Posts by Alison Cook
The Best Of You Podcast: What Should I Know About Gaslighting?
You’ve heard the word gaslighting, but what does it really mean? In this episode we’ll discuss: What is gaslighting? What are some examples of it in real life? Why do people do this? What does the Bible have to say about gaslighting? The #1 question I get from people who are dealing with a gaslighter...
The Best Of You Podcast: What Is Narcissism Really?
You’ve heard the word narcissist, but what does it really mean? In this episode we’ll discuss: What narcissism is- how it’s presented in the Bible and the criteria psychologists use to diagnose it The difference between labeling people vs. naming behaviors Different types of narcissism What it feels like if you’re in a narcissistic relationship...
Spiritual Wounds and How to Heal
A spiritual wound is a type of wound that disrupts your relationship with God or your spiritual practices. Spiritual wounds typically occur when a parent, authority figure, or religious leader use the name of God for self-centered purposes or twist God’s word to cause harm. All childhood wounds cause you to question your worth. But...
What are the Effects of Trauma?
When you hear the word trauma, you might assume that it only applies to extreme situations. But when understood correctly, trauma is a reality that touches more people than you might think. The effects of trauma are wide-reaching on the soul, body and on relationships. And I believe healing the effects of trauma is at...
Calming Anxiety
Did you know that anxiety is part of your Internal Alert System? It’s often an unwanted visitor, but when you pay attention to its cues, and lead yourself well, you can learn to calm anxiety in your body and help it function as it should. To calm anxiety, you must understand that at its best...
How to Reclaim Your Inner Alert System
Did you know that you have a built-in alert system inside your soul? Yep. God designed you with a sophisticated, state-of-the-art system to alert you to danger in your environment. It’s your nervous system, which impacts your emotions, your thoughts, and nearly every decision you make. This whole system works together to help you keep...
The Empathy Trap
Sometimes the world can feel like a mess. The cruelty, the hatred, the gaslighting from every direction. The hidden agendas and loud, screaming voices. If you’re empathetic you feel all of it. You anticipate the pain of the people around you. You understand the hurt behind those who are misbehaving, even when their actions are...
Can a Boundary Become Unhealthy?
Vivian feels frustrated that her friend, Sue, constantly offers unsolicited advice about how she parents her children. However, she’s afraid of making Sue mad, so she doesn’t say anything. She tells herself it’s better to keep the peace in the relationship than risk offending her friend. John is fearful about trusting anyone and refuses to...
The Most Important Choice You Make Each Day
Every single day, every single one of us faces both the good and the hard that we see in ourselves. We’re human. And, we have a choice about which of two voices we’ll listen to. The first voice is shame. Shame tells us that we’re “bad”, that we’re disgusting and not worthy. Shame can feel...
Should I Become Less?
Have you heard the often-quoted verse: “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30)? Maybe you have heard this verse as a call to humble yourself or make yourself small. You don’t want to exalt yourself in ways that are selfish or detrimental. So you might try to “become less” in any of...
Will Setting Boundaries Make Me Cruel?
I hear this question often and it reveals a conundrum that many people of faith face when it comes to setting boundaries. Many of you feel that you have only two options when a boundary line has been crossed: a. Lash out and be perceived as cruel or selfish. b. Ignore the boundary foul and...
What to Do With Loneliness
I struggled with loneliness for years. And I did not know what to do with loneliness. In fact, I often felt as if it was a shameful secret I couldn’t tell anybody. I didn’t know that loneliness is a tender guide that could lead me to the connections I craved. The pain of loneliness is...
While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this website 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 website are for informational purposes only.
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