Latter Day Struggles

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title:  Exposing the Near Enemy [Part III of IV]In this episode Val and Nathan continue their deep dive into applications of the Buddhist concept of the near enemy, shining a light on how this concept might apply to how the LDS and surrounding community might grow in light and truth as these ideas are understood and embraced. They focus on how behaviors like self-aggrandizing, pity, and clinging subtly undermine virtues such as charity, compassion, and love, often posing as their close allies. They analyze how these near enemies negatively impact missionary work, intimate relationships, and spiritual growth within the Latter-Day Saints community, particularly highlighting how spiritual exceptionalism and codependency in eternal marriage theology can hurt connection at the micro and the macro levels. The episode culminates in a reflective call for embracing both light and shadow selves and emphasizes acting from a place of genuine love and virtue rather than fear or the desire for validation.             Thank you for joining us in this series intended to expand our capacities to grow whole and healthy in and around the LDS church.Support the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Donate: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review! Series Title: Exposing the Near Enemy [Part I of IV]In this opening episode of this new series Valerie and Nathan delve into the profound concept of the "Near Enemy," highlighting how certain behaviors that superficially resemble virtues actually hinder personal growth and damage interpersonal relationships. Drawing from Buddhist wisdom and Brené Brown's integrative work, they discuss how the near enemy behaviors can creep into all individual and systemic relationships and how these behaviors prevent genuine connection.Episode 2 of this series will be a Latter Day Struggles EXCLUSIVE: tackling sensitive and idiosyncratic "near enemy" topics within the LDS faith tradition. Episode 3 will tackle less sensitive "near enemy" topics found within the faith and typical of many faith traditions and other community settings. Episode 4 of this series will be another EXCLUSIVE, exploring from a psychological lens some possible reasons why our LDS faith tradition uniquely struggles with its idiosyncratic "near enemy" behaviors. This series is groundbreaking in that it integrates an element of sound Buddhist philosophy in an effect to help our LDS community understand some of our tradition's most significant shadow parts. We hope that this series brings light, understanding, healing, and eventual reform. We care about the wellness of our faith tradition and those over whom it has influence. Support the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Donate: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Healing from Spiritual Scrupulosity [Part III of IV]In this episode Valerie welcomes fellow therapist colleague Brannon Patrick for a discussion highlighting the profound impact of OCD scrupulosity on individuals within the LDS community. In an unexpected turn of events, both Val and Brannon realize that they each struggled in their adolescence with the same unnamed fear of God's disappointment accompanied by attempts to mitigate these fears with scrupulous behaviors. They explore how church teachings can exacerbate anxiety, particularly through doctrines that emphasize perfectionism and earning forgiveness. This discussion advocates for a shift towards creating a supportive, healing church environment that views God as a loving companion in our journeys, not a harsh or disappointed judge. Join them on Friday for a final conversation in this series about the vulnerabilities of full-time LDS missionary service on those with tendencies to struggle with spiritual scrupulosity and several recommendations on how to begin to heal as a spiritual community. Support the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Donate: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Healing from Spiritual Scrupulosity [Part I of IV]In this opening episode  focused on OCD spiritual scrupulosity in the context of the LDS church, Valerie begins by interviewing Taylor Kerby, author the the book "Scrupulous: My Obsessive Compulsion for God". In this episode Taylor shares his journey with spiritual scrupulosity, explaining how these conditions manifested as compulsive religious behaviors fueled by some of the doctrine and practices connected to his LDS faith tradition.This episode tackles the first of five key vulnerabilities linking spiritual scrupulosity within the LDS faith: spiritual exceptionalism, low emphasis on personal authority, anxiety around sex and the theology of the body, a transactional relationship with God, and an atonement theology sometimes leading to shame and fear. Friday's episode digs into the rest of the five topics--ultimately emphasizing the importance of respectful and healing dialogue and urging listeners to prioritizes love, service, and grace over perfection. This entire series is a call for greater awareness and support for those grappling with OCD spiritual scrupulosity. Support the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Donate: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: Exploration of Camille Johnson’s Address about Modern Mormon Motherhood [Part II of II] In preparation for Friday's sensitive-content exclusive episode 230, Valerie offers a detailed overview of the entirety of General Relief Society President Camille Johnson's recent address given at the 2024 BYU Women's Conference. This address was both intriguing and concerning, focusing concurrently on both following the specific directions of outside authority as the safest means of living one’s life while also encouraging women to follow the counsel of the spirit to allow God to prevail in a path that is unique to each woman. In this episode Val sets the stage for the deeper dive into issues that intersect the topics of healthy human development, sound theology, and a call for institutional accountability regarding the impact that past teachings have had on thousands of LDS women. Join Valerie and Nathan on Friday’s episode 230 for the in-depth analysis of the address reviewed in today’s episode 229. Information on how to subscribe to their new Buzzsprout platform found below.Support the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Donate: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Big News! Listen in and rest assured that more info is coming! Thanks for being here on our mutual faith expansion journey! Support the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Donate: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!In this thought-provoking episode Valerie is the guest on the fabulous podcast "At Last She Said It" with hosts Cynthia Winward and Susan Hinckley. In this conversation this dynamic trio dives deep into the challenging concept of "good hard" vs. "bad hard" within the LDS community. They highlight the crucial difference between actions driven by fear and shame versus those fueled by love and personal choice. Through heartfelt personal experiences and some critical reflections, Susan, Cynthia, and Val emphasize honoring one's inner compass, advocating for spiritually meaningful paths shaped by personal empowerment and most importantly, they challenge each of us to rethink the valorization of suffering, advocating instead for balanced, joyful living aligned with the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Support the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Donate: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: The Feminine Divine, Nature, & Radical Healing [Part III of IV]In this enlightening conversation, Valerie and special guest author Kathryn Sonntag delve deeper into the enriching concepts presented in "The Mother Tree: Discovering the Love and Wisdom of Our Divine Mother." In this episode they continue using the metaphor of a tree to help us understand how to find personal wholeness through the integration of the masculine and the feminine. Kathryn relates the trunk of the tree to 1) our mortal existence, 2) to the present and, 3) to the sacred nature of the earth and its deeply feminine cycles of birth, death, and rebirth as chief evidence that the divine indeed is deeply feminine. Join us next time as we conclude our series on "The Mother Tree," where we will further delve into how the integration of our divine masculine and feminine energies can lead to a richer, more harmonious personal and spiritual life.Support the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Donate: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!Series Title: The Feminine Divine, Nature, & Radical Healing [Part I of IV]In this enlightening part one of this new series Valerie welcomes author and feminist scholar Kathryn Knight Sonntag to explore the themes of growth, development, and spiritual connection through Kathryn's book, "The Mother Tree." Their discussion encompasses the significance of trees in various spiritual traditions, their representation of sacred spaces, and their role in depicting the interconnectedness of life and spirituality. They emphasize the potential for individual healing and growth through the integration of both feminine and masculine energies, reflecting on the challenges LDS women face in a male-dominated patriarchal culture. This episode is a compelling call to recognize and harmonize the masculine and feminine within ourselves and our LDS faith tradition for a more balanced and healing spiritual experience.Support the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Donate: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Visit our Website

Send us a Positive Review!In this episode Valerie is joined by friend and colleague Dr. Julie Hanks, where they discuss the emotional and psychological complexities of stepping away from the LDS faith for those who feel called to do so. They emphasize the importance of making this transition in a psychologically healthy manner, and how challenging this is to do in a climate where not a lot of resources are available and this decision is fraught with so much distress and loneliness. The discussion covers potential challenges such as navigating changes in relationships with family and the larger community, managing internalized beliefs and fears, and the grief that accompanies leaving one's spiritual community.  Note: Valerie and Julie are not prescribing leaving (or not leaving) the LDS church. They wish to support their LDS and surrounding community in psychologically-thriving independent of church membership or attendance status. For those interested in exploring how to stay involved in the LDS faith in psychologically healthy ways, please listen to episode 193 of Latter Day Struggles. Support the showListen, Share, Rate & Review EPISODES Friday Episodes Annual Subscription $89 Friday Episodes Monthly Subscription $10 Valerie’s Support & Processing Groups Donate: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Visit our Website