The Allender Center Podcast
by The Allender Center
The Allender Center Podcast features Dr. Dan Allender and his team engaging topics on healing and restoration through the unique intersection of theology and psychology. Through questions submitted by listeners, stories, interviews, and conversations, we engage the deep places of heartache and hope that are rarely addressed so candidly in our culture today. Join us to gain refreshing insight into understanding your story, handling relational struggles, recovering from trauma and abuse, and more. The mission of The Allender Center is to help people tell their stories with awareness and integrity, and to train them to listen to the stories of others with care, artistry, and skill so that they may foster redemption and healing in their lives. The Allender Center is a pioneering organization committed to boldly engaging the impact of trauma and abuse, providing healing and teaching to individuals, couples, and communities, and training professionals to listen and enter into stories in a
Episodes
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"Who You're Becoming" with Chuck DeGroat, PhD, LPC
We have more resources than ever to understand ourselves. We can name our wounds, recognize our patterns, and talk about the ways our stories have shaped us. But does knowing more about ourselves necessarily mean we're becoming more whole? In this conversation, Dan and Rachael welcome Chuck...
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Making Space for Mental Health in the Church with Daniel Whitehead
How can the church support people and their mental health well? Can the church move beyond offering simple platitudes or just referring people to professionals and moving on? Can we better become a community that knows how to listen, stay present, and walk alongside people in their suffering? In...
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Join us LIVE in Nashville!
We have a very special invitation for you, listeners: For the first time ever, the Allender Center Podcast is going LIVE! Join the co-hosts of the Allender Center Podcast, Dr. Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen, MDiv, in Nashville for an evening of conversation, story, music, and unexpected...
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On Anxiety, Loss, and Grief with Sara Billups
What is the relationship between anxiety and grief? For Sara Billups, that question became deeply personal during a season of significant loss. Her latest book, "Nervous Systems," was released while she was caring for both of her seriously ill parents. Her dad died that same month, followed by…
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An Update About the Allender Center Podcast
Friends, there's something we want to share with you about the Allender Center Podcast: For more than a decade, we've released a new episode nearly every week. That's 650+ episodes in 10 years. All free. We're immensely proud of what we've created together. And we're deeply grateful for the…
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What Happens at Recovery Week? with Sue Cunningham, MA, MS, LPC, and Wendell Moss, LMHC
If you've heard us talk about Recovery Weeks, or you've been thinking about joining us, you might be wondering: What exactly happens during those six days? Recovery Week is a focused, immersive experience designed to help survivors explore the ways their stories of past sexual abuse have shaped...
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How to Prepare for Recovery Week with Scott Gibson, LCSW, MSW, and Linda Royster, LCMHC
In 1988, Dr. Dan Allender led the very first Recovery Week. Nearly four decades later, these immersive experiences continue to offer sacred space for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to come together, face the impact of what happened, and find care and restoration for the profound heartache...
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Teen Mental Health and the Power of Connection with Dr. Chinwé Williams
Today's teenagers are growing up in a world of both unprecedented connection... and disconnection. Teens have constant access to information, social media, gaming, pornography, and now AI. They can turn to a screen for advice, distraction, or even a sense of social connection. Yet many teenagers...
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Ending a Mission Well
We spend a lot of time preparing for big moments: years of school, months of planning a wedding, or working toward a major event or big trip. But how often do we think about what happens after? Dan recently came home from some significant events and found himself living that question in real…
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"The Secure Soul" with Dr. Alison Cook
What do you do with the parts of yourself you'd rather not have? Maybe you've learned to stay small, keep the peace, take care of everyone else, or work hard enough that you don't have to pay much attention to what's happening inside. Maybe you're deeply aware of other people's needs but have a...
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Beyond Survival: What Ministry Leaders Need Now with Dr. Rose Madrid Swetman
As political division, cultural anxiety, and deep polarization continue to reshape the Church, many pastors find themselves carrying impossible expectations. They're called to shepherd people through fear, conflict, and uncertainty while navigating their own grief, exhaustion, and questions. Last...
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The Schemes of Evil
Why does it sometimes feel like the moment we begin to experience healing or clarity… life gets harder? In this episode, Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen explore the often-unseen ways evil works to undermine our hearts—not only through obvious suffering, but through shame, distraction,...
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"The Shattered Soul" with Colleen Ramser, MA
What happens when trauma doesn't just wound your heart—but your experience of God? In this deeply thoughtful conversation, Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen welcome therapist and author Colleen Ramser to discuss her remarkable new book, The Shattered Soul: Restoring Wholeness and Rebuilding...
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How to Be a Good Friend (Including to Yourself)
What makes someone a good friend? We often think about showing up well for the people we love. But what if being a good friend also means learning how to receive care—and even extending that same compassion to ourselves? Dan and Rachael begin this conversation with a simple story about a bus ride...
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When You Feel Too Much with Sam Eldredge
Some people seem to enter the world with an unusual sensitivity. They notice what others miss. They feel deeply. They ask questions long before they have words for them. And while that can be a profound gift, it can also be an incredibly lonely way to grow up. This week, Dan and Rachael are…
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Listener Questions: Story
Today's episode is dedicated to your questions! Recently, we invited our email subscribers to submit the questions they'd like Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen to explore on the podcast. Thank you to everyone who responded with such honesty, vulnerability, and courage. Hosted by Melissa…
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What Is Maturity?
What does true maturity actually look like? Is it age? Experience? Having the right answers? Many of us grew up assuming we would recognize maturity when we saw it. We looked to parents, pastors, leaders, and institutions to show us what it meant to be wise, trustworthy, and faithful. Yet over...
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A Survivor's Story of Trafficking and Hope with Kate Ouimette-Wedell
This week, Dan and Rachael sit down with survivor, advocate, and Narrative Focused Trauma Care alumni Kate Ouimette-Wedell for a conversation that is both heartbreaking and deeply hopeful. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music, Kate was trafficked and spent more than a decade in...
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Faith, Power, and the Cost of Discipleship with Rev. Rob Schenck
Faith, power, and politics have become deeply intertwined in our culture, leaving many Christians asking hard questions: Is this what following Jesus is meant to look like? And how do we stay faithful when the way of Jesus seems so different from the voices claiming to speak for him? In this...
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Is There Still More To Your Story?
Is there still more to your story? It's a question that can feel surprising, especially if you've spent years reflecting on your past, pursuing healing, or engaging your story. Yet in this conversation, Dr. Dan Allender, Rachael Clinton Chen, and Wendell Moss explore how story continues to reveal...
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Trauma, Shame, and Contempt
What happens when shame takes root in a story? And how does contempt become one of the ways we learn to survive it? Dr. Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen explore the complicated relationship between shame and contempt, and why understanding these dynamics matters so deeply for healing and…
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Feeling Far From Home with Esperansita Bejnarowicz
Have you ever felt like you were living between worlds? Maybe you've moved across countries or cultures. Maybe your family story carries immigration, missionary work, military life, trauma, loss, or displacement. Or maybe, even surrounded by familiar people and places, you still carry an ache for...
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Story Wars and the Search for Truth with Pastor James A. White
How do we live faithfully in a world where stories no longer seem to anchor us to a shared reality? Returning to the Allender Center Podcast, Pastor James A. White joins Dan and Rachael to wrestle with the confusion, distortion that shape our cultural moments, both past and present. Together…
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The Disruptive Power of Desire with Jay Stringer
Welcome back to the second half of this powerful conversation with Jay Stringer. Building on the foundation of his book, "Desire,"Jay moves us deeper into one of the most provocative ideas of the conversation: Sometimes our desires must disrupt and even destroy something in order to make way for...
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What Our Desires Reveal with Jay Stringer
What if desire isn't something to suppress or fear, but something to honor and steward? In this two-part conversation, therapist and author Jay Stringer joins Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen to explore that very question through the lens of his new book, "Desire: The Longings Inside Us and...
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How to Build a Healthier Relationship with Technology with Dawn Wible
We've all been there. When quickly a "just checking something" moment turns into 20 minutes lost scrolling. How hard it is to stay present with the people right in front of us. And how confusing it can be to guide our kids through a world we didn't grow up in. In this episode, Dr. Dan Allender…
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"Reclaiming Your Life From Medical Trauma" with Dr. James Jackson
Nearly everyone has a story of medical trauma, whether it's a surgery, a frightening diagnosis, chronic pain, a difficult birth, a long wait for answers, or even the seemingly-subtle experience of being dismissed in a clinical setting. These moments may not always be labeled as "trauma," but they...
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"Healthy Sexuality After Abuse" with Tabitha Westbrook, LMFT, LCMHC, LPC
This week, Dan and Rachael sit down with therapist, trauma care specialist, and NFTC® Alumni Tabitha Westbrook for a tender and important conversation on healthy sexuality after abuse. In a space where many questions remain unspoken, this episode brings language to the shame, confusion, and…
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Reframing Good Friday: From Scapegoating to Restoration with Mako Nagasawa
We all know what it feels like to scapegoat—or to be scapegoated. To shift blame, protect ourselves, and make someone else carry what feels too heavy to hold. So what does that have to do with Good Friday? In this episode of the Allender Center Podcast, Mako Nagasawa helps us see that what we…
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Rediscovering the Gospel with Rev. Rob Schenck
For decades, Rev. Rob Schenck was a leading voice in the religious right, shaping policy and influencing power from the halls of Washington, D.C. But over time, he began to see that the gospel he was serving had become entangled with politics, ambition, and illusion. In this episode, Rob reflects...
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Neurodivergence, Trauma, and Story with Stephanie Isbell, MA, LCPC
Many listeners of the Allender Center Podcast have asked us to explore neurodivergence—especially what it means to parent neurodivergent children or to make sense of a diagnosis in adulthood. We're pleased to welcome therapist Stephanie Isbell, a Narrative Focused Trauma Care®–trained clinician…
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Narrative Focused Trauma Care® with Becky Allender
Have you been living within a role for years—only to wonder if there is more of you still waiting to be known? For decades, Becky Allender stood faithfully behind the scenes, supporting Dan's work, praying as an intercessor, helping build what would become the Allender Center. Yet she also…
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"Growing Up Pure" with Lauren D. Sawyer, PhD
What if healing from purity culture requires more than naming how you were hurt? What if it also means asking how you participated? In this episode, Dr. Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen sit down with their colleague Dr. Lauren Sawyer, to explore her new book, Growing Up Pure. Lauren names...
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"Eucontamination: Disgust Theology and the Christian Life" with Paul Hoard, PhD, and Billie Hoard
How often do we think about disgust? Yet it shapes our choices, relationships, and even our faith every day in ways we rarely notice. In this episode of the Allender Center Podcast, Dr. Paul Hoard and Billie Hoard discuss their new book, "Eucontamination: Disgust Theology and the Christian Life,"...
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Black History Month & the Power of Story with Pastor James A. White
Who gets to tell the story? This week, Pastor James A. White returns to the Allender Center Podcast to explore why that question sits at the heart of Black History Month. Marking 100 years since Carter G. Woodson launched Negro History Week in February 1926, this episode examines how history has...
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Men, Vulnerability, and the Path to Connection with Jamie Haigh and Blake Roberts
What if the freedom you long for is hidden in that final 3% of the truth you're afraid to share? This week, Dan and Rachael are joined by therapists Blake Roberts and Jamie Haigh of the Three Percent Podcast for a thoughtful conversation about holistic masculinity, loneliness, and the risk of…
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"Raising Wise Kids in a Sexually Broken World" with Laurie Krieg
Talking with kids about sex, pornography, and sexuality can stir up fear, shame, and a deep sense of inadequacy for many parents. In this episode, Dan and Rachael sit down with author and parent-educator Laurie Krieg to think through a steadier, wiser way forward—one rooted in the gospel,...
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"Liturgies for Resisting Empire" with Kat Armas
In a country that is hurting and fractured by deep division, many of us are wondering how to remain rooted in love. As followers of Jesus, the question before us is not simply what do we think, but how do we stay human, attentive, and faithful in such a time as this? In this thoughtful and…
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Reclaiming Faith, Hope, and Love after Spiritual Abuse
Faith, hope, and love are beautiful words—but for many of us, they don't feel simple or safe. When they've been wielded to control, silence, or shame, these core concepts can carry weight, confusion, and even fear. In the wake of spiritual abuse, what once promised life can feel distorted or out…
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Why Is It So Hard to Tell the Truth? with Dr. Monique Gadson
Most of us say we value the truth—until it unsettles us, costs us something, or asks us to change. Truth has a way of disrupting the stories we use to survive. That's exactly what we're talking about on the podcast today. Dr. Monique Gadson joins Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen to explore…
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"On Holy Ground" with Dr. Keith Anderson
"What if the sacred is not somewhere else? What if it's right here and right now?" In this rich and reflective episode of the Allender Center Podcast, Dan and Rachael welcome theologian, author, and beloved mentor Dr. Keith Anderson. Drawing from his book, "On Holy Ground: Your Story of Identity,...
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Living in a Distracted World and Following Jesus Into a New Year
The new year can bring the hope of a fresh start… or the dread of more of the same. In this first episode of the year, Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen name what many of us are already feeling: life feels heavy, noisy, and hard to keep up with. They talk about the "stone in the shoe" of…
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Reflections on the Year 2025 with Dr. Dan and Becky Allender
As the year comes to a close, Dan and Becky Allender continue their annual podcast tradition: pausing to reflect on the year that has passed. They share a bit about their own experiences—what they've learned, what they're grieving, and what they're celebrating—as they prepare to enter a new…
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God in Relationship: Advent and the Trinity with Rev. Dr. Michael Chen
This Advent season, Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen are joined by Rev. Dr. Michael Chen for a rich and deeply human conversation about the Trinity and what it reveals to us about God, ourselves, and our relationships with others. Together, they explore how the mystery of one God in three...
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The Story of God With Us: Advent and the Early Church with Blaine Eldredge
As we begin the Advent season, Dan and Rachael welcome writer and theologian Blaine Eldredge back to the podcast for a sweeping, story-rich journey into history, theology, and the fierce hope of the incarnation. If you love church history or the nuance of theological debate, this episode is a...
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Loneliness, Isolation, and Presence
Loneliness is a human experience, but it's one we don't always acknowledge honestly. In this deeply personal conversation, Dan and Rachael open up about the moments when loneliness and suffering make us unsure of what we need, what we want, or how to ask for help. They also zoom out: why…
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How to Not Be Consumed at Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. It can be a day of tradition, family, and connection. It can also bring tension, exhaustion, grief, or even trigger old wounds. Today, Dan and Rachael reflect on the complex reality of the holiday: the joy, the nostalgia, the chaos, and the moments that…
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Marriage in the Midst of Difficult Seasons
Marriage always carries both joy and challenge… but what happens when life pushes you to the edge? When trauma, illness, loss, stress, or sheer exhaustion stretch your relationship beyond its limits? In this tender and often humorous conversation, Rachael Clinton Chen interviews Dan and Becky...
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Trauma & Emotional Dysregulation
Ever have a day where everything goes sideways and your body just won't calm down? In this episode, Dan Allender and Rachael Clinton Chen explore emotional dysregulation: why our nervous systems spiral under stress, especially with a history of trauma, and how we can respond with mercy rather…
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Psalm 13, Erin Brockovich, and the Debris of Sexual Abuse
If you've ever wrestled with the long, uneven work of healing, we hope today's conversation offers courage for the journey. Dan shares his recent reflections on the lament of waiting found in Psalm 13 and the persistent pursuit of justice embodied by Erin Brockovich as he rewatched the 2000 film....
About this show
The Allender Center Podcast features Dr. Dan Allender and his team engaging topics on healing and restoration through the unique intersection of theology and psychology. Through questions submitted by listeners, stories, interviews, and conversations, we engage the deep places of heartache and hope that are rarely addressed so candidly in our culture today. Join us to gain refreshing insight into understanding your story, handling relational struggles, recovering from trauma and abuse, and more. The mission of The Allender Center is to help people tell their stories with awareness and integrity, and to train them to listen to the stories of others with care, artistry, and skill so that they may foster redemption and healing in their lives. The Allender Center is a pioneering organization committed to boldly engaging the impact of trauma and abuse, providing healing and teaching to individuals, couples, and communities, and training professionals to listen and enter into stories in a
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