The Shepherd's Toolbox

The Shepherd's Toolbox

Welcome to The Shepherd's Toolbox, a podcast to equip pastors with clinical counseling skills they can effectively use in ministry. Dr. Lance Flood blends professional training, biblical insight, and practical application to help you care for your congregation with wisdom, confidence, and compassion. New episodes every Tuesday at 6:00 AM CT. For more resources, visit floodlegacy.org

Episodes

February 24, 2026 20 mins

Most pastors want to help people. The problem is they skip the most important step. Before advice, before Scripture, before solutions, people need to feel heard. In this episode, Dr. Flood breaks down the clinical skill of validation, what it actually is, what it isn't, and why it may be the single most healing thing you can offer someone who is hurting.


You'll learn the critical difference between normalizing someone...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

The first five minutes of any counseling conversation determine whether someone will trust you, open up, and actually hear what you have to say. In this episode, Dr. Flood teaches you how to build rapport quickly, set the right tone, and create safety before diving into problems.

You'll learn how to set up your physical environment for vulnerability, greet people in ways that communicate warmth and competence, gather information...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
February 3, 2026 21 mins

Pastors are taught to be available, sacrificial, and servant-hearted, but without boundaries, those good things will destroy you. In this episode, Dr. Flood teaches you how to protect your time, emotional health, and integrity without coming across as cold or uncaring.


You'll learn the three types of boundaries every pastor needs, when dual relationships cross the line, how to recognize when you need to refer someone out, a...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Words only account for 7% of communication. The other 93%? Tone and body language. In this episode, Dr. Flood teaches you how to read what people aren't saying.

You'll learn the basics of body language, how to spot microexpressions that reveal genuine emotion in less than a second, what different types of silence actually mean, and why incongruence between words and body language is where you find the truth. Plus, practical...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
January 20, 2026 20 mins

The first thing someone tells you is almost never the real issue. In this episode, Dr. Flood teaches you how to ask strategic questions that move people from surface-level statements to deeper truth.

You'll learn the five types of questions every pastor needs, how to get past the first answer, and why the question behind the question is where the real counseling work happens. Plus, practical tools for working with clients who g...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Pastors are trained to teach, preach, and fix problems, but very few are trained to actually listen. In this episode, Dr. Flood breaks down what active listening really is, why nodding and waiting to talk does not count, and how rushing to solutions quietly shuts people down instead of helping them heal.


You will learn the three components of active listening, how reflective listening works in real counseling conversations, and ...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Pastors are expected to counsel everyone, but most have never been trained how to do empathy without drowning in it. In this inaugural episode, Dr. Lance Flood breaks down the difference between empathy and sympathy, introduces the three components of clinical empathy, and gives you five practical tools for being fully present without being fully consumed.


You'll learn about the empathy window, recognize the red flags of com...

Listen
Watch
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

    Stuff You Should Know

    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 Joe Rogan Experience

    The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.

  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • AdChoicesAd Choices