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In Her Image: Finding Heavenly Mother in Scripture, Scholarship, the Arts, & Everyday Life
In this episode, Valerie Hamaker discusses the complexities of navigating faith and relationships, particularly in mixed belief marriages. The conversation explores how couples can build understanding and connection amidst differing beliefs, the role of fear in these dynamics, and practical tools for compassionate dialogue. Valerie emphasizes the importance of recognizing underlying feelings, fostering open communication, and creating a values-based family environment. The episode concludes with hopeful examples of couples who have successfully navigated their faith journeys together, highlighting the potential for growth and deeper intimacy and connection through the wrestles.Valerie's courses that were mentioned in the episode:Becoming Values-Based Parents: https://valerie-hamaker-s-school1.teachable.com/p/mixed-faith-parenting-in-the-lds-faithMastering Mixed-Faith Family Life https://valerie-hamaker-s-school1.teachable.com/p/mastering-the-complex-multi-directional-dynamics-of-mixed-faith-family-lifeThe Growth-Oriented Marriage https://valerie-hamaker-s-school1.teachable.com/p/growth-oriented-marriageValerie's podcast, Latter Day Struggles, can be found at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/latter-day-struggles/id1612326898Instagram: @latterdaystrugglespodcast We hope you'll join us and the In Her Image community at patreon.com/InHerImagePodcast
My guest today is Valerie Hamaker, a licensed mental health professional and co-host of the popular Latter Day Struggles podcast—a show focused on helping individuals, especially members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, navigate the emotional and spiritual challenges that arise from complex church history and theology. Recently, Valerie and her husband Nathan were summoned to appear before a membership disciplinary council—a process that often results in excommunication. Instead of participating, they chose to resign their membership. The way they've been treated by their local leaders—what I'd call a clear attempt at silencing—feels not only confusing and unsettling, but also symptomatic of deeper cracks within the structure and institution of the LDS Church. CONTACT VALERIE Instagram -https://shorturl.at/RSFs6 Facebook - https://shorturl.at/QXSXb Website - https://valeriehamaker.com/ Email - admin@latterdaystruggles.com #TheMormonChurch #MissouriMormons #LDSFaithCrisis #Mormon #LDSChurch #FaithCrisis #TruthCrisis #ExMo #Scrupulocity #Patriarchy #CantUnsee #LatterDayStruggles #DoAllTheThings #FaithTransition #NuancedMormon #FollowTheProphet #AtLastSheSaidIt
In Her Image: Finding Heavenly Mother in Scripture, Scholarship, the Arts, & Everyday Life
In this episode of the In Her Image podcast, host Jessica Woodbury and guest Valerie Hamaker explore the complexities of a faith journey, particularly in relation to the awakening to the Divine Feminine. They discuss the emotional landscape that accompanies this journey, including feelings of isolation, confusion, and empowerment. Valerie shares her insights on the impact of patriarchy on spiritual understanding and the importance of community support in navigating these transitions. The conversation emphasizes the need for self-discovery, differentiation, and the healing power of embracing the feminine divine.
This week, Dialogue Journal Podcast is highlighting an impactful episode from Latter Day Struggles: A Faith Expansion Podcast with Valerie Hamaker and Nathan Hamaker, part of the Dialogue Podcast Network. In Part 4 of their… The post DPN Featured Episode: Latter Day Struggles – A Story of LDS Faith Expansion & Marital Resilience (Part 4) appeared first on Dialogue Journal.
This week, Dialogue Journal Podcast is highlighting an impactful episode from Latter Day Struggles: A Faith Expansion Podcast with Valerie Hamaker and Nathan Hamaker, part of the Dialogue Podcast Network. In Part 4 of their… The post DPN Featured Episode: Latter Day Struggles – A Story of LDS Faith Expansion & Marital Resilience (Part 4) appeared first on Dialogue Journal.
There are some topics that seem to surface again and again in our ALSSI conversations: love, fear, self, change, and patriarchy, to name a few. In Episode 203, Cynthia and Susan are joined by Valerie Hamaker for a conversation that touches on these themes and others as we discuss evolving faith.
Meet Valerie Hamaker, therapist, educator, podcaster, learner, lover of truth, healing, laugher, movement, and people. Valerie hosts faith expansion support groups, one of which I joined 2 years ago, which provide a place for openness and dialogue for those interested in developing spiritual and psychological agency. She addresses challenging and important topics within the LDS faith tradition that many people struggle with but are too afraid to talk about. She does this through firmly but respectfully questioning anything that seems to cause shame, suffering, and struggle for individuals, couples and families. Connect with Valerie on Instagram: @latterdaystrugglespodcast Also, she has a group starting now -first of November with limited spaces available. Go here for more info: valeriehamaker.com/latter-day-struggles/support-groups/ _______________________________________________ For ways to work with me including the "Determine Your Values Guide" GO HERE: https://paperbell.me/meagan-skidmore Special offer for Fall 2024: Pay-what-you-can coaching session: https://app.paperbell.com/checkout/packages/103462. Please help the podcast grow by following, leaving a 5 star review on Spotify or Apple podcasts and sharing with friends. Learn more about me at https://meaganskidmorecoaching.com. Beyond the Shadow of Doubt™ is a proud member of the Dialogue Podcast Network found at DialogueJournal.com/podcasts, part of the Dialogue Journal, founded by Mormon writer, teacher and scholar, Eugene England. Hopeful Spaces, a monthly support group facilitated by Meagan Skidmore Coaching, is a Dallas Hope Charities component of Hopeful Discussions sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA. Send an email to chc@dallashopecharities.org to join.
We have decided to share with you 2-3 sessions from our recent Restore gathering to give you a taste of what took place during this amazing weekend. Last week we shared Joseph Grenny's incredible message. It was an instant classic. . Today, we're honored to bring you another really special moment from Restore. In a powerful, unflinching, and faithful presentation, our friend and community leader Neylan McBaine addressed an “elephant in the room” that so often goes unnamed: our experience with patriarchy in our faith communities. We think it's important to note that many members don't necessarily experience patriarchy as a big problem, but many do, so our hope is that what Neylan shares here can offer new understanding and illustrate the frustration and pain that many women, perhaps especially younger women, experience in our patriarchal church organization. In 2014, Neylan published her book Women at Church. In this address, she looks back at the decade since the book's release and explores the tension between the way many women experience Church and a deep commitment to our faith and community. It's an invitation to wrestle with complexity, to hold space for discomfort, and explore how we can do better in bringing womens gifts more fully into the body of Christ.We also want to mention that there is a part 2 of this conversation where Neylan is joined by therapist and podcaster Valerie Hamaker. Valerie offered insights into the empowering inner work of differentiation—how women can hold on to our spiritual authority while also staying engaged in the community we love. It's the practical application part of this session. That part two will be available as part of the digital access to Restore which you still can get digital tickets to at faithmatters.org/restore. As always, we encourage you to watch these episodes on the Faith Matters Youtube channel to get the full experience. Make sure to go to youtube and subscribe. We truly hope you find as much wisdom and inspiration in this conversation as we did. And with that, we'll hand it over to Neylan McBaine at Restore.
In the first episode of this enlightening four-part series on Latter Day Struggles, host Valerie Hamaker welcomes back esteemed LDS theologian Fiona Givens. Together, they delve into the development of various atonement theologies and their… The post DPN Featured Episode: Latter Day Struggles: Exploring Eastern and Western Atonement appeared first on Dialogue Journal.
In the first episode of this enlightening four-part series on Latter Day Struggles, host Valerie Hamaker welcomes back esteemed LDS theologian Fiona Givens. Together, they delve into the development of various atonement theologies and their… The post DPN Featured Episode: Latter Day Struggles: Exploring Eastern and Western Atonement appeared first on Dialogue Journal.
In the first episode of this enlightening four-part series on Latter Day Struggles, host Valerie Hamaker welcomes back esteemed LDS theologian Fiona Givens. Together, they delve into the development of various atonement theologies and their… The post DPN Featured Episode: Latter Day Struggles: Exploring Eastern and Western Atonement appeared first on Dialogue Journal.
Today, we're thrilled to welcome therapist and podcaster Valerie Hamaker.In his book Falling Upward, Franciscan priest Richard Rohr uses the metaphor of a container to elaborate on what he calls “the two halves of life.” The first half of life, he says, is for building the structure of the container; the second is for filling it and sharing from it. This concept has been foundational for us in our faith journey over the last 10 years, and today with Valerie, we delved into how everyone's faith evolves over time, the necessity of structure and identity in early faith development, and the importance of embracing complexity, depth, and paradox as we grow.One of the tricky parts about faith evolution is that not everyone's faith evolves in the same way; and because so many of us have built our lives on or around our faith, it can be hard when we see loved ones' and family members' beliefs diverge significantly from our own, in any direction. This is a real area of expertise for Valerie in her own practice, and we found her insights on managing complex relationships and spiritual growth super helpful—she helped us see that genuine curiosity can be crucial in navigating complex conversations around beliefs, and explained why we can, and should, let go of any belief that engenders fear. Valerie is a licensed therapist specializing in marriage and couples work. She owns a private counseling practice in Kansas City, Missouri, and is the host of the Latter Day Struggles Podcast, where she helps Latter-Day Saints understand and navigate their spiritual growth.This conversation is packed with practical advice for anyone experiencing or supporting others through faith transitions. We hope you find Valerie's insights as enlightening and encouraging as we did. And with that, we'll jump right into this conversation with Valerie Hamaker.Note: the research Valerie refers to in this interview was done by Liz Macdonald.
Does devotion always require walking uphill? What's the difference between good-hard and bad-hard? Do some Church members see the difficulty of a thing as a measure of the righteousness it requires? Has “more suffering and sacrifice” somehow come to mean “higher and holier” in the LDS narrative? In Episode 182, Valerie Hamaker of Latter-day Struggles podcast joins Susan and Cynthia to discuss these questions and more as they unpack the notion that harder is better when it comes to living our faith.
This bonus episode of the podcast is for anyone who is wanting to step back from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while also protecting their mental health. Listen as fellow LDS therapist Valerie Hamaker and I share insight on important topics like why people choose to leave the LDS Church after a faith transition and how to develop the crucial skill of setting boundaries.Stepping back? How to Leave in a Psychologically Healthy WayIf you choose to leave and want to protect your mental health, Valerie and I are hosting a discussion series just for you. This 4-week Q&A discussion series will help you find clarity, set boundaries, maintain relationships, and build community.The discussion covers potential challenges such as navigating changes in relationships with family and the larger community, managing internalized beliefs and fears, and the grief that accompanies leaving one's spiritual community. Each hour session is held remotely via Zoom. Spots are extremely limited, so don't wait to sign up.Four hour-long sessions with two therapists is an absolute steal of a deal. While this series is valued at $2,000, you can sign up today for only $169.Stepping back from the Church? Join us hereHave you ever thought, “I want to ask Dr. Julie Hanks a question”? Well, now's your chance! I want to have you on my podcast! Click here to fill out this form and tell me your question. I might just pick you to be on the podcast and receive a free coaching session.Thank you for listening to the Ask Dr. Julie Hanks podcast. Please click here to leave me a review. And make sure you don't miss an episode by following me on Apple Podcast and Spotify. If you have found this information helpful, you can find additional resources on this topic in my podcast and my online courses. Connect with me on social media @drjuliehanks and work with me through joining DJH membership at drjuliehanks.com. For therapy in Utah visit wasatchfamilytherapy.com.
Subscriber-only episodeIn this profound episode Valerie Hamaker is interviewed by friend and colleague Dan Wotherspoon where they delve into the complex terrain of her own faith development journey: from her early days in orthodox practice to her expansive understanding of spirituality encompassing Jungian psychoanalysis and a blend of Eastern and Western philosophy. Dan and Valerie explore themes of orthodoxy, patriarchy, authentic worship, and healthy psychology and theology, drawing on her professional background in marriage and family counseling and trauma healing. If you want a peek behind the curtains of Valerie's unfolding faith journey, this episode is for you. ——————————————————————————————————————SUPPORT: Like what you're hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? You can support Valerie's efforts by becoming a recurring donor on https://www.patreon.com/LatterDayStruggles ——————————————————————————————————————SUPPORT GROUPS: You are invited to join one of Valerie's space-limited Faith Crisis and Expansion Support and Processing Groups! As a trauma therapist, she continues to help our LDS faith expansion community become psychologically healthier and spiritually well in and around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Details about availability on latterdaystruggles.com. These groups ALWAYS FILL UP, so jump in asap! https://valeriehamaker.com/latter-day-struggles/support-groups/ ——————————————————————————————————————LATTER DAY SOLUTIONS ONLINE CLASSES: Now available! “Mixed-Faith Parenting in the LDS Faith” parts 1-3. See what else is offered on latterdaystruggles.com https://valerie-hamaker-s-school1.teachable.com/courses/ ——————————————————————————————————————CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available! https://valerie-hamaker-s-school1.teachable.com/p/1-1-cSUBSCRIBE TO FRIDAY EPISODES BETWEEN 5/31/24 and 6/27/24: Premium content episodes of Latter Day Struggles can be accessed through a paid subscription. Enjoy your first month of Friday episodes at a reduced cost of $3 as a thank you for joining the Latter Day Struggles subscriber community! Sign up here! WEBINAR: “Accepting Stages of Faith Within A Marriage” Valerie will host a webinar class for individuals and couples seeking guidance on how to stay united during a faith expansion experience. Special question/answer session directly after the webinar. Wednesday July 10th 8:30 CST. Come ask Val your burning questions and be part of the conversation! Sign up here! SUPPORT: Like what you're hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? Make a one-time donation to her business Venmo account or become a recurring donor on Patreon. CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available ...
Subscriber-only episodeToday Valerie dives deep into four common psychological strains experienced by most people with whom she has worked experiencing an LDS faith crisis as well as how she is learning how to address each of these strains as she personally grows and walks alongside those of you on this path with her. She delves into critical issues such as fractured ego structures, a deficit of complex thinking skills, the problems that come from inhabiting a single-pillar spiritual worldview, and the importance of unlearning unhealthy coping patterns adopted in our early development. Most importantly, she talks about the healing of each of these psychological strains. Healing is possible! And likely actually! We just need a good map and some companionship. Thanks for being here! Q&R SERIES WITH JULIE AND VALERIE: Dr. Julie Hanks and Latter Day Struggles host Valerie Hamaker are offering a four-evening Question and Response (Q&R) series in February of 2024 to extend a lifeline to those wrestling with these challenges and offer resources for navigating faith and personal growth. Link to enroll directly below!Click here to enroll in Question and Response with Valerie and Dr. Hanks——————————————————————————————————————SUPPORT: Like what you're hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? You can support Valerie's efforts by becoming a recurring donor on ——————————————————————————————————————SUPPORT GROUPS: You are invited to join one of Valerie's space-limited Faith Crisis and Expansion Support and Processing Groups! As a trauma therapist, she continues to help our LDS faith expansion community become psychologically healthier and spiritually well in and around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.LATTER DAY SOLUTIONS ONLINE CLASSES: Now available! “Mixed-Faith Parenting in the LDS Faith” parts 1-3. See what else is offered on latterdaystruggles.com——————————————————————————————————————For those of you listening to this FRIDAY episode of the Latter Day Struggles podcast, we offer you a heartfelt THANK YOU for your generosity in supporting our work on your behalf.SUBSCRIBE TO FRIDAY EPISODES BETWEEN 5/31/24 and 6/27/24: Premium content episodes of Latter Day Struggles can be accessed through a paid subscription. Enjoy your first month of Friday episodes at a reduced cost of $3 as a thank you for joining the Latter Day Struggles subscriber community! Sign up here! WEBINAR: “Accepting Stages of Faith Within A Marriage” Valerie will host a webinar class for individuals and couples seeking guidance on how to stay united during a faith expansion experience. Special question/answer session directly after the webinar. Wednesday July 10th 8:30 CST. Come ask Val your burning questions and be part of the conversation! Sign up here! SUPPORT: Like what you're hearing at Latter Day Struggles Podcast? Make a one-time donation to her business Venmo account or become a recurring donor on Patreon. CONSULTING: Interested in doing individual or couples work with Valerie or a member of her trained team? Time-limited packages with Valerie and extended work with her team of coaches and therapists are available ...
This bonus episode of the podcast is for anyone who is wanting to stay in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while also protecting their mental health. Listen as fellow LDS therapist Valerie Hamaker and I share insight on important topics like why people choose to stay in the LDS Church after a faith transition and how to develop the crucial skill of setting boundaries.Choosing to Stay? How to Stay Connected to the LDS Church in a Psychologically Healthy WayIf you choose to stay and want to protect your mental health, Valerie and I are hosting a discussion series just for you. This 4-week Q&A discussion series will help you find clarity, set boundaries, and stay connected to the LDS Church in a psychologically healthy way.Bring your questions about your complex relationship with the Church, including:Difficult family relationshipsTrust crisis about Church history & doctrineFeelings of betrayalStruggles with social justice issues (women, BIPOC, LGBTQ)Benefits of Church participationEach two-hour session is held remotely via Zoom. Spots are extremely limited, so don't wait to sign up.Four two-hour sessions with two therapists is an absolute steal of a deal. While this series is valued at $2,000, you can sign up today for only $169.Choosing to stay in the Church but want to do it in a psychologically healthy way? Let us help you.Secure your spot (limited availability) today Have you ever thought, “I want to ask Dr. Julie Hanks a question”? Well, now's your chance! I want to have you on my podcast! Click here to fill out this form and tell me your question. I might just pick you to be on the podcast and receive a free coaching session.Have you ever thought, “I want to ask Dr. Julie Hanks a question”? Well, now's your chance! I want to have you on my podcast! Click here to fill out this form and tell me your question. I might just pick you to be on the podcast and receive a free coaching session.Thank you for listening to the Ask Dr. Julie Hanks podcast. Please click here to leave me a review. And make sure you don't miss an episode by following me on Apple Podcast and Spotify. If you have found this information helpful, you can find additional resources on this topic in my podcast and my online courses. Connect with me on social media @drjuliehanks and work with me through joining DJH membership at drjuliehanks.com. For therapy in Utah visit wasatchfamilytherapy.com.
In this episode, I'm joined by Valerie Hamaker from Latter Day Struggles Podcast. We discuss the importance of open dialogue with children, the case-by-case approach to parenting, and the significance of considering a child's well-being and spiritual growth. We also explore the complexities of navigating religion and belief systems within the family dynamic, addressing topics such as attending church, temple garments, mixed-faith marriages, and teaching children how to think for themselves. This thought-provoking conversation offers valuable insights on fostering healthy relationships, embracing differing perspectives, and creating a safe and loving environment for children to explore their own spirituality. Don't miss this episode that brings together love, faith, and the intricacies of modern-day parenting.Have you ever thought, “I want to ask Dr. Julie Hanks a question”? Well, now's your chance! I want to have you on my podcast! Click here to fill out this form and tell me your question. I might just pick you to be on the podcast and receive a free coaching session.Thank you for listening to the Ask Dr. Julie Hanks podcast. Please click here to leave me a review. And make sure you don't miss an episode by following me on Apple Podcast and Spotify.If you have found this information helpful, you can find additional resources on this topic in my podcast and my online courses. Connect with me on social media @drjuliehanks and work with me through joining DJH membership at drjuliehanks.com. For therapy in Utah visit wasatchfamilytherapy.com.
For this special episode of the Ask Dr. Julie Hanks podcast, I sat down with Valerie Hamaker of the Latter Day Struggles podcast and discussed the talk “To the Mothers in Zion” by President Ezra Taft Benson. This talk played a significant role in shaping our development and faith—and we had a lot to share.Valerie and I discussed how as a result of this talk, many Latter-day Saint women felt they had no choice but to be stay-at-home mothers. For some of these women, this meant abandoning professional or educational aspirations in pursuit of a life someone else decided they should live. And for those who decided to have a career—women like myself—things weren't any easier. As a result of the conflict between President Benson's words and my own God-given desire to be a therapist, I have carried a lot of shame and confusion throughout my life. Was I sinning by living the life that I want to live?Motherhood is an amazing and beautiful thing to be a part of. Motherhood is also a choice. In fact, it is one of many choices. We can value motherhood and trust women's desires to also have hobbies, careers, education, and more. One does not have to come at the expense of the other.You can watch my TEDx talk mentioned in the podcast here.Have you ever thought, “I want to ask Dr. Julie Hanks a question”? Well, now's your chance! I want to have you on my podcast! Click here to fill out this form and tell me your question. I might just pick you to be on the podcast and receive a free coaching session.Thank you for listening to the Ask Dr. Julie Hanks podcast. Please click here to leave me a review. And make sure you don't miss an episode by following me on Apple Podcast and Spotify.If you have found this information helpful, you can find additional resources on this topic in my podcast and my online courses. Connect with me on social media @drjuliehanks, browse DJH merch, and work with me through joining DJH membership at drjuliehanks.com. For therapy in Utah visit wasatchfamilytherapy.com.
In this episode Valerie reviews her overarching philosophical and psychological orientation for healthy marriage in general and how she helps couples heal from struggles typical to LDS faith crisis in particular. She reviews key components to every section of her two part self-guided online course titled The Couples Guide to LDS Faith Crisis and Expansion. Part I is already available for purchase and Part II of this Course is available beginning June 17, 2023 on latterdaystruggles.com. Go to latterdaystrugglepodcast on instagram to get a coupon code to purchase Part II of this series and for an additional coupon code to purchase the two-course bundle for the first week following its launch. Valerie is also offering a limited number of consults to a few couples [first come first served] wanting support between sessions when they purchase these courses. Contact Valerie at info@latterdaystruggles.com if interested. ___________________________________To financially support Valerie's ongoing ability to provide this content to you and others, become a patron of Latter Day Struggles here: https://patreon.com/LatterDayStruggles.___________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN her June 2023 support and processing faith expansion group…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion. ____________________________________________________
This week on the Latter Day Struggles podcast Valerie focuses on a population of people whom she loves and sees consistently in a lot of pain here in and around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Married couples in the LDS church tend to experience a great deal of distress when one partner begins a growth process that departs in any way from the standard beliefs and practices of the LDS faith. In this episode Valerie breaks down what she has coined “the successful failure” of LDS marriage theology, a belief system that is so incredibly successful garnering the faith and loyalty of some individuals that they would choose their beliefs about marriage over the marriage itself. In short, the success of the LDS indoctrination about the specific demands of an LDS marriage may strongly contribute to the failure of the actual LDS marriage. This is tragic. As a marriage therapist and a witness to too many LDS marriages coming undone unnecessarily, Valerie has chosen to commit the past few months creating two profound online courses to help couples not become casualties to this “successful failure” phenomenon. This episode describes the phenomenon in detail and the next episodes in this mini-series describes Valerie's overarching philosophical and psychological orientation to helping couples work through this challenge and become a stronger, more unconditionally loving couple than they ever imagined possible. New ___________________________________To financially support Valerie's ongoing ability to provide this content to you and others, become a patron of Latter Day Struggles here: https://patreon.com/LatterDayStruggles.____________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN her JUNE 2023 MONDAY support and processing faith expansion group…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion. ____________________________________________________
In this beautiful and tender episode, Valerie has the privilege of interviewing LDS theologian Fiona Givens about her early life, diverse experiences, important relationships, and classical education that eventually led her into the LDS faith and deeply into the study of many facets of the nature of God. This story is one of all of the typical ups and downs, seemingly insignificant events that lead to other more signifiant events, and finally a few moments where Valerie proposes to Fiona why her unique life distinctively prepared her for the work that she is doing now; something that is profoundly blessing thousands of faith-expanding Latter Day Saints in this era. Perhaps Fiona is our own “Esther”, prepared for such a time as now. Don't miss this truly love-filled episode if you have found healing through the work of Fiona Givens. It will endear you to her even more. Books referenced in this episode by the Givens': The God Who Weeps, The Christ Who Heals, Crucible of Doubt, All Things New ___________________________________To financially support Valerie's ongoing ability to provide this content to you and others, become a patron of Latter Day Struggles here: https://patreon.com/LatterDayStruggles________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________
Join Valerie and guest Fiona Givens as together they discuss a true prophetess and mystic, Julian of Norwich. Father Richard Rohr has often called Julian his "favorite mystic" and Fiona attributes this woman as one of the most personally influential to her in the development of her own whole and holy theology of the divine. If these two recommendations aren't enough for you...then I don't know what to say! A few highlights of this episode: **Julian's “showings” really shine a light on God's inability to be angry with us for our humanness. **Our current struggles with the nature of God in some brings up pain, anxiety, religious scrupulosity, and defection from the church. **Our misunderstandings of the nature of God brings up generational trauma to the extent that we perpetuate a God concept that estranges us from Julian's God of infinite love. **According to Julian's visions, sin is “no thing” in God's eyes. Our missteps are the education that endears us to God. **As a committed Catholic, Julian too struggles with heavenly visions that did not align with the teachings of her “holy church” and she [as do we] does the work of differentiating her church's imperfections with her personal revelations, choosing to align with the truth that was revealed to her directly from it's source. Book referenced in this episode: **Julian of Norwich: The Showings: Uncovering the Face of the Feminine in Revelations of Divine Love Edited by Mirabi Starr. **The God Who Weeps by Terry and Fiona Givens ___________________________________To financially support this high quality content, become a patron of Latter Day Struggles here: https://patreon.com/LatterDayStruggles________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.
If you loved the last episode of Latter Day Struggles, you'll love Valerie and Nathan's discussion about the 5 components that can help each of us know that we have embraced a mature spirituality: A MATURE SPIRITULITY: 1. Resonates from within (is not compelled from beyond) 2. Invites the numinous (beckons, compels us forward, drives us to know more with a magnetic-like pull) 3. Opens us to mystery (welcomes the unknown; is open to a different way of seeing, worshipping, experiencing, that is unconnected to our programming) 4. Asks us to grow up (does not hand off the soul stretching discerning process of life to authorities, experts, or any other "big person", thus preventing us from the inevitable anxiety of growth) 5. Invites us to live a value driven relational life (the culmination of all of the above points shows up "on the ground" as responsible, accountable, respectful of other's journeys, and loving of the process of life as a sacred growth experience) **Each of Valerie's Support and Processing Groups and Online Courses is Grounded in these Five Principles and offers a structure for achieving a mature relationship with spirituality. Book referenced in this episode: Living an Examined Life by James Hollis ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
During the Covid Pandemic, Valerie read even more than usual. One of the authors whom she binged was Jungian analyst James Hollis, who tipped her entire psychological and theological paradigm…right-side-up…finally. She passed several books off to Nathan and together they reconfigured a spirituality that is the foundation of what you hear in some way, shape, or form in each episode of Latter Day Struggles. In this episode they discuss the colossal difference between LESS MATURE and MATURE spirituality. Highlights: 1. Immature spirituality hands beliefs and life choices off to authority figures. Mature spirituality takes personal ownership in one's own beliefs and life choices. 2. Immature spiritual builds walls. Mature spirituality breaks down walls. 3. Immature spirituality “pins down” truth and mandates proper worship, observance, and belief. Mature spirituality knows that once the mystery of God and other mystical experience has been given a name, a form, a face, and a structure—its essence, beauty, and mystery often recedes, ceasing to connect us to the divine. Book referenced in this episode: Living a Examined Life by James Hollis. Link to purchase on Latterdaystruggles.com. ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's Wednesday 7p JUNE Group ( 2 slots just opened up per 5/13/23) or her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's Wednesday 7p JUNE Group ( 2 slots just opened up per 5/13/23) or her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
Author, Evangelical theologian, and recently deceased Christian reformer Rachel Held Evans poignantly stated, "A lot of people think the hardest part about religious doubt is feeling isolated from God. It's not. At least in my experience, the hardest part about doubt is feeling isolated from your community." In this episode Valerie and Nathan share their thoughts and personal experiences about how faith expansion can be both a deeply sacred experience of personal enlightenment but also profoundly isolating, lonely, and relationally painful as we try to relate to our former circles of family and friends. Why is this so hard? Val and Nathan offer some ideas: Our Former Inner Circle LDS tribe (both friends and family) 1. Sometimes build their relational lives around the church, which makes relating to those different from themselves challenging; especially in relationships where both parties were accustomed to relating to one another only through church-related common beliefs 2. Sometimes seem to struggle being genuinely interested, curious, and open to the experiences of their friends and loved ones now differing from themselves and relate to us from a place of "concern, heal, reconvert, or fix" 3. Are conditioned by teachings at church that those of us in faith expansion are "falling away" or "led by Satan" in our experiences, thereby making it challenging to want to explain, justify, self defend (as we have heard this rhetoric ourselves all of our lives). 4. Judge those of us no longer fully aligned with them. This judgment might be cloaked in 'concern', but its essence (possibly unconscious but still felt by us) is "without the church you are lost. As a faithful church member, my testimony insulates me in certainly, thereby also preventing me from curiosity, openness, and a true desire to learn from you." These divides create an added layer of grief on top of the grieve of faith and trust crisis. These divides prevent us from drawing upon our core family and friends when we're need them most. This episode was is offered with the hope to help you feel seen, understood, and not alone as we struggle relationally in our faith expansion. Book referenced in this episode: Searching for Sunday. Podcast mentioned in this episode https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fireside-with-blair-hodges/id1559678265?i=1000582242575 ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's Wednesday 7p JUNE Group ( 2 slots just opened up per 5/13/23) or her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
Join Val as she breaks down a thought provoking idea about the pull of cynicism as a natural emotional component of Christian faith evolution. She explores a beautiful and thought provoking quote by the late Rachel Held Evans from her book Searching for Sundays. Highlights of this episode: Cynicism is a protective emotion often experienced to manage legitimate emotions such as betrayed trust, grief, anger, and disorientation. Grief and disorientation in LDS (and other Christian) faith crisis/expansion experiences are often directly correlated to one's former “all in” status and [over] commitment to the promises made by the institution Recovering from cynicism and moving into a psychological space of faith expansion and spiritual peace cannot be forced Psychological and spiritual growth embodies an eventual paradigm shift in relationship to the institution, complete with a realization that no institution could (nor should) do for us what it claimed it could (and should) do to bring us truly into contact with our most whole selves and our creators. As we grieve the former paradigm (and any harm done by it)and embrace our life's experiences as platforms for deepening discernment, wrestle, and the opportunity to seize personal authority for ourselves, we can see these institutions as paradoxically instrumental in our processes of truly growing up and deciding what to accept, reject, and reconcile for ourselves. Book referenced in this episode: Searching for Sundays by Rachel Held Evans ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's Wednesday 7p JUNE Group ( 2 slots just opened up per 5/13/23) or her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
In this episode, Valerie again is a guest on "The Brannon Patrick Show" and they continue in their conversation about the ways that our inherited constructs about God get in the way of our personal growth and our relationship growth to our higher powers. Specific ideas that hurt: 1) God is male. They discuss how this is a human construct and a natural outgrowth of patriarchy and that a centuries-old male governing church culture has created religious systems that carry energies consumed in power and control issues. They discuss the parallels between our institution's struggles with women (heavenly and earthly) and how this shows up in ways that men have contrived to limit power, authority, participation, and voice of both the feminine divine and of her daughters; and that this extends into an attempt to curtail interaction between the feminine side of God and all of her children. They discuss how our male construction of God insidiously impacts marriages, parenting, family systems, and church systems. 2) God is white. In this section Val and Brannon layer racism on top of our centuries-old struggles with sexism in our ideas about God and go through the various ways this has impacted not only our own tradition, but countless others as well. They end the episode by exploring why it is so scary to let go of our false and sometimes even harmful constructs about God but also why it is so important to do so in an effort to become psychologically healthy and autonomous human beings “worshiping how, where, and what” we may. ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's Wednesday 7p JUNE Group (2 new slots just opened up) or her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group [Tuesday May 2023 group is FULL]…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
In this episode Valerie is guest on Brannon Patrick's new podcast "The Brannon Patrick Show” where he invites her to dive into a two-part conversation about how some of our received ideas about God may hurt us here in and around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. These harmful [though possibly unintended] ideas includes the following: 1. God is unapproachable until we are worthy enough and we need an intermediary to protect us from him 2. We increase in lovability according to our righteousness 3. Fear of God's anger or disappointment is an effective motivator for obedience 4. Pressure to “follow the covenant path” creates a high anxiety relationship with self, others, and God as well as a low sense of personal confidence, autonomy, struggles with perfectionism, and struggles with shame. In response to these fraught ideas about God, Val and Brannon talk about how a new understanding of God can heal us both psychologically and spiritual. They discuss the following: 1. The only motivation that is transformative in our growth and development is love 2. Mistakes do not estrange us from God, they draw us towards God, provide experiential learning, embodied growth, and compassion for others' struggles. 3. Our natural disposition is towards goodness 4. When we experience ourselves as lovable, we simply become more of who we always were and therefore fear and shame have no healthy part in our life's experiences. 5. God blesses every part of our personal journey 6. Spiritual maturity creates resilience and decreasing need for validation Next episode in this 2-part series: Overcoming our Old-White-Guy-in-the-Sky Programming. To check out Brannon's new podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brannon-patrick-show/id1675960009 ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group [May and June 2023 groups are FULL]…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
Join Valerie and special guest Paul Toscano in this part four (last in this series) focused on untangling some of the complexities of The Book of Mormon. In this episode Val questions Paul on a variety of topics involving The Book of Mormon, including its connection with Joseph Smith Jr., her own wrestles with the fraught relationship between leadership & followership; the roles, expectations, and hopes of a spiritual leader, and so much more. Here are a few highlights of Paul's thoughts from their conversation: All mystical texts, trancelike experiences, and visionary accounts are strange, uncomfortable, and often implausible—including the very birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God has shown humans mysteries through a variety of “weird” manifestations with large numbers of eye witnesses throughout time. Such anomalous events might be less jarring to those who have a broader world view and higher respect for the idea that God has revealed Truth in “strange” ways throughout time and place and to many people throughout history. Placing the Book of Mormon within the context of the countless interactions between God and humans throughout time would help LDS people make sense of both its significance and yet that it is simply just one of countless anomalies in the grand scheme of God's workings. It is especially challenging to conceptualize this Book as part of a self-insulating faith tradition that insists that they have little to learn from other traditions and eras. Regarding disappointment with leadership past and present, we are all desperate for “strong men” save us from the trouble of the wrestle that comes with faith journey. We naturally want to lean on those who preferably make it unnecessary for us to do the work of going directly to God about what is truth, wisdom, and loving. One of the greatest tests of true discipleship is to learn to forgive God…for the pain of our suffering…for Their not preventing harm to those we love at the hands of those in power; for allowing good people to do bad things and bad people to do for things… This kind of discipleship forces us to learn how to hold the tension of opposites and demands that (if willing) we be stretched beyond our known capabilities. This process makes us holy. Finally, Paul shares these views: Salvation is not a community experience. Salvation is an individual experience and it happens in the act of saving wounded things. The individual saves the church, not the other way around. The individual saves the family, not the other way around. ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's Wednesday 7p JUNE Group (a very few slots left) or her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group [Tuesday May 2023 group is FULL]…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
Join Valerie and special guest Paul Toscano in this part three on a series focusing on untangling some of the complexities of the Book of Mormon. Paul had a lot of fascinating ideas about this topic including: There are 3 ways to look at the Book of Mormon: • As a historical record (the most immature, irrelevant, and unhelpful approach) • For its literary value (perhaps interesting but often not transformative) • As a mystical/visionary text (as a living, supernatural text intended to be interpreted by the reader with the objective to transform in ways only possible by suspending one's demand for proof, evidence, certainty.) According to Paul there are several reasons why very few people are able to approach the Book of Mormon as a mystical/visionary text: • We currently live in a world steeped in scientific materialism. Our minds are socialized in understanding and valuing only the rational and literal; often struggling to interpret the spiritual, supernatural, or mystical. • The LDS church itself has proven to be a huge stumbling block through its decades-long efforts to “prove” that the Book of Mormon is a historical text, hoping that by proving its historical truth, it might thereby “prove” to be the “only” true church. • The LDS church leadership have provided additional stumbling blocks through their heavily correlated efforts to prescribe dogmatic meaning to the text rather than allow readers to find meaning for themselves in this and other mystical texts. Toscano contends that The Book of Mormon was never intended to “prove” that the LDS church is true, but rather has one—and only one—prominent purpose. In his opinion (and as claimed in the beginning) the Book was given to convince all people that Jesus is the Christ, and has manifested himself in many forms throughout time and throughout all spiritual traditions. He sees this as one of many mystical “living texts” that have been given to through wounded humans [some Christian and some non-Christian faith traditions] that might bring us closer to God if we were able to look “through them” rather than “at them” to experience a transformative relationship with God for ourselves. Book References in this Episode: The Sanctity of Dissent by Paul Toscano Mormonism in Crisis: A Critique and a Defense by Paul Toscano Latter-Day Dissent by Paul Toscano Strangers in Paradox by Margaret and Paul Toscano Podcasts Referenced in this Episode: Mormon Stories Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/077-understanding-the-mormon-september-6-paul-toscano-pt-1/id312094772?i=1000387301142 Gospel Tangents Episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-toscano-explains-scripture-symbolism-part-1-of-6/id1203894370?i=1000567830857 The Toscano Dialogues: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-toscano-dialogues/id959358119 ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's Wednesday 7p JUNE Group (a very few slots left) or her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group [Tuesday May 2023 group is FULL]…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
It's time to take a deep dive into what may be a psychologically and spiritually confusing topic for many individuals in and around the LDS church—THE BOOK OF MORMON. In this SECOND of a four part series Valerie interviews Taylor Petrey [Current Editor in Chief of Dialogue: Journal of Mormon Thought] Valerie engages Taylor in a dialogue about the negative impact that many current members are experiencing around the overly simplistic narrative regarding the translation of the Book of Mormon, its origin, meaning, and literalness. Valerie contends that this complicates one's ability to read this book and find its potential gems of truth from a place of candid openness when it brings up other complicated feelings related to historical transparency and a long culture within the church that is "faith promoting" at the expense of complex reality. Too much to say in the show notes about this vibrant and loaded topic!! Listen to these episodes and discern for yourself if/how the Book of Mormon can lead you closer to Jesus Christ. Links for the lit review referenced in this podcast series: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dialogue-journal/id1437336260?i=1000536188942 and https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dialogue-journal/id1437336260?i=1000539193843 ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's JUNE 2023 Wednesday 7p CST Support Group (a couple slots left and they are going FAST) or her AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group [May 2023 group is FULL]…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
It's time to take a deep dive into what may be a psychologically and spiritually confusing topic for many expanding members in and around the LDS church—THE BOOK OF MORMON. In this FIRST of a four part series Valerie interviews Taylor Petrey [Current Editor in Chief of Dialogue: Journal of Mormon Thought] where together they review a myriad of topics that have been addressed over the years in the Dialogue Journal related to the ongoing skirmish between the “naturalist” and the “apologist” camps regarding authorship, authenticity, and historicity (just to name a few!) They talk about the Isaiah controversy, chiasmus, contemporary doctrines of the early 19th century woven into this text, DNA issues, and the rise and fall of FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Study) among other important topics. They also address thoughts from religious scholars (LDS and non-LDS) who maintain that regardless of the above complexities, the Book might be (and has been) valuable for many, once it's genre is better understood and if it were read as scripture rather than history. In the second segment of this series, Valerie engages Taylor in a dialogue about the challenging relationship that many people in and around the LDS church have about The Book of Mormon due to their early learnings that were overly simplistic or inaccurate regarding the translation of the Book of Mormon, its origin, meaning, and literalness. They explore how the origin stories and other surrounding complexities of this book often complicates one's ability to find potential gems of truth from a place of candid openness because to some it brings up other trauma related to historical transparency issues and many challenging-to-overcome narratives that sometimes privilege “faith promotion” over truth—to everyone's detriment. Links for the lit review referenced in this podcast series: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dialogue-journal/id1437336260?i=1000536188942 AND https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dialogue-journal/id1437336260?i=1000539193843 __________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's support and processing faith expansion groups! There are a FEW SLOTS OPEN beginning in June 2023 in the Wednesday evening 7p CST group. Because this is an evening group, these slots will go FAST and open up very infrequently. __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” __________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
While *generally* trying to avoid “taking pages out of Satan's playbook” [which sounds both a little terrifying and very intriguing at the same time], Val and Nathan recently found themselves at odds in their respective interpretations and experiences listening to President Nelson's April 2023 General Conference address titled “Peacemakers Needed”. And neither of them backed down even after a robust conversation about their respective experiences. Listen in as they share their thoughts and feelings during this address and just for fun, let them know on their Instagram page @latterdaystrugglespodcast which perspective you share…or if you see something in between. Let the sparring begin :) Link to the address: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/04/47nelson?lang=eng ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's AUGUST 2023 support and processing faith expansion group [May 2023 group is FULL]…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
This episode introduces the concept of “non-heirarchial revelation” as key to the spiritual health of any Christ centered organization. This episode dives into ideas about how revelation going in both directions: 1] creates a synergistic partnership between leadership and lay membership where both parties are increasingly growing in their abilities to not only communicate with God, but also where all parties learn to work together as spiritual equals 2] insulates the church from the misplaced idea that God limits revelation to those with certain positions of formal power 3] protects leaders from a burden of perfection in receiving revelation that no one cannot be expected to maintain 4] takes the pressure off of leaders [and their predecessors] from fruitlessly defending their own stances when their directions prove afterwards not to have been revelatory. In sum, the model of non-heirarchal revelation invites our entire spiritual community to become more mature, seeking, and collaborative as it spreads out the burden of responsibility amongst the entire body of the church! Book and chapter referenced heavily in this episode: Women and Authority edited by Maxine Hanks. Chapter title: “Non-Heirarchial Revelation” by Todd Compton. ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's MAY 2023 support and processing faith expansion group—3 OPENINGS LEFT!…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
Join Val and Nathan in this episode where they respond to the address recently given in April 2023 general conference by Allen D Haynie, titled “A Living Prophet for our Day”. Specific points from this address explored: 1] The rule-of-thumb suggested privileging current prophetic counsel over past prophetic counsel when contradictions surface 2] Parents who teach and model by example the importance of personal discernment over strict compliance to church authorities will inevitably negatively impact their children's spirituality and 3] Exact obedience to the prophet protects us from a hostile and dangerous world Val and Nathan discuss troubling nature of the tactic of fear used to motivate obedience throughout this address. They also discuss the problematic nature of the “water bottle crushing” example as one that might suggest compliance to the inessential [or nonsensical] as a new form of higher law. They explore how the "water bottle crushing" antidote also invites inappropriate scrutiny upon a fellow mortal and exacerbates the perceived power differential that inhibits both leaders and constituents from living healthy, autonomous lives in respectful support of one another. This entire episode calls for the need for personal discernment as the fundamental guiding principle in guiding all of our choices in our discipleship of Jesus Christ. ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's MAY 2023 support and processing faith expansion group—3 OPENINGS LEFT!…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
In this episode Valerie and Nathan reminisce about the "good ol' days" when they anticipated General Conference and the spiritual feasting that it involved. This podcast (111th semi-weekly session, btw ;) of reminiscing was produced mainly to help many of us make sense of the very complicated feelings we have when the first weeks of April and October roll around. What do some of us feel? Based on their conversations with dozens of Latter Day Struggles Support Group Members… Many feel trauma activated within our bodies due to past (and the anticipation of future) spiritually and psychologically damaging sermons that condemn us and our friends and loved ones. Many feel frustration over what feels like ongoing blindness to the pain of individuals and families in faith crisis feeling unseen, unheard, and misunderstood. Many feel invisible at the ongoing underrepresentation of the female gender in a church that proclaims gender equality but does little to display this in doctrine or practice. And then there is grief. Grief at the memory of when General Conference used to mean simplicity, sweet rolls, and maybe bingo games. This memory feels like life in another dimension altogether. It was certainly back in another stage of life and spiritual development. Val and Nathan share thoughts and feelings about the growing pains of transitioning from a relationship between the compliant and slightly frightened child [our old selves] relating to the overly protective authoritarian parent [the institution], to their present relationship, which they insist becomes like one between two adults relating to each other from a place of discernment, choice, and candor. ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto latterdaystruggles.com to JOIN Valerie's MAY support and processing faith expansion groups! MAY start with enough interest…Join now & meet some lifelong friends & spiritual allies! __________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.”____________________________________________________ Are you impacted by Valerie's willingness to tackle some of the most historically and currently “taboo” topics in the LDS faith tradition and want to financially support her deep commitment to shifting her professional time in this direction? You can financially support Latter Day Struggles podcast by donating via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
In this episode Val and Nathan explore what it takes to form a psychologically healthy system…whether this system is an immediate or extended family group, a relief society class, priesthood quorum, Sunday school group, or any combination of people who come together regularly to share some part of their lives, thoughts, feelings, or experiences. Val and Nathan walk through the four stages that all groups of people must pass through to become a safe and vibrant place for human growth and development in an interpersonal setting. The four stages of healthy community development are: 1] PSEUDO-COMMUNITY (faking common experience, belief, and agreement in the majority narrative) 2] CHAOS (someone shares a differing idea, experience, perspective, and others frantically try to reconvert them back to their way of thinking, feeling, believing) 3] EMPTYING (the mandatory inner work of emptying ourselves of self righteousness, expectations, pride, the need to convert, heal, and save others) 4] TRUE COMMUNITY (Where people come together and support one another in their own unique journey, accepting others exactly where they are and allowing love—not same belief—to drive connection and unity.) Join Val and Nathan as they break down these concepts, share personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings about the challenges of pseudo-community, how to invite healthy community, why community building is especially challenging in systems created around a foundation of supposed right belief, and how even an ongoing personal “emptying” is healing and helpful in cultivating healthy relationship with others when larger scale community building seems daunting. ___________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com or jump onto Latter-day struggles.com to JOIN of her space limited processing/support groups! New group forming MAY 2023. We are 9 slots away from having enough people to start this group in May!! Jump in and meet some of your future closest allies in your faith expansion journey. ____________________________________________________ To financially support the Latter Day Struggles podcast, donate via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
In this episode Valerie reviews some fascinating ideas about the relationship between cognitive dissonance and self justification and applies these ideas to humanity, institutions, churches, and the LDS church. She walks you through the following ideas: 1] why humans and institutions self justify 2] why people in leadership are especially prone to self justification 3] why entire communities get caught up in self justifying behaviors 4] the self-justifying tactics people and institutions use when they are called out for questionable behaviors 5] what can be done to overcome the tendency to self justify In this episode Valerie applies principles of “self justification theory” to make sense of both historical and current struggles within the LDS church where this concept seems to readily apply. The book referenced throughout this episode is called “Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me” by Carol Tavris ___________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com to get on a waitlist for one of her space limited processing/support groups mentioned in this episode: New group forming May 2023. ____________________________________________________ To financially support the Latter Day Struggles podcast, donate via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
In this final guest-interview portion of their ‘Eternal Marriage Theology Health Check' series, Valerie visits with a married couple who shares their journey from early Mormon orthodoxy (which came naturally for him and felt like an ill-fitting costume for her) to their current stance as a couple whose primary allegiance shifted away from the LDS church and its beliefs and towards true commitment to each other and their expanding understandings of God, growth, and love. Does this mean the LDS church no longer mattered to them? No. This couple shares their tender journey honoring his more traditional views and the real anxiety he felt both for himself and his wife as he witnessed firsthand her suffering as she no longer could conform to much of the LDS teachings that worked well for him. Their story is one of authenticity, compassion, disorientation, struggle, conflict and resolution, and ultimately, what it looks like to really—really—unconditionally love your chosen parter, exactly as they are and where they are in their faith journey. Does this couple's early journey align with struggles you are feeling in your own marriage? If so, beginning March 31, 2023, go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course led by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion” ____________________________________________________ Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com to get on a waitlist for one of her space limited processing/support groups mentioned in this episode: New group forming May 2023. ____________________________________________________ To financially support the Latter Day Struggles podcast, donate via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ___________________________________
In this episode you meet TJ, a wonderful young man navigating the complexities of young single adult life as a gay member of the LDS church. He shares his story about slowly and gradually learning to accept his infinite lovability in God's eyes, which led to his eventual ability to also accept his sexual identity. TJ shares with Valerie his ongoing process sorting out what he's been taught about the plan of salvation…what feels right, what feels wrong, what is known, and what is unknown. This ongoing process is empowering him look for truth at its source and to live accordingly with integrity and increasing confidence. While TJ's present experience with God is growing stronger, unfortunately he continues to bump into questions of belonging due to current Mormon theology. When it comes to actual affiliation with the LDS church, how and where does he FIT and if he chooses to marry and start a family…will he be given the gift of belonging that we ALL deserve and long for? In other words, how does one move forward on a Sunday morning when they feel worthy and lovable in God's eyes just as they are, but are misunderstood and “othered” in the eyes of a church claiming to speak in God's name? It's painful. This conversation is a powerful opportunity to better understand the extremely challenging position that our beloved queer loved ones experience due to the current eternal marriage and family theology in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It highlights that there are many who want to feel the love and belonging of their LDS affiliation, but struggle ultimately escaping a theology that reinforces in-groups and out-groups, exclusion, and isolation in a variety of significant ways. When theology excludes, it is not God's way. And followers of God must speak in love and defense of those excluded. ___________________________________________________ NEW!! Go to latterdaystruggles.com and purchase a brand new online course moderated by couples therapist Valerie Hamaker titled “An LDS Couple's Guide to Faith Crisis and Expansion.” ____________________________________________________Contact Valerie at info@valeriehamaker.com to get on a waitlist for one of her space limited processing/support groups mentioned in this episode: New group forming April 2023. ____________________________________________________ To financially support the Latter Day Struggles podcast, donate via Venmo @valerie-hamaker (last 4 digits 3447 if applicable) and THANK YOU for so many enquiring on how to support our work! ____________________________________________________
Valerie, Thank you for your love, empathy and healing you offer those who cross your path. Thank you for the space you have created for those who are questioning and still within the church. Thank you for offering the simple "you get to decide where you feel closest to God" to validate those who find that relationship outside the LDS church. Thank you for the simple gift of listening, being and offering empathy with love. You have a gift and a purpose in this healing space of the exMormon/postLDS community. You have created a beautiful community of healing. I am so grateful for you. In friendship and love, Jenn Kamp OurTruthBeToldPodcast | Host Valerie Hamaker - YouTube: @LatterDayStrugglesPodcast
"What do I want to be (or do) when I grow up?" Early on, our answers to such queries are the ones we pick up from our parents, wider family, friends, religious traditions, and important authority figures in our lives. If we are to have a truly fulfilling life, however, we must begin to find our way to what it is we are actually being "called to" by our life. Can we discern for ourselves what our particular life experiences seem to be pointing us towards--a quest that when engaged with our whole heart and mind will bless the world in the way only we can do? In this episode, LDF host Dan Wotherspoon converses with Valerie Hamaker, the host of the Latter-day Struggles podcast about this sort of journey. It started out with a slightly different plan of talking about "faith journeys" through the lenses of various developmental models but ended up being more about Valerie's own discernment journey that led her to the work she is doing in the world with Latter-day Saints who are struggling to reorient their faith lives during a time when their journeys are taking them places they hadn't previously imagined they would go. Valerie and Dan mention how faith development models have helped them as they have traveled into uncharted territories, and hopefully this element of the conversation will encourage others to look into such models themselves. But the true beauty of what you will encounter here is how God/Spirit/Life has worked in Valerie's life to bring her to this place where she has found a place to stand and do the work it seems her life was leading her toward. It's a thrilling story of a searcher who has looked both outward and inward to discern her calling. Please listen in!
Join Steve and colleague Valerie Hamaker as they talk about the attention her recent podcast Latter Day Struggles episode has been receiving due to her review of Carol Lynn Pearson's book “No More Goodbyes” from the lens of her background as a psychotherapist helping people heal from all kinds trauma. This book captures the essence of the harm and pain experienced by gender and sexual minorities in the LDS church due to its current doctrine and policies and Valerie's podcast seems to be helping people articulate their own discomfort and concerns with this [and other] issues in a bold yet respectful way. Steve and Valerie also talk about this issue from a larger religious and political framework and offer grace for the reality that we are all a work in process and that life is a gradual awakening for each of us in countless ways. #latterdaysaints #ldspodcast #mormonism
If the LDS Church has light, it also has a shadow. But what should it do with that shadow? Valerie Hamaker, host of the Latter Day Struggles podcast, shows how the Jungian shadow can either save or destroy a person—or a religion. This episode was recorded at the 2022 Sunstone Summer Symposium.
If the LDS Church has light, it also has a shadow. But what should it do with that shadow? Valerie Hamaker shows how the Jungian shadow can either save or destroy a person—or a religion. This episode was recorded at the 2022 Sunstone Summer Symposium.
Join Steve this week as he interviews therapist Valerie Hamaker and her husband Nathan, new voices in the Mormon podcasting world. Valerie started this podcast on a whim, wanting to share insights and thoughts about her ongoing experiences with struggling Latter Day Saints in the therapy room and was shocked when this show started to rapidly grow. The frequent letters that come to Valerie commend her boldness, candor, and respectful but fearless truth telling and compassionate way of making sense of the real-time suffering of many members of the LDS church. Their growing audience also loves the respectful but firm invitation to the institution to look at issues that bring people who desire to be faithful in the LDS tradition a lot of pain and sometimes the agonizing need to withdraw. #lds #ldspodcast #mormonism
In Her Image: Finding Heavenly Mother in Scripture, Scholarship, the Arts, & Everyday Life
Valerie Hamaker is a relationship therapist with advanced training in trauma recovery, sexual health, and family systems work. She runs a private practice in Kansas City, Missouri and speaks locally and nationally on a wide variety of topics. She is the host of two podcasts, Generation Xausted and the Latter Day Struggles Podcast which is currently growing at an exponential rate due to the large number of Latter Day Saints going through faith and trust crisis. Valerie has found her calling in reaching out to those struggling with their faith of origin and giving an honest and expansive perspective for those seeking to stay, and stay in their integrity. Kate and Valerie discuss psychological agency and spiritual progression. Kate asks Valerie for help understanding the common fear response to seeking Heavenly Mother and making Her part of our worship. Valerie shares some of her ideas for why fear comes up in the institution and among our friends and family, as well as advice for responding in these situations. Check out Latter-Day Struggles Podcast on instagram @latterdaystrugglespodcast and on Apple and Spotify. We think you'll like Episode 33. Stages of Faith Development, Why we are stuck, How to get Unstuck. As well as Episode 9. How Does Ignoring the Divine Feminine Hurt Us? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/latter-day-struggles/id1612326898 --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/inherimage/support
Join Tiffany as she interviews Valerie Hamaker of Latter-day Struggles Podcast. Valerie and Tiffany talk about spiritual and psychological agency and how it coexists or contrasts with the framework of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Valerie Hamaker
The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast
#594 As an entrepreneur, you're creating something special and carving your own path. That isn't always easy. You're likely putting a lot of pressure on yourself and likely setting yourself up to experience some degree of burnout. Valerie Hamaker is a professional counselor, private practice owner, and host of the Generation Xhausted podcast. She's taking over the show today to share her fantastic eight-step process for healing and managing burnout. These Teaching Friday episodes, hosted by members of SPI Pro, are jam-packed with actionable tips and this one is no exception. Valerie sees burnout as a symptom of being estranged from where we're supposed to be in our lives. We're very lucky to have her walk us through every step we need to take to begin the healing process and come out on the other end with a new perspective. Show notes and more at SmartPassiveIncome.com/session594.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
When burnout hits us on our entrepreneurship journey, it's not only hard to see it coming, but is hard to manage and deal with it as well. In today's episode, Valerie Hamaker joins us to share how you can identify the signs of burnout and if it's happening due to underlying issues. Valerie Hamaker is a relationship and trauma therapist, who runs a membership community focused on helping individuals recover from issues of burnout. Listen in as Valerie shares two valuable and tangible ways that you can avoid burnout in your business. You can view full show notes and more at prooftoproduct.com/254 Today's episode is brought to you by our Proof to Product resource library, which includes my Delegating masterclass, my How to Know If Wholesale is Right for You class, my Booth Blueprint class, and even more resources we'll be adding soon! Get access to all of these classes inside the Proof to Product resource library! Get Access Now
Some people hate their work and this is stressful. Some people like their work but are marinating in stress just the same for a variety of reasons. Join therapist Valerie Hamaker as she breaks down chronic stress and its impact on the body and how to work through your own stress to prevent illness, premature […]
Some people hate their work and this is stressful. Some people like their work but are marinating in stress just the same for a variety of reasons. Join therapist Valerie Hamaker as she breaks down chronic stress and its impact on the body and how to wor
Join therapist Valerie Hamaker and her husband Nathan as they tackle McMormonism's tendency to shame dissent and worship consent in the LDS faith. In this episode it is all about dissent and its power to heal blindness. They start with how a "consent only" culture develops people who are not introspective, curious, or challenging to systems and programs that ought to be thought about, challenged, and innovated.…for the betterment of all. Then they move on to how institutions of ALL KINDS [all churches and all large organizations] are vulnerable to becoming blind to their weaknesses as they reward validation of the status quo and punish most different, complicating, or innovating ideas. They also delve into how large institutions of all kinds have a tendency to reinforce the values, ideas and opinions of those at the top by promoting lower level admins who look, act, and feel just like their superiors...thereby reinforcing systemic sickness and ongoing blindness.
Join therapist Valerie Hamaker and her husband Nathan as they tackle McMormonism's tendency to shame dissent and worship consent in the LDS faith. In this episode they address the consent/dissent idea as core to developing our own powers of personal revelation and then go on to discuss how a "consent only" church is one that get lost in the weeds of irrelevancies and blind to true worship of God. And when we are not worshipping God but are worshipping anything or anyone else...that's called idolatry.
We have Valerie Hamaker back with us for Part 2 talking about the divine in us! If you have not listened to Part 1, we encourage you to do so as it is a precursor for this episode. Some highlights to look forward to in this episode: Women's psychological development Validation of feeling blame for sexual misbehaviors Sexual history/messaging from culture Sexuality being a good part on oneself Psychological growth Contracts in a marriage Using a partner's addiction to stay underdeveloped Not feeling emotional connection, but longing for sexual connection Sexual recovery Someone going through divorce who wants to grow in their sexual development Please listen in to learn more about these! Show Notes: If you would like to learn more about Valerie, you can do that on her website here. You can also find Valerie on Instagram @valeriehamakertherapy and on Facebook @valhamaker. Below included are the episodes that Valerie talks about in this episode where a couple talks about their recovery/details around it. - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generation-xhausted/id1474263480?i=1000504331378 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generation-xhausted/id1474263480?i=1000531369737 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generation-xhausted/id1474263480?i=1000505721283 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generation-xhausted/id1474263480?i=1000506570000
We have the wonderful Valerie Hamaker on the podcast today to talk about the divine that we have in each of us! A little bit about Valerie is she is an individual and couples therapist with special training in trauma recovery, sexual health and sexual addiction recovery, depth psychology, and issues of spiritual development. She presents nationally on a variety of topics and most recently has turned her focus to the tackling of issues of burnout from a depth psychology lens. Valerie's podcast Generation Exhausted is a weekly commentary on the recovery of burnout in marriage, gender roles, parenting, institutional religion, and body image and she has recently launched an online community in her website [exhaustedGen.com] where she supports people live in their burnout recovery journey. Some highlights from this episode to listen in for: Women taking ownership for their own development Spiritual sexuality Prohibition, fear, and anxiety around sexuality Cultural expectations of sexual developments Neutrality around sexual orientations Shame around sexual development Betrayal trauma and sexuality Remembering the divine in YOU Individual healing Healing in marriage Show Notes: If you would like to learn more about Valerie, you can do that on her website here. You can also find Valerie on Instagram @valeriehamakertherapy and on Facebook @valhamaker. Below included are the episodes that Valerie talks about in this episode where a couple talks about their recovery/details around it. - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generation-xhausted/id1474263480?i=1000504331378 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generation-xhausted/id1474263480?i=1000531369737 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generation-xhausted/id1474263480?i=1000505721283 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/generation-xhausted/id1474263480?i=1000506570000
Lead host Jillian Benbow recently chatted with Valerie Hamaker on her podcast, Generation Xhausted, and we wanted to share! In this chat, Valerie shares her experience in SPI Pro (the community Jillian runs) and support communities, and the two discuss the profound power of digital communities, finding wholeness and healing, and more.Find out more about Valerie and her work at ExhaustedGen.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Do you know what your attachment style is? Do you know your spouse's attachment style? I had no idea until I listened to a podcast interview with therapist Valerie Hamaker, my guest today. It is a fascinating theory and it will help you understand yourself and your spouse more something we all strive for. Valerie will be talking about the origins of the attachment theory, the four different attachment styles, and how they can affect the marriage relationship. Valerie is a licensed therapist, private practice owner, executive wellness coach and corporate psychologist, and fellow podcaster. For a complete transcript of the interview, you can go to http://reviveyourmidlifemarriage.com/69
Illuminate Podcast: Shining Light on the Darkness of Pornography
If you're feeling burned out, you're not alone! We're all feeling the effects of the worldwide pandemic, economic uncertainty, political divisions, and family challenges. It's a tough time and many people feel like they're reaching their limit. However, my guest on this episode, Valerie Hamaker, says that burnout is actually an invitation that puts us in contact with our true selves. She teaches that burnout is the perfect opportunity to dig deeper and do life in a better, more supportive way. Come listen as she breaks down how we can do this without feeling the need to do more. Podcast listeners can receive a 20% discount on my Trust Building Bootcamp by entering the coupon code: PODCAST20 at checkout. https://www.geoffsteurer.com/trust-building-bootcamp Download Geoff's FREE guide to help you quickly end arguments with your spouse: https://www.geoffsteurer.com/3-steps-to-end-your-marriage-argument Connect with Geoff Steurer: www.instagram.com/geoffsteurer/ www.facebook.com/GeoffSteurerMFT Visit http://www.geoffsteurer.com for online courses and other supportive resources. Valerie Hamaker is an individual and couples therapist with special training in trauma recovery, sexual health, depth psychology, and issues of spiritual development. Valerie presents nationally on a variety of topics and most recently has turned her focus to the tackling of issues of burnout from a depth psychology lens. Valerie's podcast Generation Exhausted is a weekly commentary on the recovery of burnout in marriage, gender roles, parenting, institutional religion, and body image and she has recently launched an online community in her website [www.exhaustedGen.com] where she supports people live in their burnout recovery journey.
In this episode Valerie walks you through how “thin culture” has hijacked most of our brains and convinced us all that there is something wrong with us. This is a massive topic of burnout because it is a question of taking authority back–not allowing a nebulous entity outside of ourselves tell us that we are […]
Illuminate Podcast: Shining Light on the Darkness of Pornography
Join me and fellow therapist, Valerie Hamaker, as we riff about all things enabling. This episode is a replay of an episode we recorded for her podcast, "Voice About Living" and is the follow up to a previous episode where she interviews a former client about her enabling patterns. In this episode, we discuss: Why do we enable harmful behaviors in our loved ones? How does this happen? How can we know that we are enabling? How does the enabler feel? And most importantly, how do we stop enabling and heal our relationships from this pattern? This is episode 97 from Valerie's podcast that provides background and context for our interview: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/voices-about-living/id1474263480?i=1000524513562 Connect with Geoff Steurer: Instagram Facebook Visit www.geoffsteurer.com for online courses and other supportive resources. Listen to Valerie's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/voices-about-living/id1474263480 https://open.spotify.com/show/26D8Ty9ItzpYbbkaMPTxBE?si=OLZtsMgGTNq9M2XvYUD9Mg&nd=1 Valerie Hamaker has a Master's Degree in counseling from MidAmerica Nazarene University with special training in marriage and family counseling. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor, a licensed professional counselor in Kansas and a provisionally licensed counselor in Missouri. She is a certified Sexual Addictions Treatment Provider and completing coursework to be a Certified Play Therapist. Valerie is a certified Prepare and Enrich marriage facilitator and has also completed Dave Ramsey's Financial Coaching Masters Series. She also has a Master's degree from UMKC and a Bachelor's Degree from Brigham Young University. Valerie owns and operates her own marriage and family counseling private practice called All About Attachment, LLC. Valerie enjoys working with individuals and couples in all life stages, weaving elements of emotional, spiritual, mental, and relationship wellness into her clinical work. Valerie has clinical experience working with high risk teens and recently she and her two adolescent daughters launched an anti-bullying campaign sponsored by the popular Discovery Girls Magazine, which they presented to over 500 adolescents in local schools and churches. Valerie enjoys presenting on issues of marriage, family, and faith and has had many opportunities to do so over the past twenty years in professional, academic, community, and ecclesiastical settings. She is currently engaged in a qualitative research project focusing on the changing nature of intimacy due to the heavy influence of technology and social media. The most important part of Valerie's life is her relationship with God and she feels fortunate that her work in counseling allows her to serve God, to be constantly attentive to improving her relationship with her own husband and their four children, and to work closely with those who seek her services.
Season 3 Episode 11 Join me for a therapeutic look at what trauma can do to a relationship and how to hold it together with Valerie Hamaker; LPC, NCC, CPT, SATP. She is also the host of Voices About Living, which she will summarize during this show. So tune in and hear about siblings, marriage, and more during the face of childhood cancer. For Show Notes Visit:www.livingwithscanxiety.org/shownotes
Valerie Hamaker of the Voices About Living podcast interviewed Dr. Finlayson-Fife about sexual agency in marriage. Listen to this case study they unpack to learn more about... - How exposing the limits of the system you’ve created in your marriage is a great opportunity to increase your capacity for intimacy. - How to anchor deeply into your sense of self then know and be known. - The ecology of good sex.
Join relationship therapist Valerie Hamaker and her colleague Brenda Barros-Rivera as they dig into the FREEZE RESPONSE…which is the thing our bodies do when we can no longer “Fight” or “Flee”. They talk about various kinds of therapy approaches that are trauma informed and help people work themselves out of the freeze response.
In this episode, meet therapist Valerie Hamaker and learn more about her background, passion, and the gift that being a therapist has been to herself, her family, and to the growth of her own soul. Want to become a therapist? Have you considered seeing a
The Healed Heart Podcast: Empowering Women To Heal From Infidelity
Listen to this episode of The Healed Heart Podcast while I chat with Therapist, Valerie Hamaker about attachment styles and how they relate to our love relationships.Go here for full show note: http://healedheartpodcast.com/024
In this series wrap-up, Valerie is joined by Dr. Todd Frye and they dig into some of the nuances of trauma recovery work especially unpacking their hunches as to why Cami was so resilient in the face of such an intense trauma.
Cami and Valerie explore several experiences that helped Cami learn that trauma recovery is a process and that sometimes the emergence of symptoms (ongoing struggles with ‘bad days', experiences of dissociation, and nightmares) are normal and
Join Valerie and Todd as they introduce Cami, a brave young woman who wants everyone to know that hiding the secret of rape is destructive to the body, spirit, and soul. In this interview, Cami begins to share her experience of a kidnapping and rape nigh