Compass

Episode 14: The Fawn Response

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

Editing by Giulia Hjort

Sound engineering by Kelly Kramarik

Music by Andy Luiten

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍

© 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if what keeps you going is also keeping you stuck?

Does venting actually help, or is it actually making you feel worse?

This powerful, hope-filled conversation might just change your entire approach to rest—it did for me. Cognitive psychologist and neuroscientist Dr. Therese Huston joins me for a conversation that’s incredibly helpful for anyone feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, or stuck in numbing patterns. I’m not exaggerating when I say it is a game-changer.

If you’ve been feeling off-center, burned out, or unsure how to truly rest, this episode will meet you with both compassion and science-backed tools to help you reset—even when you don’t have much time.

We cover:

This is not about productivity hacks. It’s about reclaiming your peace and tending to your soul—so you can show up as the person you want to be, no matter what your day looks like.

📘 Check out Sharp: 14 Simple Ways to Improve Your Life with Brain Science by Dr. Therese Huston 

📥 Grab your 3 free Boundaries For Your Soul resources here: 

📥 Download Alison’s free printable with the five boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email.

Here are some other episodes you might like :

Episode 132 : 3 Strategies for Managing Overwhelm and Emotional Stress in the Sandwich Generation

Episode 80: Navigating Overwhelming Emotions

Episode 146: The Difference Between Escape & Relief with Annie F. Downs

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

Editing by Giulia Hjort

Sound engineering by Kelly Kramarik

Music by Andy Luiten

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍

© 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are you tired of holding it all together for everyone else?

In this deeply personal episode, Dr. Alison explores the hidden ache of emotional caretaking—the quiet ways we overfunction, over-give, and overlook our own needs to keep the peace. Whether it started in childhood or has become a way of coping in adult relationships, many of us have learned to survive by tending to others while slowly disappearing ourselves.

Alison shares what she’s learning about her own inner caretaker and gently invites you to reconnect with the parts of you that are tired, weary, and worthy of care. This isn’t about walking away from the people you love—it’s about learning to stay grounded in yourself as you care well for others.

This episode explores:

This episode is a loving reminder: Your needs matter. Your soul deserves care. And you don’t have to carry it all alone.

📥 Grab your 3 free Boundaries For Your Soul resources here: 

📥 Download Alison’s free printable with the five boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email.

Here are some other episodes you might like :

Episode 138: Breaking Free from Overfunctioning –– DIscover the Hidden Costs of Always Being the Responsible One

Episode 151: The Hidden Reason You Feel Overwhelmed –– Understanding the Mental Load with Dr. Morgan Cutlip

Episode 152: The Anxiety Beneath Perfectionism –– Why Trying Harder Won’t Set You Free

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

Go to ⁠Quince.com/bestofyou⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order!

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If you’re looking for a Bible that helps you live the Word, not just read it, then grab this beautiful one I’m currently using at NIVapplicationbible.com.

Reconnect with what truly matters and rediscover a purposeful life you love with Social Media Reset.

Get 50% off a nightguard at checkout when you code BESTOFYOU at shopremi.com/BESTOFYOU.

Editing by Giulia Hjort

Sound engineering by Kelly Kramarik

Music by Andy Luiten

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍

© 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to risk love again—after loss, heartbreak, and the disorientating grief that follows?

In this incredibly tender and powerful conversation, I’m joined by Stephanie Duncan Smith, author of Even After Everything, to talk about the kind of spiritual confusion that often follows personal loss.

Stephanie shares how a painful pregnancy loss just before Christmas reshaped her understanding of God. Together, we explore how to stay grounded in God’s love even when your emotions feel muted, your prayers feel flat, or your sense of spiritual connection feels off.

Whether you’ve experienced loss or walked alongside someone who has, this episode is an invitation into honest faith and the sacred practice of hope.

This episode explores:

📘 Get Stephanie’s book: Even After Everything: The Spiritual Practice of Knowing the Risks and Loving Anyway

📥 Grab your 3 free Boundaries For Your Soul resources here: 

📥 Download Alison’s free printable with the five boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email.

Listen to more episodes on grief and healing:

Episode 133: Navigating the 6 Stages of Grief with Renowned Grief Expert David Kessler

Episode 102: How to Name, Frame, and Brave Complicated Emotions About Faith & God

Episode 159: Spiritual Drowning, Honest Questions, and a God Who Doesn’t Let Go with Heather Thompson Day

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

Editing by Giulia Hjort

Sound engineering by Kelly Kramarik

Music by Andy Luiten

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍

© 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if anxiety isn’t something to pray away—or push down—but an invitation to deeper healing?

In this week’s re-air of one of our most downloaded episodes, Dr. Alison sits down with theologian and mental health advocate Curtis Chang about how anxiety can actually become a doorway to your truest self in God.

We explore:

🌿 Curtis's personal journey through debilitating anxiety

🌿 How Jesus himself experienced anxiety—and what that means for us

🌿 The shame that keeps us silent, and the healing that comes when we name it

🌿 How to walk with your kids through anxiety (without projecting your own)

This conversation is honest, hope-filled, and rich with both theological wisdom and practical insight. If you’ve ever felt anxious and ashamed—or if you’re supporting someone who is—this one is for you.

📘 Learn more about Curtis Chang’s work at Redeeming Babel and his book, The Anxiety Opportunity.

📥 Get your 3 free Boundaries For Your Soul resources here: 

📥 Get Alison’s free printable with five simple boundary tools when you sign up for her weekly email.

For more on the anxiety series, check out:

Episode 55: Am I Supposed to Distrust Myself? 

Episode 56: Am I Really Supposed to Die to Myself?

Episode 57: Should I Turn the Other Cheek?

📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here

💬 Got a question? Call 307-429-2525 and leave a message for a future episode.

Thanks to our Sponsors!

Follow @dralisoncook on Instagram to join the conversation!

Editing by Giulia Hjort

Sound engineering by Kelly Kramarik

Music by Andy Luiten

While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍

© 2025 Alison Cook. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Please do not copy or share the contents of this webpage or transcript without permission from the author.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices