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Purity, Shame, and Wholeness: Reclaiming God’s Good Design

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

Release Date: 08/19/2025

Your Questions Answered About Sex, Marriage, Same-Sex Attraction, and God show art Your Questions Answered About Sex, Marriage, Same-Sex Attraction, and God

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

You ask questions! And Dr. Carol loves to respond. In today's episode, Dr. Carol's addresses some of the most difficult questions about sex, love, marriage, same-sex attraction and more. These were sent in from real listeners just like you.  Here are the resources Dr. Carol mentiones on thsi episode:  Article Article Article Article Article Article Find out more about , or check out . Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message .

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Rebuilding Us: The Path to Restoring Intimacy and Trust After Betrayal show art Rebuilding Us: The Path to Restoring Intimacy and Trust After Betrayal

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

In today's episode, Dr. Carol is joined by Dana Che, marriage coach, speaker, and host of the Rebuilding Us podcast. She knows firsthand what it’s like to feel angry, hurt, and hopeless in marriage marred by infidelity, yet find her way to healing and restored connection. She now helps couples move from “I can’t stand you” to “I still do,” guiding them through the real work of rebuilding trust and intimacy after betrayal. Together, they unpack what forgiveness truly means (and what it doesn’t), why healthy boundaries are not unspiritual but are essential, and how couples can...

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Why Sexual Addiction Is Really an Intimacy Disorder, and Finding Healing show art Why Sexual Addiction Is Really an Intimacy Disorder, and Finding Healing

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

In this episode, we sit down with Greg and Stacey Oliver. Greg was a worship pastor and his wife Stacey grew up in the mission field. But that did not prevent their difficult journey of Greg's hidden sexual addiction and Stacey's deep insecurity and people-pleasing. However, their redemptive journey led to healing, freedom, and restored intimacy. What began as an exhausting struggle became the doorway to discovering that sexual addiction isn’t ultimately about sex; it's really an intimacy disorder. Now as the founders of Awaken, a faith-based recovery ministry, they help others find...

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Why Sexual Addiction Is Really an Intimacy Disorder, and the Path to Healing show art Why Sexual Addiction Is Really an Intimacy Disorder, and the Path to Healing

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

In this episode, we sit down with Greg and Stacey Oliver. Greg was a worship pastor and his wife Stacey grew up in the mission field. But that did not prevent their difficult journey of Greg's hidden sexual addiction and Stacey's deep insecurity and people-pleasing. However, their redemptive journey led to healing, freedom, and restored intimacy. What began as an exhausting struggle became the doorway to discovering that sexual addiction isn’t ultimately about sex; it's really an intimacy disorder. Now as the founders of Awaken, a faith-based recovery ministry, they help others find...

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The Fire of Jesus That Transforms show art The Fire of Jesus That Transforms

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

What if the fire Jesus came to bring isn’t about fear or destruction, but about freedom? In this episode, we explore how the fire of God doesn’t just warm or comfort; it also burns away what keeps us from becoming whole, fully alive, and truly like Jesus. This isn’t about trying harder or piling on more spiritual “shoulds.” It’s about letting Jesus consume what holds us back so we can live with undivided hearts before Him. We’ll talk about three things that need to be burned up—people-pleasing, idols, and sin—and why this is actually very good news. Along the way, you’ll...

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Confident Connection: What Neuroscience Teaches About Attachment and Your Spiritual Life show art Confident Connection: What Neuroscience Teaches About Attachment and Your Spiritual Life

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

What does the science of attachment have to do with your walk with God? In this episode, we sit down with husband-and-wife team Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw who lead the Center for Embodied Faith to explore how experiences in early life shape our capacity for trust, intimacy, and connection—not only with people, but with God Himself. That connection then affords you the secure base to live and act in the world with confidence.  Together we unpack the difference between secure and insecure attachment, how those patterns show up in faith, and why many of us struggle to rest confidently in...

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Discovering the Power of God’s Empathy for You and Others show art Discovering the Power of God’s Empathy for You and Others

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

In this first of a two-part series on spiritual formation, we’re joined by a remarkable couple authors Bill and Kristi Gaultiere with decades of experience in ministry and counseling. As founders of Soul Shepherding, they’ve dedicated their lives to helping believers take their next steps toward deeper intimacy with Jesus, greater emotional health, and more loving relationships. Together, we dive into the transformative power of empathy—what it is, why it matters, and how it reflects the very heart of God in His interactions with us. We explore why learning self-empathy (which is very...

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The Marriage Turnaround: How Shifting Your Focus Will Transform Your Relationship show art The Marriage Turnaround: How Shifting Your Focus Will Transform Your Relationship

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

In this candid conversation, we sit down with licensed marriage and family therapist Chris A. Matthews who opens up about the struggles he and his wife faced in their own marriage, and the powerful shift in focus that turned things around. Out of that personal journey, he now equips couples with practical tools to help them stop the negative cycles and cultivate connection, trust, and lasting change. Whether your relationship feels stuck or you simply want to grow closer, you’ll discover hope-filled insights and actionable steps to begin your own marriage turnaround. Your marriage isn't...

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From Criticism to Blessing: Transforming How You Speak to Your Spouse show art From Criticism to Blessing: Transforming How You Speak to Your Spouse

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

Your words carry more power in your marriage than you may realize. In this episode, Dr. Carol talks with Ann Wilson, best-selling author, radio host, and 40-year marriage veteran, about the profound influence a wife’s words can have in her husband’s heart and life. Together they unpack why your husband is not a project to be fixed, and how shifting from negative to positive communication can change the atmosphere of your relationship—even when real issues still need to be addressed. If you’ve ever struggled to feel heard, wondered why conversations with your spouse seem to...

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What No One Tells You About Sex and Marriage show art What No One Tells You About Sex and Marriage

Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

When it comes to sex and marriage, most couples discover there’s far more beneath the surface than they ever expected. In this episode, Dr. Carol welcomes Dr. Michael Sytsma—ordained Christian minister, licensed professional counselor, certified sex therapist, professor, and national speaker. With over 30 years of clinical experience, Dr. Sytsma has walked with countless couples through struggles, surprises, and the deep joys of intimacy. Together they unpack the common myths couples believe about sex, why intimacy can feel so complicated, and the surprising ways love and faith intersect...

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More Episodes
Purity culture promised protection and blessing, but for many it left a legacy of shame, confusion, and even distance from God. In this episode, we sit down with licensed psychologist Dr. Camden Morgante who knows the struggle firsthand, both personally and professionally. She shares her own story of growing up in purity culture, the myths that shaped her faith, and the painful ways those messages got tangled with her sense of identity and sexuality.

Together, we unpack what it looks like to heal from toxic beliefs while holding onto a faith that is life-giving, embodied, and whole. You’ll hear how she helps clients disentangle shame from sexuality in a distinctly Christian context, and how she found freedom herself while still embracing a traditional Christian sexual ethic but without the weight of fear and condemnation. If you’ve ever wrestled with purity culture’s ideas or impact, this conversation offers a hopeful, grace-filled path forward.

Connect with Dr. Camden Morgante on her websitesubstack, Facebook, or Instagram.
Find Dr. Morgante's book Recovering from Purity Culture: Dismantle the Myths, Reject Shame-Based Sexuality, and Move Forward in Your Faith   

For some powerful resources to address your own inner life around intimacy, sexuality, and relationships, check out our YourSexpectations hub: articles, the book, the online course, and more.
Find out more about Dr. Carol Ministries in-person intensives - a safe place to unpack your story around intimacy and relationships, and experience Jesus coming into your story to bring healing and wholeness.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.