Dr Carol Ministries

The need to belong is deep in our human souls. We are almost always asking, "Am I on the inside? Or on the outside?" Loneliness has strong negative impacts on our physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.

Dr. Carol's conversation with writer, speaker, and podcaster Sarah Westfall will help you navigate your need to belong, and how that comes more from who you are than something you achieve. And they offer insight into how to move closer to both God and others.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/drcarol/Sarah_Westfall.mp3

Finding a marriage mentor may be the best investment you ever make in your relationship. Here are some great questions to ask your marriage mentor.

Ten Things to Ask Your Marriage Mentors - Dr Carol Ministries A marriage mentor may be the best investment you ever make in your relationship. Here are some great questions to ask your marriage mentor.

How do people change? Are you frustrated with lack of change in yourself? You don’t change by trying harder.
Here are three important ingredients that will lead to lasting transformation.

How People Change: Becoming Who You Were Meant to Be - Dr Carol Ministries How do people change? You don’t change by trying harder. Here are three important ingredients that will lead to lasting transformation.

If you like to listen rather than read, if you appreciate convenience, if you enjoy saving money, this is your day!
My publisher has just announced a HUGE savings of 60% on the audiobook version of S*xpectations.
Use this link to save big now: https://bit.ly/4d3CL14

More religious stuff to do. So much performance leads to anxiety and exhaustion. When our attachment to God is insecure, or is based on our own activity and behavior, there's no life.
Anglican priest and spiritual director Summer Joy Gross has walked the journey to become securely attached to God. She talks with Dr. Carol on this episode about how you can do the same. While offering practices that will help you, your biggest takeaway from this conversation is likely to be a deeper desire to be with Jesus.
You'll love this podcast episode.
Listen now: https://traffic.libsyn.com/drcarol/Joy_Gross.mp3

Marriage takes hard work. That’s why it’s even more important to laugh together!
Laughter cements your bond, keeps problems in perspective, and deepens intimacy.

Five Things Laughter Does for Your Marriage - Dr Carol Ministries Marriage is hard. But laughter does wonderful things for your marriage; cements your bond, keeps problems in perspective, deepens intimacy.

Healing after betrayal is hard work, and it takes time. But it is possible! Some thoughts on learning to trust yourself, trust others, and trust God again.

Healing After Betrayal: How to Rebuild Your Life and Move Forward - Dr Carol Ministries Healing after betrayal is hard work, and it takes time. Some thoughts on learning to trust yourself, trust others, and trust God again.

Marriage is hard. And it can be really hard when you face betrayal, neurodiversity, old baggage, emotional deprivation, and more.

Shawna Meek Living Stones Coaching has faced all this, and has chosen to stay married. She talks with Dr. Carol about what helped her stay - and stay sane - in the middle of all the mess. You may or may not make the same choice Shawna has. But regardless, this conversation will help you feel validated and encouraged, and help you persevere regardless of what happens - or doesn't - with your marriage.
Listen here: https://traffic.libsyn.com/drcarol/Shawna_Meek.mp3

Your spiritual transformation will be opposed – by the world, the flesh, and the devil. But that need create no fear or drama. Here’s how to think about spiritual opposition and what to do about it.

How to Stand Firm and Overcome When Facing Spiritual Opposition - Dr Carol Ministries Your spiritual transformation will be opposed. But that need create no fear or drama. Here’s what to do about spiritual opposition you face.

So honored to have this conversation at Focus on the Family with Stacey Sadler LPC, Drew Boa, and Geremy Keeton, about relationships, marriage, trauma, and healing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzT2SefXmdQ

Your journey to wholeness - s*xually and otherwise - will be opposed. That opposition comes from both inside you and from outside you. That opposition includes pressure from the kingdom of darkness. Not everything is spiritual warfare, but understanding this aspect of what you will face helps you be prepared and successful in facing the opposition.

Here I share three specific strategies or things to do in facing spiritual opposition that will help you recognize when you're under spiritual attack, experience true freedom, and build a lifestyle that will maintain your freedom.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/drcarol/Overcoming_Spiritual_Opposition.mp3

Your marriage won’t get to where you want it to go by hoping, controlling, or drifting.
Here’s what it looks like to set a vision for the marriage you want in the future.

What Kind of Marriage Do You Want in the Future? - Dr Carol Ministries You won't get the marriage you want by hoping, controlling, or drifting. Here’s how to set a vision for the marriage you want in the future.

Emotions make a very poor guide or god. But emotions won’t allow themselves to be stuffed indefinitely. Here are some helpful ways to befriend your feelings as a follower of Jesus.

5 Ways to Befriend Your Feelings as a Follower of Jesus - Dr Carol Ministries Your feelings need not control you. Here are several ways to befriend your feelings rather than letting them control you.

We often don’t get what we want and that is often a good thing. Desire—including s*xual desire—can often be in disorder. Today’s follower of Jesus exist at a moment in history when our desires, longings, and wants are being weaponized against us by cultural, spiritual, and relational forces. “Follow your heart” and “You do you” has become our moment’s mantras. The result, for too many, is feeling torn asunder by the raging desires within. What do we do with our desire? What about our unwanted desires? And how do we cultivate desires which bring life and freedom and lead to Christ?

Author and educator, A.J. Swoboda joins the podcast to discuss this and more on this thought provoking segment.
https://traffic.libsyn.com/drcarol/AJ_Swoboda_Desire.mp3

My heart has been heavy about the recent Christian church scandals. Why did I feel so impacted? And more important, where do we go from here?
What's the redemptive but honest way to think about this?
I share some thoughts here:

Response to the recent church scandal. Where do we go from here? Hey friends, I'm going LIVE on my YouTube channel at 5pm central today. I'm going to respond to the most recent Christian church scandal - not to throw mud, ...

What’s your relationship with your body as a Christian? Learn to listen to your body’s messages and then lovingly lead your body in a Christ-honoring way.

Friend or Foe: Embracing the Divine Design in Your Body’s Messages - Dr Carol Ministries What’s your relationship with your body as a Christian? Learn to listen to your body's messages and then lovingly lead your body.

It’s never really about s*x. Matters of the heart and a desire for intimacy are imbedded in humans since creation. But what does that mean if you are married? Or single?
God gave us desire; he gave us this longing … the Greeks called it eros, passion, It’s the deepest desire of our heart. However, our world has hijacked eros, it just sees it as erotic. It has been taken over by a corrupt culture that only sees passion as something that is dirty, sullied, and sinful.
Author and educator, Bill Donaghy, co-author of Rise and lecturer at Theology of the Body Institute joins the podcast to discuss the theology of Eros and more on this thought-provoking episode.
Listen now: https://bit.ly/3VqC3DT

Healing doesn't just happen; healing is a choice!
Here are practical steps to make the choice to heal wherever you need it.

From Hurt to Whole: The Power of Making the Choice to Heal - Dr Carol Ministries Healing doesn't just happen; healing is a choice! Here are practical steps to make the choice to heal wherever you need it.

Your heart is shattered. How can you find healing when you've been wounded by trauma and betrayal? And that process is even more challenging when you brought your past complex trauma into the relationship to begin with.

Trauma expert and counselor Stacey Sadler LPC has both experienced that herself, and now brings years of professional experience to helping both individuals and couples heal from trauma and betrayal. She talks with Dr. Carol on this episode about her own story, about broken attachments, and about the process of repair after trauma and betrayal - both for one's own heart and for the relationship.
Listen here: https://bit.ly/45jlPkk

The mystery of Christ and the church should be the model for marriage and s*x. It’s more about giving than getting, it’s a messy process, and it requires whole-person intimacy.

How Christ and the Church Form the Model for Marriage and S*x - Dr Carol Ministries The mystery of Christ and the church should be the model for marriage and s*x. It’s more about giving than getting, and it takes time.

You WILL be tempted again. So, what’s your escape plan?
You get to determine in advance what you will DO with your body and your mind when temptation comes.

From Temptation to Triumph: Designing Your Personal Escape Plan - Dr Carol Ministries You WILL be tempted again. So, what’s your escape plan? Determine in advance what you will DO with your body and your mind when tempted.

Many who use po*******hy struggle to quit when they try to, even if they deeply believe it's wrong and even while using various tricks and techniques and "praying more". P**n is often seen as the problem, and it is a problem. But what if p**n is the (false) solution being offered to a different "problem".

On this vulnerable and raw episode, I talk with Drew Boa about how he came to see "p**n as my pacifier". They unpack the often-unaddressed issues that lead to po*******hy use. Hear how Drew did the hard and successful work to heal and develop a truly intimate marriage in the process, and how he now helps men find redemption in their s*xuality, and healing and transformation in community.
Listen: https://traffic.libsyn.com/drcarol/Drew_Boa.mp3

Developing a shared vision for your marriage with your spouse will exponentially increase the possibility that you’ll get there. Here are 7 discussion questions that will improve your intimacy.

Seven Discussion Questions that will Improve Your Intimacy - Dr Carol Ministries A shared vision for your marriage will increase the possibility that you’ll get there. Here are 7 discussion questions that will improve your intimacy.

Don’t lose the joy and wonder of mystery by seeking only intellectual knowledge. Transformation, love, and relationship with God are not things to be understood or controlled, but things to be embraced.

Don’t Rob Your Spiritual Life of the Joy and Wonder of Mystery - Dr Carol Ministries Don’t lose the joy and wonder of mystery by seeking only knowledge. Some things you can't understand or control, but just embrace.

Most people know s*x trafficking exists. But you might imagine that's something "out there" and could never affect anyone close to you. And why would someone ever get hooked into that lifestyle? Why don't they just leave?

My guest on this episode is Jasmine Grace Outreach. As a former s*x worker who now helps and advocates for others on the journey out of that lifestyle. Listen here: https://traffic.libsyn.com/drcarol/Jasmine_Grace_Marino.mp3

Because of how deeply it’s built into our human nature, your s*xual story affects your mental health in big ways. Here’s what to do about it:

How Your S*xual Story Affects Your Mental Health - Dr Carol Ministries Because of how deeply it’s built into our human nature, your s*xual story affects your mental health in big ways. Here’s what to do about it.

May is mental health awareness month. It's no secret that mental health issues have become a pandemic in our culture. How can Christians navigate their own mental health in ways that are both effective and consistent with their faith? And what might the Christian church have to offer in the broader mental health arena?

Joe Padilla, licensed and ordained minister, talks with me about the Mental Health Grace Alliance. Listen here: https://traffic.libsyn.com/drcarol/Joe_Padilla.mp3

S*xuality and spiritual formation are more connected that you may think. Becoming whole s*xually requires spiritual formation, and it also illustrates what spiritual formation in any area requires.

5 Ways Your S*xuality Impacts Your Spiritual Formation - Dr Carol Ministries Your s*xuality impacts your spiritual formation. Becoming whole s*xually illustrates what spiritual formation in any area requires.

I was privileged to be on the Minute to Midnight show with Tony Koretz (who has a cool accent by the way), talking about relationships, s*xuality, our need for intimacy, and more.

S*xuality, Relationships, Spirituality. Get the Help You Need! - Dr Carol Tanksley Episode 509 of the A Minute to Midnite Show. Tony is joined by Dr Carol Tanksley who is helping anyone who is willing, to find transformation. Statistics: Tw...

With all the talk in the last few years about "toxic masculinity," what is a real man? Does it have to do with doing "manly" things such as sports or being outdoors? It can't be being "nice;" that's not appealing. What's really at the core of being a man, particularly as God intended?

Author, radio host, and advocate for children's healing Brant Hansen talks with me on this episode about the kind of men, and especially young men, we need. Listen here: https://traffic.libsyn.com/drcarol/Brant_Hansen.mp3