Love & Life with Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott

Elliott and I have been doing a series on trauma—which got me thinking about the thing I’m pretty much always thinking about—COVID.Talk about a traumatizing event!Since we all—as in, the entire world—endured the pandemic, it certainly qualifies as what psychologists call a “collective trauma.”Because we went through it together, right? Well no, we didn’t. The “collective trauma” wasn’t a unifying experience. Some complied with the proclamations from “experts” on high. Others resisted the authoritarianism.The COVID event fractured society and pitted us against each other. Friendships broke down. Family members viewed each other with suspicion and disdain. We should have rallied together, yet we remained—and remain—polarized. How do we heal from “collective trauma” that has so splintered and divided?I’m still trying to figure it all out.To this end, we’re launching a series on COVID trauma.I’m thrilled to introduce our first COVID trauma guest, Jenna McCarthy. She’s the author of Yankee Doodle Soup for the Fringy, Tin Foil Hat-Wearing Conspiracy Theorist’s Soul and The War on Ivermectin:  The Medicine that Saved Millions and Could Have Ended the Pandemic with Dr. Pierre Kory. Jenna shares her COVID journey—and yes, her career tanked and friends turned against her. Oh, and that screenplay she wrote—the one Hollywood producers were so excited about? It got tossed once she publicly challenged “the official” COVID narrative.If, like me, you’re not over COVID—or, even if you are—this episode is for you! Dissidents will feel heard and validated. Those who went along with the program will gain a greater understanding as to why some of your friends and loved ones didn’t.Sponsor:The Wellness CompanyWebsite: ⁠https://www.twc.health/lovelife⁠Code: LOVELIFE for 15% off your order!Jenna McCarthyWebsite: https://jennamccarthy.com/Substack: https://jennasside.rocks/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennamccarthyisback/ X: https://x.com/jennawrites Jenna’s Book - Yankee Doodle Soup: https://yankeedoodlesoup.com/Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott AndersonWebsite: http://loveandlifemedia.com/Substack: https://loveandlifemedia.substack.com/Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBookInstagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

Take charge of your thoughts, take charge of your life! Elliott reminds us to take charge of our words, too!What are you speaking over yourself? Do you talk in defeatist terms? Do you make All-or-Nothing statements?I CAN’T do ___________.This is going to be HORRIBLE!I’ll NEVER be _________.I’ll ALWAYS struggle with __________.Our thoughts matter. Our words matter. They have an impact on our mood, our behavior, and our ability to thrive in love and life!Join us for practical strategies for challenging negativity and victim mentality!

Question:I’m listening to your boundary podcast about family and newlyweds. My husband and I have been married for 6 months and I come from a very close, tight knit family. He from a family who isn’t as close. He is struggling with the involvement my parents have and the constant plans they make to see me and my sister who lives in the same town as me. She has a 1 year old who is the first grand-baby and my parents want to be involved as much as possible. I am struggling trying to find the balance between my family, while putting my marriage first. I told my parents we love them and enjoy spending time with them but we would only like to host occasionally and we may not be able to attend every family plan/event.Join us to hear our thoughts on this difficult situation. Spoiler Alert:  Our listener is on the right track!Sponsor:The Wellness CompanyWebsite: ⁠https://www.twc.health/lovelife⁠Code: LOVELIFE for 15% off your order!Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott AndersonWebsite: http://loveandlifemedia.com/Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBookInstagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

For the last few weeks we’ve been going through a series on Trauma Recovery. How do we heal from trauma? How do we get unstuck and move towards healing? Last week we dove into Dr. Caroline Leaf’s book, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, and we continue the series today with work by trauma recovery expert Bessel van der Kolk. Inspired by Bessel’s work we discuss 3 more additional movements in healing from trauma by expounding on the role of safety, imagination, and synchrony. As always we look at these topics through a mind, body, and spirit lens and hope that you will be equipped and empowered to move through any trauma in your life. Sponsor:The Wellness CompanyWebsite: ⁠https://www.twc.health/lovelife⁠Code: LOVELIFE for 15% off your order!Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott AndersonWebsite: http://loveandlifemedia.com/Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBookInstagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

The recovery process often feels nebulous and unclear. Of course, we want to heal from trauma, but how do we do so?Elliott’s recently been inspired by Dr. Caroline Leaf’s book, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess:  5 Simple, Scientifically Proven Steps to Reduce Anxiety, Stress, and Toxic Thinking. He immediately began introducing Dr. Leaf’s steps to his clients—many of whom are working through trauma.We’ve invited Dr. Leaf to appear on the podcast and we certainly hope we’ll be able to interview her soon.In the meantime, please join us to hear about Dr. Leaf’s 5 steps and how Elliott integrates them into his sessions with individuals and couples. Sponsor:The Wellness CompanyWebsite: ⁠https://www.twc.health/lovelife⁠Code: LOVELIFE for 15% off your order!Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott AndersonWebsite: http://loveandlifemedia.com/Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBookInstagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

Have you ever been through a traumatic moment or event? With decades of experience helping individuals recover from trauma Elliott wanted to share 3 of his perspectives on how we can have a recovery mindset. Specifically, how do we move through the traumas we face throughout our lives? How do we stay present?How do we deal with feeling unsafe?Is it possible to live abundantly despite our traumas? Join us as we explore how these perspectives can help us all navigate through pain, fear, and uncertainty, ultimately leading to emotional and spiritual growth and healing. Sponsor:The Wellness CompanyWebsite: ⁠https://www.twc.health/lovelife⁠Code: LOVELIFE for 15% off your order!Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott AndersonWebsite: http://loveandlifemedia.com/Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBookInstagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

I’m never on Facebook but I hopped on the other day to look at Marketplace.I doom scrolled for just a minute (mistake🤦‍♀️) and saw some posts about the measles outbreak in Texas.Some people were quite concerned. Some got a measles vaccines for the first time since childhood.Others felt the whole thing was overblown. Yes, tragically, a child died. However, we don’t know if he/she had preexisting conditions or comorbidities. Nor do we know if he/she had been vaccinated against measles or received the MMR.We DO know vaccines don’t 100% stop infection or transmission. (See COVID-19 jab for more info . . .) This morning, I received an informative email from Stand for Health Freedom and I wanted to share it with our Love & Life family.Join us for 8 Important Facts you need to know as you make decisions regarding the measles outbreak!Source:https://healthfreedominstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Measles-Fact-Sheet.pdfSponsor:The Wellness CompanyWebsite: ⁠https://www.twc.health/lovelife⁠Code: LOVELIFE for 15% off your order!Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott AndersonWebsite: http://loveandlifemedia.com/Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBookInstagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

Question:What is the best way for a 49-year-old to meet a guy? In person or an app? Cuz it's rough out here!Answer:It’s a jungle out there. I should know. I spent 27 years on the dating scene. I get how frustrating it can be. 😫To address this question, I discuss some strategies that helped me when I was single—ones I talk about in my book, Single is the New Black: Don’t Wear White ‘til it’s Right. I also share how I met my husband through a dating service called It’s Just Lunch. (Hear more about IJL in episode 46 of Love & Life!)Elliott and I offer ways to reframe the frustrating reality of finding yourself out of step with where you hoped to be at a particular age.We also consider ways to utilize dating apps without getting completely burned out.Should you choose to hop on an app, be sure to check out my conversation with Dr. Duana Welch who met her husband on an app. It’s episode 169 of Love & Life (linked below)!Join us for some encouragement and support!Ep. 46 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tired-of-dating-apps-try-its-just-lunch-an/id1183475201?i=1000426094502 Ep. 169 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/science-says-do-this-to-stop-hating-dating-apps-and/id1183475201?i=1000541395131 Sponsor:The Wellness CompanyWebsite: ⁠https://www.twc.health/lovelife⁠Code: LOVELIFE for 15% off your order!Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott AndersonWebsite: http://loveandlifemedia.com/Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBookInstagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

Question:  I met this guy when I was 18 and he was 19. Three years later, I’ve chosen to break it off after realizing that no matter what, my family won’t accept us as a couple. For context, I belong to an ethnoreligious group—marrying outside the faith is frowned upon, as we work to preserve our identity and heritage. He was raised Christian, but he’s not devout.We never met each other's families, I would always be the one to talk about the future, while he just wanted to ''take it day by day.” He never talked about us with his parents or family.I had several conversations with my mother and because I knew my family would never accept him, I decided it would be best to break it off. When we broke up, he started saying we would probably clash in the future since his family attends Christian church and believes in Jesus.We chose to remain friends because we value our hobbies together and have the same interests. However, it is sometimes hard to set boundaries when it comes to romantic feelings. How do I know if I made the right decision? Would it have been a mistake to leave my family, community, religion, and identity for my boyfriend?Answer:Listen to this week’s episode to hear our advice and recommendations for this listener!Sponsor:The Wellness CompanyWebsite: ⁠https://www.twc.health/lovelife⁠Code: LOVELIFE for 15% off your order!Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott AndersonWebsite: http://loveandlifemedia.com/Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBookInstagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson

We all felt the immense pressure to get the COVID vaccine. Many were forced to jab in order to keep their jobs. In some cities, we couldn’t eat in restaurants, buy a cup of coffee, or attend a concert unless we showed proof of vaccination.People rolled up their sleeves. Many regret it because they later learned the “vaccine”prevented neither infection nor transmission. And then there’s the lingering question:  did the spike protein remain in the arm or did it travel throughout the body?One of our listeners fears the spike could continue to negatively impact her health. She asked us for advice. Does Scripture have a word of healing and encouragement for her?Elliott and I discuss some uplifting Bible verses along with strategies from Cognitive Therapy to help her, “take captive every thought to make it obedient to God.” II Corinthians 10:5.We also provide info regarding a Spike Detox supplement from The Wellness Company. If you have any concerns about ridding your body of the spike protein check out our sponsor The Wellness Company below:Sponsor:The Wellness CompanyWebsite: ⁠https://www.twc.health/lovelife⁠Code: LOVELIFE for 15% off your order!Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott AndersonWebsite: http://loveandlifemedia.com/Empowered Dating Playbook: smarturl.it/EmpoweredDatingBookInstagram: @dr.karin | @pastorelliottanderson