The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook

Join therapist and author, Dr. Alison Cook, as she guides you through some of your toughest challenges with wisdom, kindness, and grace. Together with friends and experts we'll unpack the best of psychology from a faith-based perspective. You’ll discover how to break free from painful patterns, mend your past, and discover what brings out the best of you.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    198: Breaking Painful Generational Patterns—One Woman’s Story of Healing Childhood Wounds with Melanie Shankle

    What do you do when the person who was supposed to nurture you becomes the source of your deepest wounds? In this episode, Dr. Alison sits down with writer, speaker, and host of the Big Boo Cast, Melanie Shankle to explore the complicated terrain of mother wounds, emotional enmeshment, and the long road toward healing. From the outside, it can look like “normal family tension.” But in the body, something feels off. Together, they explore: What happens when your nervous system knew something wasn’t safe before you had language for it The impact of criticism, competitiveness, and emotional parentification How shame can keep you believing the problem is you he difference between honoring a parent and tolerating hard Why distance sometimes becomes part of healing This isn't a conversation about blame. It's a conversation about truth-telling. About untangling enmeshment. About breaking generational patterns. About discovering what safety actually feels like. If you’ve ever felt torn between loyalty and self-protection… If you’ve wondered whether what you experienced “counts”… If you’re learning to trust what your body has always known… This episode is honest, nuanced, and ultimately hopeful. Because healing one life can change a generation. More Resources: Connect with @melanieshankle on Instagram Order Melanie’s latest book Here Be Dragons. Connect with @dralisoncook on Instagram Join the 80,000+ soul menders in our email community and receive weekly reflections and gentle practices here.  If you liked this episode, then you’ll love: Episode 144: Healing the Soul Through Encounters with Jesus Featuring John Eldredge Episode 128: Generational Trauma—Overcoming Inherited Dysfunction & Legacy Burdens with therapist Gina Birkemeier 📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here Don't forget to browse this week's sponsors, who make it possible for me to bring you these resources for free + provide you with additional discounts! Quince - How you dress affects your mood and you can trust that Quince has you covered in every day sustainable wardrobe staples. Go to ⁠Quince.com/bestofyou⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! AirDoctor - Eliminate 99.9% contaminants in your home with AirDoctor by visiting AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code BESTOFYOU to get UP TO $300 off today! *Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 1m
  2. 26 FEB

    197: Am I Under Attack—or Just Overwhelmed? Spiritual Warfare and Personal Responsibility with Joel Muddamalle

    Have you ever wondered if there’s something spiritual happening beneath what you’re carrying? You’re doing the work.You’re praying.You’re going to therapy.You’re trying to take responsibility. And still… something feels off. In this episode, Dr. Alison sits down with Theologian Joel Muddamalle to explore spiritual warfare — not through fear or sensationalism, but through clarity and discernment. Together, they examine: How the enemy works through systems, structures, and misaligned desires The difference between personal responsibility and spiritual opposition Why obsession with darkness is just as unhelpful as dismissing it How to stay grounded in Christ’s victory rather than panic This conversation reframes spiritual warfare as something far more ordinary — and far more hopeful — than we often imagine. Not demon hunting.Not blame shifting.But cultivating wholeness. Because the center of the Christian story is not darkness.It’s restoration. If you’ve ever felt confused about this topic — or unsure how to integrate faith, mental health, and spiritual reality — this episode offers grounded wisdom for everyday life. More Resources: Follow Dr. Alison on Instagram @dralisoncook  Join the 80,000+ soul menders in our email community and receive weekly reflections and gentle practices here. Learn more about Joel Muddamalle’s work. Order The Unseen Battle. If you liked this episode, then you’ll love: Episode 144: Healing the Soul Through Encounters with Jesus Featuring John Eldredge Episode 122: Navigating Anxiety, Therapy, and Spiritual Formation—Balancing Mental, Emotional, & Spiritual Health with John Mark Comer 📖 Find a full transcript and list of resources from this episode here Don't forget to browse this week's sponsors, who make it possible for me to bring you these resources for free + provide you with additional discounts! Quince - How you dress affects your mood and you can trust that Quince has you covered in every day sustainable wardrobe staples. Go to ⁠Quince.com/bestofyou⁠ for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order! Cozy Earth - Cozy up in every day luxury bedding and their bamboo pajamas and physically feel your nervous system take a breath. Head to Cozyearth.com and use my code BESTOFYOU for up to 20% off. *Some of the links above are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 5m

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Join therapist and author, Dr. Alison Cook, as she guides you through some of your toughest challenges with wisdom, kindness, and grace. Together with friends and experts we'll unpack the best of psychology from a faith-based perspective. You’ll discover how to break free from painful patterns, mend your past, and discover what brings out the best of you.

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