Alternatives Podcast

Today, we are sitting down with our Board President, Megan Donovan and we are talking about the future of the podcast! Alternatives is in a season of transition and Megan is sharing a bit of what it looks like!

On this week's episode, we are having one of our dear friends, Joan Esquivel share about the start of her pregnancy and parenting journey! She has a powerful story that is sure to bring you hope. If you are pregnant, a parent, or would like to hear one of our patient's stories, give this episode a listen!

On this week's episode of the #alternativespodcast, we are talking about taxes with our friend, Kenny Winter! Kenny is a Financial Consultant and is also on our board! We know this is something that a lot of us have questions about or feel anxious about, so we are grateful for how Kenny breaks this topic down for us and makes it seem less daunting. If you or a friend are feeling stressed about taxes, please give this episode a listen!

Today, we get to have a conversation about social media with our friend Cody Vermillion! Cody has managed many different social media accounts throughout the years and has great things to say about this topic. He shares that our time on social media should result in connection with other people. He also encourages us to be intentional about who we are following and what content we are taking in.

  Today, we have a very special episode on the #alternativespodcast! In our culture that’s so fast paced, time management seems so important. Time management isn’t important because it allows us to do more things, it’s important because it allows us to be more intentional and make time for what’s important to us.   Our guest for this episode is Melissa Winter! Melissa is a coach and has so much good stuff to say about this topic. You will learn and be challenged by her!      

On this week's episode of the podcast, Jeremy Johnson is joining us again, as we talk about 2021. So many of us are wanting the new year to be different than this year. Jeremy talks about how we can grow and set goals in the new year, even if 2021 doesn't go as planned. We hope this episode gives you hope as you dream for next year!

Today on the #alternativespodcast, we are having an encouraging conversation with our friend, Cyndie de Neve! Stress levels seem to be high during the holidays, especially with what we're facing in 2020. Cyndie offers practical steps and ideas to alleviate the stress, so we can spend time doing what is actually important to us. If you're feeling the heaviness of this season, please check this episode out!

We have a very important topic today on the #alternativespodcast! Jon and JoAnn Goodman are joining us for a conversation about how to communicate with family during the holidays. We discuss how communication can help us avoid fights, how to set up boundaries, and why it's important to be intentional with our family in this season.

We are excited because Tammy is taking a sabbatical for some nice R&R with her family and our COO Cana Davidson will be filling in with Hannah! Our guest for today is Juana Jackson and she is talking about how we can keep comparison from stealing our joy. Juana shares how comparison happens when we are inward focused. She also shares how there is beauty in our differences and how we can celebrate those differences. If you are stuck in the comparison cycle, we hope this episode is encouraging for you!

Our special guest for this episode is one of our long time friends, Mariah Andrews and we're talking all things friendship! We talk about why it's important to pick friends wisely, what to look for in a friend, and how to have a lasting friendship! Who we choose to be our friends makes all the difference in our life, so we are excited for you to hear from Mariah!

Our podcast guest for this week’s episode of the #alternativespodcast is one of our favorite friends, Ryan Oliver!!! Today we are talking about how we can be courageous in the midst of fear. One thing that Ryan shared is that when we are afraid, the best thing we can do is focus on the next right thing. We are in some very uncertain times and it’s easy to be nervous, so we are grateful for Ryan’s encouragement. If you know a friend that might be encouraged by this episode, would you consider sending the link to them?

We are bringing Karen Plevyak, our STI Coordinator back on the podcast for this week’s episode of the #alternativespodcast! This is an important topic that Karen makes fun! When it comes to your health, it’s important to look at all aspects of it. Karen breaks this down and shares how we can practically care for each part of our health – It’s a easy as PIE, with a few more s’s. Physiological Intellectual Emotional Social Spiritual

On this week’s episode of the podcast, we get to hear from Vicki Stone! Vicki is telling us about a time when she felt like she hit a wall and all that she knew no longer worked. If you know Vicki, you know this is going to be a great episode!

On this week’s episode of the podcast, we are talking about healing after an abortion. Our guest is one of our board members, Kim Henson! She shares her abortion story with us, as well as what the healing process looked like for her. If you’ve had an abortion, we hope that you feel lighter and encouraged, after listening to this episode.

On this week’s episode of the podcast, we get to hear an adoption story, but from the perspective of the child. Nicole Newby is our guest and she shares what it was like being adopted, what her feelings are towards her birth mom, and kindly answers our many questions about adoption! This is something we don’t really talk about in our culture and we are so grateful to have Nicole sharing this great option for women and men who are facing an unplanned pregnancy!

We are so excited for today’s episode of the podcast because our special guest is our friend, Dennis Keating!  We are talking about when life doesn’t go our way. This is a topic that most of us are familiar with. Dennis gives such a great perspective on this! Disappointment will come and we can grieve when things don’t go our way, but it’s still important to find purpose in each season!

Today’s episode of the podcast is so important! We all have family stories and we have a choice of whether or not we want to repeat them. Our guest is Marilyn Williams and she shares her family story with us and how she found freedom from it… SO POWERFUL! If you are working through generational junk and want something different for your future, please give this episode a listen. Healing IS possible for you.

This week one the podcast, we are talking about something that most of us need to hear in this season! Our sweet friend, Lynette Fuson joins us for a conversation about rest. We are in a hard season and it’s so easy to feel burnt out. If you are feeling this way, this episode will be REFRESHING for you! If you have a friend that’s feeling this way, please share this podcast with them!

Our special guest for today’s episode is one of our long time friends, Allen Robinette! Allen is sharing his story about how he found freedom from a pornography addiction. Allen shares a stat that 80% of men have been addicted to pornography. It is a common struggle in our culture for both men and women and we want to talk about it! This is a heavier topic, but we promise you will be so happy you listened.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Alternatives Podcast! Our special guest for this episode is AMC’s Nurse Manager, Julie Adams!! In this episode, Julie is talking about the importance of having an attitude of gratitude throughout every season that we are in and even gives us a gratitude challenge. After hearing the first few minutes of this episode, you’ll know exactly why we picked Julie to speak on this topic!

This is our FINAL episode of Season 2! Our guests are Chip Whitman and Katie Kirgiss. We’re talking about how to navigate tough family dynamics in the midst of COVID-19. If you or a friend are struggling with this right now, we promise that you will leave this episode feeling empowered to address these problems!

Since Friendship Day is this week, we thought we’d record an episode about friendship and COVID-19! Our guest for today is Seth Redden! We discuss the good in friendship, difficulties of friendship, and importance of friendship, especially in the midst of a pandemic! Seth said it so wonderfully, “Friends double our joy and divide our grief.”

Today on the podcast, we’re having an honest conversation about anxiety! We are so excited because Craig Marshall is returning for another episode! Craig shares that with everyone going on, anxiety is a common response. We dive right into talking about what anxiety is, how to identify it in ourselves, and what to do with it!

We are SO looking forward to this week’s episode because our guests are Beth and Josh Rose! They are sharing what their experience has been like parenting during a pandemic! They are some of the funnest parents we know and we can’t wait for you to hear from them!

Our guests for this episode are Chris and Amy Brown, as well as Tim and Christina Mitchell! COVID-19 has put marriages in a unique situation and our guests are speaking into that. We have newlyweds AND a couple that's been married for 24 years, so there are multiple perspectives for you to hear from. If you are married or have friends that are married, this episode will inform you on how to encourage marriage in this season!

This episode of the podcast is near and dear to us! We know many that had to change their engagement and wedding plans because of COVID-19 and want to have an honest conversation about this. Our special guests for this week are Juliana Robinson and Ryan Lunde!! Juliana and Ryan are sharing how this season looks different than they thought it would. We also discuss the challenges of this time as well as how you can prepare for your future marriage while you plans are changing!

Today's special guest is Mark Childers! To be honest, we laughed through most of this episode. Mark is talking about non-negotiables in life in COVID-19. We learned so much from him and had a blast recording!

Welcome to Season 2 of the Alternatives Podcast! Our guest for this episode is Tammy's daughter, Julianne De Armas! She is a recent college graduate and is sharing what her experience has been like graduating the midst of a pandemic. If you are graduating college or high school and feel disappointed about the way your senior year is ending, please give this episode a listen!

Today's episode is different than what we usually do. Alternatives had a time of encouragement over Zoom for moms in our community and we wanted to share it with you all. There are lots of friends on this call, husbands and kids come in out, the audio could use a little help, but this conversation really gets to the heart of motherhood!

Our dear friend Leslie Salazar-Carrillo from is on sharing her tips for a first date! We talk about what to do with your first date nerves, what to talk about, and how to know if you should go on a second date. Leslie shares the importance of being yourself and using a first date to really get to know someone. We had so much fun recording this episode and know you will have just as much fun listening!

Our friend Assad Saif is on the show this week, sharing some things to consider when you are thinking about furthering your education. The big takeaway is how important it is to be intentional when making this decision. Evaluate where you are, where you want to be, and seek out the best path to get there. Whatever season you're in, you are sure to gain something from Assad’s story!

This week, we were able to sit down with Megan Cataline. Megan is an advocate for children with special needs. We often have a fear of saying the wrong thing to a parent that has a child with special needs, so we don’t say anything at all. Megan talks about this with us as well as the excitement and challenges that come with having a child with special needs. We hope this episode raises awareness and encourages moms and dads in all seasons!

Discussing sex can be uncomfortable, but we think it’s important to talk about! This week, we’re answering the question, “Is a friends with benefits relationships truly beneficial?” Our friend Joe Cole is back and answers this question very candidly. He talks about how sex is more than receiving pleasure, it’s about serving your spouse. We’re grateful for Joe’s willingness to jump into this conversation and go places that are not comfortable!

This week on the podcast, we have the privilege of hearing from a birth mom that selflessly placed her baby for adoption. This mama is Grace Dulaney, the founder of  the Agnus Dei Foundation. We get to hear about her journey of placing her baby and the good that’s come from it. Adoption is a great option, but we don’t have enough people sharing their experience. Grace truly has a powerful story and we are so thankful for her willingness to let others know about it!

It is the final week of Love Month and we are finishing it off strong with a conversation about Red Hot Monogamy. Pam and Bill are back with us! In a previous episode, Pam and Bill shared that one of the best things for a marriage is to keep the sex sizzling. We want you to have a love that lasts and this is part of it! If you are single or have been married for 20 years, we promise you will take something away from this episode!

For week 3 of love month, we are talking about The Secret Language of Successful Couples. Pam and Bill are bringing some serious wisdom to this episode! Often times, relationship advice can seem so complicated. They make it so simple for us by sharing the key needs of each person: Women need to know they are secure Men need to know they are successful By recognizing these key needs, we can build up our significant other by affirming them!

We are back for week 2 of Love Month on the podcast! This week, Pam and Bill are going to be talking about the 10 Best Decisions A Couple Can Make.  Pam and Bill also talk about the different seasons that we walk through and how to leave a legacy as a couple. Lasting love requires intentionality and that’s why these choices are so important!  

February marks the start of our love series! Our guests for this series are Pam and Bill Farrel. They are the founders of Love Wise, an organization that helps others build lasting relationships. This week, we dive into the core differences between men and women. When we aren’t aware of these differences, they can strain our relationships. When we acknowledge and work with those differences, our relationships can grow in unity and make our lives so much more full!

Our guests for this week's episode are Freddy and Traci Keiaho! You might know this couple because Freddy was a linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts! We are talking all things male leadership. There is a stigma in our culture about this topic and we want to address it. We’re talking about what leadership is and how male leaders genuinely love others and look out for the best interest of others. We talk about how this looks at work, but really dive into what this looks like in the context of family.

Our sweet guest is Analisa De Armas! She is the Assistant Director of Hume SD and is giving a little encouragement to all of us on our career journey. She shares her story of starting as a summer counselor, admitting to herself that she loves camp life, to eventually being on the director team. If your life doesn’t look like you had hoped or you don’t know what you want your life to look like, we hope you would give this episode a listen!

Craig Marshall is our guest for today and we are having a conversation about counseling! Craig is the pastor of a local church and is one of our biggest supporters and encouragers. He shares the importance of counseling and what counseling truly is. This is a topic that can sometimes be awkward to discuss, but we’re hoping that our conversation with Craig will remove the stigma and make it seem less intimidating.

Today’s episode is all about finances! We are sharing ways that you can create a budget and get out of debt. Our guests are Jeff and Kelli Warren. They are husband and wife and teach Financial Peace University. They are some of the coolest people we know and go on all of their adventures without taking on debt. Getting your finances on track is a great resolution for the new year and we hope that this episode will share some practical steps for changing your money habits in 2020.

2020 is just around the corner and we wanted to have a conversation about resolutions and setting goals! Our guest is Jeremy Johnson and he talks about the importance of asking, "Why?" when setting goals. It is so hard to stay on track, when you don't care about the goal and asking the why allows you to truly  set goals you want to achieve. 

This week, we are sharing holiday tips for the family on a limited income. The holidays can be expensive and it is so easy to overspend! We are talking all things Christmas with our friend, Ashley Fletcher. Ashley shares insight on traditions, hosting, gift giving, and even traveling. If you are single budgeting for one person or a large family budgeting for ten, Ashley's tips will be helpful this season!

Today, our guest is Stephanie Minnick and we are talking about navigating the holidays while single! Steph shares some of the struggles and joys of being single as well as some fun things to do with friends during the holidays, if you are single. She also shares ways you can include your single friends this holiday season. If you are single, dating, engaged, or married, we promise you will learn something from Stephanie!

Karen, our STI Coordinator is back with us and we are talking about options for the couple that doesn’t want to go on the pill! Birth control can be such a tricky thing to figure out. We know that many people are on the pill, but we also know that it’s not right for everyone. If you have ever wondered if there is another option, this episode is for you! We hope this is a tool for you as you are evaluating all of your options and deciding what the best form of contraception is for you!

Maya was an accomplished student and standout athlete at USD. Her life suddenly changed when she found out she was pregnant. She learned how to make the most out of the situation and see it as a blessing. Here at AMC, we know that everyone will have circumstances in their life that are not going as planned.  Maya is an incredible woman and we know you will be challenged by her tenacity!

Our special guest for today is Gunnar Hanson, also known as the Seal Pastor! However, Gunnar is not talking about his career as a Seal or Pastor. He is sharing his abortion story. We hope Gunnar's experience will encourage you to open up about your previous hurts and find freedom from them!

Today, we are chatting with Christina Mitchell! We are talking about being intentional in dating, specifically with our money. Christina shares her wisdom for couples in all seasons of relationships. We learned so many great things from her and know you will too!

Our special guest for today's episode is Sarah Lanza, the director of the Adoption Center of San Diego. Sarah is passionate about helping women in unplanned pregnancies as well as helping adoptive parents complete their family. Today, she talks about the stigma around  adoption and the many couples that are waiting to adopt a baby. Click here to learn more about the Adoption Center of San Diego!

Join us as we have a real conversation about communication and intimacy in relationships! Whether you are dating, engaged, or married, this is for you. Our guest is a dear friend of ours, Joe Cole. Joe is married with 4 boys and shares the lessons he's learned. He is passionate about helping people in their difficult times and has so much wisdom to offer!