Today's Scripture: Psalm 8:1-9

Have you ever looked up at the sky and felt both small and strangely held? In this episode, Dr. Alison explores Psalm 8 and the healing power of wonder. We’ll look at how awe quiets the anxious ego, helps the nervous system soften, and reminds us that being small does not mean being insignificant. We explore:

*Why awe helps interrupt anxiety and overcontrol

*The difference between humility and self-erasure

*How wonder restores your sense of belovedness

*Why childlike faith begins with receiving, not striving

Go Deeper:

Episode 142: Digital Detox—Surprising Insights from 7 Screen-Free Weeks with Monks & Amish Farmers Featuring Carlos Whittaker

Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook

Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support.

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.‍

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Today's Scripture: Hebrews 10:24–25

**Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.** If you’ve ever heard “do not give up meeting together” and felt guilt rise in your body, this episode is for you. In today’s reflection on Hebrews 10:24–25, Dr. Alison offers a compassionate look at church hurt, spiritual community, and why this passage was never meant to be used as a weapon. We explore:

*How church hurt and religious trauma can shape your nervous system

*Signs of an unhealthy community

*How to discern a healthy spiritual community

*How to take slow, wise steps toward connection after religious harm

Go Deeper:

Episode 17: What is Church Hurt and How do I Heal?

Episode 163: Healing Spiritual Wounds – Understanding Abuse in Faith Spaces with Rachael Clinton Chen

Episode 153: Embodied Healing, Spiritual Trauma, and the Journey Home to Your Body with Dr. Hillary McBride

Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook

Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support.

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.‍

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What if getting “triggered” isn’t the problem… but a signal?

We all have moments where our body reacts fast—your heart races, your defenses go up, and suddenly you’re not responding from your wisest self.

In this episode, Dr. Alison sits down with Dr. Kelly Flanagan to explore what’s really happening in those moments—and how to respond with more clarity, connection, and intention.

Together, they unpack what’s happening behind reactivity and what it looks like to interrupt that cycle in real time.

You’ll learn:

If you’ve ever felt stuck in reactive patterns in your relationships, this conversation offers a grounded, compassionate way forward.

More Resources:

Order Dr. Kelly Flanagan’s new book, The Road Less Triggered.

You can preorder Dr. Alison’s newest book, The Secure Soul, and immediately receive the first 3 chapters as well as early access to the companion guide!

Connect further with @dralisoncook on Instagram

Curious what Family Role may have shaped you? Take the Family Role Quiz to learn how you may be showing up in your relationships with others.

Want to hear more like this? Start here:

Episode 203: Staying Close When Connection Feels Hard: The Relationship Skills No One Has Taught You

Episode 180: When People Push Your Buttons — The Power of Curiosity Over Control

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

Don't forget to browse this week's sponsors, who make it possible for me to bring you these resources for free + provide you with additional discounts!

*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.‍

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Today's Scripture: Ruth 1:16–18

What’s the difference between love that strengthens your soul and loyalty that slowly erases you? In today’s reflection on Ruth 1, Dr. Alison Cook explores Ruth’s freely chosen commitment to Naomi—and why healthy love never uses guilt, pressure, or control to make someone stay. This episode offers a nuanced look at staying, leaving, agency, and the kind of attachment that is faithful, honest, and free. We explore:

*How to recognize the difference between chosen love and fear-based loyalty

*Why Ruth’s commitment to Naomi is not a picture of codependency

*How secure attachment gives people agency instead of trapping them

*Why guilt-driven love can slowly lead to self-erasure

*When staying can be rooted in freedom—and when leaving may be an act of wisdom

Go Deeper:

Start reading about inner attachment, when you preorder The Secure Soul

Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook

Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support.

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

Today's Scripture: Matthew 5:29–30

**Today's devotional is in response to listener requests.** Some Bible passages don’t just make us think—they make our bodies brace. In today’s reflection on Matthew 5:29–30, Dr. Alison Cook offers a compassionate way to read one of Jesus’ hardest teachings without fear, shame, or self-condemnation. This episode explores:

*How fear-based religion can shape the way your body hears Scripture

*What happens in the brain when the amygdala perceives threat

*Why repentance means turning toward love, not turning against yourself

*How God’s holiness always leads us toward healing and wholeness.

Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook

Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support.

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.‍

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Today's Scripture: Psalm 121:1–8

When life feels uncertain, your nervous system may start scanning for safety—looking for reassurance, protection, or some solid place to land. In today’s reflection on Psalm 121, Dr. Alison Cook explores how God meets us in that vulnerable place as the One who watches over our coming and going. We explore:

*Why your nervous system scans for safety

*How hypervigilance develops

*Why “God watches over you” may take time to feel true in your body

*How dwelling on scripture can slowly retrain your soul toward safety

Go Deeper:

Get my Masterclass "Healing the Wounds that Shape Us" when you preorder The Secure Soul

Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook

Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support.

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

Today's Scripture: Galatians 1:10

Have you ever said yes when something inside you wanted to say no?

In today’s episode, we look at Galatians 1:10 and the hidden cost of living for approval. In this episode, you’ll learn:

*How approval-seeking disconnects you from your own voice

*How early family roles shape your need for approval

*Why the helper, peacekeeper, or responsible one within may still be leading

•How to find your own inner compass instead

Go Deeper:

Take our new Family Roles Quiz!

Episode 147: Making Sense of Your Family Story with Adam Young

Episode 85: The Goal of a Healthy Family & 6 Roles We Take on in Dysfunction

Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook

Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support.

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

What if the dry, weary place you’re in isn’t something to escape—but a place where God is working?

So many of us know that quiet middle space: you’re not in crisis, but you’re not exactly flourishing either. You’re tired, spiritually dry, disconnected, or simply going through the motions. It’s not dramatic enough to call a breakdown, but something in you knows you’re weary.

In this episode, Dr. Alison and author/priest Tish Harrison Warren explore what grows in these weary places—and why seasons of spiritual dryness, burnout, and languishing aren’t signs that something is wrong with you.

They may be part of how God forms you.

Together, they talk about aridity, resilience, stability, and what it means to stay present to the life you actually have instead of constantly looking for a way out.

You’ll discover:

This conversation offers a counter-cultural invitation: you don’t have to rush out of the weary place. There may be something growing there.

More Resources:

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

Order What Grows in Weary Lands - out this week!

You can preorder Dr. Alison’s newest book, The Secure Soul, and immediately receive the first 3 chapters as well as early access to the companion guide!

Connect further with @dralisoncook on Instagram

Curious what Family Role may have shaped you? Take the Family Role Quiz to learn how you may be showing up in your relationships with others.

Want to hear more like this? Start here:

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

Episode 176: Dr. Stephen Macchia on Intimacy with God in a Noisy World

Don't forget to browse this week's sponsors, who make it possible for me to bring you these resources for free + provide you with additional discounts!

*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.‍

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Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1–7

Have you ever felt overlooked— not chosen, not noticed, not even considered?

In today’s episode, we look at the story of Samuel anointing David and what it reveals about how easily we evaluate ourselves and others by what is visible. We explore:

*How the halo effect shapes who gets noticed, chosen, or valued

*Why external validation is a shaky foundation for your identity

*How to stop measuring your worth by systems that were never designed to see you clearly

*What David’s story reveals about hidden faithfulness, quiet seasons, and the God who sees what others miss

Go Deeper:

Dr. Alison shares her journey through feeling unseen in The Secure Soul. Click here to read the first 3 chapters & join free masterclass on the wounds that shape you

Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook

Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support.

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

Today's Scripture: Luke 7:37–39

Have you ever wanted to bring something real into the light—but felt afraid of being judged?

In today’s episode, we look at the woman in Luke 7 who walks into a room full of people who already think they know her story and brings her whole self to the feet of Jesus. This passage shows us the difference between shame that keeps us hiding and the kind of love that helps us come close. We’ll explore:

*Why shame thrives in secrecy

*Why people judge & how it affects both the person judging & others

*The corrective emotional experience of dignity, compassion, and love found in Jesus

Go Deeper:

Episode 23: Am I Wounded or am I Sinful?

Read the first 3 Chapters of my new book The Secure Soul, when you preorder

Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook

Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support.

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