Do you shove yourself aside? 

Do you think it's selfish to love yourself—or even wrong?  

Learn practical steps you can take toward improving one of your most important relationships, your relationship with YOU. 

We'll cover: 

1. My story of shoving myself aside 

2. What does self-love really mean? 

3. Can I love myself and love God? 

4. 2 reasons you don’t love yourself 

5. 4 messages that teach you *not* to love yourself 

6. An exercise you can do each morning to start loving yourself.  

Questions for Reflection:  

—What messages have you heard about loving yourself? 

—What is one action you can take toward honoring yourself this week? 

—Try the MEPS exercise mentioned at the end of this episode. What did you notice? Were you surprised by anything?  

Key takeaway: The way you treat yourself will have a direct impact on how you treat others.  

You can find a list of all the resources mentioned in this episode at www.dralisoncook.com/what-is-self-love-and-should-i-really-love-myself/

Sign up to receive Dr. Cook’s weekly email and receive 2 free e-books and a guided prayer reflection at www.dralisoncook.com 

Music by Andy Luiten  

Sound editing by Kelly Kramarik

In this special bonus episode, I answer two of your questions:

1. My spouse used to gaslight me, but has shown meaningful change. I'm still angry. What should I do?

2. My parents were narcissistic and now I constantly seek validation from others. How do I stop?

You can find a list of all the resources mentioned in this episode at www.dralisoncook.com/the-best-of-you-podcast

Visit www.dralisoncook.com to sign up to receive Dr. Cook’s weekly email and receive 2 free e-books and a guided prayer reflection. 

Music by Andy Luiten 

Sound editing by Kelly Kramarik

What should I know about gaslighting? 

In this episode we'll discuss:  

1. What is gaslighting? 

2. What are some examples of it in real life? 

3. Why do people do this? 

4. What does the Bible have to say about gaslighting? 

5. The #1 question I get from people who are dealing with a gaslighter 

6. How do I protect myself with someone who gaslights?  

Questions for Reflection: 

—Are there any relationships in your life where gaslighting is occurring? 

—Who are the people you trust? 

—Who are the people who help you move toward the best of who you are? 

—Are there any areas in your life of dishonesty or deception?

Key takeaway: The more you get honest with yourself and with God, the more you detect honesty and health in others. 

You can find a list of all the resources mentioned in this episode at www.dralisoncook.com/the-best-of-you-podcast/ 

Sign up to receive Dr. Cook’s weekly email and receive 2 free e-books and a guided prayer reflection. 

Music by Andy Luiten 

Sound editing by Kelly Kramarik

You’ve heard the word narcissist, but what does it really mean? In this episode we’ll discuss: 

1. What narcissism is— how it’s presented in the Bible and the criteria psychologists use to diagnose it 

2. The difference between labeling people vs. naming behaviors 

3. Different types of narcissism 

4. What it feels like if you’re in a narcissistic relationship 

5. How do I know that I’m not a narcissist? 

6. The antidote to narcissism  

You can find a list of all the resources mentioned in this episode at www.dralisoncook.com/the-best-of-you-podcast-what-is-narcissism-really/

Sign up to receive Dr. Cook’s weekly email at www.dralisoncook.com and receive 2 free e-books and a guided prayer reflection. 

Music by Andy Luiten

Welcome to The Best Of You podcast with Dr. Alison Cook!

This podcast will help you discover what brings out the best of you. It's about helping you break free from painful patterns, mend your past, and discover your true self in God. Dr. Alison Cook is a psychologist who has worked with people for over two decades. She is also an author and teacher at heart who loves taking complex topics and breaking them down into practical tools you can apply in your everyday life. She also specializes in bringing faith into psychology. Her work came out of her own faith journey and how she found that while she wanted to know God she needed to figure out a better relationship with herself. Dr. Alison Cook shares these tools with you and the things she has learned from her own story and her work with her clients so together we can learn how to become the people we really want to become. 

You will learn about what it means to have a strong sense of self, why that work matters, and why that goes hand in hand with a strong faith in God. Other topics include relationships, codependency, boundaries issues, and toxicity. You will also hear episodes on emotions - loneliness, anger, and guilt and how to discover new ones like confidence, playfulness, and joy. You will learn how to find your own voice as you turn away from harm and  pull in the good things that you need so together we can envision the life and relationships we want with God's help.

Episodes come out every Thursday and Dr. Alison Cook will invite some friends and other experts to share their stories too. She'll also be spending time answering your questions along the way. Join us Thursday, May 5th for the first episode!

Follow Dr. Alison Cook on Instagram @dralisoncook!