In this episode, hosts Geoff & Cyd Holsclaw talk with Bill and Kristi Gaultiere, founders of Soul Shepherding, and authors of Deeply Loved: Receiving and Reflecting God's Great Empathy for You. The conversation explores the Gaultiers' journey into psychology and ministry, their insights into empathy and emotional intelligence, and their focus on providing resources for emotional and spiritual health. The discussion also touches on fostering healthy attachment with God and others, st...

In this special book launch episode, Geoff interviews Summer Joy Gross about why spiritual directors are reading and recommending Landscapes of the Soul: How the Science and Spirituality of Attachment Can Move You into Confident Faith, Courage, and Connection. This episode touches on the need to balance between intimacy and independence in spiritual life and the benefits of using attachment theory in understanding one's relationship with God. Summer has just written a book called, The Emmanue...

In this special book launch episode, Geoff interviews Monica Mauer about why therapists are reading Landscapes of the Soul, and how it can help their clients. Monica is a therapist, therapist supervisor, and founder of the Center for Family Transformation. Monica talks about the unique and very helpful terminology used in the book to describe the different attachment strategies, such as the JUNGLE, the DESERT, the WAR ZONE, and the PASTURE, and how helpful it is to focus on intimacy and inde...

Here is an audio snippet of our new book. Description below. Please buy and review. ______ Does it feel like you experience life in a totally different way than others? Like you are living somewhere else, and you can’t build connection or intimacy with God like others can? There’s a good chance that you, like so many of us, have tried it all: read your Bible more, gone to church more, prayed more, and delved deeper into self-awareness. But you still struggle with discontent, anxiety, avoidan...

In a sense, this is where all the attachment stuff started, with Cyd telling the "Shepherd Story" to our boys during bedtime. Over and over, year by year, she did this little guided meditation with them. She was doing attachment work with the Good Shepherd even before we had language for it. Many listeners and cohort members have asked for a recording of this prayer exercise, so here it is. For all the background (attachment theory and spirituality), see our new book, Landscapes o...

Should Christians be teachable, and how can we discipline desire, that’s what we are talking about today, and stories learning to attach more deeply with God. In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, host Geoff Holsclaw welcomes Dr. A.J. Swoboda to discuss the virtue of having a teachable spirit. The conversation explores the challenges of remaining teachable in a culture that often discourages vulnerability and humility. Dr. A. J. Swoboda is a professor, writer, and pastor. He ...

What do you do when the gap between what you believe and what you experience feels insurmountable? Where do you turn when trauma leaves you feeling lost, ashamed, and exhausted, spinning spiritually, but still longing for a relationship with God? In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, Geoff Holsclaw talks with Michael John Cusick about themes from his new book, discussing the disconnect between belief and experience, particularly in the presence of trauma. Michael John Cusick is the...

Is corporate worship just the transfer of information? Or to whip up our emotions into a frenzy? Or does corporate worship do something else? In this episode, host Geoff Holsclaw engages with Reverend Dr. Joshua Cockayne about corporate worship, joint attention in spiritual formation, and perspectives from developmental psychology, attachment theory, and neuroscience. This episode challenges the traditional dichotomy between cognition and affect, proposing a more nuanced understanding of wors...

Have you felt overwhelmed and flattened by the sheer amount of noise and distraction in your home, your schedule, and your brain? In our fast-paced culture, is it possible to set up our families and children to thrive? In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, host Geoff welcomes Sarah Boyd, writer, child development expert, and founder of Resilient Little Hearts. Sarah discusses her new book, Turn Down the Noise: A Practical Guide to Building an Emotionally Healthy Family in a C...

Is society producing more narcissists, or producing more people susceptible to abuse by narcissists? How has narcissism evolved in our internet age? In this episode, we explore the evolving nature of narcissism in the internet age and its impact on church communities. We discuss the shift from authority-based to algorithm-based influence, the rise of performative narcissism, and the attack on empathy. Our guest is Dr. Chuck DeGroat, the Professor of Counseling and Christian Spirituality and E...

What are the limitations of our modern approaches to discipleship and spiritual formation? How do our neural pathways connect to our spiritual pathways? Does brain-wiring connect to spiritual warfare? And how does this all connect to our identity in Christ? In this episode of the Attach To God podcast, host Geoff Holsclaw delves into the intersections of neuroscience and spiritual pathways with Dr. Marcus Warner, president of Deeper Walk International. They explore the limitations of traditio...

In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, host Geoff Holsclaw chats with singer-songwriter and poet Andy Squyres about his faith journey, his time in Santa Cruz, and reconciling disappointment with hope. They discuss his creative process, dealing with grief and deconstruction, and the significance of embracing both doctrinal depth and authentic emotional experiences in faith. Andy Squyres is a songwriter and author born and raised in the Bay Area of northern California who for th...

What exactly is spiritual formation? Is it similar or different than discipleship? And who is having this conversation about spiritual formation anyway? In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, hosted by Geoff Holsclaw and produced by Embodied Faith, the focus is on spiritual formation—what it is, how it compares to discipleship, and its future. Dr. Strobel shares his journey into this field, discusses the historical background of spiritual formation within evangelicalism, and explain...

In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, we explore the often overlooked emotional struggles faced by leaders. Our guests are Nicholas and Sheila Wise Rowe. Nicholas Rowe is the Haslin Associate Professor of Leadership at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. And Sheila Wise Row is a seasoned counselor and author (and previous podcast guest). We talk about their new book, Healing Leadership Trauma: Finding Emotional Health and Helping Others Flourish. The conversation delves into...

Does neurodiversity impact relational attachments? What does secure and insecure attachment look like for those who aren’t neurotypical? In this episode of the Attachment to God podcast, hosts Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw are joined by Barbara Grant, a specialist in autism and neurodiverse couples coaching. They talk about how neurodiversity impacts relational attachments and spiritual practices, particularly in the context of secure and insecure attachment. Barbara Grant, holds a Master's in...

Scholars of the Apostle Paul have long debated the so-called center of Paul’s theology, focusing on themes like justification by faith, reconciliation, union with Christ, and the apocalyptic triumph of God in Christ. But what if love really is the heart of the gospel that he preached? In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, we welcome Nijay Gupta, the Julius R. Manti Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, to discuss his new book The Affections of Christ Jesus: Love at the H...

In this episode of the Attaching to God podcast, hosts Geoff and Cyd Holsclaw welcome Steve Cuss. They delve into the nature of anxiety, different coping mechanisms, and how these dynamics affect relationships, including one's relationship with God. Steve highlights the importance of addressing reactivity, identifying false needs, and fostering supportive environments within leadership teams. The episode also touches on creating inclusive spaces for minorities in leadership and discusse...

We are all looking for a bit of relief. Some pain relief, relief from stress, the relief of getting the kids off to school or maybe to bed on time. But do we think of God’s grace as the big relief? In this episode, we welcome back David Zahl, of Mockingbird Ministries. David introduces his new book titled The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World, which focuses on how God's grace is the ultimate relief we all seek in our stress-filled lives. They discuss various aspects ...

Host Geoff Holsclaw engages with New York Times columnist and author Ross Douthat. They discuss the enduring relevance and shifting perceptions of religion in a scientific and secular age, driven by Douthat’s book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. The conversation navigates the historical impact of new atheism, the existential malaise in youth culture, and a generational gap in religious knowledge. Douthat elaborates on his rationale for advocating religion not just for its the...

Sometimes, when you feel stuck, and overwhelmed, you don’t need more and better information. Sometimes you need to engage your story, to better understand how the past influences the present. That's what we talk about with Adam Young. Adam Young is a therapist who focuses on trauma and abuse, and the host of The Place We Find Ourselves podcast. He currently serves as a Fellow and Instructor at The Allender Center. Adam is the author of Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your S...