The Best of You
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
October 30, 2025 • 48 mins
When insecurity takes over, most of us double down on self-improvement. But what if freedom doesn’t come from focusing more on yourself - but less?
In this powerful conversation, Dr. Alison and author of Free of Me and Gazing at God, Sharon Hodde Miller, discuss the promises and pitfalls of self-esteem culture - and why a bigger story of belovedness, stewardship, and connection sets us free. We talk about how self-preoccupation d...
Mark as Played
October 23, 2025 • 49 mins
What do you do when relationships feels risky after you’ve been hurt, betrayed, or let down, yet you still crave real connection?
This week, Dr. Alison is joined by speaker, and author Toni Collier, for a powerful and honest conversation about healing through community and learning how to trust again after deep pain.
Toni shares her story of betrayal and loss, and how she discovered the power of safe people - the kind who can ho...
Mark as Played
What do you do when someone you love - whether it’s your kids, a spouse, or a friend - keeps doing the same maddening things?
This week, we’re tackling how to approach the most frustrating dynamics in any relationship. Dr. Alison is joined by award-winning psychologist Dr. J. Stuart Ablon, founder of Think:Kids at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School.
He shares a game-changing mindse...
Mark as Played
October 9, 2025 • 32 mins
What if you weren’t meant to trust blindly, but to trust wisely?
Trust is sacred - and when it’s broken, it’s easy to shut down or swing toward over-trusting. In this episode, Alison explores how to cultivate a steady, discerning trust, one that honors both your boundaries and your desire for connection.
Dr. Alison explores what it means to build wise trust: the kind that’s discerning but still open to love. You’ll learn practica...
Mark as Played
October 9, 2025 • 2 mins
The Best of You Podcast is your weekly space for wholehearted healing and soul-deep growth.
Every Thursday you'll learn from Dr. Alison Cook—a psychologist, author, and former teacher who’s passionate about breaking down complex ideas into simple, practical tools you can use every day.
You’ll find science-backed strategies and spiritual wisdom to help you:
Heal from past wounds
Set healthy, soul-honoring boundaries
Str...
Mark as Played
October 2, 2025 • 55 mins
What do you do when someone’s behavior leaves you feeling small, confused, or constantly on edge?
That uneasy feeling isn’t random, it’s often a signal that something toxic is at play.
The Bible urges us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves - to stay discerning, not naïve, in our relationships. Yet many of us brush off harmful patterns because we want to keep the peace, avoid conflict, or because our empathy and loyalty ...
Mark as Played
September 25, 2025 • 32 mins
Where do you turn when heartache threatens to take over your whole life?
This week, Dr Alison is joined by Amber Smith to talk about her journey from crushing grief to quiet, hard-won hope. Many of you know part of her story: the unthinkable loss of her three-year-old son, River, in 2019.
Together, they talk about the raw reality of grief; how faith can be both anchor and wrestle, how a marriage can survive when each person’s pa...
Mark as Played
When the world feels on fire, how do our souls find rest in God alone?
This week’s two-part episode is close to my heart.
In the wake of recent violence, I first pause to reflect on what it means to choose love in an age when outrage feels easier.
From there, I turn to a conversation with my friend and mentor, Dr. Stephen Macchia. Steve has spent decades guiding people into deeper intimacy with God through practices of silence...
Mark as Played
September 11, 2025 • 48 mins
The world has changed, and raising kids now requires a new kind of courage.
In this encouraging, yet practical episode, Dr. Alison is joined by counselors and best-selling authors Sissy Goff and David Thomas of Daystar Counseling in Nashville.
Together, they discuss why anxiety is showing up earlier and more intensely in children, and how parents can respond with both empathy and practical tools.
Sissy and David share practica...
Mark as Played
September 4, 2025 • 40 mins
In this episode, Dr. Alison is joined by counselor and podcast host Trey Tucker for an honest conversation about the rise of therapy culture online, the pitfalls of over-identifying with a diagnosis, and how parents can help kids build resilience instead of anxiety.
Together, they unpack:
The rise of “TikTok Therapy”—what’s helpful about therapy content online and where it falls short.
Why so many people are tempted to de...
Mark as Played
What does it take to make the church a safer place for women’s voices?
This week Dr. Alison is joined by husband-and-wife therapists Dr. Christy Bauman and Dr. Andrew Bauman, who are doing groundbreaking work at the intersection of women’s stories, embodiment, and spiritual safety.
Together, they offer both prophetic challenge and practical hope for how we can build healthier faith communities.
In the first half of the episode,...
Mark as Played
Have you ever found yourself afraid to feel joy - worried that if you celebrate, the other shoe will inevitably drop?
So many of us quietly hold joy at arm’s length. We tell ourselves it’s safer not to get our hopes up than to risk being let down again. What if joy isn’t a fleeting feeling for the lucky few, but a courageous practice we can all learn?
Dr Alison sits down with therapist and author Nicole Zasowski to talk about her...
Mark as Played
August 14, 2025 • 29 mins
Why do we work so hard to earn the approval of others? And what is it really costing us?
In this candid, practical episode, Dr. Alison tackles one of the most common struggles she hears from so many of you: people pleasing.
You’ll hear powerful voice messages from listeners as she explores the many forms this pattern can take—from avoiding conflict, to saying “yes” when you want to say “no,” to slowly losing sight of who you rea...
Mark as Played
What if what keeps you going is also keeping you stuck?
Does venting actually help, or is it actually making you feel worse?
This powerful, hope-filled conversation might just change your entire approach to rest—it did for me. Cognitive psychologist and neuroscientist Dr. Therese Huston joins me for a conversation that’s incredibly helpful for anyone feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, or stuck in numbing patterns. I’m not ...
Mark as Played
Are you tired of holding it all together for everyone else?
In this deeply personal episode, Dr. Alison explores the hidden ache of emotional caretaking—the quiet ways we overfunction, over-give, and overlook our own needs to keep the peace. Whether it started in childhood or has become a way of coping in adult relationships, many of us have learned to survive by tending to others while slowly disappearing ourselves.
Alison share...
Mark as Played
What does it mean to risk love again—after loss, heartbreak, and the disorientating grief that follows?
In this incredibly tender and powerful conversation, I’m joined by Stephanie Duncan Smith, author of Even After Everything, to talk about the kind of spiritual confusion that often follows personal loss.
Stephanie shares how a painful pregnancy loss just before Christmas reshaped her understanding of God. Together, we expl...
Mark as Played
July 17, 2025 • 46 mins
What if anxiety isn’t something to pray away—or push down—but an invitation to deeper healing?
In this week’s re-air of one of our most downloaded episodes, Dr. Alison sits down with theologian and mental health advocate Curtis Chang about how anxiety can actually become a doorway to your truest self in God.
We explore:
🌿 Curtis's personal journey through debilitating anxiety
🌿 How Jesus himself experienced anxiety—and what...
Mark as Played
July 10, 2025 • 38 mins
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your emotions or stuck in patterns of self-criticism, this episode offers a practical path forward rooted in both psychology and spiritual wisdom.
In this powerful re-air of a foundational episode, Dr. Alison Cook introduces the transformative approach behind Boundaries for Your Soul. Drawing from Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Christian faith, Alison shares how to lead your inner life with cl...
Mark as Played
Is summer leaving you more frazzled than refreshed? Between travel, family gatherings, long days, and shifting routines, summer can test your limits in unexpected ways. If you’re feeling stretched thin, resentful, or just plain exhausted—this episode will be your step by step practical guide to resetting your boundaries.
Backed by recent research and years of experience, Dr. Alison walks you through why boundaries are essential ...
Mark as Played
What if your story—even the complicated parts—could become a doorway to deeper faith?
In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Alison Cook is joined by author and professor Dr. Esau McCaulley, whose journey is a powerful example of how owning your story—even the hard parts—can lead to growth, healing, and deeper purpose.
Together they explore how to reflect on your past with clarity, how to honor your roots while still moving forward,...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com