The Heart Journey Podcast with Dr. Barbara

Dr. Barbara Ministries
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  • CHRISTIANITY

Move from weary, wounded, and disillusioned to living out the life you dream. Licensed Psychologist and Life Coach Dr. Barbara Lowe and her guests discuss how to move from stuck and painful places to flowing in your superpowers and passions. Listen to The Heart Journey Podcast with Dr. Barbara each week and be empowered to Really Live a Whole Life!

  1. 9H AGO

    From Codependence to Christ Dependence | Part 15 The Geometry of Love Ep73

    Why do some relationships collapse under pressure while others hold? In this WHOLE Life Podcast episode, Dr. Barbara Jean Lowe Sauvé explores the hidden geometry beneath relational breakdown, contrasting the Triangle of Pain (victim–rescuer–persecutor) with the Triangle of Christ-Dependence, where Christ bears identity, security, and meaning so human love can breathe. Drawing from attachment science, Gottman research, Scripture, and engineering metaphors, this episode reveals why relationships fail under strain, how codependent patterns form, and how covenant love restores stability. The episode concludes with a gentle transforming-touch prayer, inviting Christ's peace into the nervous system and leading us to the table where grasping ends and belonging becomes secure. You are loved. You are not alone.    RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS Self-Parenting Guide:  drbarbaraministries.org/self-parent Pastoral Coaching (Christian worldview):  drbarbaraministries.org → Coaching

    59 min

  2. 6D AGO

    Flashback Friday | Healing Sexual Brokenness: Shame, Trauma, Desire, and Covenant Love with Juli Slattery Ep71

    Sexuality is one of the most tender, misunderstood, and avoided areas of healing, especially for Christian women who have done deep work in many places, yet still feel resigned to pain, disconnection, or shame in this part of their story.    In this Flashback Friday, Dr. Barbara Jean Lowe Sauvé re-shares a powerful conversation with Dr. Juli Slattery (Authentic Intimacy) on sexual wholeness.    Together, they explore why sexuality is often the "last coin" we stop seeking, how trauma and shame shape intimacy, why consent is holy, and how God designed sex to point beyond itself, toward covenant love, safety, and deep belonging in Christ.

    48 min

  3. FEB 12

    From Codependence to Christ Dependence | Part 14 The Mystery of Love Ep70

    What if the ache you feel for love was never meant to be satisfied by another human being? In this deeply personal and theologically rich Valentine's Week episode, Dr. Barbara Jean Lowe Sauvé, psychologist, minister, and trauma specialist, invites you into the mystery of love as God designed it: not codependent, not self-protective, not demanding, but Christ-dependent.   Whether you are married, single, divorced, widowed, discerning, or longing, this episode reframes love from its true source. Before romance... before marriage... before even humanity, there was love within the Trinity. In this episode, you'll explore: Why human love collapses when it's asked to do what only God can do How the Fall rewired our brains toward fear, shame, and self-protection Why marriage often brings us to a necessary death, and how resurrection follows How attachment wounds, neuroscience, and Scripture intersect What it means to stop demanding love and instead become a vessel of love Why Christ, not your partner, is your primary regulator How contrition, humility, and surrender unlock an "epic comeback" in relationship This is not about fixing your partner. It's about restoring the right source of love.   Human love cannot save us.  But redeemed humans, rooted in Christ, can love beautifully.   Happy Valentine's Week, beloved. Come receive love where love was always meant to be found.   RESOURCES & NEXT STEPS Self-Parenting Guide: drbarbaraministries.org/self-parent Pastoral Coaching (Christian worldview): drbarbaraministries.org → Coaching

    1h 8m

  4. FEB 10

    Faith That Heals with Dr Harold Koenig | Brain Science, Moral Injury & Christ Dependence Ep69

    In this special episode, Dr. Barbara sits down with Dr. Harold G. Koenig, world-renowned researcher and Duke University professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences. Together, they explore how Christian faith shapes mental health, lowers stress hormones, strengthens the brain, heals attachment wounds, and offers freedom from moral injury.   This episode is part of our From Codependence to Christ-Dependence series, and today we go deeper into why our brains are literally made for God, and why only His love can fill the God-shaped hole inside us.

    38 min

  5. FEB 6

    Flashback Friday | Wholeness in Marriage: From Codependence to Christ-Dependence with Erin Smalley Ep68

    What if conflict wasn't the enemy of marriage, but the doorway to deeper intimacy? In this powerful Flashback Friday episode, Dr. Barbara revisits a 2020 conversation with Erin Smalley, marriage counselor, nurse, and daughter-in-law of the late Dr. Gary Smalley.    Together,they explore what truly creates wholeness in marriage, not control, not avoidance, but healing the heart beneath the conflict.   This episode walks listeners through the emotional, neurological, and spiritual dynamics beneath marital triggers, defensiveness, and relational shutdown. You'll learn how unresolved childhood wounds surface in adult relationships, why conflict escalates so quickly, and how couples can move from reactive codependence to Christ-centered maturity. Whether you're married, single, divorced, or discerning your future, this conversation offers tools for healthier relationships rooted in truth, courage, and spiritual formation.

    36 min

  6. FEB 5

    From Codependence to Christ-Dependence | Part 13: Why Boundaries Feel Like Death Ep67

    Why do boundaries—though biblical and wise—often feel terrifying in the body? In this powerful episode of the Heart Journey Podcast, Dr. Barbara Jean Lowe Sauvé explores why boundaries can trigger panic, grief, anger, and fear of abandonment—especially for those with trauma histories or insecure attachment. Blending neuroscience, attachment theory, Scripture, and Christian spiritual formation, this teaching reveals how early survival strategies shape adult relationships—and how Jesus restores agency, dignity, and ordered love. You'll learn: • Why boundaries activate survival panic • How anxious, avoidant, and disorganized attachment respond differently • The difference between covenant love and self-erasure • Why Jesus never coerces—and always invites • How the Trinity models unity with distinction • A guided healing encounter for wounded parts This episode is part of the From Codependence to Christ-Dependence series and is essential listening for anyone navigating marriage, faith, trauma recovery, or emotional regulation. Listen now and begin your journey toward secure, Christ-anchored love.

    56 min

  7. FEB 3

    From People-Pleasing to Purpose: Breaking Workplace Codependency with Lynette Lewis Ep66

    What if the promotions, the paychecks, and the performance reviews weren't actually the point… and God was using your workplace as a healing ground for your heart? In this episode of the From Codependence to Christ-Dependence series, I sit down with my dear friend, author and corporate purpose coach Lynette Lewis to talk about codependency at work, people-pleasing, and how to become truly Christ-dependent in your career, calling, and leadership. Lynette shares powerful stories from: Her early leadership years as an RA, where perfectionism almost led to a breakdown A decade of feeling overlooked for promotion and how God used that "Joseph season" Moving to New York City, navigating high-pressure corporate culture at Deloitte Choosing wholeness over resentment in unfair systems Becoming an "agent of wholeness" at work (including the accidental reply-all email story ) How one simple step of obedience with a coworker led to long-term spiritual fruit for an entire family We talk about: Codependency as a worship disorder (needing people more than God) How attachment needs (belonging, significance, security, care) show up in the office Neuroscience and Scripture: how meditating on God's Word literally rewires your brain What to do when you're passed over for promotion again and again How to walk through dysfunctional systems without becoming dysfunctional yourself Resentment, self-pity, and judgment as "planks in our eye" in the workplace How to see your job as an assignment from God, not just a paycheck "Mentoring moments" and why you don't need a formal mentor to be mentored Why personal wholeness is the real promotion If you've ever felt: Invisible at work Stuck in people-pleasing and performance Afraid of losing your job or not "measuring up" Unsure how to stay Christ-centered in a corporate environment …this episode will meet you in the real places of your career and invite you into Christ-dependent leadership, courage, and wholeness.  Note: The thoughts and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and may not always reflect the views of Dr. Barbara or Heart Journey.

    56 min

  8. JAN 30

    Flashback Friday | When God Heals a Marriage from the Inside Out with Dr. Harold and Charmin Koenig Ep6

    What happens when faith, attachment wounds, and covenant collide over decades? In this powerful Flashback Friday episode, Dr. Harold Koenig, a world-renowned researcher in religion and health, and his wife Charmin Koenig share their honest, redemptive marriage story after 23 years of deep struggle. This conversation explores: • Anxious–avoidant attachment dynamics in marriage • How unresolved childhood wounds show up in adult relationships • Long-suffering without self-erasure • When God intervenes with healing, empathy, and restoration • Why covenant endurance is not the same as codependence This episode fits directly into our From Codependence → Christ-Dependence series and offers hope for anyone navigating loneliness, rejection, or spiritual perseverance in marriage.  Note: The thoughts and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and may not always reflect the views of Dr. Barbara or Heart Journey.

    34 min
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Move from weary, wounded, and disillusioned to living out the life you dream. Licensed Psychologist and Life Coach Dr. Barbara Lowe and her guests discuss how to move from stuck and painful places to flowing in your superpowers and passions. Listen to The Heart Journey Podcast with Dr. Barbara each week and be empowered to Really Live a Whole Life!

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