This Whole Life

"I love for people to come when the pipes leak instead of when they burst." — Vonda Tiede, LMFT

• Why do so many couples wait years before finally seeking help?
• What actually happens in the therapy room, and what is the therapist really doing?
• Are there situations where couples therapy can do more harm than good?

Couples therapy is one of the most misunderstood tools in marriage. People assume it means something's broken, that the therapist will pick a side, or that it's too late. None of that is true.

In this episode, Kenna sits down with two trusted colleagues and fellow licensed marriage and family therapists, Ben Baker and Vonda Tiede, for an honest, behind-the-curtain conversation about what couples therapy actually looks like, who it's for, and what gets in the way of people starting sooner.

They cover the myths that keep couples stuck, the difference between a disagreement and a full-blown fight, what "containment" really means in the therapy room, and the specific situations where couples therapy is actually contraindicated. They also share the one thing they each wish every couple knew before they ever walked through the door.

Whether you're considering couples therapy, currently in it, or just curious what happens in that room, this episode will give you real answers, not vague reassurances.

Chapters

• (00:00) - "Your marriage is my client"
• (00:28) - Welcome and guest introductions
• (02:14) - Highs and Hards
• (08:25) - Why couples therapy feels so mysterious
• (09:35) - How Ben and Vonda chose marriage and family therapy
• (14:01) - Individual therapy vs. couples therapy
• (18:38) - Myths and misconceptions therapists want to dispel
• (33:56) - When to come and when to wait
• (52:18) - The one thing each therapist wishes every couple knew
• (58:03) - Challenge by choice
• (01:00:27) - Closing prayer

Reflection Questions

Links and Resources:

• Martin Center for Integration - https://martincenterforintegration.com
• Vonda Tiede, LMFT - https://www.vondatiede.com/
• Related episodes with Ben Baker: Men and Mental Health, Men in Relationships, Triangulation - https://martincenterforintegration.com/show-notes-70
• Related episodes with Vonda Tiede: Marital Intimacy, What Happens in Individual Therapy - https://martincenterforintegration.com/show-notes-21

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

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Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

What started with fun & games ended with tears, injury, and...a real mess.

You think your family dinners are out of control? You're not alone.

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

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Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

"Being connected to your spouse in prayer, even when things are hard, maybe especially when things are hard, is one of the best ways to know that person." ~ Pat Millea

• Why do so many couples want to pray together but never actually do it?
• What do you do when you feel too vulnerable, too proud, or too far apart to pray?
• Is there a method that works, even for couples who have never prayed out loud together?

In episode 100 of This Whole Life, Pat and Kenna Millea take on a topic that listeners have been asking for: how to actually pray together as a couple. Not in theory. Not with a polished formula. But honestly, practically, and in a way that fits real married life with kids, conflict, busy schedules, and the kind of exhaustion that makes even good intentions fall apart.

They dig into why married prayer is so uniquely powerful, including what it means that no one knows your spouse like God does, and why that matters most when things are hard between you. They unpack the difference between rote prayer and spontaneous prayer, and why both have a place in a marriage. And they walk through a specific method of praying together, taught by a priest named Father Scott Traynor, that is accessible, intimate, and surprisingly doable, even for couples who feel completely out of their depth.

Then, to mark the milestone of episode 100, they actually do it. Pat and Kenna pray the Traynor method together, on air, for real, in what may be the most vulnerable and honest moment the show has ever aired.

This episode is for every couple who has wanted to pray together but did not know where to start.

Episode 100 Show Notes (including a downloadable guide to the Traynor married prayer method)

Reflection Questions

Chapters:

• (00:40) — Welcome and episode 100 celebration
• (01:47) — States trivia game
• (14:15) — Why married prayer matters
• (22:00) — The gifts of praying together as a couple
• (33:30) — Praying before conflict: the hardest and most humbling move
• (43:50) — Getting practical: how to start
• (46:50) — The Traynor Method explained
• (52:00) — Pat and Kenna pray the Traynor Method 

Links and Resources:

• The Parish as a School of Prayer by Father Scott Traynor

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

"What...what are those?"

Don't miss this harrowing tale of escape, invisibility, and survival from Dr. Julia Sadusky 🫎😱

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

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Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

"There is literally nowhere else on the face of the earth I'd rather you go than to me." 
~ Dr. Julia Sadusky

• Why do so many well-meaning Catholic parents freeze when it comes to talking to their kids about sex?
• What do you actually say when your child comes home asking about their classmate’s parents?
• How do you talk to your kids about pornography before they encounter it?

In episode 99 of This Whole Life, Pat and Kenna welcome back Dr. Julia Sadusky, licensed clinical psychologist, author, and one of the most trusted Catholic voices in the space of sexual formation. Julia wrote not one but two books to help Catholic parents have these conversations well: one for kids ages zero to nine, and one for teens. This episode is the one your group chat has been needing.

Julia doesn't make this scary or clinical. She walks Pat and Kenna through the common obstacles that stop parents cold, and then gives them real tools. Actual scripts. Practical language for everything from explaining genitalia to a toddler, to responding when your child asks why their friend has two dads, to having the pornography conversation before it becomes a crisis.

The goal isn't a perfect talk. The goal is a relationship where your child knows you are the first place they go.

Dr. Julia Sadusky is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, speaker, and adjunct professor based in Littleton, Colorado. Her clinical work and research focus on sexual and gender development and trauma-informed care. She holds a bachelor's from Ave Maria University and a master's degree and doctorate in clinical psychology from Regent University.

Episode 99 Show Notes

Reflection Questions

Chapters:

• (00:47) — Introduction and welcome
• (07:30) — Highs and Hards: life lately
• (11:10) — Why Julia wrote the books
• (16:53) — The biggest obstacles parents face
• (24:09) — Why your child's reaction in the moment doesn't measure your success
• (31:34) — It's not one talk — it's a thousand small moments
• (36:20) — What to say when your child asks about two dads
• (43:30) — Talking to your kids about pornography before they encounter it
• (47:59) — A vision of hope for parents
• (50:30) — Challenge by Choice

Links and Resources:

• Start Talking to Your Kids About Sex (Ages 0–9) — Dr. Julia Sadusky
• Start Talking to Your Kids About Sex (Teens) — Dr. Julia Sadusky
• Dr. Julia Sadusky — Website
• Talking With Your Teen About Sex online course

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

Communication in marriage is important.

Especially when it involves someone recently released from prison.

Peter & Debbie Herbeck are back with some hilarious stories of (mis)communication & forgiveness.

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

"The love of Christ was the magnetic force that really drew us together."
~ Debbie Herbeck

• What does it actually take to keep Christ at the center of a marriage through decades of real life?
• What do you do when one spouse is further ahead in faith than the other?
• How do you build a family culture that passes faith down to the next generation?

In episode 98 of This Whole Life, Pat and Kenna welcome Peter and Debbie Herbeck, a couple with nearly 40 years of marriage, four children, and 12 grandchildren. Their story is anything but ordinary. Debbie grew up Jewish, came to faith at the University of Michigan, and paid a real price to follow Jesus. Peter came from a Catholic family shaped by both great love and the wounds of an alcoholic home. When they met, they were both already fully committed to the Lord individually, before they ever considered committing to each other.

What followed was a marriage built not on ideal circumstances, but on a shared decision to put Jesus first, even when it was hard, messy, and costly.

In this conversation, Peter and Debbie share the practical rhythms that kept their marriage rooted through busy seasons of parenting and ministry, what they say to couples where one spouse simply isn't on the same page in faith, and how they built a culture of honor in their home that their grandchildren are now carrying forward.

This is the kind of wisdom that only comes from decades of saying yes to the Lord together.

Peter Herbeck is the Vice President and Director of Missions for Renewal Ministries. Debbie Herbeck is the founder and executive director of Be Love Revolution and Pine Hills Girls Camp, and a speaker whose journey from Judaism to the Catholic faith has inspired thousands.
Together they are co-authors of Lessons from the School of Love: Building a Christ-Centered Marriage.

Episode 98 Show Notes

Reflection Questions

Chapters:

• (01:27) - Introduction and welcome
• (07:30) - Highs & Hards: life lately
• (09:40) - How Peter and Debbie met
• (18:30) - Blending two very different backgrounds in marriage
• (26:30) - Keeping Christ at the center: practical rhythms
• (39:30) - When one spouse is trailing behind in faith
• (50:30) - The culture of honor in your home
• (58:55) - Challenge By Choice

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

"We love you, St. Charbel."

Who knew those words might have been the ones to save her baby's life?

Listen in to this moving story from St. Faustina Maria Pia!

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

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Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

“The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is — trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive.”
 ~ Jesus, to St. Faustina

- Why is it so hard to trust God?
- What does it mean to say “yes” when life doesn’t make sense?
- How do we trust God in suffering, uncertainty, and silence?

In episode 97 of This Whole Life, Kenna and Pat are joined by Sister Faustina Maria Pia, S.V. of the Sisters of Life to explore one of the most important and challenging aspects of the spiritual life: trust.

Drawing from her personal story, Sister Faustina shares how a season of suffering and spiritual dryness led to a profound encounter with Jesus that changed everything. In that moment, she realized that trust is not about understanding our circumstances, but about entrusting ourselves to a Person.

Together, they unpack the deeper meaning of trust, the fear of vulnerability, and the struggle to believe that we are truly loved. The conversation also explores how trust impacts our relationships, our prayer life, and our ability to live fully in the present moment.

Whether you are in a season of clarity or confusion, this episode offers a powerful invitation to stop striving for control and begin surrendering to the love of God.

Sister Faustina Maria Pia, S.V. currently resides in New York and serves as the local superior of Annunciation Motherhouse.  Several years ago, in her own struggle to trust the Lord, she received an inspiration to compose a prayer, the Litany of Trust, and subsequently authored a book entitled, Jesus I trust in You, a 30 day retreat with the Litany of Trust.

Episode 97 Show Notes

Reflection Questions

Chapters

•  (01:30) - Introduction and welcome
•  (06:30) - Highs & Hards: life lately
•  (10:30) - Introducing the topic of trust
•  (18:45) - Sister Faustina’s background and vocation story
•  (27:30) - Encounter with Jesus in suffering
•  (33:30) - Writing the Litany of Trust
•  (40:00) - Why vulnerability and trust are difficult
•  (48:00) - Trusting God vs trusting others
•  (55:30) - Living in the present moment with God
•  (01:01:30) - Challenge By Choice
•  (01:03:00) - The Litany of Trust (prayer)

Links and Resources:

• Litany of Trust – Sister Faustina Maria Pia
• Jesus, I Trust in You: A 30-Day Retreat with the Litany of Trust
• Sisters of Life
  https://sistersoflife.org/
• This Whole Life Podcast Website
   https://thiswholelifepodcast.com

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

Grandmothers can have a beautiful impact on us, even when our families are far from perfect.

Kenna brings stories of her two grandmothers in this heartfelt storytellers episode!

Support the show

Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters!

Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event

Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook

Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration

Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.