Best PhD | Christian Emotional Healing Coach Podcasts (2025)

1
Is it a sin to feel this way? How to process your emotions with God in a way that honors Him 50:36

Play Pause

7d ago50:36

50:36

Many Christian women secretly wonder if their emotions are proof of weak faith - or even sin. In this episode, we unpack the truth about emotions: Why God gave emotions to us How emotions can point us back to Him What it looks like to bring every feeling from joy to anger to sadness into His presence without shame Join Melissa Chan, PhD, Christian …

1
Introduction 1:00

7d ago1:00

1:00

Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes, and follow Melissa on Instagram @melissachancoaching for more encouragement and resources!

1
129 Why Spiritual Directors are Reading "Landscapes of the Soul" 31:08

20d ago31:08

31:08

In this special book launch episode, Geoff interviews Summer Joy Gross about why spiritual directors are reading and recommending Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection. This episode touches on the need to balance between intimacy and independence in spiritua…

1
128 Why Therapists Are Reading "Landscapes of the Soul" (with Monica Mouer, LPCS) 37:09

1M ago37:09

37:09

In this special book launch episode, Geoff interviews Monica Mauer about why therapists are reading Landscapes of the Soul, and how it can help their clients. Monica is a therapist, therapist supervisor, and founder of the Center for Family Transformation. Monica talks about the unique and very helpful terminology used in the book to describe the d…

1
127 Landscapes of the Soul: Chapters 1-2 (read by Cyd Holsclaw) 31:15

1M ago31:15

31:15

Here is an audio snippet of our new book. Description below. Please buy and review. ______ Does it feel like you experience life in a totally different way than others? Like you are living somewhere else, and you can’t build connection or intimacy with God like others can? There’s a good chance that you, like so many of us, have tried it all: read …

1
126 Where it all started: The Shepherd Story (with Cyd Holsclaw) 9:25

1M ago9:25

9:25

In a sense, this is where all the attachment stuff started, with Cyd telling the "Shepherd Story" to our boys during bedtime. Over and over, year by year, she did this little guided meditation with them. She was doing attachment work with the Good Shepherd even before we had language for it. Many listeners and cohort members have asked for a record…

1
125 A Teachable Spirit Among Strangers and Enemies (with A.J. Swoboda) 44:37

1M ago44:37

44:37

Should Christians be teachable, and how can we discipline desire, that’s what we are talking about today, and stories learning to attach more deeply with God. In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, host Geoff Holsclaw welcomes Dr. A.J. Swoboda to discuss the virtue of having a teachable spirit. The conversation explores the challenges of …

1
124 Healing Love & Sacred Attachments: Between Trauma and Transformation (with Michael John Cusick) 41:34

2M ago41:34

41:34

What do you do when the gap between what you believe and what you experience feels insurmountable? Where do you turn when trauma leaves you feeling lost, ashamed, and exhausted, spinning spiritually, but still longing for a relationship with God? In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, Geoff Holsclaw talks with Michael John Cusick about th…

1
123 Why We Gather: The Neuroscience Behind Corporate Worship (with Dr. Joshua Cockanye) 45:03

2M ago45:03

45:03

Is corporate worship just the transfer of information? Or to whip up our emotions into a frenzy? Or does corporate worship do something else? In this episode, host Geoff Holsclaw engages with Reverend Dr. Joshua Cockayne about corporate worship, joint attention in spiritual formation, and perspectives from developmental psychology, attachment theor…

1
122 Constructing Calm: A Guide for Families in a Fast-Paced World (with Sarah Boyd) 37:20

2M ago37:20

37:20

Have you felt overwhelmed and flattened by the sheer amount of noise and distraction in your home, your schedule, and your brain? In our fast-paced culture, is it possible to set up our families and children to thrive? In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, host Geoff welcomes Sarah Boyd, writer, child development expert, and founder of R…

1
121 Evolving Narcissism, Attacks on Empathy, and Raising Up Resilient Churches (with Dr. Chuck DeGroat) 43:27

2M ago43:27

43:27

Is society producing more narcissists, or producing more people susceptible to abuse by narcissists? How has narcissism evolved in our internet age? In this episode, we explore the evolving nature of narcissism in the internet age and its impact on church communities. We discuss the shift from authority-based to algorithm-based influence, the rise …

1
120 The FISH Model: Beyond Modern Impasses to Spiritual and Emotional Health (with Dr. Marcus Warner) 38:31

2M ago38:31

38:31

What are the limitations of our modern approaches to discipleship and spiritual formation? How do our neural pathways connect to our spiritual pathways? Does brain-wiring connect to spiritual warfare? And how does this all connect to our identity in Christ? In this episode of the Attach To God podcast, host Geoff Holsclaw delves into the intersecti…

1
119 Finding Miracles Between Doubt and Joy (with singer-songwriter Andy Squyres) 46:25

3M ago46:25

46:25

In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, host Geoff Holsclaw chats with singer-songwriter and poet Andy Squyres about his faith journey, his time in Santa Cruz, and reconciling disappointment with hope. They discuss his creative process, dealing with grief and deconstruction, and the significance of embracing both doctrinal depth and authen…

1
118 Beyond Discipleship: The Future of Spiritual Formation (with Kyle Strobel) 37:37

3M ago37:37

37:37

What exactly is spiritual formation? Is it similar or different than discipleship? And who is having this conversation about spiritual formation anyway? In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, hosted by Geoff Holsclaw and produced by Embodied Faith, the focus is on spiritual formation—what it is, how it compares to discipleship, and its fu…

1
117 Finding Emotional Health While Helping Other: or, Healing Leadership Trauma (with Sheila and Nicholas Rowe) 50:48

3M ago50:48

50:48

In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, we explore the often overlooked emotional struggles faced by leaders. Our guests are Nicholas and Sheila Wise Rowe. Nicholas Rowe is the Haslin Associate Professor of Leadership at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. And Sheila Wise Row is a seasoned counselor and author (and previous podcast guest)…

1
116 Neurodiversity and Attachment: Bridging the Gap (with Barbara Grant) 40:42

3M ago40:42

40:42

Does neurodiversity impact relational attachments? What does secure and insecure attachment look like for those who aren’t neurotypical? In this episode of the Attachment to God podcast, hosts Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw are joined by Barbara Grant, a specialist in autism and neurodiverse couples coaching. They talk about how neurodiversity impacts rela…

1
115 Anchored in Love: The Center of the Apostle Paul's Theology (with Dr. Nijay Gupta) 51:28

3M ago51:28

51:28

Scholars of the Apostle Paul have long debated the so-called center of Paul’s theology, focusing on themes like justification by faith, reconciliation, union with Christ, and the apocalyptic triumph of God in Christ. But what if love really is the heart of the gospel that he preached? In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, we welcome Nija…

1
114 The Dynamics of Anxiety and Faith (with Steve Cuss) 47:46

4M ago47:46

47:46

In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, hosts Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw welcome Steve Cuss. They delve into the nature of anxiety, different coping mechanisms, and how these dynamics affect relationships, including one's relationship with God. Steve highlights the importance of addressing reactivity, identifying false needs, and fostering sup…

1
113 The Urgency of Grace: Finding Relief in a Worn-Out World (with David Zahl) 33:05

4M ago33:05

33:05

We are all looking for a bit of relief. Some pain relief, relief from stress, the relief of getting the kids off to school or maybe to bed on time. But do we think of God’s grace as the big relief? In this episode, we welcome back David Zahl, of Mockingbird Ministries. David introduces his new book titled The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a …

1
112 Courage to Commit: Why Embracing Religion Still Matters (with Ross Douthat) 45:41

4M ago45:41

45:41

Host Geoff Holsclaw engages with New York Times columnist and author Ross Douthat. They discuss the enduring relevance and shifting perceptions of religion in a scientific and secular age, driven by Douthat’s book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. The conversation navigates the historical impact of new atheism, the existential malaise in y…

1
111 Healing Power of Story: Making Sense of Your Life (with Adam Young) 32:19

4M ago32:19

32:19

Sometimes, when you feel stuck, and overwhelmed, you don’t need more and better information. Sometimes you need to engage your story, to better understand how the past influences the present. That's what we talk about with Adam Young. Adam Young is a therapist who focuses on trauma and abuse, and the host of The Place We Find Ourselves podcast. He …

1
110 Armoring Up, Anxiety, and Finding the Right-Sized God (with Lisa Cuss) 46:47

5M ago46:47

46:47

In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, hosted by Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw of Embodied Faith, licensed therapist Lisa Cuss joins the conversation. Lisa shares her journey from teaching to becoming a therapist, her focus on trauma and attachment-informed modalities, and her work with Capable Life alongside her husband, Steve Cuss. The discuss…

1
109 The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing (with Jonathan Pennington) 44:56

5M ago44:56

44:56

What is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount really about? Is it an out-of-reach spirituality for the really devoted? Is it a practical guide for political action? A reworking of the Old Testament Law? Or an existential treatise on the intentions that guide our actions? What if it outlines the way toward human flourishing? Dr. Jonathan Pennington is a Profes…

1
108 Expressing the Inexpressible: "Hesed" and God's Lovingkindness (with Michael Card) 38:57

5M ago38:57

38:57

God’s true nature is beyond human comprehension. It can never be fully expressed in human words. But Scriptures uses one particular word to describe the distinctiveness of God’s character; this is the Hebrew word hesed. Michael Card is an award-winning musician and performing artist. His many books include Scribbling in the Sand, A Fragile Stone, a…

1
107 The Way of Sorrows as a New Evangelism (for Easter Week) (with Andrew Root) 40:24

5M ago40:24

40:24

This Holy Week, as Jesus, "the man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Is. 53:3), walks toward the cross, we ask what it might be to proclaim this as good news. An older evangelism might ask, Where will you go when you die? But in our age of anxiety and despair, maybe we need to shift to: What do you do with your sorrow as you live? That Jesus …

1
106 Digital Overwhelm in the Workplace (with Craig Mattson) 38:08

5M ago38:08

38:08

Does doing your job need to feel like losing your life? Can your vocation be part of your spiritual formation? Can we survive digital overwhelm? Dr. Craig Mattson is a researcher, teacher, and writer at Calvin University. He’s the editor of The Mode/Switch newsletter and podcast on Substack, both of which decode workplace culture and the strange et…

1
105 Psychedelics and Jesus: What Makes Everything OK? (with Ashley Lande) 46:24

5M ago46:24

46:24

Many spiritual seekers are becoming psychonauts, experimenting with psychedelics. But will that trip lead where we think it will? I had the pleasure of sitting down with Ashley Lande about how her long and winding journey in and their the world of psychedelic experimentation eventually led her to Jesus, the only one who really makes all things OK. …

1
104 Can We Master Our Emotions? Should We? (with Dr. Kevin Chapman) 32:07

6M ago32:07

32:07

Can we master our emotions? Is that healthy? Are emotions a gift from God, or part of our sinful reality? That’s what we are talking about today. Dr. Kevin Chapman is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty in cognitive behavioral therapy. He is the founder and director of the Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. He leads So…

1
(Bonus) 10 Reasons Baseball is Spiritual Formation (with J.R. Briggs) 41:08

6M ago41:08

41:08

Baseball is back. Spring is sprung (depending on where you live). And so we are bringing you the 10 reasons baseball is a mirror for our spiritual formation. And along the way, Geoff and J.R. Briggs share some favorite baseball memories, especially about their first time hanging out in the bleachers at Wigley Field. Here are the reasons, in no part…

1
103 Take What You Need: Soft Words for Hard Days (with Aundi Kolber) 38:01

6M ago38:01

38:01

For when the day is long. When you are afraid. When you don’t know what to say to someone you love. When you feel alone. When you’re questioning everything. When you wonder if God is with you. We are talking with the author ofTry Softer, Aundi Kolber, about her new book, Take What You Need: Soft Words for Hard Days. Aundi Kolber is a licensed profe…

1
102 Redescribing Depression: The antifeeling that is more than sadness (with Dr. John Swinton) 35:08

9M ago35:08

35:08

Is depression a biological and chemical problem? Is it a mental and emotional, or relational problem? Is depression spiritual in nature? As our guest today says, how we describe something is how we see it, and how we see it changes how we respond and act towards it. Dr. John Swinton is Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care and Chair in …

1
101 Forming Leaders and Ministers: Depth, Character, and Spiritual Direction (David Clayton) 46:49

9M ago46:49

46:49

Leaders, pastors, and pioneers of movements are often outward and forward-focused. Often this means leaving the inward life unexplored and ignored. How can leaders tend to the depths within, and how might spiritual directors help in this work? How best can we support and form clergy and leaders? David Clayton is a qualified and experienced Spiritua…

1
100 Attaching to God in the Wild (guest Jeff McMullen) 34:11

10M ago34:11

34:11

What does attaching to God look like in one's personal life, life as a counselor, and life of faith? That's what we are talking about today. Our guest is Jeff (spelling?) McMullen. Jeff is the Executive Director of Life Counseling Center and an Assistant Pastor at Chapelgate Presbyterian Church. As a counselor, he is particularly interested in work…

1
099 Reframing Mental Health: From Fixing a Machine to Fellow Wayfarers (with Dr. Warren Kinghorn) 36:36

10M ago36:36

36:36

While modern psychiatry has improved many patients’ quality of life, it falls short in addressing their relational and spiritual needs? Can we draw on theological wisdom and scientific evidence to reframe our understanding of mental health care? Dr. Warren Kinghorn is a psychiatrist and theological ethicist whose work centers on the role of religio…

1
098 Freedom and Acceptance (Pt. 2) 33:06

10M ago33:06

33:06

"Freedom appears very nearly the only value about which people still agree unanimously," says Jacques Philippe in his little book, Interior Freedom. But how does freedom connect to happiness, love, and our life with God and others? These are the questions this little firecracker of a book examines, and that we talk about in this two-part series. We…

1
097 Confessions of an Amateur Saint (with Mandy Smith) 49:45

11M ago49:45

49:45

Instead of pretending to have it all together or insisting that you’re the problem, do you long to see more Christian leaders be honest about their own faith struggles? What benefit could there be to having a front-row seat to the moments that leaders choose to trust in God, even when it’s hard to believe? Today we have Mandy Smith, pastor and awar…

1
096 The Shape of Joy (with Richard Beck) 31:56

11M ago31:56

31:56

In a world where mental health issues and loneliness are at an all-time high, it’s more important than ever to find ways to cultivate joy, community, and meaning in our lives. But how exactly do you do that? Maybe we need to turn outward rather than inward for answers. That's what we are talking about with Dr. Richard Beck. Dr. Richard Beck is a pr…

1
095 Healing What's Within (with Dr. Chuck DeGroat) 32:24

11M ago32:24

32:24

Like many of us, you carry a weight of buried pain. You feel secretly fractured within. There’s a constant churn of unprocessed feelings of shame, anger, grief, or loneliness. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Chuck DeGroat is the Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality and Executive Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Pr…

1
094 Strange Religion and the First Believers (with Nijay Gupta) 34:22

12M ago34:22

34:22

The first Christians were weird. Just how weird is often lost on us today. The first Christians believed unusual things, worshiped God in strange ways, and lived a unique lifestyle. Many in the ancient world saw it as bizarre, even dangerous, but some found this new religion attractive and compelling Today we are interviewing Dr. Nijay K. Gupta. He…

1
093 Why You Haven't Given Up on the Soul If Speaking About the Brain (Jim Wilder) 38:31

12M ago38:31

38:31

Everyone is talking about slowing down, slow food, a slow life. I have friends who host the “Slow Theology” podcast. But is going slow the best to understand the SOUL? (What does that even mean?) Recently, people like Jim Wilder have been specifically accused to talking too much about the brain, and not even about the soul. So much so that some bel…

1
092 Freedom and Acceptance (Pt. 1) 33:31

12M ago33:31

33:31

"Freedom appears very nearly the only value about which people still agree unanimously," says Jacques Philippe in his little book, Interior Freedom. But how does freedom connect to happiness, love, and our life with God and others? These are the questions this little firecracker of a book examines, and that we talk about in this two-part series. We…

1
091 How A Psychologist Came to Believe in Miracles…and More (Book Conversation) 30:04

1y ago30:04

30:04

Geoff and Cyd talk about the impact of reading Why I Believe: A Psychologist's Thoughts on Suffering, Miracles, Science, and Faith, by Dr. Henry Cloud, specifically... the place of miracles and healing in mental health concerns, how encountering God often precedes evidence for God, and, the power of open systems and God at work in the world. From t…

1
090 Risky Play, Fun, and the Life of Faith 23:04

1y ago23:04

23:04

Why do kids climb trees, run really fast, and spin until they fall over? What is the benefit of risky play? And what does that have to do with attaching to God and our spiritual life? In this episode, we look at the research regarding play and how it connects to attaching to God. Baggage Claim: Don't miss the new segment where we finish by claiming…

1
089: Our Attachment Wounds and God's Promise (with Summer Joy Gross) 35:38

1+ y ago35:38

35:38

Emmanuel—God with us. We have heard this promise of God’s presence. But might our attachment wounds skew, distort, or hinder us from embracing this reality? Do we live as slaves to our attachment strategies rather than as beloved children of God? And how can we learn to do something different in our spiritual lives? Summer Joy Gross is an Anglican …

1
088: Don't Do Nothing about Mental Health in the Church 32:50

1+ y ago32:50

32:50

There is an innate need in all of us to know that there is something more beautiful than the dark places of the world we live in. After two losses within their community just prior to the 2020 pandemic, St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano, TX discerned that God was asking them to go on the offense against the darkness of mental illness. This is th…

1
087: Geoff's Second Half of Life "Crisis" and why the new name 34:56

1+ y ago34:56

34:56

The inaugural episode of season six, and all about "Geoff's Second Half of Life 'Crisis' and why we renamed the podcast" (and note, 'crisis' is in scar quotes). Welcome to Season 6, of what is now called the Attaching to God podcast. We are going to be doing more episodes of just the two of us talking (Cyd and Geoff). But we will also have intervie…

1
086: Non-Toxic Masculinity (with Zachary Wagner) 31:47

1+ y ago31:47

31:47

The problem of toxic masculinity is much bigger than contemporary expressions of Christianity. Mistreatment of women and men dehumanizing others is a feature of human culture fraught with sin. But the church is called to be salt and light, so how can we foster a non-toxic masculinity? Our guest today is Zachary Wagner, a writer, researcher, and min…

1
085: Forming Spiritually Resilient Children (with Dr. Holly Allen) 36:55

1+ y ago36:55

36:55

Many children today are growing up amid adversity, whether brought on by family difficulties or larger societal crises. All children need to be able to deal with stress, cope with challenges, and persevere through disappointments. While we cannot protect children from all hardships, we can promote healthy development that fosters resilience. Our gu…

1
084: Mental Illness or Spiritual Issue? And how they connect (with Dr. Matthew Stanford) 39:07

1+ y ago39:07

39:07

Research tells us that when people suffer from a mental health crisis, the first person they turn to for help is not a physician, a psychiatrist, or a social worker, but a pastor, a priest, or a minister. Unfortunately, many church leaders are not trained to recognize mental illness and don’t know when to refer someone to a mental health profession…

1
083: Does God Hate? Or, Making Sense of God's Emotions (with David Lamb) 37:24

2y ago37:24

37:24

Does God hate? Is God emotional? Emotions feel irrational, impulsive, and problematic for God, especially when we think about hate, jealousy, or sorrow. But the truth is the Bible is full of all sorts of stories that express God expressing emotions. This episode focuses particularly on God and the emotion of hate. Our guest is Dr. David Lamb. He is…