We hear from many of you asking questions about difficult situations involving sexuality, relationships, and intimacy. In this episode Dr. Carol addresses a number of your questions around these challenging issues. Issues she addresses include sexual betrayal in marriage, shame around masturbation, struggles to break free from pornography, and long-standing disconnect around sexual intimacy between husband and wife.  Check these resources Dr. Carol mentioned:  Ways to Pray About Your Troubled Marriage Free download 5-part Prescription for Sexual Healing–God's Way Online course Fully Alive Marriage Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. Leave a question or confidential message here.

Happily ever after - does that even happen? Not for most couples. Beyond behaviors (which matter), what do you do with the messed-up, hijacked, and broken matters of the heart when a marriage is wounded? Bob and Dannah Gresh are both ministry leaders and authors in their own rights. But in this vulnerable episode they talk with Dr. Carol about the process God used to redeem their own wounded marriage and what that looked like for both of their hearts. Check out the Happily Even After podcast. Find Dannah Gresh on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Connect with Bob and Dannah's organizations True Girl and Born to be Brave Find Dannah's book Happily Even After: Let God Redeem Your Marriage       Check out Dr. Carol's article Pornography and Your Christian Marriage    Check out our online course Fully Alive Marriage You can leave Dr. Carol a confidential message here. 

What's the big deal about sex? Why does God care? What does God's original vision around sex say about Him and His design and plans for us? Dr. Carol talks with Joshua Ryan Butler, author and pastor, about seeing God's vision for sex as a window into God's story of redemption, and a validating guide to living with authentic love in a changing culture. Some of these ideas may sound controversial. Listen through the lens of seeking to understand what God has had in mind from the beginning. Check out Joshua Ryan Butler on his website, Twitter, or Instagram. Find Josh's book Beautiful Union: How God's Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything        Do you need to address your sexual story? Our Sexpectations course can help you do that. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can connect with Dr. Carol confidentially here.

Both culture and the church in recent years have seen too many examples of male sexuality gone wrong. But what's the alternative? In this provocative episode Dr. Carol's talks with writer, research, and ordained minister Zachary Wagner, as he critiques purity culture, shares his vulnerable story, and offers a view of non-toxic Christian masculinity.  Connect with Zachary Wagner on his website or Twitter. Find Zach's book Non-Toxic Masculinity: Recovering Healthy Male Sexuality      Check out Dr. Carol's article When the Church Hurts a Woman’s Relationship with God  Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! Leave a confidential comment here. 

The toughest seasons of life often highlight the ways in which we've searched for hope in places and people that let us down. These hard times always challenge your relationship with God. Can your faith in Him remain intact? Or can it even grow? In an honest and uplifting conversation Dr. Carol talks with international speaker, Bible teacher, and author Michele Cushatt about simple, surprising, and practical ways to build your faith when your world is falling apart. And then they apply these ideas to what to do when your relationships are what's falling apart. Find Michele Cushatt on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Find Michele's latest book A Faith That Will Not Fail: 10 Practices to Build Up Your Faith When Your World Is Falling Apart Check out Dr. Carol's articles: - How to Experience God's Presence in Your Past Trauma - How to Experience God in Your Tomorrow You can leave Dr. Carol a confidential comment or question here. 

Nothing hurts more than feeling betrayed in your closest personal relationships such as your marriage. Although your story is yours alone, what you're feeling is not unique. Understanding the way your heart has been damaged and what is needed for healing will be a roadmap forward. In today's podcast, Dr. Carol talks with Lyschel Burket, founder of Hope Redefined, a ministry organization helping women take steps toward healing, about her own story of betrayal, the specifics of how she made it through, and what you need to know that will bring you your own healing. Find Lyschel Burket on her Hope Redefined website, Facebook, or Instagram. If you'd like some simple ideas about what to do when you feel you can't talk to anyone, request your free material here. You can leave Dr. Carol a confidential question or comment here. 

Sexual harm and abuse leaves deep wounds and toxic shame, so much so that many find it hard to believe healing is really possible. What's that process like? Is it worth it? How does God bring about that healing? What about if you're too angry with God to even want Him close? Dr. Carol talks with Mary Ann Otley about the many layers of healing her heart had to go through to find wholeness. Maryann shares in detail what it looks like to allow Jesus into the wounded places so He can minister healing. Connect with Mary Ann Otley on her website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find her book Love Triumphs: Rescued from the Deep Wounds and Dark Secrets of Childhood Sexual Abuse Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Develop a Healthy Internal Picture of God To leave a confidential message, or a question for Dr. Carol's upcoming Q&A episode around sex and intimacy, click here.

The key to your freedom is sharing the things you'd prefer to hide, even the dark and ugly things of your sexual story. John Fort, Director of Training for Be Broken Ministries dicusses his sexual story which includes some very dark things that he experienced and also things he did to others. But more importantly, his story is a demonstration of how God has miraculously transformed his story into goodness for others.  In this don't-miss episode you'll hear about the power of sharing your story, finding redemption and why it matters. Connect with Be Broken Ministries, and especially their Family Care Ministry. Find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Youtube. Some of John Fort's books: Honest Talk: A new perspective on talking to your kids about sex, Father-Son Accountability: Integrity Through Relationships, and The Forbidden Scrolls: The Shadow of Black Rock       Get our free 30-day email devotional series Toward Sexual Wholeness Check out our online course Sexpectations    Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here. 

The topic of race relations can be emotionally-charged both in culture and in the church. What if those emotions could be part of the key to bridging the differences we often sense? How can principles of psychology and spiritual formation help us have conversations that make things better? Dr. Veola Vazquez, psychologist, professor, and author, talks with Dr. Carol about scientifically and biblically based ways to have healing conversations about race. And then the two doctors demonstrate such a healing conversation in a very vulnerable and emotional way. You may feel your own emotions stirred up as you listen. Connect with Dr. Veola Vazquez on her website or Twitter Find the book Healing Conversations on Race: Four Key Practices from Scripture and Psychology, and check out all the additional videos and information on this page. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here. 

How did you learn about sex? Was it helpful? Perhaps your sex ed was lacking, or shame-filled, or not based on a Christian worldview. You want something better for your children, but aren't sure how to make that happen. In this conversation Dr. Carol has a challenging conversation with sex educator Kristen Miele. She believes YOU can be the sex ed teacher for your kids. This conversation addresses hard questions your children will certainly face, and you'll find some tools that can equip you to give your kids what they need. Connect with Kristen Miele on the Sex Ed Reclaimed website, Facebook, or Instagram. Check out Dr. Carol's article Parents, Kids, Technology - and Sex