Latter Day Struggles

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. https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showWant to support Valerie & Nathan?Share this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Limited-time Sale on Annual Subscription $69: app.helloaudio.fm/feed/455929cb-0267-4c17-aa18-9469c4003feb/signup Monthly Subscription: $9.99. app.helloaudio.fm/feed/45de445a-7109-4ad4-a670-231a20dc02d9/signup Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Join a group: https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ Visit our website: https://valeriehamaker.com/

Subscriber-only episodeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: Healing from Spiritual Scrupulosity [Part II of IV]In this episode Valerie and guest author Taylor Kerby delve into the complexities of OCD scrupulosity within the context of the Latter-Day Saint faith. They continue their conversation tackling the following topics connecting OCD spiritual scrupulosity with the LDS faith tradition: 1. Spiritual Exceptionalism (addressed primarily in episode 231) 2. Low emphasis on the cultivation of personal authority 3. High anxiety around sexuality and an integrated sexual identity 4. A transactional relationship with God 5. An atonement theology that leaves people feeling anxious, guilty, afraid, or shameful The episode concludes with a call for church leaders to know their limits and a plea to direct individuals to professional help, aiming to foster a more supportive and growth-oriented environment for all connected to the church. https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Want to support Valerie & Nathan?Share this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Limited-time Sale on Annual Subscription $69: app.helloaudio.fm/feed/455929cb-0267-4c17-aa18-9469c4003feb/signup Monthly Subscription: $9.99. app.helloaudio.fm/feed/45de445a-7109-4ad4-a670-231a20dc02d9/signup Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Join a group: https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ Visit our website: https://valeriehamaker.com/

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. https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showWant to support Valerie & Nathan?Share this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Limited-time Sale on Annual Subscription $69: app.helloaudio.fm/feed/455929cb-0267-4c17-aa18-9469c4003feb/signup Monthly Subscription: $9.99. app.helloaudio.fm/feed/45de445a-7109-4ad4-a670-231a20dc02d9/signup Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Join a group: https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ Visit our website: https://valeriehamaker.com/

Subscriber-only episodeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: Exploration of Camille Johnson’s Address about Modern Mormon Motherhood [Part I of II] In this episode, Valerie and Nathan tackle Camille Johnson's recent address from the 2024 BYU Women’s Conference and its many contradictory and conflicting messages around personal choice, healthy and unhealthy leadership and followership, gender roles, womanhood, motherhood, career, obedience, and personal revelation. The conversation illuminates the need to expand the principle of personal agency and questions the patriarchal structures that constrain individual autonomy. This episode's foundation is an invitation to distinguish between a fear-based and a love-based relationship with our higher powers.https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Want to support Valerie & Nathan?Share this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Limited-time Sale on Annual Subscription $69: app.helloaudio.fm/feed/455929cb-0267-4c17-aa18-9469c4003feb/signup Monthly Subscription: $9.99. app.helloaudio.fm/feed/45de445a-7109-4ad4-a670-231a20dc02d9/signup Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Join a group: https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ Visit our website: https://valeriehamaker.com/

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.https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showWant to support Valerie & Nathan?Share this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Limited-time Sale on Annual Subscription $69: app.helloaudio.fm/feed/455929cb-0267-4c17-aa18-9469c4003feb/signup Monthly Subscription: $9.99. app.helloaudio.fm/feed/45de445a-7109-4ad4-a670-231a20dc02d9/signup Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Join a group: https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ Visit our website: https://valeriehamaker.com/

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! https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showWant to support Valerie & Nathan?Share this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Limited-time Sale on Annual Subscription $69: app.helloaudio.fm/feed/455929cb-0267-4c17-aa18-9469c4003feb/signup Monthly Subscription: $9.99. app.helloaudio.fm/feed/45de445a-7109-4ad4-a670-231a20dc02d9/signup Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Join a group: https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ Visit our website: https://valeriehamaker.com/

Subscriber-only episodeSend us a Positive Review!In this follow up episode on the heels of her guest collaboration with the At Last She Said It podcast, Valerie delves much deeper into a topic that is key to our process of deciding when sacrifice and suffering is "good" as opposed to when it is unnecessary and unhealthy. A key to discerning between "good hard" and "bad hard" is our ability to think complexly. This episode tackles what a complex thinking skills are, how to detect them in ourselves, in others, and how to cultivate them. Faith journeys are fertile ground for developing complex thinking skills but this is not guaranteed. Listen to this episode to learn so much more! https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Want to support Valerie & Nathan?Share this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Limited-time Sale on Annual Subscription $69: app.helloaudio.fm/feed/455929cb-0267-4c17-aa18-9469c4003feb/signup Monthly Subscription: $9.99. app.helloaudio.fm/feed/45de445a-7109-4ad4-a670-231a20dc02d9/signup Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Join a group: https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ Visit our website: https://valeriehamaker.com/

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. https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showWant to support Valerie & Nathan?Share this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Limited-time Sale on Annual Subscription $69: app.helloaudio.fm/feed/455929cb-0267-4c17-aa18-9469c4003feb/signup Monthly Subscription: $9.99. app.helloaudio.fm/feed/45de445a-7109-4ad4-a670-231a20dc02d9/signup Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Join a group: https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ Visit our website: https://valeriehamaker.com/

Subscriber-only episodeSend us a Positive Review!Series Title: The Feminine Divine, Nature, & Radical Healing [Part I of IV]In this final episode of this four-part series featuring the beautiful book "The Mother Tree", Valerie and guest author Kathryn Knight Sonntag conclude their conversation linking the symbolism of the tree to the balance and unity found when femininity and masculinity are allowed to occupy collaborative wholeness. This episode culminates with an examination of the branches of a tree as spaces of dynamic growth, revelation, and transformation, emphasizing that heaven can be found on earth as we each see ourselves as capable of connecting with the divine through the wisdom found in our roots and the courage found in our unfolding life's experiences. This conversation is not only a deep dive into spiritual symbolism but also a call for spiritual and psychological wholeness within our Latter-day Saint community, which suffers on many levels from the absence of an embrace of the feminine divine. https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Want to support Valerie & Nathan?Share this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Limited-time Sale on Annual Subscription $69: app.helloaudio.fm/feed/455929cb-0267-4c17-aa18-9469c4003feb/signup Monthly Subscription: $9.99. app.helloaudio.fm/feed/45de445a-7109-4ad4-a670-231a20dc02d9/signup Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Join a group: https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ Visit our website: https://valeriehamaker.com/

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.https://valeriehamaker.com/one-one-consultations/Support the showWant to support Valerie & Nathan?Share this episode Become a Monday & Friday Listener: Limited-time Sale on Annual Subscription $69: app.helloaudio.fm/feed/455929cb-0267-4c17-aa18-9469c4003feb/signup Monthly Subscription: $9.99. app.helloaudio.fm/feed/45de445a-7109-4ad4-a670-231a20dc02d9/signup Make a donation: ⁠Venmo or Patreon⁠ Join a group: https://valeriehamaker.com/support-groups/ Visit our website: https://valeriehamaker.com/