inRelationship Podcast

Lindsey and Aron discuss God's way that he designed us, which helps us as therapists conceptualize what is happening in front of us (or not happening) in the counseling room.  Visit www.inrelationship.us to learn more about Lindsey and Aron's online courses, marriage workshops and more! 

Lindsey Castleman and Aron Strong launch their first podcast episode caterered to Christian therapists.   As licensed marriage and family therapists and also AAMFT approved supervisors, Lindsey and Aron have a passion to bring their Christian faith and really great therapy together.  Listen in to hear why Lindsey and Aron want to blend neuroscience, attachment science and Biblical principles together for counselors who want to be authentic in the counseling room.  Learn more from Aron and Lindsey at inrelationship.us 

Co-host Lindsey Castleman is joined by many of her friends to discuss the challenges of parenting and finding other "mom friends" to provide the support and love needed to navigate motherhood. 

Jay and Tammy Daughtry continue the conversation about co-parenting and best practices in maintaining the safe connection between the kids and both parents. In the episode, they discuss re-coupling and some of the ten things children and teens of divorce wish their parents would know. Jay and Tammy Daughtry are the founders of Co-Parenting International. https://www.coparentinginternational.com/ https://modernfamilydynamics.com/

Jay and Tammy Daughtry continue the conversation about co-parenting and best practices in maintaining the safe connection between the kids and both parents. In the episode, they mention co-parenting apps that may be helpful: AppClose & OurFamilyWizard. Jay and Tammy Daughtry are the founders of Co-Parenting International https://www.coparentinginternational.com/

In co-parenting, the most important thing is the emotional and mental health of the children.  Jay and Tammy Daughtry join the Lindsey on the podcast as they share tried and true tactics to make co-parenting work for both the parents and the children.  Jay and Tammy are founders of Co-Parenting International  https://www.coparentinginternational.com/

We conclude our conversation with Dr Cindy Goodness Zane on empathy.  Dr Zane also shares the importance of sharing empathy not only with others but also with ourselves.   Tune in to listen!  inrelationship.us

The word empathy can mean so many things to each of us: elusive, hard to grasp, healing, connecting, confusing.  We invited Dr Cindy Goodness Zane, clinical psychologist, therapist and EFT trainer to help us learn more about empathy and what it looks like.  Enjoy part 1 of What is Empathy inrelationship.us

America's pediatrician, Dr Meg Meeker, chats with Lindsey about the relationship between moms and sons.  Dr. Meeker not only has personal experience on the topic, but has dedicated time to research what helps connection between moms and sons.  If you are a mom (or a son), listen in and enjoy the conversation.  inrelationship.us

We have the one and only Dr. Meg Meeker back to finish her important series on the importance of dads and daughters.  If you are a father and you are raising a girl, we encourage you to listen in.  Our goal at inRelationship is that you are a safe place for your daughter and we love that Dr. Meeker is here to share ideas and ways to make that a reality. Meekerparenting.com

What a treat we have today. Dr. Meg Meeker, America's pediatrician, is joining us in a series where we dive in to the importance of dads and moms. In her years of practice, Dr. Meeker has sat in the room with so many kids and their parents and saw how kids needed their moms and dads to show up for them. Listen in as Meg Meeker starts to unpack her research on the importance of dads and what their kids need from them. inRelationship.us

Join us for our final episode with Dr. Curt Thompson, psychiatrist, speaker and author, as he shares with us how our connection with God and others brings health and healing.  Connection, and slowing down to pay attention to it, literally re-wires our brain for the better.  There is power that comes when we build relationships and do this work in the context of community. We pray that this episode speaks to where you are in life, especially in this New Year of 2021 and brings hope and healing.

We all come in to the world looking for someone looking for us.  What can happen to our brain when that doesn't happen for us, and how can we overcome that trauma to re-wire our brain for connection?  Join us on part 3 of our conversation with Dr. Curt Thompson.  We so love his heart and his mind for God and mental health. 

One of our favorite quote comes from pastor Tim Keller when he says: To be loved, but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any difficulty life can throw at us.  Expert psychiatrist, speaker and author, Dr. Curt Thompson, helps us understand how we can be known and how it can lead to healing. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! To learn more about Dr Curt Thompson, visit: https://curtthompsonmd.com/

At inRelationship, one of our favorite books is Anatomy of the Soul. In this book, Dr Curt Thompson integrates new findings in neuroscience and attachment with Christian spirituality. So obviously, we had to invite him to talk with us. And our conversation turned into four episodes!  We hope you enjoy the first episode as Curt shares about faith, neuroscience and the power of repair. Learn more about Dr. Curt Thompson here: https://curtthompsonmd.com/

Did you know that trauma affects the brain? It does!  Special guest Alice Stricklin, LMFT helps us know how trauma is stored in the brain and how the brain wants to heal itself and the trauma with it.  Alice specializes in the therapy called EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and shares how it work together with trauma and the brain.  And truly we have all experienced trauma in some way, whether it is something that happened to us or something that we did not get in a relationship that we needed.   We hope this is healing and hopeful for you to listen to!   To learn more about Alice, visit: www.alicestricklin.com

There are so many forms of trauma, and especially in this time with Covid-19, it is important to know what trauma is and how it can affect your relationships and you.  We invited special guest, Alice Stricklin, LMFT to help educate us not only on trauma, but how to know if you are avoiding trauma, what trauma symptoms can look like in us and how trauma is not only defined in what happened to us, but also what did not happen that should have.  This interview is so fascinating, and we hope you enjoy!  Plus, a special bonus that Alice gives us some practical things to do to help process trauma.   To learn more about Alice, visit: http://www.alicestricklin.com/home

02.13 When the One You Love Wants to Leave with Special Guest Dr. Don Harvey Okay friends, this topic is sad. Yet at the same time, it is a reality in some relationships. There are some relationships where one wants to leave. Don Harvey, Ph.D., LPC-MHSP, sat down with us to talk about his research and experience on what to do (and what he recommends his couples to do) when a relationship gets to this point. We pray this conversation is helpful to those who are in this situation and brings clarity and hope.   To learn more about Dr. Don Harvey, visit: https://www.harveytherapy.com/ To read Dr. Harvey's book on this topic, find it here:  Click for Amazon link To find out more about inRelationship's marriage conferences, visit: inrelationship.us/upcoming-events

As a new year approaches, we wanted everyone to start the New Year with a healthy relationship with money.  A therapists, we know that it is hard to work on matters of the heart when our basic needs (food, lodging, shelter) have not been met. And how do we meet those basic needs? With our finances. We are beyond thankful to have Rachel Cruze with us on this episode as her knowledge and wisdom about personal finances is vast. A best-selling author, speaker and TV show host on finances, Rachel is an expert and so helpful with practical ideas that we all can implement.  Hope you enjoy!

At inRelationship, we love both fact and feeling. It is particularly exciting when research backs up emotion!  Tune in as Kenny Sanderfer, co-author of Created for Connection, shares research with us on what a connected marriage looks like.   We hope you enjoy!   Learn more about Kenny Sanderfer at http://www.marriagefamilyinstitute.org   Learn more about our marriage intensive weekend at www.inrelationship.us/upcoming-events

Accessibility Responsiveness Emotional Engagement These are the three tenants to staying connected in marriage (research has backed this up!). But what do they mean in the context of relationship? Join Mariam and Lindsey as they interview Kenny Sanderfer, licensed therapist, emotionally focused therapy trainer, co-author of Created for Connection (along with Dr. Sue Johnson), and just an all-around awesome guy.  Kenny breaks down not only the three tenants of being connected in marriage, and also how God models these three tenants in His relationship with us. inRelationship has a successful weekend workshop for couples using the Created for Connection material. It is pretty phenomenal. Check it out at inrelationship.us/upcoming-events

Learning about attachment theory, especially as a parent, has been revolutionary for us.  We love to share this view with you as we pray it impacts you and your parenting (no matter how old your children are) in such a positive way!    Listen in as Lindsey, Mariam and Aron walk through the types of attachment that we can bring into relationships: anxious, avoidant and disorganized.    Learn more about Lindsey, Aron and Mariam by visiting inrelationship.us

Let's face it, we get mad at our kid(s). We are human.  And you know what? Being mad is A okay. It is just how we show the frustration to our kids that matter.  Listen in as Aron, Mariam and Lindsey discuss the ways we can slow down in frustrating moments, what frustration does to our brain in the moment, and ways to model healthy frustration to our kids.   We hope you enjoy! And if you have any questions on parenting, please connect with us at inrelationship.us.

Not only can parents get overwhelmed when parenting, but our children can get overwhelmed too. Listen in as Lindsey interviews Dr. Joshua Straub on the importance of floor play, bedtime routine and using emotion words. And especially how important it is for healthy brain development in our children. Dr. Straub is a husband, dad, speaker, author and family & leadership coach.  Learn more about Dr. Straub at https://www.joshuastraub.com/

Let's just be honest. Every child can be challenging at some point.  Mariam, Aron and Lindsey can all raise a hand to testify that we have each been through trying stages as a parent!  When parenting gets challenging, a natural inclination would be to isolate, however it is not what is needed.  Reaching out to others who have been where you are is crucial! This is why we sent out a request to Dr. Joshua Straub, so we could pick his brain and find out what strategies he uses to help overwhelmed parents. Grab your notebook (or just open your notes section in your phone) and jot down those helpful tips that can help any parent!  Enjoy!

Do we need to talk about what happened in the past? Will that really help our marriage today? That is a question we hear over and over in the counseling office. Listen in as we answer that question and give the reasons behind our answer.  For more information on our marriage workshops, counseling and more, visit inrelationship.us

If you are married, dating or engaged, the art of repair is essential to a healthy relationship. And even though it is essential, let us be the first to say, it is DIFFICULT!  Whenever we feel disconnected, distant or upset in our relationship, we are going to move to ways we know how to protect ourselves. Unfortunately, those ways do not always protect the relationship. The antidote? It's repair. Grab a pencil and paper because you are going to want to take notes this episode. And don't forget, we offer a great weekend workshop for couples that teach all about repair in relationship.  Go to inrelationship.us and click on Upcoming Events for more information.

Every marriage has moments of disconnection. For some, they last moments. For some, they last years.  We brought in special guest, Kelly Bourque, to help us realize when we are disconnected in marriage and some questions to ask ourselves about our relationship. Then join Mariam, Aron and Lindsey as we discuss how staying in our head with logic, reasoning and problem solving can create emotional disconnection in ourselves and our relationship. Learn how they work with clients to move from head to heart. To learn more about Kelly, visit: http://www.kellybourque.com/ To learn more about our couples workshops visit: inRelationship.us

Everyone is talking “Health” in January, and we wanted to join in! However, our conversation will not sound like the ads, commercials and messages you are hearing on TV, radio, magazines, etc.  Instead of focusing on only body health, we also look at the whole health of a person (body, mind and Spirit). Some of our discussions include the difference between weight loss and being healthy, how to help our kids have a healthy view of their own body, and Aron shares his own personal journey to health. Tune in because we have invited back special guest, Constance Rhodes, founder of FINDINGbalance and author of “Life Inside the Thin Cage.” inRelationship.us For more information about Constance and her ministry, please visit: https://www.findingbalance.com/

Did you notice we didn't say the word ‘resolution?' There is purpose in that! We have found that most resolutions do not stick. Not only that, we have found that once the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, we do not magically change into a new person who now has the time, ability, will-power to do everything we wished we had done the year prior. So what is the secret to making change stick? Join Lindsey, Aron and Mariam as they discuss this very topic with Constance Rhodes. Constance is the founder and CEO of FINDINGbalance and author of “Life Inside the ‘Thin' Cage.”  Tune in and find some encouragement and direction this new year! Inrelationship.us https://www.findingbalance.com/

We have yet to meet a person that has not wondered if they were moving in the right direction for their life (ourselves included). And for us as Christians, we want to make sure we are guided by the Holy Spirit. Yet, here is where the confusion can happen…..how do we know it is the voice of the Holy Spirit? Join us as we ask this very question to teaching pastor Lloyd Shadrach of Fellowship Bible Church Brentwood and then also answer this question ourselves. Find out more about Fellowship Bible Church Brentwood at https://www.fellowshipbiblechurch.org/brentwood/ Find out more about our marriage workshop + newsletter at inrelationship.us

When thinking about the Holy Spirit, we all ask ourselves great questions like: Who is the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit do? How do we even know He is with us? How do we have a relationship with the Holy Spirit? What does it look like to live by the Spirit? And do you know what we say? Those are excellent questions that we have too! So we called in teaching pastor, Lloyd Shadrach, from Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, TN to bring clarity and understanding.  We really, really enjoyed the conversation with Lloyd and we hope you do too! For more information about Fellowship Bible Church, visit: https://www.fellowshipbiblechurch.org/ For more information about our next marriage event, visit: inrelationship.us

If you look at any longitudinal study on the affects of pornography and marriage, you will find that it does not help a marriage relationship. At all. In fact it hurts it.  But why? Join the inRelationship crew as we interview Dr. Noah Zapf on why and how pornography harms healthy connection.

Research is pretty clear about the negative effects of pornography on having healthy, connected relationships.  As parents in a digital age, how do we approach the topic of pornography with our children?  We brought in expert Dr. Noah Zapf to share with us how our parenting styles, attachment and shame all affect online sexual behaviors.  If you are a parent, you definitely want to listen in. 

Bumble, Tinder, Match.com, eHarmony, coffee meets bagel and so, so many more ways to find a date these days. And with every new dating site, there seems to be new rules that emerge on how to date….however the more we look into these rules, they are usually not made with long, lasting relationships in mind. Join the conversation with Aron Strong, Lindsey Castleman and special guest, Kelly Bourque, LMFT, as they discuss what the new dating rules and which ones to ignore and which ones to pay attention to.

Marriage brings two families together. And when we bring two families together there will be some difficulty…. It is inevitable.  Even look at the royal wedding this year: in-law difficulty was there! No one is immune! Join Aron Strong, Lindsey Castleman and special guest, Kelly Bourque LMFT, as they discuss six ways to have a better relationship with your in-laws.   inrelationship.us  kellybourque.com

If you have ever been in a relationship with anyone at any point of your life, then you will have been met with the need to forgive. Yet, what is forgiveness really? And how do we forgive? Join the inRelationship crew as we invite Pastor Corey Trimble of the Experience Community Church to share his journey with forgiveness, then listen in as Mariam, Aron and Lindsey talk about what forgiveness should and should not look like. We want to encourage you to visit inRelationship.us and download our FREE 30-day devotional for healthier relationships.

There are so many factors that can influence a person's view of God: Biblical interpretations, the way they were parented, the way God was presented to them, whether or not they want to take personal responsibility for their actions, etc, etc.  However, the Gospel is not meant to be complicated, but boy, we can complicate it! This is why we asked Pastor Corey Trimble of the Experience Community Church in Murfreesboro, TN, to sit down with Aron to talk about what it really means to have a personal relationship with God.  Then Mariam and Lindsey join Aron to talk about the beginning of their own relationship with God. We want to invite you to listen in. We would also love to know more about how your relationship with God began. Please leave us a comment at inrelationship.us. Also, if you have any questions about a relationship with God, please feel free to reach out as well.

It's true. You really can create change in your life.  We can completely dismiss the phrase “you can't teach an old dog new tricks” because research and study shows that you can! There are stages of change and our expert Scott Reall, walks us through those stages of change and helps us know what they look like. Also Scott helps us know what kinds of motivators we might see. We pray this episode helps you begin to move from thinking about change to actually experiencing true change for the better. To purchase Scott's book, join a group, be coached by Scott or just to learn more, visit http://www.restoresmallgroups.org/

Have you ever heard of the term “Crowded Loneliness?”  We now have access through social media to know about so many people and allow them to know about us. There are lots of benefits to that, however one drawback is that we are finding more and more people are not in true community. Nor do they know how to be.   Listen in as Scott Reall, founder and executive director of Restore Small Groups, shares how he came to be in true community and why his life's passion is to help others learn how to be truly known by others.   Learn more about Scott Reall and his small group ministry at http://www.restoresmallgroups.org/

Our last bonus episode!!! This special bonus episode highlights what it is like to be an Enneagram type 8, the Protective Challenger.  Beth McCord helps inRelationship host, Lindsey Castleman, express what it is like inside the world of a Protective Challenger…….and if you know type 8s, that is a vulnerable thing to do. And vulnerability can feel really scary. Usually type 8s can come across as intimidating, but there is so much more below that exterior. Listen in on this conversation and let us know your thoughts at inrelationship.us!

Please enjoy the last part of the Enneagram series! So far you have learned 2/3 of the Enneagram and now we have Enneagram expert, Beth McCord back to finish out the descriptions of type 7, 8 and 9. The names for those types are the Entertaining Optimist, Protective Challenger and Peaceful Mediator, respectively. We hope you have enjoyed the series as much as we have and stay tuned for the special bonus episode where Beth coaches the inRelationship team on how to work with Lindsey, who is a type 8 (protective challenger).  We would love to know how this series better helped you relate to yourself and others! Leave us a message at inrelationship.us to tell us!   To learn more about Beth, visit: www.yourenneagramcoach.com To take the free Enneagram assessment, visit: http://www.yourenneagramcoach.com/p/yecassessment   This podcast episode is brought to you by thera-LINK. thera-LINK is an easy to use telehealth and practice management platform for therapists, coaches, and mental health providers. The platform has HIPAA compliant telehealth video, scheduling payment, notes, and file sharing with more new features being added all the time! Visit http://www.thera-link.comand use code inRelationship to get 20% off your first SIX months of service after your free 15-day trial! https://www.thera-link.com/

Bonus Episode!! Yes! The live coaching session with Beth McCord (Enneagram coach, speaker, teacher extraordinaire) is back!  This time we are focusing in on type five (the Investigative Thinker) and Aron (our inRelationship host) is a type five! Beth really opens up our eyes to how to better be in relationship with Aron and those lovely type fives! If you have an Investigative Thinker in your life, you MUST listen because it helps you know what is happening beneath the surface for type fives (especially since they do not typically share ALL that is happening!). Enjoy! If you are in relationship with a type five, would love to know what resonated with you in this podcast.  Comment at inrelationship.us

We hope you enjoyed the first podcast on defining the Enneagram! In this episode Enneagram expert, Beth McCord, shares with us what it is like to be a type 4, type 5 and type 6. The names for those types are the Romantic Individualist, Investigative Thinker and the Loyal Guardian, respectively. Both Beth and Lindsey (inRelationship host) have husband's who are the Loyal Guardians so there was a lot to talk about! Discovering the Enneagram helps us better understand how to relate to not only ourselves, but also to others. Listen in and enjoy this episode. Also, be on the look out for Episode 009b where Beth coaches Aron (inRelationship host) on what it is like to be a type 5 and how we can be inRelationship with the Investigative Thinkers! To learn more about Beth, visit: www.yourenneagramcoach.com To take the free Enneagram assessment, visit: http://www.yourenneagramcoach.com/p/yecassessment For more about inRelationship, visit: inRelationship.us This podcast episode is brought to you by thera-LINK. thera-LINK is an easy to use telehealth and practice management platform for therapists, coaches, and mental health providers. The platform has HIPAA compliant telehealth video, scheduling payment, notes, and file sharing with more new features being added all the time! Visit http://www.thera-link.comand use code inRelationship to get 20% off your first SIX months of service after your free 15-day trial! https://www.thera-link.com/

Bonus Episode!! Sooooo we had a brilliant idea to invite Beth McCord to sit with the three of us for the ending of the podcast episode. What we thought would be a quick 15-minute chat turned into a 30+ minute live Enneagram coaching session. It was amazing (because Beth is amazing!)!  If you like to listen in on people's personal conversations, this bonus episode is for you! Beth starts to coach Mariam and discovers that she was mis-typed! For those of you who can't decide if your Enneagram number is a 2 or a 9, tune on in as Beth pulls back the veil of what it is like to be a type 2 and a type 9. To learn more about Beth, visit: www.yourenneagramcoach.com To take the free Enneagram assessment, visit: http://www.yourenneagramcoach.com/p/yecassessment For more about inRelationship, visit: inRelationship.us

We are all in relationship with someone—friend, spouse, parents, children, co-worker, neighbor, even your grocery cashier---and each relationship feels different because each person is different (whether we like it or not

Once in an abusive relationship, it is hard to find a way out. Especially if a healthy relationship was never modeled for you growing up. Leaving an abusive relationship is scary and needs to be treated with care.  Join Mariam, Aron and Lindsey as they discuss relationships and also tune in as Mariam interviews Amy Alexander, an expert in domestic and sexual violence.  Amy shares her resources of where to get help if you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, as well as how to support someone who is wanting to leave the abusive relationship.  Learn more about inRelationship at inrelationship.us. Also, visit inRelationship.us for resources that Amy mentions in the podcast.  Learn more about Amy and the Refuge Center for Counseling at refugecenter.org.

Our desire to be connected to someone in relationship is powerful. There are times where people use that powerful connection to control others through a dangerous abuse cycle that can leave their loved one confused and hurt.  Join Mariam, Aron and Lindsey as they discuss the difficulty of abuse in relationships and also tune in as Mariam interviews Amy Alexander, an expert in domestic and sexual violence.  Amy shares her knowledge of recognizing abuse in relationships both from her personal story and from her counseling practice.  Learn more about inRelationship at inrelationship.us. Also, visit inRelationship.us for resources that Amy mentions in the podcast.  Learn more about Amy and the Refuge Center for Counseling at refugecenter.org.

Tune in to hear Jen Radler share a personal story about how God made it clear to her that she was supposed to comfort people who were nearing the end of their life, and how He paved a way for her to do this in Kenya. Also listen in to hear Lindsey, Mariam and Aron compare ways people show up for others in grief that have been helpful......and really not helpful.   Special Guest: Jennifer Radler, missionary in Kenya, Africa. Connect with us at inrelationship.us   To find out more and/or support Jen's ministry, visit: www.christianrelieffund.org/giveonline. Under designation, put “other” and in comments write “jen radler, malindi”

Join marriage and family therapists, Aron Strong, Mariam Coaster and Lindsey Castleman as they introduce the brand-new inRelationship podcast! This episode offers tips and insight into why we need to allow both positive and negative emotions into our life--and really uncovers if there is a difference. inRelationship equips people to grow in healthy personal and professional relationships from a Gospel-centered, attachment-based approach.    

Walking in to a brand-new culture includes so many emotions including fear and excitement!  Listen in to hear about several different experiences of living in a new culture and learning how to navigate relationships with people who see the world differently.  Special Guest: Jennifer Radler, missionary in Kenya, Africa Connect with us at inrelationship.us To find out more and/or support Jen's ministry, visit: www.christianrelieffund.org/giveonline. Under designation, put “other” and in comments write “jen radler, malindi”