Therapy + Theology with Carley Marcouillier

Today’s episode explores the integration of our heart in our journey to being known. As the invitation in Mark 12:30 begins, we are to love the Lord with all our heart, but what exactly does that mean? As we look back to Scripture, we find many invitations to not deny the reality of our hearts, but to bring all our affections, desires, and longings to the One who created them from the beginning. In today’s episode, we will explore the heart as both our center of affection and action, which drives our wills and ways of live. Through interactive self-reflection, we will engage our hearts with the truths of Scripture and begin learning how our hearts, and all they hold within, point us back to the love that God has for us. This is where the heart work begins. Where self-exploration is essential for understanding where our treasure is and how our affections and pursuits are impacting us emotionally and spiritually.  Matthew 6:21 Reflection Questions: What do I value most?  In the last week, what have I been thinking about, dreaming about, desiring and seeking after?  What do I fear losing?  What do I believe in obtaining will bring me fulfillment?  Psalm 139 Reflection Questions: Do I bring my heart to him?  What gets in the way of inviting God into my heart? What if I knew God’s heart for me was kind? What if I starting to understand my affections and desires always bring me back to God and my divine nature?  Invite Him: “Search me oh God and know my heart”…  What has He revealed to me about my heart today?  Resources:  The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner  Emotionally Healthy Spirituality By Pete Scazzero  Beyond Identity by Dick Keyes  To Be Told By Dan Allender  *Being known Podcast  *Places We Find Ourselves Podcast ASK CARLEY!Do you have a question or topic you want to be discussed on a future Q+A episode? Carley would love to hear from you! Record your message here, and Carley just might answer it on the next episode! https://www.speakpipe.com/therapyandtheology FOLLOW T+T on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/therapyandtheologypodcast/FOLLOW CARLEY:Website: https://www.carleymarcouillier.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week on the podcast we are kicking off a new series on self-awareness and its importance in our spiritual formation. We will dive into the importance of self-knowledge as an integral part of knowing and being known by God. In this introduction of the series, we will explore the consequences of leaving the self out of Christianity and discuss the difference between cognitive knowledge and embodied experience that transforms our self-perception and our spiritual development. Grounded in Scripture, we will anchor our study in the development of knowing and being known in each part of our whole self: Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength. Additionally, we will begin this exploration with simple self-reflection and medications from scripture to increase our self-understanding and resource our imaginations.  Resources:  The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner  The Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson  Emotionally Healthy Spirituality By Pete Scazzero  Beyond Identity by Dick Keyes  To Be Told By Dan Allender  *Being known Podcast  *Places We Find Ourselves Podcast  ASK CARLEY!Do you have a question or topic you want to be discussed on a future Q+A episode? Carley would love to hear from you! Record your message here, and Carley just might answer it on the next episode! https://www.speakpipe.com/therapyandtheology FOLLOW T+T on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/therapyandtheologypodcast/FOLLOW CARLEY:Website: https://www.carleymarcouillier.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In the final episode of the sexuality series, I am joined by my friend and ministry partner, Emily Woody. We discuss the topic of singleness and the journey we have both taken in fighting against the messages that idealize marriage and redefining our stories through God’s guidance and faithful community. Emily, who has spent over 20 years in ministry as a single women, shares honestly about the way God has transformed her perspective on singleness and encourages other singles to press into the gift that singleness offers them. Additionally, we process the challenging messages of shame related to singleness, discuss sexual desire as single, and how to pursue authenticity and intimacy as singles in relationships with those around us. We also outline the theology of singleness, as an equal and honorable call in life and not second to marriage. In a world that often leaves singles feeling that they are “too much” or “not enough,” we need to redefine the goodness of singleness and learn to steward it well! More Resources: Sexless in the City by Kat Harris I Don’t Wait Anymore By Grace Thorton   Authentic Human Sexuality by J. and J. Balswick Emotionally Healthy Leadership by Pete Scazzero  Soul of Desire by Curt Thompson ASK CARLEY!Do you have a question or topic you want to be discussed on a future Q+A episode? Carley would love to hear from you! Record your message here, and Carley just might answer it on the next episode! https://www.speakpipe.com/therapyandtheology FOLLOW T+T on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/therapyandtheologypodcast/FOLLOW CARLEY:Website: https://www.carleymarcouillier.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week on the podcast I am joined by fellow podcaster and ministry leader Josh Proctor. We dive into the hot-button topics of our culture and discuss the complexities of navigating the collision of sexuality and faith. Sharing from both personal experience and his professional work, Josh explores his journey of coming to a theology of community and what family looks like in God’s kingdom. Additionally, Josh outlines the theological perspectives of sexuality: Sides X,Y, B, and A. Through our conversation, we will speak to the spiritual formation needs of sexual minorities who are facing the challenges of reconciling their faith and sexuality and provide education to those wanting to know how to better support those in their lives, communities, and churches who fall outside of the normative family system.  For more resources on this topic: Life on Side B Podcast  PostureShift.com The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender  Places We Find Ourselves Authentic Human Sexuality by J. and J. Balswick  People to be Loved by Preston Sprinkle  Embodied by Preston Sprinkle  Gay Girl Good God by Jackie Hill Perry  War of Loves by David Bennet   ASK CARLEY!Do you have a question or topic you want to be discussed on a future Q+A episode? Carley would love to hear from you! Record your message here, and Carley just might answer it on the next episode! https://www.speakpipe.com/therapyandtheology FOLLOW T+T on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/therapyandtheologypodcast/FOLLOW CARLEY:Website: https://www.carleymarcouillier.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In today’s epsiode, I am joined by my pastor, mentor and friend, Brenton Lehman as we tackle the questions surrounding sexuality and a gospel-centered approach to embodied stewardship. We will be exploring the empowerment and liberation of scripture’s depiction of the body as a “temple” of the Lord, discuss a model for navigating the complexities of our current reality with compassion and courage, and lean into the biblical language that forms our sexuality as a soul-centered expression of our relationship to God and others. Additionally, we will outline the 4 forming principles from Authentic Human Sexuality: Covenant over contracts, Grace over shame, empowerment over control, and intimacy over distancing. Our sexuality is a gift, one we are called to affirm as good and steward faithfully.  For more resources on this topic, please see these titles:   -Sexless in the city by Kat Harris  -Redeeming Sex by Debra Hirsch  -Authentic Human Sexuality by J. and J. Balswick  - Unwanted by Jay Stringer  -Sexual Character by Marva Dawn   -Allender Center Podcast -Refined Collective Podcast   - Places We Find Ourselves  New Life Fellowship - Sexual wholeness  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What is the theology of sexuality? In a culture that promotes an “anything goes” mentality to the church that has preached wounding messages about pre-marital sex, we often are left feeling confused, abused, and in many ways unsure of what the Bible actually says about our sexuality and how to embrace our bodies, desires, and attractions as God-given and God-designed. In today’s episode, we will introduce this month’s series by addressing the problems of both the shaming versions of purity culture and the damaging effects of sexualized society. Explore what the Bible actually says about sex, sexuality, and our bodies. And seek to reclaim the goodness of sexuality as we learn how to steward it well in relationship with others.  If you have grown up in the purity movement culture, or have been wounded by the culture’s views on how to define or confine your sexuality, I pray this can be a healing conversation.  For more resources on this topic, please see these titles:   Sexless in the City by Kat Harris  Redeeming Sex by Debra Hirsch  Authentic Human Sexuality by J. Balswick  Unwanted by Jay Stringer  Sexual Character by Marva Dawn  Allender Center Podcast Refined Collective Podcast   The Place We Find Ourselves Podcast New Life Fellowship - Sexual wholeness  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What does it mean to contemplate and why is that an important element of the Sabbath Rhythm? In the final episode of the rhythms over resolutions series, we dive into defining the practice of contemplation and its connection to meditating on God’s goodness and our belovedness. As a central aspect of the Sabbath, contemplation invites us to reflect, think, and meditate on the love of God and who He has created us to be: His beloved children. We will together discuss Henri Nouwen’s Book, Life of the Beloved, and explore the truth of our belovedness and how, through weekly contemplation, we continue to become beloved. Living beloved begins with claiming our chosenness, blessedness, and brokenness, so that we may, like Christ, be given to the World.  Resources:  Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/ Practicingtheway.org  Soulsheperding.com  Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen ASK CARLEY!Do you have a question or topic you want to be discussed on a future Q+A episode? Carley would love to hear from you! Record your message here, and Carley just might answer it on the next episode! https://www.speakpipe.com/therapyandtheology FOLLOW T+T on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/therapyandtheologypodcast/FOLLOW CARLEY:Website: https://www.carleymarcouillier.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

There is often a misconception surrounding the concept of delight. Some would say delight or pleasure is selfish and therefore sinful yet what if it is delight which we were made to experience? In this episode, we continue our discussion on the rhythms of the Sabbath, that God has gifted us and designed us for as his beloved children. We will explore together the distortion of desire and joys that often trip us up from engaging with God in embodied ways. Additionally, in this episode, we will outline the biblical definition of delight and its purpose for our lives, as an invitation to taste and see that the Lord is indeed good! It’s time we learn our way back to the delight and the heart of God for us.  Resources:  Emotionally Healthy Spirituality: https://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/ Ruth Haley Barton - Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest: From Sabbath to Sabbatical and Back Again Practicingtheway.org  Soulsheperding.com  ASK CARLEY!Do you have a question or topic you want to be discussed on a future Q+A episode? Carley would love to hear from you! Record your message here, and Carley just might answer it on the next episode! https://www.speakpipe.com/therapyandtheology FOLLOW T+T on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/therapyandtheologypodcast/FOLLOW CARLEY:Website: https://www.carleymarcouillier.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

What if neediness is actually a blessing? In this second installment of our new years series, we explore the gift of rest and its connection to our design as humans. The difficulty of rest is that we often feel as though we cannot fit it into our lives yet in doing so we deny our design. Through this episode, we reintroduce the conditional invitation to find rest by first acknowledging our needs and allowing them to be our guide home. Undoing the cultural call to do more to be more, we will discover that rest is our birthright, and a rhythm of our divine nature. Additionally, we will explore basic components of practicing REST: Relax, Eliminate, Sleep, and Time. If you are weary, come listen in and be encouraged that your needs are welcome here.  Resources: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Ruthless Elimination of Hurry Practicingtheway.org  Soulsheperding.com ASK CARLEY!Do you have a question or topic you want to be discussed on a future Q+A episode? Carley would love to hear from you! Record your message here, and Carley just might answer it on the next episode! https://www.speakpipe.com/therapyandtheology FOLLOW T+T on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/therapyandtheologypodcast/FOLLOW CARLEY:Website: https://www.carleymarcouillier.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

It’s a New Year, and with that comes a new series to kick 2023 off right - Rhythms Over Resolutions. Over the next four weeks, we will explore the shift from making resolutions to creating rhythms in our lives that help shape us into who we are created to become. Whatever our goals may be for this year, it is essential to go back to the foundational rhythms God has created us for - both rest and work. Yet, in our fast past society, it is hard to find time to stop in a consistent way that benefits our productivity and builds our emotional and spiritual well-being. In this introduction episode, we will explore the common misconceptions surrounding resolution-making, define the biblical invitation to stop as a part of how we were created, and discuss three ways stopping is essential to your success. Resources: Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Ruthless Elimination of Hurry Practicingtheway.org  Soulsheperding.com ASK CARLEY!Do you have a question or topic you want to be discussed on a future Q+A episode? Carley would love to hear from you! Record your message here, and Carley just might answer it on the next episode! https://www.speakpipe.com/therapyandtheology FOLLOW T+T on Instagram!https://www.instagram.com/therapyandtheologypodcast/FOLLOW CARLEY:Website: https://www.carleymarcouillier.com/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.