The Best of You

Dr. Alison Cook
  • 4.9 (985)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Weekly

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. 10h ago

    How to Build a Life in a Place You Didn’t Choose

    Today's Scripture: Jeremiah 29:4–7 What do you do when your life looks nothing like the one you imagined? Today's scripture is a surprising invitation to stop postponing your life until everything changes, without pretending that what happened was good or that your grief doesn’t matter. You'll learn: *Why acceptance is different from approval or giving up *How fighting reality can keep your nervous system perpetually braced *The difference between resistance, giving up, and grounded agency *Why investing in the present doesn’t mean abandoning hope for the future *How to identify one “garden” you can begin tending right where you are Go Deeper: Read The Secure Soul to learn how to stay rooted in God’s love when life feels uncertain, painful, or different from what you hoped. Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. 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

    How to Build a Life in a Place You Didn’t Choose

  2. 1d ago

    When You Need Friends to Carry Hope for You

    Today's Scripture: Mark 2:1–12 Sometimes you can pray, hope, and keep moving forward. And sometimes you simply can’t carry it all by yourself. Today's Scripture is powerful picture of what healing can look like in community—and a reminder that needing someone else to hold hope with you is not a failure of faith. You'll learn: *The loneliness of self-sufficiency *What the friends in Mark 2 teach us about shared faith *Why healing is often an interdependent rather than solitary process *How to distinguish sacred support from unsafe vulnerability *What it means to let someone carry a corner of your mat without asking them to fix you Go Deeper: Share this episode with a friend, and check The Secure Soul and the Companion Guide—out today! Order here and get the full Soul Tending Video Resource library Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. 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

    When You Need Friends to Carry Hope for You

  3. 2d ago

    When You Need a Safe Place to Run

    Today's Scripture: Proverbs 18:10 When fear rises, where do you run? We often reach instinctively for overthinking, control, numbing, busyness, or escape. But Scripture gives us another image. Today, we’ll explore what it means to run to the name of the Lord—not as a spiritual formula or magic phrase, but as a return to the character and presence of a God who is strong enough to hold what scares us. You'll learn: *Why fear often sends us toward overthinking, control, or escape *What Scripture actually means by “the name of the Lord” *Why saying “in Jesus’ name” isn’t an incantation *How God can become a secure base when safety has felt complicated *How to recognize your old shelters and return to refuge instead of shame Go Deeper: For more on returning to God as a source of safety, check out The Secure Soul⁠—it will be in your hands tomorrow, and you'll still get all the bonus items when you order this week. Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. 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

    When You Need a Safe Place to Run

  4. 5d ago

    The Fear Beneath Your Need for Control

    Today's Scripture: Hebrews 2:14–18 Sometimes fear doesn’t feel like fear. It looks like staying ahead, planning for every possibility, holding people tightly, or never quite letting yourself rest. Hebrews 2 names a deeper fear beneath much of our striving: the fear of loss and death. Today, we’ll explore how that fear quietly shapes our lives—and why Jesus frees us to loosen our grip and live more fully. *How fear of loss can disguise itself as responsibility or control *Why avoiding what we fear can actually give it more power *The “smaller deaths” we brace against in everyday life *What Jesus’ death and resurrection mean for the things we fear losing *How to loosen your grip without pretending you’re not afraid Go Deeper: For more on your Inner Controller check out The Secure Soul Episode 41: Boundaries with Fear and Anxiety Episode 167: Can I Pray My Anxiety Away? Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. 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

    The Fear Beneath Your Need for Control

  5. 6d ago

    221. How Attachment Wounds Shape the Way You Love—and Pray

    What if the way you pray has more to do with your attachment patterns than you realize? In this episode, Dr. Alison shares how her own prayer life changed as she became more securely attached—and the surprising shift that she didn’t understand at first. We’ll look at what attachment theory can teach us about the way we experience closeness, why deeply feeling or anxiously attached parts of us may equate intensity with love, and how healing can lead to a steadier, more integrated way of relating—with other people and with God. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why intensity can feel like closeness—even when it isn’t security What attachment research reveals about why some relationships feel so consuming The subtle shifts that happen as your attachment system begins to heal What securely attached people do differently in close relationships A simple practice for building greater trust from the inside out More Resources: With every purchase of Dr. Alison’s newest book, The Secure Soul, you’ll get exclusive access to her Soul Tending Video Library, including  “Boundaries for the Deeply Feeling Woman” and her masterclass “Healing the Wounds That Still Shape You.” Connect further with @dralisoncook on Instagram 📖 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 - Did you know the quality of oxygen you breathe affects your brain which in turn your thoughts? 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! Remi - Start sleeping better with a Remi nightguard and use code BESTOFYOU and get 50% off your purchase. Go to ShopRemi.com/BESTOFYOU and use code BESTOFYOU. MOSH - Start building brain health into your every day with MOSH bars. Head to moshlife.com/BESTOFYOU25 and subscribe today to get 25% OFF your first Variety Pack and 20% off your monthly subscription with code BESTOFYOU25. That’s 25% off your first pack and 20% off your subscription of brain-boosting bars delivered straight to your door. *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

    221. How Attachment Wounds Shape the Way You Love—and Pray

  6. Aug 12

    You’re Bruised, Not Broken

    Today's Scripture: Isaiah 42:1–4 Sometimes you’re not falling apart—you’re simply bruised. You’re still functioning and showing up, but certain places inside feel tender, weary, or easily overwhelmed. Today, we’ll explore what it means to receive God’s gentleness in the places where you’re hurting. *Why being tender doesn’t mean you’re weak*How hurt can cause us to guard or criticize vulnerable parts of ourselves*What the bruised reed reveals about the character of Jesus*Why God’s strength and gentleness belong together*One way to treat your own soul with greater tenderness today Go Deeper: If you’re learning how to meet yourself with more compassion, explore the Soul Tending video library at TheSecureSoulBook.com. Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. 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

    You’re Bruised, Not Broken

  7. Aug 11

    When You Feel Too Messy to Be Loved

    Today's Scripture: Matthew 9:9-13 Shame tells you to hide the parts of yourself that feel messy, reactive, needy, or disappointing. But Jesus does the opposite of what we often expect: He moves toward Matthew before Matthew has cleaned up his life. Today, we’ll look at what this story reveals about the heart of God and why the places you most want to hide may be the very places where mercy wants to meet you. *Why Jesus didn’t wait for Matthew to become respectable *How shame teaches us to hide the parts of ourselves that need care *Why God’s holiness moves toward human need rather than away from it *The difference between mercy and spiritually proving yourself *How to let Jesus meet you in a place you don’t feel proud of Go Deeper: Check out our Soul Tending Video Resource library all about tending the wounds within—it's free when you preorder The Secure Soul Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. 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

    When You Feel Too Messy to Be Loved

  8. Aug 10

    When You’ve Stopped Expecting Anything Good To Happen

    Today's Scripture: Psalm 30:1–5 Sometimes the hardest part of a painful season isn’t simply surviving it—it’s discovering that joy still feels far away even after the worst has passed. In Psalm 30, David makes room for both realities: the night is real, and it doesn’t get the final word. Today, we’ll explore why joy can feel risky after grief or disappointment and how to begin receiving goodness again without denying what still hurts. You'll learn: *Why Psalm 30 doesn’t minimize grief or rush you toward happiness *Why prolonged hardship can make joy harder to receive *How joy and grief can exist together *Why some parts of you may feel safer expecting disappointment *A gentle practice for noticing one small sign of “morning” today Go Deeper: Share this episode with someone who needs to hear that sorrow is real, but it isn’t the end of the story. Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. 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

    When You’ve Stopped Expecting Anything Good To Happen
See All (358)

Trailers

Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
985 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Alison Cook
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    358
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Dr. Alison Cook
  • Show Website
    The Best of You