This bonus episode is for anyone who is looking to better understand their personal relationship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Listen as Ask Dr. Julie Hanks combines with the Latter-day Struggles podcast for a special episode all about moving forward with the LDS Church in the healthiest way for you. If you aren’t sure how t…

Send us a Positive Review! Faith Journeying Parents of Adult Children- Part III of IV: In this tender episode Valerie has a conversation with special guest, Kim, who shares the intense emotional experience of entering into her own faith journey in the face of terror that she might lose the love and trust of her children and grandchildren. This epis…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! Faith Journeying Parents of Adult Children- Part II of IV: Join Val along with therapist and colleague Liz Macdonald as they explore the experience of a more traditionally believing LDS individual, whose parent is going through a faith expansion journey. This episode empathetically shines a light o…

Send us a Positive Review! Faith Journeying Parents of Adult Children- Part I of IV: In this series Val is joined by therapist, colleague and friend Liz MacDonald to dive deeply into the world of the faith expanding Latter-day Saint with more traditionally believing adult children. They explore the unique stressors of this parent/child dynamic when…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this final episode of a four-part series, Val and Nathan focus on how embracing AMBIVALENCE is evidence of radical, spiritual growth. In the context of this conversation, ambivalence is less about indecision and more about embracing paradox--the dark and the light-- within each soul, each idea, …

Send us a Positive Review! Remember when things were so simple? Back in the day when we were experts on pretty much everything related to life and eternity? Well, if you’re listening to Latter Day Struggles, you’ve likely let that go and are learning to embrace ambiguity. This episode [part three of a four-part series] tackles why certainty is so c…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this episode Val and Nathan unpack the difference between the anxiety that makes us sick and the anxiety that comes as we move deeper into our faith journeys. They explore how detecting and letting go of fear-oriented theology, practicing mindfulness, and personally differentiating, helps us man…

Send us a Positive Review! Join Val and Nathan in this fast-paced 4-part conversation walking you through some hard evidence that you ARE, in fact, growing up! This series tackles why humans long for certainty, and how early life is mainly focused on avoiding anxiety. It goes on to help you see that the faith journey offers you all of the ingredien…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! Hey, amazing Friday subscribers! You have questions? Val has responses! For the next few Fridays (and other Fridays in the future) she’ll be answering YOUR questions. This episode’s questions and discussion points: - What is the hardest part of your work? - I'm about to file for divorce and I am so…

Send us a Positive Review! Join Val and colleague Dr. Julie Hanks as they dive into the topic of differentiation and how being differentiated is the key to our making healthy choices related to our relationship with the church. This episode is a wonderful “teaser” for those who want to jump into their FINAL 4-week Q&A session, focused on supporting…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! Hey, amazing Friday subscribers! You have questions? Val has responses! For the next few Fridays (and other Fridays in the future) she’ll be answering YOUR questions. This episode's questions: - How do I support a full-time missionary child when I'm struggling with some of the church's teachings? -…

Send us a Positive Review! A couple of months ago Valerie was invited by the Faith Matters Podcast to speak about one of the toughest topics they’ve ever covered—how to navigate the faith journey of a loved one when that faith journey seems to be costing a marriage or family eternal life together with that loved one. When that episode dropped, both…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! Hey, amazing Friday subscribers! You have questions? Val has responses! For the next few Fridays (and other Fridays in the future) she’ll be answering YOUR questions. This episode’s questions: - What are your thoughts about Gods controlling things and letting bad things happen to us? - How can I be…

Send us a Positive Review! Join Valerie and fellow podcaster Aubrey Chaves of the Faith Matters podcast as together they discuss the vision and purpose of the Restore Conference. A common belief among these two brave and compassionate women? True growth and connection is about being welcome and accepted wherever you are on your faith journey. No fi…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this final, exclusive episode of a four-part series on Plato's “Allegory of the Cave”, Val and Nathan get more personal about how this allegory resonates with their own experiences. They share their thoughts on how spiritual development rooted in fear can hinder us from reaching true selfhood. T…

Send us a Positive Review! In this third installment of a four-part series on Plato's “Allegory of the Cave”, Valerie and Nathan delve into how faith journeys can be compared to the transformative experience of seeing the sun for the first time and the internal and external struggle that comes with returning to the cave. How does the hero of Plato’…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In part two (of this four part series), Valerie and Nathan continue to explore Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and the gradual steps in moving from distortion and darkness to enlightenment. They break down the individual elements described in the allegory, what they symbolize , and how these element…

Send us a Positive Review! What could Plato and "The Matrix" possibly have in common?? In episode one (of this four part series), Val and Nathan discuss themes that echo throughout ancient philosophy and modern day society. They begin this series by introducing Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and the symbolism throughout one man’s journey from darkn…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this Advanced Content *Exclusive* and final episode of this series focused on better understanding the crucial importance of psychological (vertical) development within the context of the LDS church, Valerie and colleague Ryan Gottfredson apply all of the concepts tackled thus far in the the ser…

Send us a Positive Review! In part three [of a four-part series] Valerie and Ryan expand on the characteristics of a vertically developing mind. This episode highlights the characteristics of the most psychologically developed mind--characteristics that embody only 1% of the population! This "mind 3.0" values contributing to the world in meaningful…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! Welcome to part II (of a four-part series) where Valerie and guest author and scholar Ryan Gottfredson dive deeper into how a focus on human psychological development can help individuals and organizations thrive. They discuss the progression of mind development from hyper-dependence (mind 1.0) to …

Send us a Positive Review! In this opening episode [of a four-part series], Valerie welcomes organizational psychologist Ryan Gottfredson for a fascinating study of how our level of psychological development impacts how we (our loved ones, our friends, and our church!) navigate religion and spirituality. This episode is a broad overview of Ryan's s…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this episode, Valerie and Nathan continue making sense of the struggle that many faith-expanding LDS (and surrounding) people have regarding past and present spiritual experiences. Sharing personal experiences of their own faith journeys, they open up about how their relationship to spiritual im…

Send us a Positive Review! In this episode of Latter Day Struggles, Valerie and Nathan respond to a very common question that people in early faith crisis often ask: "What do I make of my former spiritual experiences?" This two part series tackles many aspects of this perplexing aspect of faith expansion. Val and Nathan talk about the feelings of c…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this follow up episode Valerie and guest Steve Young delve into more specific examples related to the power of moving away from seeing the world through the lens of transaction and towards embodying more purely the teachings of Jesus Christ defined by unconditional love. With personal examples f…

Send us a Positive Review! In this enlightening episode of Latter Day Struggles, Valerie welcomes special guest Steve Young to delve into the transformative power of love within the context of faith expansion in and around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Together they explore ideas from Steve's book, "The Law of Love," highlighting…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this advanced content exclusive part two of this series, Valerie and Nathan continue to analyze the complexities of loyalty and how and when it can clash with personal integrity. Together, they explore the potential conflicts arising when loyalty is prioritized over love within church institutio…

Send us a Positive Review! In part one of this two part series, Valerie and Nathan delve into the delicate relationship between love, loyalty, and integrity. They discuss how loyalty, when prioritized over love, can lead to moral conflicts, confusion and systemic issues. The conversation centers around recognizing loyalty as a near enemy to love, p…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this capstone episode concluding their groundbreaking four-part series treating the intersection of atonement theology, trauma healing, and the penal justice system, Valerie and Fiona Givens dive into some beautiful and unique contributions that can be found in LDS theology. They highlight some …

Send us a Positive Review! Welcome to part III [of a four-part series] where Valerie and special guest Fiona Givens dive deep into atonement theology, its implications on the growth of the human soul in general, the criminal justice system in particular, and the need for a healing-focused approach within the church and society. A significant portio…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this enlightening episode two [of a four-part series] Valerie and Fiona Givens delve deep into the historical and theological underpinnings of atonement theology and its profound impact on the American penal justice system. Fiona provides a rich historical context, explaining the shift from earl…

Christ Church Anglican Savannah, GA. Interactive Discussion / workshop led by Jule Golingan Roberts. Some audio is of the discussion time in small groups where there is no speaker to listen to.

Send us a Positive Review! Welcome to a podcast series that has been months in the making and one that you will NOT want to miss if you desire to find health and healing in your relationship with God, atonement, hope, and healing. In this four part series, Valerie welcomes return guest and gifted LDS theologian Fiona Givens. Together they delve dee…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this thought-provoking final episode of this four-part series, Valerie explores the complex historical and cultural factors that contribute to the prevalence of unique near enemy behaviors within the LDS Church. She discusses how the church's trauma history, including persecution and isolation, …

Send us a Positive Review! In this episode three (of a four-part series) Val and Nathan continue their deep dive into applications of the Buddhist concept of the near enemy, shining a light on how this concept might apply to how the LDS and surrounding community might grow in light and truth as these ideas are understood and embraced. They focus on…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this Latter Day Struggles EXCLUSIVE [episode two of a four-part series] Val and Nathan explore several topics relevant to the LDS faith journey through the lens of the "near enemy". Their focus in this advanced-content episode includes an analysis of: **Faithfulness as the near-enemy of personal…

Send us a Positive Review! In this episode one [of a four-part series] Valerie and Nathan delve into the profound concept of the "Near Enemy," highlighting how certain behaviors that superficially resemble virtues actually hinder personal growth and damage interpersonal relationships. Drawing from Buddhist wisdom and Brené Brown's integrative work,…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this final episode in their series tackling the topic of OCD spiritual scrupulosity within the context of the LDS faith, Valerie and Brannon Patrick reflect on their own experiences as missionaries to offer a respectful critique of a culture that of vulnerable to struggles with mental health in …

Send us a Positive Review! In this episode three [of a four-part series] Valerie welcomes fellow therapist colleague Brannon Patrick for a discussion highlighting the profound impact of OCD scrupulosity on individuals within the LDS community. In an unexpected turn of events, both Val and Brannon realize that they each struggled in their adolescenc…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this episode two [of a four-part series] Valerie and guest author Taylor Kerby delve into the complexities of OCD scrupulosity within the context of the Latter-Day Saint faith. They continue their conversation tackling the following topics connecting OCD spiritual scrupulosity with the LDS faith…

Send us a Positive Review! In this opening episode of a four-part series focused on OCD spiritual scrupulosity in the context of the LDS church, Valerie begins by interviewing Taylor Kerby, author the the book "Scrupulous: My Obsessive Compulsion for God". In this episode Taylor shares his journey with spiritual scrupulosity, explaining how these c…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this episode, Valerie and Nathan tackle Camille Johnson's recent address from the 2024 BYU Women’s Conference and its many contradictory and conflicting messages around personal choice, healthy and unhealthy leadership and followership, gender roles, womanhood, motherhood, career, obedience, and…

In today's episode I talk with Saren and answer the question “How do I support my 13-year-old daughter who wants to stay in the LDS Church when I have left?” Saren is trying to reconcile letting her child be a part of something that she has chosen to leave behind while also respecting her daughter’s agency. To top it off, her daughter has had a dif…

Send us a Positive Review! In preparation for Friday's sensitive-content exclusive episode 230, Valerie offers a detailed overview of the entirety of General Relief Society President Camille Johnson's recent address given at the 2024 BYU Women's Conference. This address was both intriguing and concerning, focusing concurrently on both following the…

Send us a Positive Review! Big News! Listen in and rest assured that more info is coming! Thanks for being here on our mutual faith expansion journey! Support the show **More sensitive or more psychologically advanced themes are saved for paid Friday episodes to protect the content creators from being mischaracterized by less familiar consumers.** …

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this follow up episode on the heels of her guest collaboration with the At Last She Said It podcast, Valerie delves much deeper into a topic that is key to our process of deciding when sacrifice and suffering is "good" as opposed to when it is unnecessary and unhealthy. A key to discerning betwe…

Send us a Positive Review! In this thought-provoking episode Valerie is the guest on the fabulous podcast "At Last She Said It" with hosts Cynthia Winward and Susan Hinckley. In this conversation this dynamic trio dives deep into the challenging concept of "good hard" vs. "bad hard" within the LDS community. They highlight the crucial difference be…

Subscriber-only episode Send us a Positive Review! In this final episode of this four-part series featuring the beautiful book "The Mother Tree", Valerie and guest author Kathryn Knight Sonntag conclude their conversation linking the symbolism of the tree to the balance and unity found when femininity and masculinity are allowed to occupy collabora…

In this episode I meet with Kellice and answer the question “How do I decide on a career that I won’t later regret or wish I had taken a different path?” Kellice wants to choose a sustainable career to support herself and her boys, but she isn’t sure where to start. How can she be sure she isn’t going to make the wrong decision? I challenge Kellice…