Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

We may believe Jesus can change things. But we either get upset because we can't orchestrate things to make it happen, or get discouraged because it seems He's not doing what we expect. The truth is that everything changes when Jesus shows up! That beautiful moment when Jesus steps in is usually the beginning, and there's much transformation yet for us to experience. But there are elements we can embrace, places we can put ourselves, to make space for Jesus to do His transformative work. Dr. Carol talks about that in this episode, and introduces you to our Dr. Carol Ministries intensives/retreats, where in a small-group setting individuals can experience Jesus showing up in their story and changing everything. Find out more about our Intensives for yourself, or possibly for someone you love and care about. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

In your journey to transformation you will be tempted again. And most followers of Jesus will slip again. It's tempting to fall into a shame spiral. You may think, "I've got to try harder and be more self-disciplined." Or, "It's no use. I'm too far gone. I might as well give up." You find yourself hiding from yourself, others, and from God. In this episode Dr. Carol unpacks how to deal with slips and relapses in your transformation journey. She outlines practical steps to building your escape plan for when you're tempted, and also how to set yourself up for success with lifestyle patterns that lessen your vulnerability to being tempted in the first place. Check out these articles from Dr. Carol: - From Temptation to Triumph: Designing Your Personal Escape Plan - How to Find "Your People" When You Need Help Check out our Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

What's your addiction? What do you go to in order to feel better? Some addictions are dark and especially destructive. Others are less obvious, but nonetheless keep us from living whole, healthy, and in union with God. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with therapist, author, and Episcopal priest Ian Morgan Cron about the path to recovery using the 12 steps toward a "spiritual awakening." This is a picture of the gospel! Ian shares his own story, and then unpacks what it looks like to experience your own journey of recovery, wholeness, and transformation.  Connect with Ian Morgan Cron on his website, his Typology podcast, Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Find Ian's book The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between or the accompanying Workbook. Check out our Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

What are you doing to fill the empty places in your soul? We all do something. And for many, that's porn. But there's nothing too dark, too broken, too marred for Jesus to reach in and set a person free. Joshua Broome is a porn star turned preacher. On this podcast he talks with Dr. Carol about his story of what led him to become one of the most successful adult film stars, and how God brought him along a journey to amazing rescue and healing. And we talk about what porn does to a person, and the process of finding healing and freedom.  Connect with Joshua Broome on his website, Facebook, or Instagram. Find Joshua's book 7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life: What My Journey from Porn Star to Preacher Taught Me About the Truth That Sets Us Free Check out our Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

You've probably realized by now that trying harder doesn't work very long or very well. That may be especially true for those experiencing sexual brokenness. Today's episode is excerpted from a session at the Change(d) Conference 2024 where Dr. Carol was joined by Jonathan Daugherty, founder and president of Be Broken Ministries. He shares his own story, and then a powerful picture of why grace is the only foundation that works, and nine specific aspects of that grace-based transformation journey. Connect with Jonathan Daugherty and Be Broken Ministries at their website, his Pure Sex Radio podcast, Facebook, or Instagram. Get Jonathan's book Grace-Based Transformation Get access to the full Change(d) Conference 2024, including the Q&A with Jonathan Daugherty, and all the other sessions. Check out our Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

Shame seems a certain companion to those who have experienced sexual harm and brokenness. And hurt people end up hurting other people. Those feeling such shame usually also feel like hiding from God. Teresa Whiting had to walk through that in her own journey. She shares about how she found healing, and what it's like to restore one's internal picture of God in this process. And she talks about some engaging and deep resources to help you experience deep healing. Connect with Teresa Whiting on her website or YouTube. Find her book DisGraced: How God Redeems and Restores the BrokenHere's where you can get a free sample of the Graced study. Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

Neither you nor your spouse entered marriage as a blank slate. Most married people don't realize the extent to which the past experiences of both you and your spouse, especially trauma, form the foundation of most of the conflict between you. Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Steve Call, clinical psychologist, author, and graduate professor at the Allender Center, about dealing with the roots defining your marriage. Your past stories can become the fruitful ground from which redemption and true intimacy can grow. Find out more about Dr. Steve Call at the Reconnect Institute, on Facebook, or Instagram. Get the book Steve coauthored with Dr. Dan Allender The Deep-Rooted Marriage: Cultivating Intimacy, Healing, and Delight Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

Do you feel loved? Do you feel loved by God? We are all born looking for love - to be safely attached, seen, and cared for. Our early stories usually mess that up. And for Christians, that usually leads to disruptions between what we "know" about God and our emotional connection with Him. Michael John Cusick, licensed professional counselor, spiritual director, and professor, joins Dr. Carol to talk about love. Weaving in his own traumatic and healed story, they talk about healing and becoming securely attached to God. They address the places where love, intimacy, and sex overlap - or don't, and how God usually works in bringing transformation in these tender places. Connect with Michael John Cusick on his website, at Restoring the Soul, or Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram Find Michael's book Sacred Attachment: Escaping Spiritual Exhaustion and Trusting in Divine Love Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

Dr. Carol believes, as many experts do, that it's a rare person indeed who has not experienced some form of sexual harm, whether obvious and severe, or more subtle and "normalized." You didn't wake up one day and decide to have sexual "issues," and behind your "issues" is almost always some dimension of experiencing sexual harm. In this episode Dr. Carol discusses different categories of sexual harm, the many ways such harm impacts you over the long haul, and three specific and practical steps to take that will bring real and deep healing. Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story with honesty and compassion, find hope and healing from past harm, shame, and brokenness, and experience grace from Jesus as you invite Him into the hard places of your story. Nothing stays the same when Jesus shows up! Get the course now. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here. 

"It's not playing any role!" I hope that's true, but chances are good that porn is affecting your Christian marriage. Approximately 2/3 of Christian men and 1/3 of Christian women admit to a struggle with porn. That statistic holds even when that Christian man or woman gets married. And the impact of porn usually continues long after the actual porn use stops. This episode looks at the multiple ways in which your or your spouse's porn use has affected your marriage, your intimacy, and even your relationship with God. And then we discuss several practical things to do to when you realize how your heart, life, and marriage have been impacted.  Check out our brand new Sexpectations online course. Discover your pathway to sexual wholeness as you explore your sexual story with honesty and compassion, find hope and healing from past harm, shame, and brokenness, and experience grace from Jesus as you invite Him into the hard places of your story. Nothing stays the same when Jesus shows up! Get the course now. Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.