Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

Why do so many of us walk away from a great sermon or podcast fired up to change... only to fall back into old patterns a week later? In this episode, we explore the critical difference between trying and training—and why most spiritual growth advice sets people up to fail. This conversation continues our monthly conversation between Dr. Carol, Avery Montgomery, and Zion Montgomery as we draw on insights from the ancient practice of a "Rule of Life," and unpack what it actually looks like to build sustainable, daily habits that reshape what we love, not just what we know.
What You'll Learn:
Why "trying harder" doesn't work. Trying is often isolated, outcome-focused, and disconnected from daily practice—which is why it leads to discouragement instead of lasting change.
The Spectator Trap. Constantly consuming sermons, books, and podcasts can feel like growth, but without active engagement, it just makes us better-informed spectators of our own lives.
What training actually requires. Unlike trying, training is a process: daily engagement, repetition, and drills that compound over time.
Effort vs. earning. God isn't opposed to effort—He's opposed to earning. Training is effort offered in response to grace, not a transaction to secure it.
The trellis metaphor. The word "rule" (from the Latin regula) means trellis—a structure that supports growth and protects against disease, not a rigid cage that restricts it.
Points of return, not boxes to check. A healthy rule of life centers on rhythms—Sabbath, prayer, community—not a finish line to cross.
How to start your own audit. Practical first steps for evaluating your emotional, physical, and relational life to find the gap between who you are and who you want to become.
Keystone habits. How one small, well-placed habit (a prayer rhythm, a no-phone rule) can trigger transformation across every other area of life.
Real-life examples. Weekly couple's meetings, family dinner rhythms, intentional rest and "interstitial time," and the balance of solitude and community.
For more: Follow @averymont and @ztmont on Instagram. Visit Zion's website Therapy with Zion for more information about Couples and Family counseling.
Check out Zion Montgomery's Technological Rule of Life for Couples
More from Dr. Carol Ministries:
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.    
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective.  
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.

Artificial intelligence is changing nearly every aspect of modern life. But what happens when it begins reshaping intimacy, relationships, and human connection itself? In this eye-opening conversation, Dr. Carol sits down with Michael Leahy, founder of Braveheart, to discuss the rapidly growing intersection of AI, pornography, addiction, and relational health.
 
Michael explains how AI systems are becoming more personalized, emotionally responsive, and potentially addictive—especially for young users seeking connection, comfort, or escape. The conversation also explores the alarming increase in AI-generated child sexual abuse material and why many recovery ministries and mental health professionals may be unprepared for what is coming next.
 
Also, Michael shares how his own journey out of pornography addiction led to founding Braveheart, an organization that has helped countless individuals pursue healing and freedom over the last 24 years. 

For more information about Braveheart, visit the website here. Or, become one of the many individuals who have overcome AI tech and sexual addiction through mentoring with Michael.
Find Michael's book Porn Nation: Conquering America's #1 Addiction  
And check out the Center for Human Transformation.
 
More from Dr. Carol Ministries
Check out Dr. Carol's reflections on AI and the Soul: https://youtu.be/fJf6LyPucRI
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.    
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective.  
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.

In this third installment of the special marriage challenges miniseries, the conversation turns to one of the most painful and complex struggles couples can face: sexual addiction, betrayal trauma, and the long road toward rebuilding intimacy. In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. Carol's guests Clinton and Charity Munoz pull back the curtain on their journey through pornography addiction and betrayal trauma and discuss what it actually took to come out the other side together.

Together, they explain how healing and recovery isn't about managing behavior on the surface  it's about the harder, slower work of heart transformation and the three foundational pillars essential for restoration.
 
Brokenness does not have to be the end of the story. Healing, intimacy, and hope are still possible.

For more tools and resources from the Munozes, including information about their 8-week course The Bridge Back to Us , visit their website Restored 2 More. Or connect on Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. 


 
Looking for a personal opportunity for healing from trauma in relationships? Dr. Carol Ministries offers an In-Person Intensive Weekend to help you find true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.    
 
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective.  
 
Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.

In this heartfelt and honest conversation, Dr. Scott and Deana Thayer share the journey that brought them together from painful divorces and personal rebuilding to creating a thriving, blended family rooted in faith, grace, and intentionality. They open up about how difficult seasons unexpectedly became part of God's plan for their lives and how blending two families came with both beautiful moments and significant challenges. 


The conversation dives deep into the emotional realities of blended families, including the unexpected aspect of grief blending a family includes. Scott and Deana explain why stepfamily dynamics are frequently misunderstood and why healing, patience, and reassurance are essential for building trust and connection. 


Listeners will walk away encouraged by the Thayers' vulnerability and equipped with marriage-strengthening strategies to help couples blend their families with compassion, resilience, and purpose.

For more about the Thayers, visit their website BlendingWell.
Also check Deana's article in the Remarriage & Blended Families Resource List from Focus on the Family.


More from Dr. Carol Ministries:
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.    
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural-based perspective.  


Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! Send her a confidential message here.

What does take to really build a marriage that thrives, not just survives? In this episode, Pastor Mike Novotny discusses with Dr. Carol the foundational principles for building a lasting and healthy marriage, particularly during the first year of marriage. From issues like faith, communication, sex, finances, chores, in-laws, and more, Mike delves into one of the most common — and most overlooked — sources of conflict in marriage: colliding expectations.
Mike also opens up about his struggle with pornography, explaining how embracing vulnerability and living out the principle of confession (James 5:16) brought healing not only to his personal life, but to his marriage as well.
Whether you're a newlywed or decades in, this episode is packed with actionable insight and a reminder that marriage isn't a destination you reach on your wedding day; it's a lifelong journey. And the couples who thrive are the ones who keep showing up, keep investing, and keep choosing each other — one intentional day at a time.
You can learn more about Pastor Mike Novotny at Time of Grace Ministries, or Facebook, X, or Instagram
To order his book, go to Newlywed: A Christian Guide for Loving Year One 
More from Dr. Carol Ministries:
In-Person Intensive Weekend - Experience true healing and wholeness as you unpack your personal story around intimacy and relationships in a safe, caring, Christ-filled environment.    
Individual Coaching with Dr. Carol provides a one-on-one format to help you navigate your personal journey through practical encouragement and scriptural- based perspective.  


Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can send her a confidential message here.