The Best of You
Episodes
Episode 58: Friends on Friendship—How to Find Friends Who Bring out the Best of You with Dr. Curt Thompson, Amy Cella, and Pepper Sweeney
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm so excited to announce our brand-new series, "Friends on Friendships"! Join us over the next 5 weeks as we learn together how to forge transformat...
Episode 57: Should I Turn the Other Cheek? Why It's the Opposite of Being a Doormat & How to Stand Firm in the Face of Gaslighting, Manipulation, and Toxicity
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Phew! Today’s episode gets fiery 🔥🔥🔥! Many of us were taught to “turn the other cheek” as a call to be a doormat or to naively “love ...
Episode 56: Am I Really Supposed to Die to Myself? Misconstrued Messages and How to Disentangle From Them
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We’re hitting hard today on this question “Am I really supposed to die to myself?” So many have been encouraged to misapply the message of self-...
Episode 55: Am I Supposed to Distrust Myself? Why Trusting Yourself is Necessary to Establishing Healthy Relationships With Other People
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're talking all about self-trust—how we develop it, and why it's so crucial to the health of our relationships with other people. We als...
Episode 54: Can I Pray My Anxiety Away? A Surprising Approach to the Anxiety Pandemic & How to Walk Yourself & Your Kids Through It
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s conversation is pure fire! We're talking all things anxiety with Curtis Chang, author of a brand new book, The Anxiety Opportunity. This is ...
Episode 53: StrengthsFinder—How to Claim Your Strengths, Lean On Others & Thrive at Home and Work
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We are talking all about finding our strengths today with my friend, Laura Cootsona, an accomplished coach, consultant, and non-profit executive. She ...
Episode 52: The Enneagram—9 Ways to Uncover the Best (and Worst) of Who You Are, Get Honest With Yourself, & Improve Your Relationships
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What a rich conversation with Enneacast hosts Jesse Eubanks and Lindsey Lewis about the 9 types of the Enneagram! We talk everything from mistyping wo...
Episode 51: The 12 Common Thinking Traps, Mind Reading, Mental Filters, and How To Stop Taking Things Personally
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you catastrophize? struggle with taking a compliment? Are you a mind reader? A minimizer? Or do you tend to take things personally? If you answered...
Episode 50: 9 Types of Intelligence, the Trap of Comparison, and 9 Ways to Connect with God
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're digging into intelligence. And believe me, it's not what you were taught! If you've struggled with comparing yourself to others, feeli...
Episode 49: Personality, the Big Five Traits, and Why Are We So Obsessed With Personality Types?
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week marks the launch of our brand new series, My Favorite Psychology Tools, and we're kicking things off with a deep dive into the fascinating w...
Episode 48: Loving Your Body as a Spiritual Practice, Why the Flesh Isn't the Body, and 3 Heresies We Kind of Believe
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gosh, it can be hard to live in a body, let alone learn to love it. We have so many demands that compete for our attention, not to mention all the mix...
Episode 47: Spiritual Bypassing vs. Embodied Faith & How Not to Harm Those Who Are Hurting, Including Yourself
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, we're kicking off a mini 2-episode series on loving our bodies as a spiritual practice. Today, I dig into the problem of ove...
Episode 46: People Pleasing as Survival, How Jesus Regulated Emotions & the Problem With Toxic Positivity and Spiritual Bypassing with Aundi Kolber
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Phew! Buckle up. Part 2 of my conversation with Aundi Kolber is out today, and it is absolute 🔥🔥🔥! We set aside the script and got real about...
Episode 45: Strong like Water—Finding the Freedom, Safety, & Compassion to Move through Hard Things & Experience True Flourishing with Aundi Kolber
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What an honor to have my friend and fellow therapist, Aundi Kolber on the podcast today! You do not want to miss Part 1 of our two-part conversation...
Episode 44: Why Anger is a Surprising Friend, What Happens When You Avoid It, and How to Create Space for Healthy Expression of Anger in Your Family
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is all about anger. It's an emotion that can do great harm and one that also has great benefits. Whether you thrive on anger or try...
Episode 43: How to Tame Your Inner Critic, Why All Parts are Welcome, and How to Resolve Conflict in Your Relationships
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, I am joined by my friend and co-author of Boundaries for Your Soul, Kimberly Miller, to discuss the almighty inner critic, how to get space fro...
Episode 42: How to Honor Sadness, Set Boundaries with Loneliness, and What to Do When You Don't Have Time for this Work
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You need your pain. Grief makes you real, and disappointment can inspire creativity, change, and growth. Sadness brings texture to the joys we exper...
Episode 41: Boundaries With Fear And Anxiety—How to Calm the Chaos Within and the Joy of Internal Boundaries
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
So many of us live at war with ourselves. We hate our anxiety or battle with fear. We beat ourselves up or try to get rid of these parts of us. But th...
Episode 40: 5 Steps to Healing Painful Emotions & Why Parts of Us Get Stuck in the Past
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever feel like a part of your soul is trapped in the past, holding you back from fully embracing the present and moving forward? Pain, fear, wo...
Episode 39: Boundaries for Your Soul—How to Navigate Your Overwhelming Thoughts & Feelings
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We all need a map to our soul. A way to understand the emotions, the wounds, the areas that feel broken. That's what I love about the Internal Fami...
Episode 38: Taking a Risk on God—How to Stay Standing with Alli Patterson
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the podcast, I'm talking with my friend and teaching pastor at Crossroads Church in Cincinnati, Alli Patterson, about her new book, How to St...
Episode 37: The Problem With Toxic Thinking & How to Name, Tame, and Transform the Messages You Tell Yourself
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're discussing how to detox from the false beliefs that keep us stuck in unhealthy patterns of relating to other people. These hidden messa...
Episode 36: An Update on My Social Media Detox & How to Create Boundaries With Toxic Distractions, Numbing, & Unhealthy Coping Tactics
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is a real-time update on my own social media detox and how what started as a pause revealed a deeper need. I also lay out a practical ...
Episode 35: Change is Hard: Why We All Need to Detox From Unhealthy Dependencies From Time to Time
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we're digging into the hidden dependencies that creep in and keep us from the good things we need. The New Year tends to be a time of hope. We ...
Trailer: 3 Ways to Detox Your Heart, Soul, and Mind: How to Stop Numbing and Start Coming Alive to the Good Things You Need
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This New Year, I'm trying something new: I'm going to respond to your questions as we move through a series. Check out Episode 3: What Is Self-Love An...
Episode 34: Why We Avoid Our Own Power & How God Calls Us to Step Into It
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
So many of us have had negative experiences with power. It feels like something to fear, something bad, or something to avoid all together. But what ...
Episode 33: People Pleasing & Developing Your Own Inner Compass: Thoughts on Depression, Mental Health & the Church, and Finding Hope in Dark Places
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Were you subtly conditioned to please others at the expense of yourself? I loved talking with my friend and fellow therapist, Dr. Monique Gadson, on t...
Episode 32: Productivity and the Never Ending To Do List: How to Stop Hustling & Embrace the Joy of Enough
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you that person who gets the job done, no matter the cost to yourself? You're productive, you bring the results. But sometimes you don't realize h...
Episode 31: Peace-Keeping, Anger Avoidance, and How to Start Using Your Voice
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You want to keep the peace at all costs. The problem is sometimes anger is warranted. Sometimes conflict is needed. What do you do when everything in ...
Episode 30: Protecting What's Good Without Denying What's Hard at the Holidays
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode of The Best of You Podcast is in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, and the holiday season in general. If you're dealing with a mixtur...
Episode 29: Perfectionism and Proving Your Worth: How to Stop Chasing Approval and Start Living the Life You Actually Want
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
OK, buckle up, today's conversation on The Best of You podcast goes deep, and we both get really honest about own struggles. I could have talked with ...
Episode 28: The Pain of Performing For Others and How to Claw Your Way Out with Toni Collier
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode of The Best of You podcast, I’m talking with the wonderful and wise Toni Collier who shares bravely about finding herself stuck...
Episode 27: 7 Ways We Manage Perceptions Instead of Forging Real Connections
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’re kicking off a new series on The Best of You Podcast as we move into the last 2 months of the year. How do you shift from managing the percepti...
Episode 26: Types of "No" Part 2—How to Say "No" to Toxicity, The Real Meaning of Turn the Other Cheek & How to Form a Boundaries Committee
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The Best of You podcast, we're getting into how to say No to toxic behaviors—including practical strategies, scripts, and misconstrued ...
Episode 25: Types of No Part 1—How to Say "No" in Healthy Relationships
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week and next week on The Best of You podcast, we're getting into 3 types of "No"—including practical strategies, and scripts, for how to say N...
Episode 24: Boundaries, the Spectrum of Toxicity, and a Note About Evil
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today on The Best of You podcast, we’re diving into how to discern toxic vs. healthy patterns of behavior. There is no one-size fits all when it com...
Episode 23: Am I wounded or am I sinful?
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today on the podcast, we're diving into this question I keep bumping up against: Am I wounded or am I a sinner? On one hand we go to church, and we’...
Episode 22: How to Build Trust with Yourself
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s podcast we’re talking all about building trust with yourself. This *internal* work is so important to the work of setting healthy e...
Episode 21: Making and Keeping A Promise to Yourself
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today on The Best of You podcast, we're starting a new series on Boundaries and the Bible. And we're starting with what I call the Yes Side of No. So ...
Episode 20: Making Peace with Yourself (& Facing Your Fear of Disappointing Other People)
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes living at peace with other people, means living at peace with disappointing them. It’s incredibly important to balance your responsibility...
Episode 19: My Stroke, A Process of Healing, and How I Began to Write The Best of You
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At the exact moment I began to bring The Best of You to life, I encountered a trauma that would literally knock me off my feet, forcing me to test e...
Episode 18: Selfhood vs. Selfishness
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, we’re talking about selfhood. Many of us have been taught that "self" is bad. But there’s a big difference between selfh...
Episode 17: What is Church Hurt and How do I Heal?
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s podcast episode is all about church hurt. A church is a family—at its best it’s a place to learn about God, a place to heal, and a place...
Episode 16: What are attachment styles and why does it matter?
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s podcast episode is one of your top requests: it’s all about attachment. Be sure to listen to the end for my thoughts on how attachment wou...
Episode 15: CPTSD—The Pain of A Million Paper Cuts
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s podcast episode is packed. Phew! You wanted to talk CPTSD (or complex trauma) so that’s where we’re going, with a side note on trauma & ...
Episode 14: The Fawn Response & The Hidden Root of People Pleasing
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Psychology Buzzwords are back, only this time you picked the topics! This week we're focusing on the 4 Fear Responses, often called Survival Responses...
Episode 13: Criticism, Narcissism, and Boundaries—Dr. Alison Answers Your Questions
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, I’m answering 3 of your questions! All of these questions relate to dealing with our parents as adults: 1. How do you cope...
Episode 12: Overcoming the Pain of Divorce
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Divorce is so rarely discussed yet it touches all of us—whether you've gone through a divorce or love someone who has. That’s why I’m so gratefu...
Episode 11: How to Start Loving Your Body
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you struggle with body image or how to make wise decisions on behalf of what you *actually* want out of your life, please do not miss this episode....
Episode 10: What are limiting beliefs and how do I overcome them?
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is a gold mine of rich, hopeful nuggets for anyone who has struggled to overcome limiting beliefs. My guest, Mary Marantz, is so gentle a...
Episode 9: Hidden Pain and the Power of Facing Your Fear
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation is an absolute gift. Bianca is a powerhouse of wisdom who talks honestly about the hidden pain that both motivated her and almost go...
Episode 8: Overcoming Addiction and Learning to Ask for Help
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We are launching a new series on the podcast this week: Real People Overcoming Real Problems! You do not want to miss this very first episode with a...
Episode 7: Why are boundaries so hard to set?
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The #1 question I get asked about is how to set boundaries. They are so important and so powerful, and yet they are so hard to set. We dive into ...
Episode 6: Do I Really Have an Inner Child? What It Means to Reparent Yourself
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is this “inner child” we see everywhere? Do I really have one? Is this just woo-woo psychology or is there science behind it? Why does it mat...
Episode 5: What is codependency and why does it matter?
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you get so consumed with the needs of others, that you lose sight of your own? Do you struggle with focusing on caring for yourself? There's n...
Episode 4: What do I need to know about trauma?
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Trauma is a bigger player in our lives than you might think. It's the unacknowledged guest at every gathering of humans. And if we could learn to un...
Episode 3: What is self-love and should I really love myself?
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Do you shove yourself aside? Do you think it's selfish to love yourself—or even wrong? Learn practical steps you can take toward improving one...
Bonus Q&A: A Gaslighting Spouse & Narcissistic Parents
17 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this special bonus episode, I answer two of your questions: 1. My spouse used to gaslight me, but has shown meaningful change. I'm still angry. Wha...
Episode 2: What should I know about gaslighting?
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What should I know about gaslighting? In this episode we'll discuss: 1. What is gaslighting? 2. What are some examples of it in real life? 3....
Episode 1. What is narcissism really?
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve heard the word narcissist, but what does it really mean? In this episode we’ll discuss: 1. What narcissism is— how it’s presented in ...
Welcome to The Best Of You!
19 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to The Best Of You podcast with Dr. Alison Cook! This podcast will help you discover what brings out the best of you. It's about helping you ...