The Christian Clinician: Faith-Based Functional Medicine for Christian Women in Midlife

Dr. Tanya Paynter
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Alternative Health
  • Weekly

What if your symptoms aren't only about what is happening physically? Medicine needs alternative ways of thinking about chronic symptoms — ways that account for how both physical and non-physical factors influence our health. The Christian Clinician explores the often-overlooked connections between physical health, stress, thoughts, emotions, relationships, spiritual struggles, and our relationship with God, and the ways each can influence our health. Hosted by Dr. Tanya Paynter, a licensed naturopathic physician with a master's degree in Christian apologetics from Colorado Christian University, this podcast brings together current research and best practices with functional medicine, biblical truth, and clinical insight to help Christian women better understand what may be contributing to their symptoms. Episodes explore topics such as anxiety, hormones and perimenopause, thyroid health, gut health, sleep, fatigue, stress physiology, emotional health, and nervous system regulation — alongside questions of faith, doubt, suffering, unanswered prayer, fear, control, and healing. Through practical teaching and conversations with physicians, theologians, authors, and other experts, you'll learn to look at health through the interconnected lenses of the body, mind, emotions, relationships, and spirit. Faith isn't just another health intervention, and better spiritual habits won't eliminate disease. But understanding your health more fully while pursuing healing with Christ at the center — that's just good medicine.

  1. 15h ago

    Signs of Perimenopause: Why You Don't Feel Like Yourself

    Are your exhaustion, brain fog, mood swings, anxiety, or sleep changes really signs of perimenopause—or is something else making this transition feel much harder than it should? How do you know if you're in perimenopause? Perimenopause is a hormonal transition, but two women can enter it at the same age and have completely different experiences. One barely notices the change. The other suddenly feels like she can’t think clearly, can’t cope the way she used to, and barely recognizes herself. Why? Some of the biggest contributors to perimenopause symptoms may have surprisingly little to do with your ovaries. And once symptoms begin, they can be made worse depending on what you start believing those changes mean. In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter looks beyond the usual perimenopause symptom list to explore why this season of life can hit some women so much harder than others. You’ll hear how to distinguish between clues that point toward normal hormonal transition and signs that something else may be going on—and why your stress load, thoughts, relationships, and changing sense of identity may be having a bigger impact than you ever thought. You may also recognize a different kind of transition happening alongside the physical one. Questions like “Why can’t I handle things the way I used to?” or “What is happening to me?” can become part of the problem themselves. In This Episode, You’ll Explore:The signs of perimenopause that may show up years before your final periodWhy some symptoms that look like perimenopause may be pointing somewhere elseWhat may explain why one woman struggles dramatically while another barely notices the transitionWhy “I just don’t feel like myself” can be about more than hormonesThe overlooked way stress can alter the hormonal pictureWhy your reaction to symptoms can sometimes intensify the experienceHow this season can challenge your identity, usefulness, and sense of purposeThe difference between wisely adjusting your life and withdrawing from itWhy changing relationships can either add to your stress—or become one of your greatest buffersWhat faithfulness looks like when your capacity changes Perimenopause changes your hormones. But the experience of perimenopause is shaped by much more than hormones alone. Timestamps00:00 Are these really signs of perimenopause? 01:06 How do you know if you’re actually in perimenopause? 03:22 What’s happening when your hormones become unpredictable 05:32 When “perimenopause symptoms” may be something else 09:34 The overlooked factor that changed my own hormone picture 10:39 Why everything can suddenly feel harder 14:53 “Why don’t I feel like myself anymore?” 19:36 When changing roles begin to affect your sense of purpose 23:23 When trying to control your health starts taking over 24:50 How relationships change during this season 29:40 Perimenopause—or something else? 31:43 Who are you when your body and capacity change? Related Episodes MentionedThis episode connects with several previous conversations on The Christian Clinician, including: The Anxiety Cycle — understanding less obvious contributors to anxiety and how to investigate what may be driving your symptomsThe Gratitude Cycle — how gratitude can influence stress physiology and help reshape patterns of thoughtThe Forgiveness Cycle — how repeatedly revisiting painful experiences can reinforce emotional and physiological stress Ask The Christian ClinicianHave a question about your relationship with God, the Christian faith, apologetics, or something you’ve been wrestling with that you’d like a different perspective on? Send your question to support@psalmmedical.com. You’re welcome to remain anonymous — or, if you’re willing, you may be invited to join me on the podcast to talk through your question together. Join The Christian Clinician Facebook GroupChristian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Resources & Topics MentionedSigns and symptoms of perimenopausePerimenopause vs. menopause vs. postmenopauseHormonal changes during the menopausal transitionBrain fog, fatigue, mood changes, anxiety, and sleep disruptionStress-related hormone imbalanceThyroid and nutrient considerationsBlood sugar and insulin regulationEnvironmental and lifestyle contributors to hormone symptomsIdentity, productivity, and changing roles in midlifeControl, health anxiety, and symptom monitoringMarriage, family, friendship, and changing relationshipsChristian identity and purpose during midlife transitions About Dr. Tanya PaynterDr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and Christian fellowship — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how our relationship with God and faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term well-being. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was recorded with you in mind. Where to Find The Christian ClinicianLearn more: https://www.psalmmedical.com Podcast: https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast Follow The Christian ClinicianYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/ Substack: https://substack.com/@thechristianclinician

  2. Oct 15

    Why Isn’t My Anxiety Treatment Working? Find the Triggers You May Be Missing

    If your anxiety treatment isn’t working the way you hoped, the problem may not be the treatment itself — it may be that you haven’t identified the anxiety triggers actually driving your symptoms. The missing piece may be something you haven’t connected to anxiety at all, which is why changing medications, adding supplements, or trying another stress-management strategy may not be enough. In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter looks at some of the less obvious contributors to anxiety that don’t always get much attention in a conventional anxiety workup. Instead of assuming every case of anxiety needs the same solution, she walks through how patterns in your symptoms can help point you toward the kinds of anxiety treatment that are more likely to fit what’s actually going on. Could a supplement that seems perfectly reasonable on paper be the wrong choice for you once your nutrient status, genetics, and everything else you’re taking are considered? Could something as ordinary as when you have your coffee, how you use your phone, or where you feel anxiety in your body offer clues about what’s driving it? And could two episodes that you both call “anxiety” actually be coming from very different places?  Some of the clues can be measured. Others require paying attention to patterns you may have never thought were relevant. And some take the investigation in an entirely different direction — into the things you believe about yourself, the relationships around you, and even assumptions about God that you may consciously reject but still react to as though they were true.  In This Episode, You’ll Explore:Why conventional anxiety treatment doesn’t work for everyoneHow to start identifying your underlying anxiety triggersWhich labs are worth discussing with your healthcare providerWhy expensive specialty testing isn’t necessarily the best place to startOne five minute practice that can point you to what you’ve been missingHow to distinguish biochemical anxiety (anxiety as a result of a physical imbalance) from anxiety tied to thoughts, emotions, or circumstancesIdentifying how control may contributeHow beliefs (sometimes unconscious beliefs) about yourself and God can become part of the anxiety pictureHow relationships impact anxiety (are yours helpful or harmful?) Anxiety is complicated. The goal of anxiety treatment is to figure out what is actually contributing to your anxiety picture so you know exactly what to address. Timestamps00:00 Why your anxiety treatment may be missing something 01:55 Where to start looking for clues 05:34 When your cycle may be telling you something 08:02 How does food impact anxiety levels? 11:06 When more specialized testing might—or might not—help 15:44 The five-minute habit that can reveal patterns 24:27 How to investigate the thoughts and emotions underneath anxiety 30:38 What you can change—and what you can’t - and how control fits into the anxiety picture 41:16 When your beliefs about God become part of the investigation 49:34 What your relationships may be telling you 54:22 How to put the pieces together without becoming overwhelmed Free ResourceFree Anxiety Symptom-Tracking SheetOne of the most useful ways to identify your anxiety triggers is to start looking for patterns. Download the symptom-tracking sheet discussed in this episode to track symptoms alongside things like sleep, stress, food, hydration, menstrual-cycle timing, activities, and other factors that may help you see connections you’ve been missing. Download the free symptom-tracking sheet here: https://www.psalmmedical.com/season4-signup Continue Exploring: The Anxiety SeriesWhy Do I Always Expect the Worst? Overlooked Factors That May Be Driving Your Anxiety — Understand how anxious thinking, physical changes, emotional experiences, relationships, and spiritual concerns can influence your body's stress response. Listen Here: S4E3 High-Functioning Anxiety in Christian Women: When Responsibility Becomes Control — Join Ashley Hagaman and Dr. Tanya for a discussion of responsibility, control, and the thought patterns that can reinforce anxiety. Listen Here: S4E4 Go Deeper: Addressing Emotional and Spiritual StressorsWhen Prayer Feels Like a Chore: Developing a Deeper Prayer Life (S3E3) — Explore different forms of biblical prayer and what it means to bring our fears, frustrations, anger, and uncertainty honestly before God. Listen Here: S3E3 Forgiveness Is a Process: Practical Steps to Let Go and Heal (S3E11) — Explore how unresolved offenses and repeatedly revisiting painful memories can influence our stress response, along with practical approaches to forgiveness. Listen Here: S3E11 Ask The Christian ClinicianHave a question about your relationship with God, the Christian faith, apologetics, or something you’ve been wrestling with that you’d like a different perspective on? Send your question to support@psalmmedical.com. You’re welcome to remain anonymous — or, if you’re willing, you may be invited to join me on the podcast to talk through your question together. Christian Women’s Health FellowshipLooking for support as you work through your health from a Christian whole-person perspective? The Christian Women’s Health Fellowship brings Christian women together to explore physical health alongside the mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual pieces that may be affecting their health journey. Find out more at https://www.psalmmedical.com. Resources Topics Mentioned Books: The Dawning of Redemption — Dr. Ian VaillancourtThe Unfolding of Redemption — Dr. Ian Vaillancourt Join The Christian Clinician Facebook GroupChristian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Where to Find The Christian ClinicianLearn more: https://www.psalmmedical.com Podcast: https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast Follow The Christian ClinicianYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/ Substack: https://substack.com/@thechristianclinician

    Why Isn’t My Anxiety Treatment Working? Find the Triggers You May Be Missing

  3. Oct 8

    High-Functioning Anxiety in Christian Women: When Responsibility Becomes Control with Ashely Hagamen

    Why can’t I stop overthinking—even when I know I’ve done everything I can? Sometimes anxiety doesn’t look like panic or obvious fear. It looks like researching one more thing, planning for every possible outcome, staying productive, taking care of everyone else, and convincing yourself you’re simply being responsible.  But when does wisdom and good stewardship cross over into trying to guarantee that nothing goes wrong? And what happens when the very traits you’ve been praised for—being capable, prepared, productive, and dependable—are also making it harder to let go of control?  In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter talks with licensed professional counselor Ashley Hagaman about the mental, emotional, and spiritual side of anxiety in high-functioning Christian women. They explore why a meltdown over something small may have very little to do with what just happened, why accepting help can feel strangely difficult, and how the pressure to “have more faith” can actually add another layer of shame to anxiety.  They also dig into a harder question: How do you know what is actually your responsibility—and what you were never meant to control in the first place? And if busyness has become one of the ways you avoid uncomfortable emotions, what happens when you finally stop long enough to feel them?  In this episode, you’ll explore: Why anxiety can hide behind productivity and responsibilityWhen problem-solving quietly turns into ruminationWhy being the woman who “has it all together” can become part of the problemWhat a small overreaction may reveal about what’s happening underneathWhy control can feel useful—even when it’s fueling anxietyThe guilt and shame Christian women can carry around anxious thoughtsWhy accepting help can feel harder than offering itWhat “take every thought captive” should—and shouldn’t—becomeWhy “just have more faith” is such an unhelpful response to anxietyWhat busyness may be protecting you from having to feel Anxiety doesn’t always look anxious. Sometimes it looks like striving to be the woman everyone else depends on. Episode Timestamps00:00 When anxiety looks like responsibility 05:45 Is it really about what just happened? 10:19 When anxiety shows up without obvious thoughts 15:34 Why control can feel so useful 18:35 Where does your responsibility end? 21:39 The pressure to have it all together 25:36 Why accepting help can feel so difficult 30:08 When faith becomes another standard you’re failing 35:19 Does anxiety mean you need more faith? 38:02 The problem with “just have more faith” 39:02 When busyness becomes avoidance 42:22 What anxiety may really be asking you to face Continue Exploring: The Anxiety CycleWhy Do I Always Expect the Worst? Overlooked Factors That May Be Driving Your Anxiety — Explore why our minds anticipate potential threats and how the Five Pillars of Health can help us identify contributing factors. Listen Here: S4E3 Why Isn't My Anxiety Treatment Working? Find the Triggers You May Be Missing — Discover how to investigate the factors behind your symptoms rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach. Listen Here: S4E5 Go Deeper: Responsibility, Rest, and SurrenderBreaking Patterns of Anxiety, Insomnia, and Burn Out with Dr. Natasha Tubbs (S3E21) — What happens when our worth becomes tied to productivity, accomplishment, and being able to do everything? Dr. Tubbs shares how learning to practice Sabbath changed her understanding of rest, identity, and her relationship with God. Listen Here: S3E21 Worship Is More Than Singing: 5 Surprising Ways to Worship God in Daily Life (S3E18) — Discover why asking for help, acknowledging our limitations, and even saying no can become acts of worship rather than signs of weakness. Listen Here: S3E18 Ask The Christian ClinicianHave a question about your relationship with God, the Christian faith, apologetics, or something you’ve been wrestling with that you’d like a different perspective on? Send your question to support@psalmmedical.com. You’re welcome to remain anonymous — or, if you’re willing, you may be invited to join me on the podcast to talk through your question together. About Ashley HagemanAshley Hageman, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor with more than a decade of clinical experience and an adjunct professor of psychology at Cornerstone University. Her work sits at the intersection of psychology, theology, philosophy, and practical Christian mental health. She is also the host of The Created Mind Podcast, where she examines psychological ideas through a Christian worldview. S4E4_Anxiety_Guest_Ashley_Hagam… Find Ashley here: The Created Mind Podcast: Listen on Apple Podcasts The Created Mind on Substack: thecreatedmind.substack.com Ashley on Substack: @ashleyhageman Her current podcast and Substack both identify her as Ashley Hageman, LPC. The Created Mind Join The Christian Clinician Facebook GroupChristian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness About Dr. Tanya PaynterDr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and Christian fellowship — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how our relationship with God and faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term wellbeing. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was recorded with you in mind. Where to Find The Christian ClinicianLearn more at: www.psalmmedical.com Visit the podcast webpage: https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast Follow The Christian ClinicianYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/ Substack: https://substack.com/@thechristianclinician

    High-Functioning Anxiety in Christian Women: When Responsibility Becomes Control with Ashely Hagamen

  4. Oct 1

    Why Do I Always Expect the Worst? Overlooked Factors That May Be Driving Your Anxiety

    Why am I anxious for no reason? If you tend to catastrophize, overthink, worry about worst-case scenarios, or feel anxious even when nothing seems obviously wrong, the answer may be more complex than simply “reduce your stress,” “cut back on caffeine,” or “trust God more.” Sometimes anxiety is being fueled by something you would never think to connect with it — like a favorite food, a supplement meant to help you feel better, or even the anxiety that seems to run in your family. Could a food you eat regularly be contributing to your anxiety? Could the supplements you're stacking — each one reasonable on its own — actually be creating an overdose that's driving anxious symptoms? Could something you believe you've surrendered to God still be keeping your nervous system on guard? And what happens when the source of your anxiety isn't inside you at all — but in a relationship, an environment, or a responsibility you've assumed you simply have to live with? In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter explores physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational factors that can fuel anxiety — and why figuring out which ones actually apply to you matters for successful treatment. In This Episode, You'll Explore: Why anxiety can show up even when nothing seems obviously wrongThe physical contributors to anxiety most people never checkHow everyday habits, foods, medications, and supplements can affect treatmentWhy overthinking, catastrophizing, and uncertainty can keep anxiety going long after the trigger is goneHow grief, trauma, overwhelm, and self-criticism can show up as anxietyWhy what you believe about God deep down may matter more than what you consciously say you believeHow certain relationships and responsibilities can become a source of anxiety without you realizing itWhy finding your own pattern matters more than following a textbook anxiety treatment protocol Anxiety is rarely just one thing, and the goal is to figure out what’s actually contributing to yours. Timestamps 00:00 Why anxiety is so complicated 04:11 When anxiety shows up and nothing seems obviously wrong 06:55 The physical contributors most people never check 13:37 When “healthy” choices may be contributing to the problem 20:43 The emotions underneath anxiety 23:27 How your thoughts can keep the fight-or-flight cycle going 25:56 Why uncertainty feels so threatening 29:26 What your deeper beliefs may be contributing (without even being aware of them) 33:04 The spiritual tension you may not realize is there 38:13 When relationships become part of the picture 42:52 What it looks like to bring Jesus into the middle of anxiety Free ResourceFree Nutrient & Anxiety Handout Some nutrient deficiencies — and even excesses — can contribute to anxiety, irritability, or physical sensations that feel like anxiety. Download the free handout for a quick reference to the nutrients discussed in this episode and what to look for. Download the free handout here: https://www.psalmmedical.com/season4-signup Continue Exploring: The Anxiety CycleHigh-Functioning Anxiety in Christian Women: When Responsibility Becomes Control — Join Ashley Hagaman and Dr. Tanya to explore how responsibility, overthinking, and the desire for control can contribute to anxiety. Listen Here: S4E4 Why Isn't My Anxiety Treatment Working? Find the Triggers You May Be Missing — Learn how to investigate physical, emotional, mental, relational, and spiritual factors that may be contributing to your symptoms. Listen Here: S4E5 Go Deeper: Biblical Practices and the Stress ResponseHow to Calm Anxiety Through Biblical Gratitude (S3E7) — Discover how repeatedly focusing on threats can influence our thinking and how practicing biblical gratitude can help us recognize God's faithfulness, even in difficult circumstances. Listen Here: S3E7 Dr. Ingrid Farrow's Testimony of Prayer and Physical Healing (S3E2) — Hear how one woman's journey through fear, trauma, and anger led to a profound experience of surrender and healing through prayer. Listen Here: S3E2 Ask The Christian ClinicianHave a question about your relationship with God, the Christian faith, apologetics, or something you’ve been wrestling with that you’d like a different perspective on? Send your question to support@psalmmedical.com. You’re welcome to remain anonymous — or, if you’re willing, you may be invited to join me on the podcast to talk through your question together. Join The Christian Clinician Facebook GroupChristian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness About Dr. Tanya PaynterDr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and Christian fellowship — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how our relationship with God and faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term wellbeing. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was recorded with you in mind. Where to Find The Christian ClinicianLearn more at: www.psalmmedical.com Visit the podcast webpage: https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast Follow The Christian ClinicianYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/

    Why Do I Always Expect the Worst? Overlooked Factors That May Be Driving Your Anxiety

  5. Sep 24

    Why One-Size-Fits-All Health Advice Fails: Gut Health, Hormones, Trauma & More

    Spend enough time searching for answers to chronic symptoms and you’ll hear a long list of explanations: nervous system dysregulation, unresolved trauma, gut health, parasites, toxins, hormones, Epstein-Barr virus, metabolic dysfunction, mold, Lyme disease, food sensitivities, or inflammation. Many of these things really can contribute to chronic illness. The problem starts when one of them becomes the explanation for everyone. In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter explores medical reductionism — the tendency to take one legitimate piece of human health and turn it into the single cause of disease. She examines several increasingly popular health philosophies and treatment trends, including German New Medicine, nervous system retraining, trauma-based models of illness, parasite cleanses, terrain theory, detox protocols, gut microbiome approaches, metabolic health, restrictive diets, hormone-focused care, and conventional medicine itself. The issue is not that these approaches have nothing useful to offer. Trauma does affect physical health. Chronic stress can alter nervous system function. Gut health matters. Hormones matter. Environmental toxins, infections, and diet matters. But human beings are more complicated than any one explanation. Dr. Paynter explains why two people with similar symptoms may need completely different approaches, why someone else’s dramatic healing story does not necessarily reveal the cause of your illness, and why chronic health problems often involve several overlapping contributors rather than one hidden culprit. This is also why health information online can become so confusing. One person says the carnivore diet healed everything. Another says a vegan diet did. Someone else says you need a parasite cleanse, nervous system retraining, detoxification, or treatment for chronic Epstein-Barr. Each may have a compelling testimony — because that approach may genuinely have addressed something important for that individual. The goal is not to dismiss those possibilities. It is to stop assuming that what helped one person must explain everyone. This episode continues the Season 4 framework of looking beyond a physical-only model of health without replacing it with a different one-dimensional explanation. Physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and relationships with others can all influence what happens in the body — and complex chronic illness often requires looking at more than one piece of the picture. In this episode, you’ll exploreWhy specialization in medicine is valuable — and where it can become limitingThe difference between identifying a contributing factor and declaring it the universal causeTrauma, emotional conflict, and their effects on physical healthNervous system dysregulation and where nervous system retraining can become overly reductionisticDetoxification, environmental toxins, mold, pesticides, and heavy metalsChronic infections including Epstein-Barr, Lyme disease, and parasitesGut microbiome claims and the phrase “all disease begins in the gut”Hormones, cortisol, thyroid dysfunction, and endocrine-focused explanationsHow conventional medicine can also become reductionisticHow to evaluate new health claims without dismissing them or automatically buying into themWhy individualized testing and a clinician willing to investigate the bigger picture matters in complex or longstanding cases Episode Timestamps 00:00 Why one explanation usually isn’t enough 02:11 What medical reductionism is — and why it’s so appealing 04:28 When one diagnosis becomes the explanation for everything 06:10 Carnivore diets, parasite cleanses, and one-size-fits-all health claims 10:33 Trauma matters — but does trauma explain every disease? 13:37 Nervous system dysregulation: useful framework or too simplistic? 15:35 Why one protocol can transform one person and fail another 18:36 The detoxification extreme 19:24 Chronic infections, Epstein-Barr, Lyme disease, and parasites 21:41 Gut health and the “all disease begins in the gut” claim 22:02 Diet wars, hormones, cortisol, thyroid, and other single-cause models 24:35 Why something can be true for you without being true for everyone 26:51 What a good doctor should do when they don’t know the answer 28:48 When it may be time to look beyond conventional approaches 30:28 Submit your question to The Christian Clinician Ask The Christian ClinicianHave a question about your relationship with God, the Christian faith, apologetics, health, or something you’ve been wrestling with that you’d like a different perspective on? Send your question to support@psalmmedical.com. You can remain completely anonymous — or, if you're willing, you may be invited to join Dr. Tanya on the podcast to ask your question and talk through it together. Join The Christian Clinician Facebook GroupChristian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Resources & Topics MentionedGerman New Medicine / Germanic New MedicineBiological DecodingRecall HealingNew Thought approaches to illnessLouise HayNervous system retrainingTrauma and autonomic nervous system dysregulationMetabolic and cellular healthTerrain theoryDetoxification and environmental toxin exposureEpstein-Barr virusLyme diseaseParasitesGut microbiome healthCarnivore and vegan dietsSeed oils, lectins, gluten, oxalates, and fructoseCortisol and hormone imbalanceThyroid dysfunctionMedical MediumFunctional medicineNaturopathic medicineMethylene blue About the HostDr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and Christian fellowship — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how our relationship with God and faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term wellbeing. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was recorded with you in mind. Where to Find Dr. Tanya PaynterLearn more at www.psalmmedical.com Visit the podcast webpage at https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast Follow The Christian Clinician on Social MediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/

    Why One-Size-Fits-All Health Advice Fails: Gut Health, Hormones, Trauma & More

  6. Sep 17

    Anxiety, Hormones, Thyroid, and Gut Health: Why Christian Women Aren't Getting Better (And What's Missing)

    Many Christian women are dealing with chronic symptoms like anxiety, fatigue, hormone imbalance, thyroid issues, gut problems, insomnia, or feeling "off" in their body — and most health conversations focus almost entirely on physical causes: labs, nutrition, supplements, medications, inflammation, toxins, sleep, and treatment plans. Those pieces matter — but they often don't explain the whole picture. What if your physical symptoms aren't the beginning of the problem but the end result? What if everything you've tried hasn't worked because the real contributors are in areas where nobody is looking? In this opening episode of Season 4 of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Paynter introduces a framework she calls Theophysiology — how our relationship with God, our thoughts, our emotions, our trauma history, and our relationships with others all shape what happens in the physical body. This is not about spiritualizing symptoms or ignoring the physical. It's about recognizing that chronic illness rarely has a single physical cause and that healing often requires going deeper than labs, protocols, and medications. Season 4 will explore nine real struggles Christian women face — anxiety, hormone imbalance, thyroid issues, gut health, shame, guilt, and the painful question "Why hasn't God healed me yet?" — through five interconnected areas of health that are outlined in this episode with practical conversations about what may be contributing to symptoms and what can be done to address them. In this episode, you’ll exploreWhy Season 4 will focus on physical health without reducing health to the body aloneWhat Theophysiology is and why Dr. Paynter is uses this frameworkHow chronic symptoms usually have both physical and non-physical contributorsHow thoughts, emotions, trauma, relationships, and faith can affect physical healthWhy health problems are never uni-directionalWhat to expect from Season 4 of The Christian ClinicianHow listeners can submit questions about health, faith, doubts, and spiritual struggles Episode Timestamps00:00 Welcome to Season 4 of The Christian Clinician 01:18 Introducing Theophysiology 02:18 Why physical symptoms may not be the first thing going wrong 05:06 Wrestling through the relationship between soul and spirit 06:41 Why we cannot separate health into neat boxes 09:45 Five areas that contribute to physical health 14:33 Why every area affects the others 15:32 Anxiety through the five areas of health 16:45 Hormone imbalance and perimenopause through the five areas 18:32 What Season 4 covers 19:50 What are "health cycles" and how do they work? 23:03 Invitation for listener questions and even a guest spot to be on The Christian Clincian 25:25 Looking ahead Join The Christian Clinician Facebook GroupChristian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussions tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Resources MentionedTheophysiologySeason 4 of The Christian ClinicianSend listener questions to: support@psalmmedical.com About the HostDr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, spiritual health (relationship with God), and relational health — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how our relationship with God and faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term wellbeing. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was recorded with you in mind. Where to Find Dr. Tanya PaynterLearn more at www.psalmmedical.com Visit the podcast webpage at https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast Follow The Christian Clinician on Social MediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/

    Anxiety, Hormones, Thyroid, and Gut Health: Why Christian Women Aren't Getting Better (And What's Missing)

  7. Aug 20

    When Data Lies: How Christians Can Think Clearly About Statistics, COVID, and Creation with Dr. Jason Wilson

    Can Christians trust statistics?We live in a world drowning in data. Medical studies, COVID debates, vaccine claims, creation and evolution arguments, social media headlines, fulfilled prophecy, and apologetics all involve statistics. But when data is used to support opposite conclusions, how do we know what is actually true? In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter talks with Dr. Jason Wilson — professor of statistics at Biola University and author of Statistics and Faith: A Christian Guide to Telling the Truth with Data — about how Christians can become more honest, discerning, and clear-headed when interpreting data. Dr. Wilson holds a PhD in statistics from UC Riverside and an MA in New Testament studies from Biola, and has spent eighteen years teaching Christians to think about numbers with both rigor and faith. Dr. Wilson explains that statistics is not "just math" — it is a tool for understanding reality. And because Christians are called to love truth, how we collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data is a deeply theological concern. This conversation covers the three dimensions of truth, how worldview and confirmation bias quietly shape interpretation, why COVID vaccine data and natural immunity were so widely misunderstood, what probability can and cannot prove about fulfilled prophecy, and why abiogenesis raises a probability problem that most naturalists struggle to answer. There is also one number in this episode — the calculated probability of life arising spontaneously from non-life — that may be the most compelling statistical argument for intelligent design you have ever heard. If you have ever felt confused by conflicting studies, overwhelmed by competing claims, or unsure how to think about data as a Christian, this episode will help you approach statistics with more clarity, humility, and confidence. In this episode, you’ll exploreWhy Christians are called to care about statistics, data, and truthHow worldview, bias, and assumptions quietly shape the way we interpret researchWhy COVID vaccine data and natural immunity were more nuanced than either camp admittedWhat the math around fulfilled prophecy actually proves — and where the argument has limitsWhy abiogenesis raises a probability problem that naturalism struggles to answerHow to evaluate data without cherry-picking it to win an argumentWhy statistics can lower the temperature in polarized conversations Episode Timestamps00:00 The probability problem of life arising from non-life 00:51 Introducing Dr. Jason Wilson and Statistics and Faith 05:01 From “statistical apologetics” to Statistics and Faith 09:04 Why the book is accessible for non-math people 12:18 Intellectual honesty, bias, and interpreting data fairly 15:52 The heart check of confirmation bias 17:26 Three dimensions of truth: propositional, experiential, and communal 23:16 How worldview can distort data 30:28 The four parts of statistics 32:02 The statistics around fulfilled prophecy 37:51 Creation, abiogenesis, and the probability of life from non-life 45:03 COVID data and statistical polarization 46:59 Vaccine efficacy, natural immunity, and reading the data honestly 50:30 How statistics can lower the temperature in polarized conversations 52:45 Where to find Statistics and Faith and Dr. Jason Wilson Join The Christian Clinician Facebook GroupChristian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Resources MentionedStatistics and Faith: A Christian Guide to Telling the Truth with Data by Dr. Jason WilsonPublisher: InterVarsity Press / IVP Academichttps://www.ivpress.com/statistics-and-faithAmazon: https://a.co/d/0cDtYVa3 Dr. Jason Wilson’s Biola University faculty pagehttps://www.biola.edu/directory/people/jason-wilsonDr. Jason Wilson’s personal Biola homepagehttps://sites.google.com/a/biola.edu/jasonwilson/jason-wilsons-home-pageBiola University Quantitative Consulting CenterMentioned in connection with Dr. Wilson’s work at Biola.The Return of the God Hypothesis by Stephen C. MeyerMentioned as a helpful resource on intelligent design, materialism, and origin-of-life questions.Peter Stoner’s probability argument for fulfilled prophecyDiscussed in relation to Jesus fulfilling Old Testament prophecies and the importance of independence in probability calculations.Fred Hoyle’s junkyard analogyDiscussed as an illustration of the probability challenge around life arising spontaneously from non-life.. About the GuestDr. Jason Wilson is professor of statistics at Biola University, where he oversees the statistics program and directs the Quantitative Consulting Center. He earned his PhD in statistics from UC Riverside and an MA in New Testament studies from Biola University. Dr. Wilson has taught math and statistics at Biola for the past eighteen years, has published more than twenty peer-reviewed journal articles, and is the author of Statistics and Faith: A Christian Guide to Telling the Truth with Data. His work helps Christians think honestly and faithfully about truth, statistics, bias, data, and the calling to love God with both heart and mind. About the HostDr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and Christian fellowship — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how our relationship with God and faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term wellbeing. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was recorded with you in mind. Where to Find Dr. Tanya PaynterLearn more at www.psalmmedical.com Visit the podcast webpage at https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast Follow The Christian Clinician on Social MediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/

    When Data Lies: How Christians Can Think Clearly About Statistics, COVID, and Creation with Dr. Jason Wilson

  8. Aug 6

    What Nobody Taught You About the Old Testament (But Should Have) with Dr. Ian Vaillancourt

    Does the Old Testament ever feel confusing, disconnected, or hard to reconcile with Jesus? Many Christians know the Old Testament matters, but when they encounter genealogies, creation, laws about slavery, tabernacle instructions, sacrifices, blessings and curses, or difficult stories in Genesis and Exodus, they can feel lost. Some begin to wonder whether the Old Testament is mostly a collection of moral lessons, strange laws, ancient history, or hard-to-defend passages. In this episode of The Christian Clinician, Dr. Tanya Paynter welcomes back Dr. Ian Vaillancourt to discuss his book The Dawning of Redemption: The Story of the Pentateuch and the Hope of the Gospel. Dr. Vaillancourt explains how the first five books of the Bible are not random, disconnected, or secondary to the Christian faith. They introduce the story of redemption that finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Together, they discuss how to read the Old Testament through a biblical-theological lens, why Genesis is not merely trying to answer modern scientific questions, how the Bible reveals God’s interpretation of history, and why genealogies matter more than many of us realize. They also explore how Joseph’s story points beyond Joseph to Judah, the seed of the woman, and ultimately to Christ. This conversation also addresses some of the difficult moral objections people raise against the Old Testament, including the Law of Moses, slavery, women, war, and whether God approved of ancient cultural practices. Dr. Vaillancourt explains how Torah is better understood as authoritative instruction for God’s redeemed people — not a way to earn salvation, but a way to live as those who belong to Yahweh. If you have ever struggled to understand the Old Testament, want to understand how the Old Testament connects to Jesus and the Gospel, or felt unsure how to answer hard questions about creation, the law, genealogies, or slavery in the Bible, this conversation will help you see the Pentateuch with fresh eyes. In this episode, you’ll exploreWhy the Old Testament is not a disconnected collection of stories and lawsHow the Pentateuch introduces the Bible’s big story of redemptionWhy every part of the Old Testament has a role in pointing us to JesusHow the Bible reveals God’s interpretation of history, not just historical eventsWhy Genesis 1–2 should first be read on its own biblical termsHow creation reveals Yahweh as the God over all creation, not one local deity among manyWhy the names Elohim and Yahweh matter when reading GenesisHow genealogies trace the seed of the woman and the hope of redemptionWhy Joseph is a supporting actor and Judah is central in the drama of redemptionHow Torah as “authoritative instruction” reframes the Law of MosesWhy gospel comes before law in Exodus and in the Christian lifeHow Old Testament laws show Israel how to represent Yahweh differently from the surrounding nationsHow reading the Old Testament well strengthens faith, worship, and confidence in ScriptureEpisode Timestamps00:00 Difficult Old Testament laws and representing God differently 01:16 Introducing Dr. Ian Vaillancourt and The Dawning of Redemption 01:55 Dr. Vaillancourt’s background in Old Testament, Hebrew, and seminary teaching 02:40 Why he wrote The Dawning of Redemption 03:52 Biblical theology and seeing the big picture of Scripture 05:29 How these books changed Dr. Tanya’s understanding of the Old Testament 06:57 The main thesis: the Bible tells the story of God redeeming a people for Himself 09:11 Creation, Eden, genealogy, covenant, Exodus, Torah, tabernacle, unbelief, and blessing 10:13 What happens when churches stop reading the Old Testament as moralism 12:41 Reading the Old Testament without feeling lost 13:15 Difference between The Dawning of Redemption and Unfolding Redemption 15:21 The Bible as God’s interpretation of historical events 17:31 Why Scripture gives us more than being a “fly on the wall” 20:05 Creation, evolution, and asking the questions the Bible leads us to ask 23:07 Why Genesis begins the Bible and the Pentateuch 25:56 Science, Scripture, worldview, and biblical lenses 28:23 Elohim, Yahweh Elohim, and the personal covenant name of God 32:45 Why the serpent depersonalizes God in Genesis 3 33:36 How English Bibles signal the name Yahweh 35:52 Genealogies, Genesis 3:15, and the seed of the woman 40:55 Why Joseph is not the main character in the final section of Genesis 43:28 Why Judah matters in the lineage of Jesus 46:32 Torah, Law of Moses, and authoritative instruction 48:46 Gospel before law: “I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of Egypt” 51:08 Bearing the name of Yahweh and representing God in the world 53:19 Slavery, women, ancient culture, and living differently as God’s people 54:23 Where to find The Dawning of Redemption and Unfolding Redemption Join The Christian Clinician Facebook GroupChristian Women Health and Wellness: Support for Anxiety, Hormones, and Faith Join us for encouragement, practical health conversations, and weekly discussion tied to the podcast. https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Resources MentionedThe Dawning of Redemption: The Story of the Pentateuch and the Hope of the Gospel by Dr. Ian VaillancourtUnfolding Redemption: The Heart of the Gospel in the Story of Old Testament History by Dr. Ian VaillancourtPrevious episode with Dr. Ian Vaillancourt on Unfolding RedemptionPreaching Christ from the Old Testament by Sidney GreidanusThe Reason for God by Timothy KellerGraham GoldsworthyGerhardus VosChristopher WrightDaniel BlockCarmen ImesCrosswayInterVarsity Press10ofthose.comAmazonAbout the GuestDr. Ian Vaillancourt is professor of Old Testament and Hebrew and director of distance learning at Heritage Theological Seminary. He is an ordained pastor in the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists in Canada and previously pastored for fourteen years. Dr. Vaillancourt is the author of The Dawning of Redemption and Unfolding Redemption, both of which help Christians see the storyline of Scripture and understand how the Old Testament points forward to Jesus Christ. About the HostDr. Tanya Paynter is the host of The Christian Clinician, a podcast built on the belief that true whole-person health rests on five pillars: physical health, mental health, emotional health, relationship with God, and Christian fellowship — all connected and communicated through the nervous system. As a licensed naturopathic physician, Dr. Paynter bridges biblical truth and clinical science — helping Christians understand how our relationship with God and faith practices like worship, prayer, Sabbath, and community shape stress physiology, nervous system health, and long-term wellbeing. If you're searching for a faith-based functional medicine approach to health that addresses body, mind, spirit, and community together, The Christian Clinician was recorded with you in mind. Where to Find Dr. Tanya PaynterLearn more at www.psalmmedical.com Visit the podcast webpage at https://www.psalmmedical.com/podcast Follow The Christian Clinician on Social MediaYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thechristianclinician Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheChristianClinician Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/christianwomenhealthandwellness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christianclinician/

    What Nobody Taught You About the Old Testament (But Should Have) with Dr. Ian Vaillancourt
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What if your symptoms aren't only about what is happening physically? Medicine needs alternative ways of thinking about chronic symptoms — ways that account for how both physical and non-physical factors influence our health. The Christian Clinician explores the often-overlooked connections between physical health, stress, thoughts, emotions, relationships, spiritual struggles, and our relationship with God, and the ways each can influence our health. Hosted by Dr. Tanya Paynter, a licensed naturopathic physician with a master's degree in Christian apologetics from Colorado Christian University, this podcast brings together current research and best practices with functional medicine, biblical truth, and clinical insight to help Christian women better understand what may be contributing to their symptoms. Episodes explore topics such as anxiety, hormones and perimenopause, thyroid health, gut health, sleep, fatigue, stress physiology, emotional health, and nervous system regulation — alongside questions of faith, doubt, suffering, unanswered prayer, fear, control, and healing. Through practical teaching and conversations with physicians, theologians, authors, and other experts, you'll learn to look at health through the interconnected lenses of the body, mind, emotions, relationships, and spirit. Faith isn't just another health intervention, and better spiritual habits won't eliminate disease. But understanding your health more fully while pursuing healing with Christ at the center — that's just good medicine.

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