Therapy and Theology
Have you ever looked at a situation you’re facing in utter disbelief and thought, "How will I ever get over this?" Lysa TerKeurst understands. After years of heartbreak and emotional trauma, she realized it’s not about just getting over hard circumstances but learning how to work through what she has walked through. Now, she wants to help you do the same. That’s why Lysa teamed up with her personal, licensed professional counselor, Jim Cress, alongside the Director of Theological Research at Proverbs 31 Ministries, Dr. Joel Muddamalle, to bring you "Therapy & Theology." While Lysa, Jim and Joel do tackle some really hard topics, you’ll soon find they're just three friends having a great conversation and learning from each other along the way.
Episodes
Forgiveness often feels like an unfair gift we have to give to someone who hurt us the most. But what if it's actually God's prescription for the hurting human heart to heal?
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The dangers and costs of unforgiveness.
- How to maintain a soft heart heart when you're scared to get hurt again.
- The difference between forgiveness and reconciliation.
- What to do when you get triggered again.
A specia...
After a life-altering experience like an unwanted divorce, the dust may settle, but your mind keeps racing. Questions like Why wasn’t I enough?, What could I have done differently?, or How did I miss this? spiral on repeat. Without healing and healthy processing, these thoughts turn into faulty beliefs that make moving forward even harder.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Who is a trustworthy source of truth to speak into ...
Divorce is so deeply complex, confusing, and gut-wrenching — especially when you are blindsided by betrayal and left facing a future you never asked for.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why Matthew 19 is often misunderstood and debated, and what Jesus actually meant.
- What the connection is between Old and New Testament teachings on marriage and divorce.
- How to keep refusing shame so you can walk toward deeper healing for yo...
Divorce is a deeply painful experience that often carries layers of shame and confusion, especially for Christians. While we don't want to glorify divorce in anyway, we also don't want people quietly suffering without a place to turn.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What it means to be an image bearer of God — whether you're married or single.
- Why passages of Scripture, like Malachi 2:16, are often misunderstood and how y...
For years, Lysa TerKeurst has walked alongside women who never wanted their marriage to end yet find themselves navigating the grief, shame, and unanswered questions that divorce brings. Now, Lysa, alongside theologian Dr. Joel Muddamalle, Licensed Professional Counselor Jim Cress, and other special guests, offers listeners the emotional fortitude and biblical confidence they need to move forward.
These episodes will espec...
Whether you're parenting biological, foster, or adoptive children or navigating your own healing journey from when you were a child, this conversation is for you.
In this episode with Meredith Brock, Jim Cress, and Bethany Hall, you'll learn how to:
- Recognize your personal triggers and how they affect your parenting style.
- Understand the importance of healing past relational trauma.
- Identify signs of fear or shame resp...
It's one thing to recognize red flags in your relationships. It's another thing to know what to do after that.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Five spectrums to consider when determining how serious a red flag is.
- Guidelines for determining if a particular red flag is something that needs to be confronted or self-managed.
- How to grow in awareness of red flags without getting overwhelmed or scared to get close to others.
Noticing red flags doesn’t make you critical — it makes you wise.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Six red flags to be aware of — whether you're building new relationships or evaluating existing ones.
- How to talk to someone about behavior that concerns you.
- How to best utilize godly discernment as you grow in self-awareness.
Links we mentioned in this episode:
Have you been interacting with someone and concern rises up within you? An unsettledness bubbles up? Your guard goes up, and you start thinking things like: I don’t know if I can trust them. I don’t know if I can believe what they’re saying. Am I safe to share with them?
If so, this first episode in our new season, "Red Flags in Relationships," is for you.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- What a red flag is and what it isn'...
Summertime is a season for sunshine, long days, and making memories with the people closest to us.
But let’s be honest — more time together doesn’t always mean more connection. It could create more tension. And sometimes that’s because we can no longer ignore red flags that are now staring us in the face.
Whether you’re single, dating, married, or navigating complicated family dynamics — we're diving into it all this...
The (sometimes secret) struggle with pornography takes an emotional and spiritual toll on individuals, marriages, and families. It's a multifaceted issue that requires a multifaceted healing plan.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- How pornography affects intimacy, identity, and trust.
- Tools and tactics for having conversations around this topic without fear.
- What to do (and not to do) the moment you discover something.
- Scriptu...
Addiction is a heartbreaking reality that weighs heavy on loved ones who are affected. But when you're navigating something this complex, how can you know the best way forward?
In this episode, you will learn:
- What is considered an addiction and what the Bible says about the root of addiction.
- How to respond to the longings and desires you have without turning to substances.
- The complicated dynamics addiction creates w...
While we don't want to put labels on people, it is important to be aware of certain patterns of behavior. Because the more awareness we have, the better we'll be able to navigate situations we find ourselves in.
In this episode, you will learn:
- The characteristics, signs, and symptoms of narcissism and borderline personality disorder.
- How to draw boundaries and protect yourself from dysfunctional or even dangerous relatio...
Have you ever wondered why you have different reactions with different people in your life? Maybe it's easy to respond to a friend with love and patience but difficult to respond to your spouse without getting angry.
The truth is our character is revealed in how we react. Lysa TerKeurst puts it this way: "Our feelings are indicators, not dictators."
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What the four kinds of reaction types are ...
Lysa TerKeurst says "emotional abuse is sometimes both the most overused and underused term" ... and we couldn't agree more.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- The hidden tactics of emotional abuse: gaslighting and love bombing.
- Why living in extremes in relationships are unhealthy and unsustainable.
- How to "take agency" in yourself and escape dysfunction.
Helpful Links
You cannot be in a healthy, flourishing relationship with someone who refuses to take responsibility for their own issues. This is why the dynamics and roles of the Victim Triangle must be recognized.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What the three roles of the Victim Triangle are.
- How to grow in self-awareness without labeling others.
- Where to insert boundaries if you find yourself in toxicity.
Helpful Links
It's time to get out of the dysfunctional dances and be bravely honest about what you may be experiencing behind closed doors. That's what Lysa TerKeurst, counselor Jim Cress and Dr. Joel Muddamalle want to help you work through this season!
In Season 8 of Therapy & Theology, you'll hear episodes on:
- The victim mentality.
- Love bombing and gaslighting.
- Anger and blaming.
- Narcissism and Borderline Personality Disorder...
Broken trust can make us look at the world with skepticism, resistance and hesitancy. Or broken trust can make us more resilient and brave.
We get to choose how we move forward.
In this episode of Season 7, Lysa, Jim and Joel discuss how we can find the inner strength to move forward, even when broken trust and betrayals have stolen from us.
Related Resources:
- We'd like to thank the American Association of Christia...
When you have experienced heartbreak or betrayal, it’s hard not to fall into thought spirals. You may find yourself bracing for impact as you think: If this worst-case scenario happened in the past, when will something else bad happen again?
But if we’re honest … So many times, we spiral in our thoughts about things we can’t control.
In this episode, Lysa, Jim and Joel will help you see that even when you're spiraling, y...
Can I trust this person? This is a big question, especially after a betrayal has occurred.
The deeper the wound, the longer the repair will take. But not all repairs are equal. You see, there is a difference between wise trust and blind trust. Of course, there is space for grace in relationships, but it shouldn’t be sloppy grace where deceptions and dysfunctions are glossed over.
In this episode, Lysa, Jim and Joel will ...
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