Love & Life with Dr. Karin & Pastor Elliott

When you want to get to know someone better, you ask them a lot of questions, right?

Maybe not . . .

This week, we pick up on an important point Elliott made last episode about avoiding questions to facilitate effective, authentic communication.

It seems counterintuitive, but we can actually gather MORE information and cultivate DEEPER intimacy by communicating with statements.

So, how exactly do we do ...

Today Elliott and Tim explore the significance of language in relationships and how to avoid potential pitfalls in communication. They discuss how communication styles, gender roles, and temperament influence interactions, especially during conflicts. Elliott shares the importance of using 'we' language to foster unity and understanding in the context of relationships with significant others. 

We hope today’s conversation will empow...

We are joined on today’s episode by Sarah Knott. Sarah has been an avid listener of the podcast and has done counseling with Elliott. She shares with all of us her profound healing journey that started with some physical manifestations but as she explored things deeper found that there were emotional and spiritual elements at play as well.
She is also a mom and her little ones were excited to be on the podcast too! So you may h...

Join us for part two of my conversation with Jenna McCarthy, author of, Yankee Doodle Soup for the Fringy, Tin-Foil Hat Wearing, Conspiracy Theorist’s Soul and The War on Ivermectin with Dr. Pierre Kory.

We process our parallel journies as COVID dissidents —including the lingering trauma so many of us continue to experience (well, maybe me more than Jenna!)

Full disclosure—this episode was a bit of a therapy session for me ☺️. Jenna ...

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 co...

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 behavi...

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 invol...

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 ...

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 t...

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 expl...

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 comorbidit...

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 hus...

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...

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...

Welcome to part 2 of Love & Life LIVE! Elliott and I recently spoke to his Personality Class at Judson University. 

In part 2 of our conversation, we take a deep dive into Dr. Gary Chapman’s 5 Love Languages. We explore the importance of knowing how you and your partner like to give and receive love.

Elliott adds his 2 cents with 2 additional love languages he’s observed during his Elliott’s extensive work with couples 👩‍❤️‍👨.

I...

Welcome to a Love & Life Live! Elliott and I recently spoke to his Personality Class at Judson University and we wanted to share this evening with the Love & Life community.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we focused on the personality of love.

Specifically, we delved into the following:

• What is true love? How do we know when we’re in it?
• How can we find the “Total Package?”
• Why are some relationships s...

The Valentine’s season can be difficult if you’re single and you don’t want to be. We’re wired for intimacy and connection—it’s normal to feel a huge void when we’re waiting to meet our person.

The season can also be rough for couples if your relationship is rocky. You’re supposed to feel all lovey-dovey, but at the moment, you really can’t stand your partner.

Your happily ever after” has turned into disaster.

Ellio...

In today's episode, Dr. Karin and Pastor Elliott tackle a conversation they've been wanting to have for a long time: Toxic Masculinity vs. Toxic Femininity.

We cover the following:

- Defining both toxicities (including A.I.'s definitions...)

- How do these traits present themselves in individuals and within our relationships?

- How does nature vs. nurture impact these traits?

- What role does societal expectations play?

- What's t...

Inauguration Day brings up myriad emotions—either excitement and hope for a bright future or, fear, anger, and disappointment.

What happens when your dearest friends feel the exact opposite emotions?

Tim and I sit down for a few minutes to discuss the inauguration and specifically, the Make America Healthy Again Inaugural Ball which Dan and I attended on the 20th.

We reveled in the hope of RFKJ being nominated as Sec...