Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

Need some marriage wisdom? Greg Smalley has spent his entire life immersed in conversations about marriage. As the son of the late Gary Smalley—and now Vice President of Marriage and Family Formation at Focus on the Family—Greg has witnessed up close both the beauty and the messiness of intimate relationships. In this conversation, Greg reflects on why he chose to step into this demanding work, what drew him to a calling so intertwined with his family legacy, and how his own 30+ year marriage to Erin has shaped what he teaches today. 

We also explore how marriage challenges have shifted over the decades. From cultural pressure and emotional disconnection to technology, stress, and changing expectations, Greg offers perspective on what's new, what's intensified, and what remains surprisingly constant. Finally, he distills decades of ministry into a few core factors that consistently mark marriages that go the distance. Whether you're newly married, decades in, or simply hopeful about love, this episode offers grounded wisdom, encouragement, and a hopeful vision for building a marriage that lasts.

Find out more and connect with Greg Smalley through his resources at Focus on the Family
Check out the podcast Greg and his wife Erin Smalley do together - Crazy Little Thing Called Marriage
Find Greg's book 9 Lies That Will Destroy Your Marriage: And the Truths That Will Save It and Set It Free


Check out the marriage resources at Dr. Carol Ministries
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

Faith is meant to bring life. But what happens when it become harmful? In this episode, Dr. Carol sits down with Jeff and Terra Mattson, a husband-and-wife author team whose work bridges leadership, psychology, and spiritual formation. He brings the perspective of an executive coach; she offers the clinical insight of a licensed professional counselor. Together, we explore the idea of toxic faith: how faith can be distorted through fear, control, shame, or misuse of authority, and how to discern the difference between spiritually abusive systems and the ordinary, imperfect humanness found in any community.

We also examine the deep impact of spiritual abuse on the whole person and why its effects often linger long after someone leaves a harmful environment. Most importantly, this conversation offers hope. We talk about what healing can actually look like, including the slow and courageous work of re-examining one's internal view of God. For those who feel wounded, confused, or distant from God because of their faith experiences, this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a grounded path toward restoration.

Connect with Jeff and Terra Mattson on their website, Facebook, or Instagram


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.       
Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Develop a Healthy Internal Picture of God
Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol       
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

Have you ever been surprised by who someone turned out to be? Research shows we form impressions of people within seconds, but real life often proves those impressions wrong. In this episode, we explore how that gap between appearance and reality shows up in relationships –with others, and especially with God. These realities reveal a deeper truth; there's a profound difference between knowing about someone and truly knowing them.

Many people believe in God, yet carry perhaps unconscious distortions about what He is really like. You may "know" that "God is love," but internally picture a God who is disappointed, withholding, harsh, or just waiting for us to fail. In this episode, we explore how our internal picture of God is often shaped by our past experiences, and why information alone doesn't heal it. Instead, healing comes through encountering Jesus. And we close with some practical ways to let God's love reshape your inner picture of who He really is.

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.       
Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Develop a Healthy Internal Picture of God
Find out more about individual coaching with Dr. Carol       
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can send a confidential message here.

In this special year-end episode, we revisit the conversations you loved most in 2025: honest, hope-filled moments about intimacy, relationships, sexuality, and the God who designed us for connection. These clips capture the wisdom, clarity, and compassion that resonated deeply with listeners all year long.

Whether you're new to the podcast or want a fresh dose of encouragement, this highlight reel brings together the insights that helped people grow in intimacy with God and with each other. 

And here are links to the full conversations from which the excerpts were taken for this episode:
- Overcoming Contradictions Between What You "Know" and What You Feel About Love, God, Intimacy, and Sex with Michael J. Cusick
- Knowing and Being Known: Fulfilling Your Need for Intimacy with Erin F. Moniz
- How to Find True Connection Through Courageous Authenticity with Tom Bennardo
- From Criticism to Blessing: Transforming How You Speak to Your Spouse with Ann Wilson
- More Than Behavior: What Surrendering Your Sexuality to Jesus Means with Dr. Juli Slattery

Relationship Prescriptions is listener supported. That means YOU! Would you prayerfully consider how God might ask you to support this ministry financially? And then make your best year-end tax-deductible contribution today.
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can leave a confidential comment here.

On the night Jesus was born the angel told the shepherds, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people." 
The Christmas season may not always feel like good news. Busyness, difficult circumstances, emotional struggles, and more can make this time feel like anything but good news.
 
This brief Christmas meditation shares how the angels' declaration of good news applies to everyone, even you, even in the difficulties of real life right now.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Dr. Carol Ministries!

Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can leave a confidential comment here.