Podcasts · Health & Fitness

The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook

300 episodes

Join therapist and author, Dr. Alison Cook, as she guides you through some of your toughest challenges with wisdom, kindness, and grace. Together with friends and experts we'll unpack the best of psychology from a faith-based perspective. You’ll discover how to break free from painful patterns, mend your past, and discover what brings out the best of you.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. The Difference Between Sacrificial Love and Self-Abandonment

    · 10 min

    Today's Scripture: John 15:12–13 Jesus calls us to love sacrificially. But how do you know when you're making a healthy sacrifice for someone you love—and when you're slowly losing yourself in the process? The…

  2. Why You Can't Stop People-Pleasing (Even When You Want To)

    · 9:50

    Today's Scripture: Proverbs 29:25 Have you ever said yes when you wanted to say no—or agreed with someone just to avoid conflict? People-pleasing can become an automatic response, especially when you've learned that…

  3. How to Be Discerning Without Becoming Cynical

    · 8:45

    Today's Scripture: 1 John 4:1–2 How do you become wise about who to trust without growing suspicious of everyone? In a world full of charismatic leaders, confident voices, and competing spiritual claims, John's…

  4. 231: How to Know Who You Can Trust in a Narcissistic Age: Charisma, Character & the Signs of Real Change with Dr. Chuck DeGroat

    · 55 min

    How do you know you can trust someone? In a world where charisma, confidence, and even vulnerability can be carefully performed, knowing who we can trust feels more important than ever. In this powerful conversation,…

  5. 3 Ways to Build Stronger, Healthier Friendships

    · 8:50

    Today's Scripture: Proverbs 27:9, 17 Finding good friends as an adult can be surprisingly difficult. Friendships change, life circumstances shift, and loneliness can creep in even when we're surrounded by people.…

  6. How to Stay Strong When Others Question Your Choices

    · 7:18

    Today's Scripture: Matthew 16:21–23 What happens when someone who genuinely loves you questions a decision you know you need to make? Even Jesus faced resistance from a close friend who wanted to protect him. His…

  7. When You're Not Ready to Act: The Wisdom of Waiting on God

    · 8:27

    Today's Scripture: Psalm 31:14–20 Have you ever been in a painful situation where others are urging you to take action, but something deep within you is telling you to wait? There's a difference between avoiding a…

  8. When Your Mind Turns Against You: How to Resist the Lies

    · 9:02

    Today's Scripture: James 4:7 (listener request) How do you know whether painful thoughts are coming from a wounded part of your soul or from spiritual opposition? When we're caught in cycles of rumination,…

  9. 230. When Rest Isn’t Enough: Dr. Henry Cloud on Burnout, Boundaries, and What Your Soul Needs

    · 52 min

    Have you ever wondered whether you're truly burned out or simply depleted? And what happens when, in the process of meeting everyone else's needs, you lose touch with important parts of yourself? In this episode, Dr.…

  10. What to Do When Someone Insists on Misunderstanding You

    · 9:46

    Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:28-30 (Listener request) Have you ever felt like you're always the one being blamed or misunderstood in your family or relationships? When you're repeatedly cast as the difficult or…

  11. Do You Want to Be Well? When Healing Doesn't Look Like You Expected

    · 10 min

    Today's Scripture: John 5:1-6 Is there an area of your life where you've longed for healing but have almost given up on things changing? Maybe you've prayed, sought help, and tried everything you know to do. Sometimes…

  12. When Your Soul Is Asking for Connection

    · 10 min

    Today's Scripture: Psalm 139:13–16 Have you ever found yourself reaching for your phone, looking for something to eat when you're not hungry, or compulsively checking things off your to-do list? Sometimes these are…

  13. Letting God's Love Reach Every Part of You

    · 7:50

    Today's Scripture: Ephesians 3:14–21 You may know in your head that God loves you. But what does it mean to actually experience that love in the deepest places of who you are? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects…

  14. 229. Why Your Soul Needs Quiet in a Noisy World with John Mark Comer

    · 1 h 02 min

    What happens when we finally get quiet enough to encounter ourselves, God, and what’s underneath all the noise? In this episode, Dr. Alison Cook is joined by former pastor and New York Times bestselling author John…

  15. How to Stop Fighting the Season You’re In

    · 7:21

    Today's Scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1–11 What if the season you’re in isn’t something to escape, but something to name honestly? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on the invitation to recognize the season of life…

  16. Loving Your Inner Enemy

    · 8:40

    Today's Scripture: Luke 10:29–37 What if the part of you you most want to get rid of is also carrying something important? In today’s episode, Dr. Alison reflects on the parable of the Good Samaritan and turns the…

  17. What to Do When Too Many Voices Are Pulling You Apart

    · 11 min

    Today's Scripture: Psalm 86:11 There are so many voices competing for our attention—telling us what to believe, what to fear, who to distrust, and where our loyalty belongs. In today’s episode, Dr. Alison returns to a…

  18. 228. The Surprising Problem With Trying to Be Secure: Attachment, Parts Work & Emotional Honesty with Dr. Marisa G. Franco

    · 48 min

    What happens when trying to be more secure (on the surface) backfires? This week, Dr. Alison talks with Dr. Marisa Franco, about her new book, Worth. They explore a different way to think about anxious and avoidant…

  19. 227. What Trusting God Really Looks Like When You Can’t Control the Outcome with Susie Larson

    · 1 h 01 min

    What happens to your capacity to trust God when life has taught you to brace for disappointment? You may still believe God is good. You may know the Scriptures and have walked with Him for years. And yet there can be…

  20. 226. When Sexual Wounding Shapes Your Story—or Someone You Love: Healing Shame, Trust, and the Body with Dr. Dan Allender

    · 55 min

    Sexual wounding shows up in so many different ways, and it affects so many men and women. Maybe something happened that felt off, invasive, confusing, or inappropriate, but you told yourself it wasn’t a big deal.…

  21. 225. The Cost of Changing Yourself to Fit In—and How to Belong Without Abandoning Yourself with Dr. Patricia Hewlin

    · 57 min

    Have you ever walked into a room and almost automatically started adjusting yourself? Maybe you hold back what you really think. You soften your opinions. You make yourself more agreeable. Not because you’re trying to…

  22. 224. The Feelings You Think a Mom Shouldn’t Have: What to Do With Shame, Resentment, and the Pressure to Get It Right

    · 1 h 00 min

    You love the kids you've been called to care for. You’re grateful most of the time. But sometimes your hidden feelings are still, well.... complicated. You may feel frustrated by how much is asked of you, lonely in…

  23. Why the Loudest Person Isn’t Always the Wisest

    · 9:02

    Today’s Scripture: James 3:13–18 How do you know whether the voice guiding you is actually wisdom—or fear dressed up as certainty, responsibility, or discernment? James gives us a very different way to recognize…

  24. 223. The Hidden Trauma Behind People-Pleasing, Perfectionism & Self-Sufficiency with Sheila Wise-Rowe

    · 44 min

    What if some of the qualities you’ve learned to call “strength” are clues to a wound underneath? You may be responsible, independent, productive, and good at taking care of everyone else. But when those patterns…

  25. When You’re Overthinking the Next Right Step

    · 8:24

    Today’s Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:11–14 What if the next faithful step isn’t as far away as it feels? When fear and uncertainty take over, we can turn discernment into an exhausting search for perfect clarity. But…

  26. When You Try to Repair a Relationship—But They Won’t

    · 9:19

    Today's Scripture: Matthew 5:23-24 (Listener Request) What happens when you genuinely try to make things right—and the other person refuses to participate? Jesus takes reconciliation seriously, but that doesn’t mean…

  27. How to Be Assertive Without Being Harsh

    · 9:22

    Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 25:11–15 What do you do when you need to say something hard—but you don’t want to become harsh in the process? Proverbs gives us a surprising picture of strength: words that are clear and…

  28. When “Love” Is Used to Cover Up Harm

    · 9:23

    Today's Scripture: 1 Peter 4:8–11 (Listener Request) What does Scripture really mean when it says that “love covers over a multitude of sins”? Deep love protects dignity and makes room for mercy—but it also tells the…

  29. 222. Why You Still Feel Insecure—and How to Build a Secure Soul

    · 25 min

    What if being secure doesn’t mean you never second-guess yourself? If you replay conversations, second-guess yourself, worry about how you came across, or compare yourself to other people, you may assume security is…

  30. How to Build a Life in a Place You Didn’t Choose

    · 8:34

    Today's Scripture: Jeremiah 29:4–7 What do you do when your life looks nothing like the one you imagined? Today's scripture is a surprising invitation to stop postponing your life until everything changes, without…

  31. When You Need Friends to Carry Hope for You

    · 8:47

    Today's Scripture: Mark 2:1–12 Sometimes you can pray, hope, and keep moving forward. And sometimes you simply can’t carry it all by yourself. Today's Scripture is powerful picture of what healing can look like in…

  32. When You Need a Safe Place to Run

    · 9:35

    Today's Scripture: Proverbs 18:10 When fear rises, where do you run? We often reach instinctively for overthinking, control, numbing, busyness, or escape. But Scripture gives us another image. Today, we’ll explore…

  33. The Fear Beneath Your Need for Control

    · 8:49

    Today's Scripture: Hebrews 2:14–18 Sometimes fear doesn’t feel like fear. It looks like staying ahead, planning for every possibility, holding people tightly, or never quite letting yourself rest. Hebrews 2 names a…

  34. 221. How Attachment Wounds Shape the Way You Love—and Pray

    · 39 min

    What if the way you pray has more to do with your attachment patterns than you realize? In this episode, Dr. Alison shares how her own prayer life changed as she became more securely attached—and the surprising shift…

  35. You’re Bruised, Not Broken

    · 9:11

    Today's Scripture: Isaiah 42:1–4 Sometimes you’re not falling apart—you’re simply bruised. You’re still functioning and showing up, but certain places inside feel tender, weary, or easily overwhelmed. Today, we’ll…

  36. When You Feel Too Messy to Be Loved

    · 8:45

    Today's Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13 Shame tells you to hide the parts of yourself that feel messy, reactive, needy, or disappointing. But Jesus does the opposite of what we often expect: He moves toward Matthew before…

  37. When You’ve Stopped Expecting Anything Good To Happen

    · 8:49

    Today's Scripture: Psalm 30:1–5 Sometimes the hardest part of a painful season isn’t simply surviving it—it’s discovering that joy still feels far away even after the worst has passed. In Psalm 30, David makes room…

  38. When You Feel Like You Don’t Belong

    · 9:42

    Today's Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:14–26 What do you do when you feel like you don’t belong — or when you’ve learned to protect yourself by pretending you don’t need anyone? Today’s Scripture gives us Paul’s picture…

  39. 220. Is Your Faith Falling Apart—or Growing Deeper? With Ian Morgan Cron

    · 55 min

    What happens when the faith that once held you no longer feels like it can carry the questions you’re asking now? You may still love God. You don’t want to leave your faith behind. But the beliefs, practices, or ways…

  40. When Shame Makes You Feel Like Hiding

    · 9:18

    Today's Scripture: 2 Samuel 9:1–8 What do you do when shame tells you that you are too damaged, too much, or too far behind to belong? Today’s Scripture tells the story of a wounded man who is hiding, and King David’s…

  41. When You’re Afraid God Won’t Be Kind

    · 9:07

    Today's Scripture: Luke 11:9–13 What do you do when you believe God is good, but your body still braces when it’s time to ask him for help? Today’s Scripture speaks to the history beneath our prayers — the early…

  42. When Your Soul Feels Empty and Depleted

    · 9:02

    Today's Scripture: Psalm 107:4–9 What do you do when your soul feels empty, disoriented, or far from anything that feels like home? Today’s Scripture gives language for the part of us that is hungry, thirsty,…

  43. When Spiritual Growth Starts to Feel Like Pressure

    · 11 min

    Today's Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3–8 What do you do when even spiritual growth starts to feel like another standard you’re failing to meet? Today’s Scripture reminds us that growth begins not with deficiency, but with…

  44. 219. Why Rejection Hurts So Much—and How to Stop Abandoning Yourself When It Happens

    · 37 min

    Rejection has a way of feeling bigger than the moment itself. A missed invitation. An unanswered text. A friendship that seems to be slipping away. An opportunity that goes to someone else. Even when we can understand…

  45. How to Start Rebuilding When Something Has Been Broken

    · 10 min

    Today's Scripture: Nehemiah 2:11–18 What do you do when something in your life has been broken for a long time, but rebuilding feels overwhelming? Today’s Scripture shows us that restoration often begins by honestly…

  46. How to Stay Tender Without Being Naive

    · 9:43

    Today's Scripture: Mark 10:13–16 What do you do when being tender, dependent, or open feels risky? Today’s Scripture shows Jesus welcoming the children others tried to push aside — and inviting us to receive the…

  47. What to Do When Pain Makes God Feel Far Away

    · 12 min

    Today's Scripture: Psalm 73:21–28 What do you do when pain, bitterness, fear, or loneliness makes it hard to sense that God is near? Today’s Scripture gives language for the honest ache of feeling disconnected from…

  48. When You’re Exhausted From Proving You’re Good Enough

    · 8:40

    Today's Scripture: Titus 3:3–7 What happens when even your faith begins to feel like another place where you have to prove yourself? Today’s Scripture reminds us that God saves and renews us not because of how well we…

  49. 218. From Panic Attack to Survivor Season 50 Winner: How Aubry Bracco Learned to Trust Herself Again

    · 51 min

    What if the greatest risk isn't failing? What if it's losing yourself while trying to succeed? In this episode, Dr. Alison sits down with Survivor 50 winner Aubry Bracco for a conversation about resilience, identity,…

  50. When Your Pain Is Misunderstood

    · 8:52

    Today's Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:10–18 What do you do when someone misreads your pain and assumes the worst about you? Today’s Scripture introduces us to Hannah, whose anguish is mistaken for wrongdoing even as she is…

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