Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

What does it really mean to surrender your sexuality to Jesus? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Carol talks with clinical psychologist, author, and co-founder of Authentic Intimacy Dr. Juli Slattery, about the deeper layers of Christian sexual discipleship. Too often, the church focuses only on behavior, but true transformation goes far beyond rule-keeping. It’s about identity, intimacy, and bringing the most vulnerable parts of ourselves into relationship with God for Him to heal and transform. Dr. Slattery unpacks the difference between sex and intimacy, and why our deepest sexual struggles are often rooted in wounds, lies, or unmet longings. Whether you're facing shame from the past, stuck in patterns of sinful behavior, or wrestling with disconnection in your relationships, this episode offers hope, and a path forward. Surrendering your sexuality to Jesus isn’t just about saying “no” to sin; it’s about saying “yes” to a whole, healed, and intimate life with Him. Connect with Dr. Juli Slattery at Authentic Intimacy, the Java with Juli podcast, Facebook, or Instagram. Find her latest book Surrendered Sexuality: How Knowing Jesus Changes... Everything        Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

In a culture where relationship longevity is at an all-time low, even within the church, how can we build relationships that truly last? In this insightful conversation, Dr. Carol talks with Dr. John Van Epp, a leading relationship expert, pastor, professor, and creator of curricula for singles, engaged couples, and married couples. With over a million people impacted by his programs in both faith-based and secular settings, Dr. Van Epp brings much practical wisdom rooted in research and Scripture. Together, they explore the Relationship Attachment Model (RAM) and how it offers a framework for making wise, emotionally healthy choices in dating and marriage. You’ll hear why character must take priority over chemistry, and how this model can help both you and your kids avoid unnecessary heartache. Whether you're navigating your own relationships or guiding the next generation, this conversation offers clarity, hope, and tools to cultivate God-honoring love. Find Dr. Van Epp's book How to Avoid Falling in Love with a Jerk: the foolproof way to follow your heart without losing your mind        Check out the wealth of resources available at Love Thinks - books, online courses, and other resources Consider sharing the Relationship Attachment Model for a churchwide relationship series Check out Love Thinks on Facebook or YouTube.  Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Check out our YourSexpectations hub - resources in several formats to help you find wholeness around intimacy and relationships Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

What does beauty have to do with fear, faith, and the future? In this compelling conversation, Dr. Carol sits down with former Muslim and now author and pastor Naeem Fazal to explore how beauty is not just aesthetic; it's transformational. Naeem shares his powerful personal story of overcoming deep fear and rejection, and how beauty is bound up in the very life of relationship with God. “Beauty has the power to shape our souls,” he says. And in a world that feels increasingly fractured, that truth matters more than ever. Together they unpack why loss and failure don’t have to define your story, how rejection can become redirection, and how the pursuit of beautiful relationships may be among the most godly and courageous things we can do. If you’ve struggled to find hope after disappointment or long to live less afraid of what’s ahead, this episode will invite you to see your own journey through a lens that's full of joy, hope and beauty. Connect with Naeem Fazal on his website, YouTube, X, or Instagram. Find Naeem's book Tomorrow Needs You: Seeing Beauty When You Feel Hopeless, and his previous book Ex-Muslim: How One Daring Prayer to Jesus Changed a Life Forever Check out the article on our website Scriptures for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety If you're hungry for more personal help, check out Coaching with Dr. Carol, or our amazing small-group Intensives.

Today’s young people are navigating a sexual landscape unlike anything previous generations have faced. Porn is not just accessible—it’s expected. Messages about identity, desire, and intimacy are being shaped more by screens than by Scripture. In this important conversation, Dr. Carol talks with Joel Warneking and Bill Williams from 423 Communities, a ministry that walks with people toward freedom from unhealthy sexual patterns and into deeper intimacy with God. Joel and Bill unpack what’s really going on in the hearts and minds of the next generation, and why transformation doesn’t happen through willpower alone. They highlight the science of brain rewiring and the spiritual power of grace-filled community—especially in small groups—where lasting change is made possible. If you care about discipleship, sexual integrity, or the future of the church, this episode will challenge and equip you to be part of the healing story God is writing in a porn-saturated world. Connect with Joel Warneking or Bill Williams on the 423 Communities website, Facebook, X, Instagram, or YouTube.  Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Need some personal help? Check out individual Coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

What happens when you step away from the noise of life and create space for God to do deep heart work? In this special episode, Dr. Carol sits down with three courageous women who participated in one of our recent Intensives—four powerful days designed as a safe place to deal with the broken places in their stories around intimacy and relationships, and to experience deep healing, transformation, and connection with God and others. In this honest and hope-filled conversation, they share what drew them to the Intensive, the surprising ways God met them, and how their lives look different on the other side. You’ll hear about tears, breakthroughs, hard questions, and holy moments—and how four days can truly change everything when Jesus is invited to do what only He can. Whether you’re curious, skeptical, or longing for your own deeper healing, their stories just might be the encouragement you didn’t know you needed. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Need some individual help? Check out individual Coaching with Dr. Carol. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

For many men, sexuality and spirituality feel like two separate worlds. In this honest and insightful conversation, Dr. Carol talks with former pastor, ministry leader, and spiritual director Bill Delvaux about what it truly means to invite God into our sexual story. Bill shares why so many men experience a deep disconnect between their sexuality and their relationship with God, and how that disconnect often leads to shame, secrecy, and soul-fragmentation. But it doesn’t have to stay that way. Bill unpacks a redemptive process of healing and integration—where God's presence meets even the most painful or confusing parts of a man’s sexual journey. They explore how this integration can leads to greater freedom, wholeness, and intimacy with God and others. If you’re longing for more than just behavior management, and want a deeper transformation, this episode will point you toward a hopeful, grace-filled path. Find out more about Bill Delveaux at Landmark Journey Ministries' website, Facebook, X, or Instagram.    Check out Bill Delveaux's article about How Sexuality and Spirituality Connect Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

Identity is a hot topic in today's culture, especially when it comes to the LGBTQ conversation. But where does identity come from? Does it matter? And does one's biology matter? Elizabeth Woning embraced a lesbian lifestyle and a theology that embraced homosexuality until she had an encounter experiencing the love of God while engaged in pastoral ministry. She since cofounded CHANGED Movement, a network of individuals who have moved away from LGBTQ identity. As a licensed pastor she also trains emerging Christian leaders.  In this deep personal and theological conversation, she talks with Dr. Carol about the far-reaching implications of our understanding of identity, and what that means for how God works for our redemption. Find out more about Elizabeth Woning on her website. Check out CHANGED Movement website or Instagram. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

What does it really look like to walk with God in singleness—especially when the path feels long, lonely, or confusing? In this honest and compassionate episode, Dr. Carol responds to real questions from listeners about the complexities of single life. We talk about the ache of unfulfilled longing, wrestling with God when He hasn’t brought a spouse, and how to navigate desire—especially sexual desire—in a healthy, Christ-centered way when you're single. We also dive into the ways the Church can sometimes overlook or wound singles, and how to pursue genuine, soul-nourishing intimacy through friendship and spiritual community. Dr. Carol offers wise, grace-filled insights on becoming sexually whole in a culture saturated with distortion, and what healing can look like for those who find themselves single again after loss, divorce, or disappointment. Whether you’re thriving in singleness or wrestling deeply with it, this episode offers validation, encouragement, and practical hope. You are not forgotten, and your story matters. Resources mentioned: - Article: How to Find a Good Spouse - Article: How to Find a Friend: Your Peter, James, and John - Article: 5 Things I Wish the Church Knew About Single Christians - Article: From Temptation to Triumph: Designing Your Personal Escape Plan - Article: What Sexual Wholeness Looks Like - Article: Learning From How Jesus Handled His Need for Intimacy - Article: How to Know God as Your Husband Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

In this powerful session from our Change(d) Conference 2024, we’re joined by a licensed marriage and family therapist with a unique blend of clinical expertise and pastoral insight. With years of experience walking with individuals and couples through the trenches of intimacy, sexuality, and relational pain, Zion Montgomery offers a compelling vision for how lasting transformation happens when both therapy and theology are brought together—rather than pitted against each other. In this episode, you’ll hear her rich presentation on the process of healing from the inside out, followed by a live conversation with me as host as well as honest audience questions. Together, we explore how prayer opens the heart, but process changes the wiring—and how God invites us into both. Whether you’re navigating broken trust, past trauma, emotional disconnection, or just longing for deeper connection, this session offers hope, clarity, and tools for the journey toward wholeness. Connect with Zion Montgomery on her website or Instagram. Get access to the full Change(d) Conference 2024, including all the other sessions, Dr. Carol's teaching, and Q&A. Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

What happens when the place meant to be a refuge becomes a source of silence—or worse, complicity—in the face of abuse? In this episode, we sit down with Diane Schnickels, certified counselor, domestic abuse advocate, and founder of Living Waters of Hope to talk honestly about domestic violence in the context of Christian faith. Together, we unpack the warning signs that distinguish abuse from everyday conflict, and explore the emotional and spiritual toll it takes on a woman’s heart—especially when shame, confusion, or a sense that she somehow “deserved it” cloud the truth. We examine how a distorted interpretation of Biblical submission can deepen the trauma, keeping women trapped in harmful relationships under the guise of obedience or faithfulness. But the heart of God is not one of control or oppression. Through compassionate insight and Scriptural clarity, we point toward the hope, dignity, and freedom the Bible actually offers women walking through abuse, and how the Church can become a place of safety, healing, and truth. Connect with Diane Schnickels at Living Waters of Hope on the website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find Diane's book Oasis Bible Study - A Woman's Journey Healing from Domestic Abuse Check out Dr. Carol's article Where is God in Trauma: Jesus Message to Survivors Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.