Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

We all experience loss. Small or large, healing from any loss requires grieving well. Many people imagine grief only applies when a loved one dies. It certainly applies then, but for mental, relational, and spiritual health it's important to grieve all our losses. Chuck and Ashley Elliott have experienced losses - individually and together, including loss of trust through pornography use, and loss of children through repeated pregnancy loss. They talk with Dr. Carol on this episode about the impact of grief on relationships with each other, with family and friends, and with God. Connect with Chuck and Ashley Elliott on their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find their book I Used to Be: How to Navigate Large and Small Losses in Life and Find Your Path Forward If you have lost a loved one in death, you'll want Dr. Carol's 30-day email series The Christian's Journey Through Grief. Dr. Carol would love to hear from you. Leave a confidential comment or question here.

Questions around gender identity have become a hot topic both in culture and for many Christian families and young people. Why now? What the medical world calls "gender-affirming care" has major, often permanent, life-altering consequences. Should we be concerned? This episode features a conversation between Dr. Carol and Lori Kuykendall, president of Beacon Health Education Resources. Lori has many years of experience in ministry, health education, and the public sphere, and she has plenty to say about what she calls this "5-Alarm Fire." Find more resources at Beacon Health Education Resources specifically from a Christian faith perspective. Dr. Carol would love to hear from you. Leave a confidential comment or question here.

When you said "I do" you were expecting a connected, safe, life-giving, and intimate relationship. But you may now be wondering, "What's gone wrong?" Too many spouses end up living as roommates instead of as soulmates. You'll find yourself saying "me too" in this powerful episode as Dr. Carol outlines nine barriers to whole-person intimacy in marriage, and provides six specific keys to overcoming those barriers. And you'll hear about a practical resource to help you put those keys into practice. Check out the Fully Alive Marriage course, on sale THIS WEEK ONLY! And Dr. Carol loves to hear from you; you can leave a confidential message here.

When trust is broken in a marriage there's always an underlying story. Although behaviors absolutely matter, there's more to be addressed. Looking at the matters of the heart for both the betrayer and the betrayed spouse makes a new chapter possible - regardless of what happens in the marriage. In this episode Jessica and Ryan McDaniel talk with Dr. Carol about their story. You may first think it's Ryan's story, but keep listening; it's Jessica's story too! And then they talk about what's happened in both of their hearts, and how they now help other couples work through these very matters in their hearts also. Catch up with Ryan and Jessica McDaniel on their website. If you've been hurt in this way, join the Hope Rising virtual conference coming up on September 30. And get your ticket now; early bird pricing only lasts until July 31st. Check out these articles from Dr. Carol: - Keeping Your Sanity When Your Spouse Doesn't Meet Your Needs - The Key to Filling Your Empty Soul If your heart needs some individual care, check out Coaching with Dr. Carol.

Being married and feeling alone may be the worst loneliness of all. Whether or not sex is happening, your heart craves true intimacy. And can true connection happen even after trust has been broken? Danisa and Jorge Suarez did not have good role models to build their marriage on, but they persisted. In this episode Dr. Carol talks with them about what they learned, and their work together now as a couple helping other couples overcome sexual issues or betrayal and build the kind of intimacy they need. They also talk about their heart for helping Christian leaders who struggle in this area. Connect with Danisa and Jorge Suarez at their website CCICounseling You can find Jorge on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram You can find Danisa on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram This article from Dr. Carol Where to Start if Your Marriage Lacks Intimacy Check out our Fully Alive Marriage online course Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.

If you're a parent, you are likely anxious about talking with your kids about sex. And many parents and others who care about kids feel that the ways most people have been handling "the sex talk" hasn't worked well at all. The Lindas have a different approach than you're used to seeing. In this episode Dr. Carol talks with Linda Noble and Linda Stewart, who are both educators and parents, about the deeper ideas kids need to understand about God's design for the body, sex, love, and relationships, and how parents and mentors can make this a normal part of shepherding kids and teens. Check out The Conversation Workshop site, where Linda Noble and Linda Stewart have a lot of resources available Find their book Before the Sex Talk: A Theology of the Body Approach for Parents and Mentors Check out the books by Christopher West mentioned in this episode: Theology of the Body for Beginners: Rediscovering the Meaning of Life, Love, Sex, and Gender and Our Bodies Tell God's Story: Discovering the Divine Plan for Love, Sex, and Gender Check out this resource page from Dr. Carol Ministries: Parents, Kids, Technology, and Sex Dr. Carol always loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.

Relationship status is a big deal. Marriage was God's idea, and He created it to be good. But when we make something God created to be good into an idol, it becomes harmful. We can do that with marriage or parenthood. We can also do that with singleness. In this brief episode Dr. Carol addresses the harm that can come when we turn one of God's good gifts into an idol, and how we must fully live into the relationship status to which God has called us – regardless of whether married, single, or parents - or not. Check out Dr. Carol's article on this: Throwing Down the Idols of Marriage, Singleness, or Parenthood Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message for her here.

LUST. What a disturbing word for many. Is living without lust possible? What is lust, and is it possible to have healthy sexual desire apart from lust? Dr. Carol's guest on this episode believe the answers to those questions is YES. Jay Haug is the executive director of Living Without Lust, an organization helping men who struggle with lust and supporting the Christian leaders who serve them. He shares his own story of sex addiction and the long journey to finding freedom, and what the most important keys to freedom are for anyone experiencing the control of lust. Connect with Jay Haug's organization Living Without Lust for real support and practical resources Find Jay Haug's book The Rest of God: Finding Freedom from Lust in the Internet Age Check out the ministries Jay mentioned that offer intensives to help someone with sex addiction begin the journey to recovery: Be Broken, Boulder Recovery, and Bethesda Workshops. Check out these resources from Dr. Carol Ministries: - free download A 5-Part Prescription for Sexual Healing - God's Way - online course Sexpectations Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.

Our culture has politicized so much around abortion, sex trafficking, even sex addiction. Policies matter. However, it's more important to address the roots underlying such painful and difficult realities. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Lisa Rowe who has previously worked with sex trafficking survivors and is currently executive director of Support After Abortion. But this is not primarily a discussion of abortion, but about deeper heart needs involved. Lisa shares how she learned this in her own heartbreaking story, and what kind of support makes the most difference for those who have experienced these hard things. Check out Support After Abortion Check out these articles from our blog: - Disentangling the Connection Between Sex and Intimacy - How Sex Has Lost Its Glory: Intimacy Gone Wrong Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message for her here.

What has your heart most deeply longed for? Whether you've used these words or not, it has something to do with being safe, secure, and loved. Life often leads to deep wounds around your deepest longings. What do you do then? As a little girl Sue Moore prayed, "God, make me pretty, and happy, and give me a man who loves me." On the podcast today she talks with Dr. Carol about how different her life ended up than how she had originally hoped, how God brought rescue and goodness out of all the mess, and how she now helps others on the journey from brokenness to wholeness especially in the area of sexuality. Connect with Sue Moore at Forgiven Much Ministries Check out these articles from Dr. Carol Ministries: Disentangling the Connection Between Sex and Intimacy Practical Ways to Pursue Intimacy With God Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.