With and For hosted by Dr. Pam King

What parts of yourself need more attention? What would it mean for those parts to be given space? Today’s conversation dives deep into these questions, leading to a conversation on what it means to be fully alive – and the individual and systemic obstacles that can get in the way of thriving.  Brad and Christin spoke openly about how they confront issues of power and privilege. And they also shared their wisdom on what it really means to bring spirituality into the therapist’s office; and how we can reframe unhealthy experiences of spirituality and religion.  Dr. Brad Strawn is a licensed psychologist, ordained minister, and one of the leading figures in the integration of psychology and Christian theology in the U.S. He is the Evelyn and Frank Freed Chief of Spiritual Formation and Integration, Dean of the Chapel, and Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Fuller Graduate School of Psychology. His latest book is The Integrative Mindset: Pathways to Practicing as a Christian Clinician Dr. Christin Fort is a therapist and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary who specializes in the integration of clinical psychology and biblical theology. Her scholarship, research, teaching, preaching, and clinical practice lie at the intersections of faith, race, emotional health, and relational well-being.  With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

When it comes to thriving, listening to our inner compass is crucial. Living out our purpose alongside others can only really happen when we use the tool of discernment. But that can often feel kind of daunting. It’s hard to know where to begin.  Bonnie Wan has developed a three-step process for tuning into our true desires – and then putting them into action.  Bonnie Wan is a strategist, bestselling author and creator of The Life Brief: A Playbook for No-Regrets Living. She took the idea of a brief from her marketing campaigns, and repurposed it for our creative and spiritual lives. Bonnie shares her challenging experience writing her own life brief – and the surprising path it led her down.  Bonnie walks us through how to apply the life brief to a big decision, which begins with allowing our human messiness to come to the surface. And more often than not, living out our purpose is relational.  Bonnie has over 30 years of experience guiding major companies. At advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Bonnie has led strategy for BMW, Comcast/Xfinity, Frito-Lay, HP, Kraft-Heinz, and PepsiCo. She also led award-winning campaigns fighting racial injustice, child sex trafficking, cyberbullying, college campus rape, and gender inequality.  With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health.  Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Help us plan season 4. We want to hear from you. Take our survey now! https://forms.gle/doQYx73hoPU2tRdC7  Social connection is critical for our wellbeing – it’s as important as shelter and food. Combating loneliness can feel risky sometimes - especially if it means reaching out to a stranger. We might fear awkwardness or even rejection. But it’s worth it.  Dr. Natalie Kerr and Dr. Jaime Kurtz are psychologists and professors at James Madison University. Together their work focuses on social connection and how modern life shapes our relationships. Their new book is Our New Social Life: Science-Backed Strategies for Creating Meaningful Connection.  Natalie and Jamie discuss some of the barriers to making connections that we need to watch out for. And they share those all-important practical tools to deepen our relationships and combat loneliness. We also talk about how our spiritual lives can make us feel more connected – even when we’re alone.  Resources ​​Seven Barriers to Building More Meaningful Connection Interview with John Cacioppo on loneliness  How to Build Bonds with Others Creating Meaningful Connections With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Dr. Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Help us plan season 4. We want to hear from you. Take our survey now! https://forms.gle/doQYx73hoPU2tRdC7 Nicholas Ma is an award-winning film director, writer, and producer. He produced Won't You Be My Neighbor?, about the life of Fred Rogers, which became one of the highest-grossing biographical documentaries ever made.  Nicholas’ latest movie Leap of Faith, is an incredibly ambitious, raw documentary that brought together 12 Christian leaders – with very different views – in an attempt to find some common ground.  In all his work, you can see Nicolas’ thriving qualities of curiosity and deep patience come through. In this episode, we talked about making bold decisions in life, the intersection of art and faith, and a simple practice for making the world a little better, one ripple effect at a time. Won’t You By My Neighbor? Leap of Faith The American Revival With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health.  Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Help us plan season 4. We want to hear from you. Take our survey now! https://forms.gle/doQYx73hoPU2tRdC7  Lauded MIT professor Rosalind Picard invents technologies that help people better understand emotions and behaviors that impact human wellbeing and health.  In 1997 she wrote an incredibly influential book called Affective Computing, which proposed giving skills of emotional intelligence to computers.  Rosalind grew up atheist but she's now a devout Christian–and in this eye-opening conversation, she shares exactly how her faith impacts her work with technology.  We talked about AI’s morality–or lack thereof–and its flaws, but also talked about how AI might enhance our relationships with other human beings. Rosalind shares the one thing she believes AI cannot do for us. Rosalind Picard, Sc.D., is a scientist, inventor, entrepreneur, author, and engineer. She is the Grover M. Hermann Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at the MIT Media Lab. Links and resources: About Rosalind’s work Recent publications 1997 book Affective Computing Rosalind’s journey from atheism to faith in Christianity Today  With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health.  Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

In our fractured and sometimes dark world, we so often focus on the leading causes of death – but what if we focused our energy on what gives life? That is the pioneering work of my guests today. Dr. Somava Saha and Rev. Dr. Gary Gunderson are leaders in public health. And while they come from very different faith traditions, together they believe that communities have within them the belonging, agency, and wisdom to thrive.  Gary Gunderson is an ordained Baptist minister and professor of Faith and Health at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. He developed the five leading causes of life: agency, coherence, connection, generativity and hope. Gary has managed major faith and healthcare collaborations where he saw these causes in action.  Dr. Somava Saha is a Baha'i, and has dedicated her career to intergenerational wellbeing. She’s currently CEO of Wellbeing and Equity in the World, and her work has reached millions of lives. Through this conversation, recorded in cooperation with Interfaith America, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how to tap into the power and resourcefulness that exist in the communities you serve -- and how you can work towards being a better ancestor.  Leading Causes of Life Betterancestors.org With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

We often think of sacred texts like the Bible as being rigid, set in stone. But actually they’re really nuanced and complex, and crucially, they allow us to bring our own complexity. Dr. Janette H. Ok is a New Testament professor at Fuller Seminary. She empowers her students to embrace their unique perspectives and backgrounds, and use those as powerful tools in biblical reflection. In this conversation, Janette also explains how wisdom isn’t something you master, but a way of living you can cultivate. And she shares a practice for how we can go beyond quick Biblical memes, and dive deep into what might transform us. Links and resources: About Janette About Saint Augustine of Hippo With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Pádraig Ó Tuama is an Irish poet, theologian and host of the On Being podcast, Poetry Unbound. Belonging, identity and reconciliation are at the heart of his work. Growing up bilingual, speaking both English and Irish, showed Pádraig that there are multiple ways to say things, and multiple ways to look at things.  As a young gay man, Pádraig was subjected to abusive conversion practices, and it was his yearning for a better language to understand God and himself that led him to poetry and conflict mediation.  Pádraig shows us both the brutality and the beauty of language, how words can destroy or nourish, and choosing which words to use is a power worth cultivating.  You’ll learn how to balance fear and courage, and why you should approach conflicts in your life by admitting what you don’t know. Padraig also shares a journaling practice to draw out your own poetic voice.  Links and resources About Pádraig  Poetry Unbound Pádraig’s memoir In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World Pádraig also read The Exorcist and Oh What A Marvel it Appeared to Me from his 2023 collection Feed the Beast His latest collection is Kitchen Hymns With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org.Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenterFollow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & ForHost: Pam KingSenior Director and Producer: Jill WestbrookOperations Manager: Lauren KimSocial Media & Graphic Designer: Wren JuergensenSenior Producer: Clare WileyExecutive Producer: Jakob LewisProduced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Dr. Richard M. Lerner is a revolutionary force in the field of psychology, which had previously focused on what goes wrong with people. Richard’s relentlessly optimistic vision focuses on what can go right with people, how they can change and grow.  In this special conversation, Pam sits down with her mentor – someone who’s had an influential impact on her career and research, to discuss thriving, relationships, spirituality and transcendence.  Richard is the Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science, and the Director of the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University.  Links and resources: About Richard’s work Richard speaks at the Vatican Richard’s books What makes young people thrive With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org.Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenterFollow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For: Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Spiritual practices can improve your physical and emotional health – but that doesn’t mean spirituality is a wellness hack. David DeSteno’s groundbreaking work explores how religious rituals like prayer and chanting are so beneficial as powerful psychological tools. But what happens if you take these rituals outside of their community context? David can speak to both sides of the equation: the science behind faith, and the mystery of the sacred.   David DeSteno is a professor of psychology at Northeastern University, where he directs the Social Emotions Lab – exploring the effects of emotions like gratitude and compassion. His latest book is called How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion, and he hosts a podcast of the same name.  About David’s work: David’s website How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion - 2021 book How God Works podcast  Social Emotions Lab David referenced:  Michael Pollen Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Research  Rabbi Shira Stutman  Rabbi Angela Buchdahl Rev. Alex Leach’s Burning Man camp With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org.Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenterFollow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & ForHost: Pam KingSenior Director and Producer: Jill WestbrookOperations Manager: Lauren KimSocial Media & Graphic Designer: Wren JuergensenSenior Producer: Clare WileyExecutive Producer: Jakob LewisProduced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Many of us reach our 40s and have a wake-up call: a major event that shifts our perspective on what matters in life. Chip Conley had the most dramatic wake-up call ever: a near-death experience. Chip was giving a speech on stage when he died – literally. The experience would set off a chain reaction of events that changed the course of his life. Chip is a renowned entrepreneur, best-selling author, and speaker known for his pioneering approach to innovation, leadership, and hospitality. He founded the country’s second-largest operator of boutique hotels, then led a travel revolution at Airbnb. But it was his brush with death that spurred him to launch the Modern Elder Academy, a series of workshops and programs that help folks reframe their relationship with aging.  In this episode, we talk about navigating transitions, cultivating purpose, and owning wisdom, and Chip shares a practice for tapping into your own wisdom.  Links and resources: The Modern Elder Academy The Anatomy of a Transition - free ebook MEA on Facebook With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org.Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenterFollow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Elizabeth Oldfield is a writer, coach and host of the podcast The Sacred, who has dedicated her work to exploring clarity, courage and most of all, connection. And yet – her latest book Fully Alive dives into the seven deadly sins. That’s because Elizabeth believes that sins like pride, greed and wrath, are what break our connection to others. So maybe understanding how these sins are so destructive to our lives might just be a key to becoming more fully alive.  In this conversation, Pam and Elizabeth talk about why hard feelings – like anxiety, grief, and even tension with loved ones – are actually invitations. We have to let ourselves feel complicated, messy emotions in order to draw closer to others and to God.  Elizabeth also shares a reflective journaling practice to help you live out your values.  Links and resources About Elizabeth Oldfield The Sacred podcast  Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times book Fully Alive, Elizabeth’s Substack  With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org.Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenterFollow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & ForHost: Pam KingSenior Director and Producer: Jill WestbrookOperations Manager: Lauren KimSocial Media & Graphic Designer: Wren JuergensenSenior Producer: Clare WileyExecutive Producer: Jakob LewisProduced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

It’s not always easy to see how the four cardinal virtues connect to your everyday life. But prudence, justice, courage, and temperance are vital in helping us thrive. Lee C. Camp is a professor, speaker, writer, and theologian – as well as host of the hit podcast and public radio show No Small Endeavour. His work explores what it means to be flourishing humans - alone and together.  With his wit and wisdom in this episode, Lee will turn your preconceptions about the four virtues upside down. He shares what he learned about courage from having difficult conversations with his wife, what he learned about temperance from sharing a beer with good friends, and the ways that prudence can help us carry the heavy emotional weight of the world right now.  In this conversation, we talk about how to guard ourselves against shame, how to cultivate gladness, and how to fight powerlessness. And crucially: Lee shows us how to turn virtue into a daily habit.  Links and resources: Lee C. Camp No Small Endeavor  With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org.Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenterFollow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

One of Rabbi Shai Held’s first experiences of love was from his father, who loved him ferociously. Tragically, he died when Shai was 12 years old. The experience shook Shai’s belief and trust in God.  But Rabbi Held is someone who can hold the messy contradictions of faith and love. He understands that one minute, we can feel intense love, and the next, we’re full of resentment and frustration. Rabbi Held is also the most generous of teachers: he shares his struggles and doubts, in order to hold space for our own. Rabbi Held's latest book is called Judaism is About Love. It is a radical and provocative effort that points to love as the heart of the Jewish faith.   Rabbi Shai Held is president of the Hadar Institute, an educational center that builds egalitarian Jewish communities through learning, prayer, and acts of kindness. He has received the Covenant Award for excellence in Jewish education and was included multiple times in Newsweek’s list of most influential rabbis in America.  You will walk away from this raw, emotional interview understanding that love is more than a sentiment - - and you'll learn that focusing on divine love is central to your everyday spiritual health.  Links and resources:  About Rabbi Shai Held  About the Hadar Institute  Answers WithHeld podcast Abraham Joshua Heschel With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter. Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

When Parker J. Palmer was a young man, he became aware of a growing unrest within him. Guided by his inner voice, he turned down prestigious university jobs and instead took a challenging, unstable job in community organizing. Parker then followed his north star again – and moved with his family to live in a radically equal Quaker community for over a decade.   Parker is an activist and author who has written 10 incredibly influential books – including Let Your Life Speak. He founded the Center for Courage & Renewal, which supports leadership, vocation, and community formation. And in 2021, the Freedom of Spirit Fund gave him their Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of work that promotes and protects spiritual freedom. Parker believes that in this moment of instability, finding our internal grounding is more important than ever – and he shares a beautiful ‘circle of trust’ practice for listening deeply to others. You’ll learn how others are so crucial to tuning into your true inner voice - and how listening to ourselves can then move us out into the wider world. Links and resources:  About Parker J. Palmer Parker’s 10 published books About the Center for Courage & Renewal Living the Questions - Parker J. Palmer’s Substack The Growing Edge, Parker’s project with Carrie Newcomer Parker’s collected On Being columns With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

One of the most persistent myths about self-compassion is that it’s selfish. But in reality, self-compassion connects us to the rest of humanity – and it’s a critical pathway to thriving.  Dr. Kristin Neff is a pioneer in the study of self-compassion. As Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas and founding director of the Self-Compassion Institute, Kristin has spent decades researching the mind-altering power of self-compassion. Kristin's findings show that kindness is a better motivator than criticism, and she breaks down how self-compassion connects to healthy spirituality. Kristin also talks openly about how self-compassion helped her face challenges through her divorce and in parenting her son, who’s on the autism spectrum.   You will walk away from this episode with a three-step plan for self-compassion - and a simple practice if you don’t know where to get started. Links and resources The Self-Compassion Institute Guided practices About Dr. Kristin Neff With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

With & For is back with a brand new season exploring spiritual health.  What is healthy  spirituality exactly, and how does it help us thrive? How do spiritual practices connect us to others? And what does it mean to have a calling in life?  We have some incredible guests this season – leading thinkers from across faith, art and psychology – like author activist Parker Palmer, self-compassion pioneer Kristin Neff, developmental scientist Richard Lerner and How God Works host David DeSteno. Hosted by development psychologist, ordained minister and professor Dr. Pam King,  With & For bridges psychology and spiritual wisdom to help you thrive.  Season three launches January 26th.  The Thrive Center is an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With and For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media & Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Senior Producer: Clare Wiley Executive Producer: Jakob Lewis Produced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.

Thriving is a relational journey that involves being deeply connected to others and the community. The importance of a "true north" and discerning what is most sacred to orient one's life. Understanding thriving as accepting a truer story of yourself, others, and the world. Engaging in mindset and behavior changes for flourishing, with self-compassion. Thriving as having resources built up in various domains (personal, family, social) to buffer from crisis. The concept of thriving begins with the love of God and love of neighbor. The alignment of purpose and practice is central to thriving, regardless of changes over time. Recognizing ourselves as "God's masterpiece" and finding joy and contentment in that. Thriving as a dynamic, meaningful engagement in purposeful living, adapting to changing contexts. The idea that one can be struggling or even mentally ill and still be thriving is a "both/and" process. Thriving as an internal state and relational reality marked by an open heart and meaningful relationships, even on a stressful day. The journey of thriving involves self-discovery and healing, acknowledging both strengths and weaknesses. Being "habituated to doing good" and demonstrating one's "best self" in relationships. Dr. Pam King’s Key Takeaways Thriving is relational and happens when we are deeply connected to other people, whether that be through our intimate relationships or our broader community. Thriving involves telling a truer story about life, that there is both beauty and brokenness. Thriving involves understanding who we are as God's masterpieces, that we all have strengths, and we all can thrive and find life in our weaknesses. Thriving involves discovering and pursuing what gets you up in the morning – your true north, what is most sacred to you. Thriving involves self-discovery and healing, which might mean being softer with ourselves so that we can find internal ease. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Episode Highlights "When we laugh, when we are sitting in delight, it expands–It not only keeps us in our window of tolerance, but it expands our window of tolerance." "We also know that play is just a huge protective factor. It allows people to process their experiences, but also build skills for the future." "Play is really about doing something for the enjoyment of it, for no other reason, but for the enjoyment." "The more stress you have, the more play you need." "To hold multiple emotions that more than one thing was true... gives us tremendous capacity to be resilient and have more mental and cognitive, flexibility as well as emotional flexibility."   Helpful Links and Resources Books by Dr. Tina Bryson The Way of Play (Tina’s latest book!) The Whole-Brain Child No-Drama Discipline The Yes Brain The Power of Showing Up Follow Tina Bryson: TinaBryson.com Instagram X The Center for Connection About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

How can we grow into our full potential?—living up to what we know is the best version of ourselves, actualizing our goals, and expressing our deepest purpose in a life of impact and love? Grounded in cognitive science and psychology, best-selling author, podcaster, educator and researcher Scott Barry Kaufman believes that we need to redefine our understanding of greatness and excellence to include our whole selves—our emotions, dreams, failures, and gifts—all to live a life that is fully human, fully yourself. In this conversation with Scott Barry Kaufman, we discuss: Education and formation for the whole person, not just our intellect but our bodies, emotions, and spirituality Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the journey that leads to self-actualization The difference it makes to see the world through growth rather than our deficiencies What it means to thrive even in the midst of mental illness The horizontal dimensions of transcendence And how to connect and align with your deepest values Helpful Links and Resources Visit scottbarrykaufman.com The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman Choose Growth Workbook by Kaufman & Feingold *Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization,* by Scott Barry Kaufman Scientific American: Spiritual Narcissism The Lights Triad Personality Test Sensitive Men Rising Documentary Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Reimagined – Big Think Corey Mascara Podcast on Values About Scott Barry Kaufman Scott Barry Kaufman is a cognitive scientist, author, and humanistic psychologist exploring the depths of human potential. He is the founding director of the Center for Human Potential and a the best-selling author, speaker, and podcaster. He hosts The Psychology Podcast. And he is author and/or editor of numerous books, including his celebrated *Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization, Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined*, as well as his latest books, Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt and Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential. If you’re interested in more from Scott, visit scottbarrykaufman.com. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Meaningful relationships are mutual. Balanced with give and take, equal influence between partners, and a vibrant dance of loving responsiveness and caring attention. Marriage and Family Therapist and professor Dr. Jessica ChenFeng is calling us toward a more justice-oriented approach to relationships and to mental health and well-being, She invites us to open-hearted and empathic perspective taking, and seeking an integrated wholeness that incorporates all of who we are—highlighting the gift of mutuality in our most intimate relationships in marriage and family life. In this conversation with Jessica ChenFeng, we discuss: The importance of integrated and whole experience of ourselves—allowing racial, gender, and cultural identities to weave together in our sense of vocation and contribution to the world The importance of mutuality in relationships—but particularly in marriage and family systems. The ways emotional power flows in a relationship and impacts marriage and family dynamics The difference between partners focusing on meeting their individual needs and caring for the health of an intimate relationship And she offers a guided practical exercise to help us lovingly notice and accept our inner experience with a heart open to justice, vulnerability, and the reminder that we are beloved in the eyes of God. Helpful Links and Resources Check out the programs in Marriage & Family Therapy at Fuller School of Psychology www.fuller.edu/school-of-psychology/ Fuller Asian American Center aac.fuller.edu/ Socio-Emotional Relationship Therapy (SERT) Overview Circle of Care Model Explained Positive Psychology and Emotions Jeanne Tsai's Research on Culture and Emotion Asian American Values Scale Reference Race and Trauma Resources Jeanne Tsai’s research on culture and emotion – Stanford SPARQ John and Julie Gottman Relationship Research Asian American Values Scale – Paniagua & Yamada (Academic resource) About Jessica ChenFeng Dr. Jessica ChenFeng is Associate Professor at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary, and is also Director of the Asian American Well-being Collaboratory at Fuller’s Asian American Center. Prior to her time at Fuller she was a professor at Loma Linda University and California State University, Northridge. Jessica is known for her clinical expertise and scholarship integrating socio-contextual lenses of race, gender, and generation into work with minoritized individuals, families, and communities. In the last few years, her primary clinical focus has been the well-being of physicians, especially through pandemic-related trauma and burnout. She’s co-authored two books, Finding Your Voice as a Beginning Marriage and FamilyTherapist, as well as Asian American Identities, Relationships, and Cultural Legacies: Reflections from Marriage and Family Therapists. She received the 2022 American Family Therapy Academy Early Career Award. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Romantic relationships are sacred, powerful, and life-giving. But I don’t have to tell you how difficult it is to love and let yourself be loved. Marriage and family therapist Dr. Terry Hargrave has been helping couples in crisis restore broken relationships for decades, teaching them how to get unstuck, improve communication, and move beyond destructive coping mechanisms—to find reciprocity, self-affirming confidence, emotional regulation, and a joyful, lasting love. In this conversation with Terry Hargrave, we discuss: How to turn around a relationship in crisis and get off the emotional rollercoaster How to build security and trust in order to improve or repair a marriage or long-term relationship Coping mechanisms of blame, shame, control, and escape Practical steps to learn emotional self-regulation What to do when only one partner is working on a relationship The role of the brain and neuroplasticity in relational repair And the spiritual underpinnings of Terry’s approach to restoration therapy Helpful Links and Resources Restoration Therapy Training Resources The Mindful Marriage by Ron Deal and Nan Deal (with Terry and Sharon Hargrave) Five Days to a New Self by Terry Hargrave Emotionally Focused Therapy and Sue Johnson's Legacy About Terry Hargrave Dr. Terry Hargrave. Until he retired recently, he was the Evelyn and Frank Freed Professor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary, and a nationally recognized therapist known for his pioneering work with intergenerational families. He’s most well known as the founder of Restoration Therapy, which combines advantages of Attachment Theory, Emotional Regulation, and Mindfulness—all in an efficient and organized format that allows both the therapist and client to understand old habits and destructive patterns of behavior and promote change in both individual mental and spiritual health, in order to transform our most intimate relationships. Terry has authored or co-authored over 35 professional articles and fifteen books including Restoration Therapy: Understanding and Guiding Healing in Marriage and Family Therapy and Families and Forgiveness: Healing Wounds in the Intergenerational Family. In his latest book project, he worked with his wife Sharon, also a licensed marriage and family therapist. It’s called The Mindful Marriage: Create Your Best Relationship Through Understanding and Managing Yourself, and it’s a practical manual co-written with Ron and Nan Deal about how they healed their relationship after almost losing it. He’s presented internationally on relationship dynamics, family and marriage restoration, the complexities of intergenerational families, healing and reconciliation, and the process of aging. His work has been featured on ABC News, 20/20, Good Morning America, and CBS This Morning as well as several national magazines and newspapers. You can learn more about Terry Hargrave and his work—and find books, practical resources, and professional training materials at: restorationtherapytraining.com. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

You can’t be moral on your own. That’s a radical idea in this time of moral outrage, but thriving in public life requires a sense of mutual accountability, belonging, and hospitality for each other. Mona Siddiqui is a professor of religion and society, an author, commentator, and public intellectual, and she suggests that the virtues of loyalty, gratitude, hospitality, and hope can lead us through the common struggle of being human together, living forward into a thriving life of public faith and renewed moral imagination. The connection between faith, spirituality, and living a moral life of responsibility and integrity The difference between cultivating virtuous character and doing justice How to thrive in a pluralistic society marked by constant struggle and conflict The promise of gratitude and hospitality in a life of thriving And how to pursue a hopeful, forward-looking approach to restoration in the wake of harm, loss, pain, and suffering. Helpful Links and Resources Follow Mona on X (Twitter) at @monasiddiqui7 *Christians, Muslims, and Jesus,* by Mona Siddiqui Human Struggle, Christian and Muslim Perspectives, by Mona Siddiqui A Theology of Gratitude: Christian and Muslim Perspectives, by Mona Siddiqui My Way: A Muslim Woman’s Journey by Mona Siddiqui The Moral Maze, BBC Radio 4 About Mona Siddiqui Mona Siddiqui is Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies, Assistant Principal for Religion and Society, and Dean international for the Middle-East at the University of Edinburgh. Her research areas are primarily in the field of Islamic jurisprudence and ethics and Christian-Muslim relations. She’s the author of many books, including Human Struggle: Christian and Muslim Perspectives,Hospitality in Islam: Welcoming in God’s Name, and My Way: A Muslim Woman’s Journey. A scholar of theology, philosophy, and ethics, she’s conducted international research on Islam and Christianity, gratitude, loyalty and fidelity, hope, reconciliation and inter-faith theological dialogue, and human struggle. Mona is well known internationally as a public intellectual and a speaker on issues around religion, ethics and public life and regularly appears as a media commentator on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland’s Thought for the Day and The Moral Maze. A recipient of numerous awards and recognition, she is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, she gave the prestigious Gifford Lectures in Natural Theology. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as an International Honorary Member. And Dr. Siddiqui was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire, which is just steps below the highest Knighting—specifically for her public interfaith efforts. To learn more, I’d highly recommend her books, but you can also follow her on X @monasiddiqui7. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Applying neuroscience and psychology to education and formation, pioneering researcher Dr. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang draws connections between emotions, relationships, brains, stories, meaning, and purpose to shed light on how we learn, grow, and thrive. Her research on the brain shows how we’re woven together in an intricate and glorious network of life, and when we synthesize the neurological, the psychological, the physical, and the social, we’re able to come to a deeper and more impactful understanding of human development and flourishing. In this conversation with Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, we discuss: The value of integrating neuroscience with educational, emotional, and moral development The strange and glorious case of the adolescent brain—how we mature, learn how to think, feel, and exercise our agency, and strive to become wise The emotional and relational nature of education and moral development—expressed in nurturing conversation between caring adults and youth The importance of agency, intentionality, and transcendent thinking in human thriving Neural plasticity and the capacity to change our brains throughout our lifespan And, the big picture of thriving, that brings together our mental life, neurobiology, and other physical processes—with relationships, community, and society at large. About Mary Helen Immordino-Yang Mary Helen Immordino-Yang is the Fahmy and Donna Attallah Professor of Humanistic Psychology at the University of Southern California. And she’s the founding director of the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning and Education. Candle is just a lovely image for Mary Helen’s work that brings so much light to the world. She’s also a member of the National Academy of Sciences and has received several national awards for her ground breaking research and its implications for education With a focus on educational psychology and the role of emotions in brain development and growth, she’s an expert on the neuroscience of learning and creativity. And her approach offers insight on how our brains shape human culture, morality, and relationships. She works with adolescents and their teachers (particularly in low socio-economic environments) to understand how we build meaning together—looking at abstract, systems-level, and ethical implications of learning complex information, navigating social situations, and narrating our identities. Her research underscores the active role youth play in their own brain and psychosocial development through the narratives they construct, and capacities teachers cultivate to support student belonging and deep learning. To learn more about Mary Helen and her work, check out candle.usc.edu. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

You are a beautiful masterpiece. But the practice of living artfully comes slowly, often through brokenness, weakness, or failure. Contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura integrates traditional Japanese styles with abstract expressionism and Christian theology, to explore the beauty that can emerge from the ashes pain and suffering. Makoto Fujimura—renowned artist, writer, and theologian—joins Dr. Pam King to explore the deep connections between art, faith, and flourishing. Fujimura shares how his Japanese heritage and study of traditional Nihonga painting have shaped his understanding of creativity as a sacred act. Through themes of brokenness, beauty, and slow art, he challenges us to rethink success, embrace imperfection, and create from a place of love and abundance. In this conversation with Mako Fujimura, we discuss: What art is, what creativity means, and the human capacity for making beauty How we can live artfully through imperfection, brokenness, trauma, and suffering How the practice of a gift economy can lead to mutual thriving The slow art of pausing, stopping, and beholding that contributes to our mental and spiritual health And the connection between knowledge and love in a life of creativity and artmaking. Helpful Links and Resources Follow Makoto Fujimura on X @iamfujimura View Mako’s art at makotofujimura.com Makoto Fujimura’s Writings Makoto Fujimura’s Books Nihonga Art and its Traditions Refractions: A Journey of Art, Faith, & Culture Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering Art and Faith: A Theology of Making About Makoto Fujimura Contemporary artist Makoto Fujimura is a painter, an author, a speaker, and an imaginative maker with a gift for theological integration. A blend of fine art and abstract expressionism, Mako describes his work as “slow art,” being influenced directly by the distinctively Japanese Nihonga style, which is patient and methodical, using slow drying pigments from ground minerals. Mako’s art has been featured in galleries and museums around the world, as well as notable collections in The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, The Huntington Library in California, and the Tikotin Museum in Israel. Mako is the author of several books, including Refractions: A Journey of Art, Faith, & Culture, Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life, and Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering. His most recent is entitled Art and Faith: A Theology of Making. And his next book will be available soon—titled, Art Is: A Journey into the Light. And with his wife Haejin, he’s producing a new work on Beauty and Justice. Follow him on X @iamfujimura, and view his beautiful work at makotofujimura.com. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

On our path to spiritual health, we need to keep our eyes open to the ways religion and spirituality have been exploited to coerce, control, and create chaos. Focusing on the intersection of religion and psychology, licensed therapist, researcher, and podcaster Dan Koch is creating a public conversation about spiritual harm and abuse, helping victims learn how to deal with spiritual trauma, and offering insight and guidance toward healthy religious and spiritual experiences. From his own personal journey of religious trauma to his extensive research on spiritual abuse, Dan shares insights on how faith communities can both wound and restore. The conversation covers the psychological impact of religious trauma, the complexities of self-diagnosis, and practical strategies for self-knowledge and healing for anyone who has wrestled with faith, struggled with past church experiences, or have lost their religion. In this conversation with Dan Koch, we discuss: The psychological study of spiritual abuse and harm, including conceptual definitions and the many factors that come along with them. The symptoms and most recognizable patterns that point to spiritual abuse The impact of abuse and trauma on psychological and spiritual health How to reappraise and challenge harmful core beliefs And how to find healing, joy, and transcendence as we deal with past trauma. About Dan Koch Dan Koch is a licensed therapist supporting patients working through the trauma of spiritual abuse; and his work and insight in this domain emerges from his empirical research. He’s also host of the You Have Permission podcast. With a background in philosophy and theology, he explores questions of faith, doubt, and spiritual well-being. His research focuses on the psychological effects of religious trauma and how individuals can heal from spiritual abuse. Find more of his work at dankochwords.com. You can find his podcast, You Have Permission wherever you listen to podcasts and find exclusive episodes at patreon.com/dankoch. Helpful Links and Resources Dan Koch’s Website Join Dan Koch’s Patreon You Have Permission Podcast Dan Koch’s Research on Spiritual Abuse The Spiritual Harm and Abuse Scale Clinical Screener Development of the Spiritual Harm and Abuse Scale (Article, May 2022) About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

We need a recovery of the sacred in our secular world. Because the mental, emotional, and psychological struggles haunting society right now can’t be solved without addressing meaning, purpose, and the longing for connection to something beyond ourselves. In other words, spiritual health is an essential part of mental health. In this conversation with Varun Soni, we discuss: Finding the sacred in our secular culture. Religious pluralism and what it means to build trust that reaches across religious lines of difference. The transformative power of finding your “truth north”—your North Star—to orient our journeys of faith and spirituality. Varun shares six pillars of flourishing; how to align our actions with our values; and the benefit of listening to the cultural narratives and stories we tell. He reflects on the missing elements of spirituality in our understanding of mental health today, evidenced in his work with teens and emerging adults. He offers us a Hindu meditative practice to provide inner clarity, stability, and calm. And he comments on compassion and a cultivation sacred spiritual practices to counteract the loneliness, anguish, and suffering in our world. About Varun Soni Varun Soni is the Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California (USC), bringing a unique and extensive academic background to his role. He holds numerous degrees, including a B.A. in Religion from Tufts University, an M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School, and an M.A. in Religious Studies from UC Santa Barbara. He also earned a J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where he completed the Critical Race Studies Program, and a Ph.D. from the University of Cape Town, where his doctoral research focused on religion and popular culture. His global perspective was shaped by immersive experiences, including a semester at a Buddhist monastery in India and field research in South Asia through UCSB. Prior to his work at USC, he taught in the Law and Society Program at UCSB. Beyond his academic and administrative roles, Dean Soni is an author, a producer, and an active public intellectual. He is the author of Natural Mystics: The Prophetic Lives of Bob Marley and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and has contributed writings to publications like the Washington Post and Huffington Post. His production credits include the graphic novel Tina’s Mouth: An Existential Comic Diary, which is being adapted into a film. He also hosted a radio show showcasing South Asian music and was involved in organizing the 2009 Concert for Pakistan at the United Nations. Dean Soni is currently an Adjunct Professor at the USC School of Religion and serves on the advisory boards for several interfaith and educational organizations. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

In our world of urgency, certitudes, and immediate access to a flood of information, could it be that a humble curiosity, inspired awe, and delightful wonder might give us the strength to heal and thrive? Using an expansive emotional vocabulary matched with wit and care, TV host, podcaster, and author Kelly Corrigan is inviting the world to relational vulnerability, compassionate curiosity, and stalwart bravery to face our biggest problems through listening and loving wonder. In this conversation with Kelly Corrigan, we discuss: Her approach to having conversations that feel transformative—the kind that unlock and open us up How wonder grounds her spirituality and personal vocation The profound lessons she learned from her mother and father, and how each showed up for her when she was at her lowest How to learn wisdom and leadership through coaching and mentoring How to build the emotional container of home for a family What it means to be brave in our world today And how to communicate love through the simple act of listening through three simple invitations: “Tell me more!, What else?, and Go on.” About Kelly Corrigan Kelly Corrigan is a journalist of wonder. Through hundreds and hundreds of conversations with some of the world’s most interesting people, she approaches both timeless questions and contemporary problems … through focused and generous listening, an attitude of awe, and a joyful expectation to be surprised and delighted, even in life’s most challenging and painful circumstances. She’s the author of four New York Times bestselling memoirs: Tell Me More, The Middle Place, Glitter and Glue, and Lift. Her most recent offering is a children’s book, Hello World, which celebrates the people in our lives and explores the meaningful connections that come from asking each other questions. Her podcast, Kelly Corrigan Wonders, is a library of conversational wisdom ranging from current events, to arts and entertainment, to psychology and philosophy, and an approach to spirituality and transcendence through the gift of everyday, ordinary life. A master of conversational hospitality, downright funny storytelling, and journalistic listening, she’s also the PBS television host of Tell Me More, and recently spoke on Bravery at the 40th annual TED Conference. You can find her podcast, Kelly Corrigan Wonders wherever you listen to podcasts and her full library of resources at kellycorrigan.com. Books and Media by Kelly Corrigan Listen to Kelly Corrigan Wonders Visit [KellyCorrigan.com](http://KellyCorrigan.comhttps://www.kellycorrigan.com/) Watch Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan (PBS) Read Kelly’s books, such as Tell Me More, The Middle Place, Glitter and Glue, Hello World!, and Lift. Show Notes Kelly Corrigan's TED Talk, "To Love Is to Be Brave" Kelly Corrigan’s conversation with April Lawson on abortion About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Emotional health is deeply intertwined in an ongoing journey with spiritual health. This involves opening to our pain, grieving our trauma, and patiently cultivating a resilience that stabilizes and secures our relationships and our sense of self. With compassion, pastoral presence, and emotional attunement, psychologist Dr. David Wang is using psychological and theological tools to help us understand and adapt to emotional realities, explore the wounds of our past, and find healing and strength through acceptance and grief. In this conversation with David Wang, we discuss: The difference between human development and spiritual formation and how to understand maturity The centrality of relationships in human life and growth, and how that’s grounded in divine relationality and our communion with God How to become friends with ourselves, offering self-compassion and being moved by our own suffering The impact of childhood trauma on adult emotional, psychological, and spiritual health And finally, how a practice of grief can help us understand and work through traumatic experiences and move toward healing. Show Notes www.drdavidcwang.com https://www.seminaryformationproject.com/ About David Wang Dr. David Wang is a licensed psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he’s also the Cliff and Joyce Penner Chair for the Formation of Emotionally Healthy Leaders and scholar in residence at Fuller’s Center for Spiritual Formation. He speaks and trains leaders globally on trauma informed care. And he conducts research and teaches courses in Trauma Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Multicultural Psychology, and the Integration of Psychology and the Christian faith. He is also Pastor of Spiritual Formation at One Life City Church in Fullerton, California. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

One of the hopeful things in the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires is how I have seen people within L.A. show up with and for each other. And I'm especially grateful for this audience because I know you are all people who care to show up with people, and for people. Thank you for being light in these hard times. Show Notes (from the episode page of For the Life of the World) In this conversation, Pam King and Jamie Aten join Evan Rosa to discuss: Each of their personal encounters with disasters—both fire and cancer The psychological study of disaster The personal impact of disaster on mental, emotional, and spiritual health The difference between resilience and fortitude And the theological and practical considerations for how to live through disastrous events. About Pam King Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. She hosts the With & For podcast, and you can follow her @drpamking. About Jamie Aten Jamie D. Aten is a disaster psychologist and disaster ministry expert. He helps others navigate mass, humanitarian, and personal disasters with scientific and spiritual insights. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute and Disaster Ministry Conference and holds the Blanchard Chair of Humanitarian & Disaster Leadership at Wheaton College. And he’s the author of A Walking Disaster: What Surviving Katrina and Cancer Taught Me about Faith and Resilience. Show Notes Humanitarian Disaster Institute Spiritual First Aid Jamie Aten’s A Walking Disaster: What Surviving Katrina and Cancer Taught Me about Faith and Resilience The Thrive Center at Fuller Seminary Humanitarian Disaster Institute Spiritual First Aid Production Notes This podcast featured Jamie Aten and Pam King Edited and Produced by Evan Rosa Hosted by Evan Rosa Production Assistance by Macie Bridge, Alexa Rollow, Zoë Halaban, Kacie Barrett & Emily Brookfield A Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School **https://faith.yale.edu/about** Support For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: **https://faith.yale.edu/give** About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Our brains hold our relational history—all the joys, all the ruptures, all the repairs. And even in the most difficult childhood or parenting circumstances, the science of relationships and connection can give us hope for whole-brain and whole-life transformation. Therapist, bestselling author, and mom—Dr. Tina Payne Bryson is seeking a connection revolution that brings neurobiology and practical relational wisdom to bear on both how we were parented, how we parent, and how we relate throughout our lifespan. In this conversation with Tina Bryson, we discuss: The science of childhood relational development and growth into strong, adaptive adults The brain as our most social organ—capable of holding a lifetime of relational and emotional history How to emotionally co-regulate with another person to achieve a calm, peaceful, and vibrant relationship Neuroplasticity and our ability to change with intention toward our deepest held values And we explore how the science of connection, attachment, and interpersonal neurobiology sheds light on how we were parented, and impacts how we might parent ourselves and how we relate to everyone. Books by Dr. Tina Bryson The Way of Play (Tina’s latest book!) The Whole-Brain Child No-Drama Discipline The Yes Brain The Power of Showing Up Follow Tina Bryson TinaBryson.com Instagram X The Center for Connection Show Notes What Do You Say?: How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home, by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World, by Sue Marriot and Ann Kelley The Yes Brain: How to Cultivate Courage, Curiosity, and Resilience in Your Child, Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson *Parenting from the Inside Out,* Dan Siegel and Mary Hartzell *The Power of Showing Up,* Dan Siegel and Tina Bryson About Tina Bryson Dr. Tina Bryson is an expert in applying interpersonal neurobiology and neuropsychology to maybe the most central part of human life: our closest, most intimate relationships. A bestselling co-author (with Dan Siegal) of THE WHOLE-BRAIN CHILD and NO-DRAMA DISCIPLINE, she has written several other books on parenting and the brain. Her latest book on the science of play came out in January 2025. Tina is a psychotherapist and the Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Connection. She speaks and advocates widely, has appeared across media outlets like TIME Magazine, “Good Morning America,” Huffington Post,Redbook, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. Her doctoral research explored attachment science, childrearing theory, and the emerging field of interpersonal neurobiology. But Tina emphasizes that before she’s a parenting educator, or a researcher, she’s a mom. Tina is an absolutely brilliant and motivating and encouraging communicator, breaking down the science of connection in a way that’s clear, realistic, humorous, and immediately helpful. For more resources from Tina, including her books, and science-packed relationship tips, visit https://www.thecenterforconnection.org/ and tinabryson.com. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

To realize MLK’s vision of a Beloved Community, we’re all called to live from a moral conscience that interconnects and permeates society with justice and peace. Working at the intersection of politics, religion, and education, Dr. Lerone Martin of Stanford University is carrying forward the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a social and historical context desperately in need of renewed moral imagination, connection across racial and economic divides, and the transformative power of love. In this conversation with Lerone Martin, we discuss: How his spirituality integrates with the meaning of education and formation The legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., his vision of thriving and justice, and the relevance of his life and writings for the contemporary world The role of emotion and affect and music in Christian faith and spirituality We dive into the core elements of MLK’s famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” We explore the joint power of courage and love in non-violent action We look at practical insights about the kind of morality that leads to thriving, And we close by asking the question posed in Martin Luther King’s final book, Where do we go from here? About Dr. Lerone Martin Dr. Lerone Martin is the Martin Luther King, Jr., Centennial Professor in Religious Studies, and the Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. He’s a historian of 20th-century religion and a cultural commentator. He’s written books about White Christian Nationalism in the FBI, as well as the making of modern African American Christianity—as well as a book about MLK’s adolescence and his early sense of vocation and calling. He stays deeply connected to teaching and community service, teaching the “Why College?” freshman course at Stanford, inspiring underserved high school students in Los Angeles and St. Louis, and developing programming and teaching courses for the incarcerated. Visit the King Institute online at kinginstitute.stanford.edu or follow him on X @DirectorMLK. Show Notes “I Have Been to the Mountaintop” (Delivered by MLK in Memphis on April 3, 1968, a day before his assassination) “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” (April 16, 1963) Where Do We Go from Here?: Chaos or Community? About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Science can change your life. The more we study what makes people develop, grow, learn, and flourish—the more we see how the practical application of scientific findings can help us transform our life and experience—into a life of value, meaning, purpose and true thriving. Yale psychologist Laurie Santos has spent her career investigating the human brain and how it thrives. From her popular Yale course to her podcast, The Happiness Lab, she’s communicating actionable and hopeful lessons for how to build lasting habits, cultivate self-compassion, manage complex emotions, and realign our lives toward meaningful happiness. In this conversation with Dr. Laurie Santos, we discuss: How the mental health crisis affecting young people changed her, and how she teaches psychology How our brains lie to us The role of positive and negative emotions in a good life How feeling good can lead to doing good The psychological and relational benefits of faith and spirituality And she offers practical insights, science-backed guidance, and powerful exercises for managing misalignment and difficult emotions. Laurie Santos on how to activate psychological science for more happiness and meaning (from the episode): “Some of these factors that we know scientifically do work. From simple behavior changes like being more social, doing nice things for others, just healthy habits  like sleeping and moving your body,  to mindset shifts, to becoming a little bit more present, to becoming more other oriented, to becoming more grateful, more self-compassionate, and so on. There are shifts that we can make that can have a huge effect on how we actually interact in the world. We need to understand that we're not perfect, we're just human. And we will mess up a little bit too. But it's really the journey that   matters.” About Laurie Santos Dr. Laurie Santos is the Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast. Dr. Santos is an expert on the science of happiness. Her Yale course, Psychology and the Good Life, teaches students how the science of psychology can provide important hints about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling. Her course recently became Yale’s most popular course in over 300 years, with almost one of our four students at Yale enrolled. Her course has been featured in numerous news outlets including the New York Times, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, GQ Magazine, Slate and O! Magazine. A winner of numerous awards both for her science and teaching, she was recently voted as one of Popular Science Magazine’s “Brilliant 10” young minds, and was named in Time Magazine as a “Leading Campus Celebrity.” Her podcast, The Happiness Lab, has over 100 million downloads. Listen to The Happiness Lab podcast Visit [drlauriesantos.com](http://drlauriesantos.comhttps://www.drlauriesantos.com/) Show Notes *Thriving with Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing* (Justin Barrett and Pam King) Self-flagellation, frustration, and criticizing ourselves Kristin Neff on Self-Compassion About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Welcome to the fourth and final week of our Advent Meditation Journey. If you’re longing for a more meaningful Advent season, this meditation invites you to reflect on love—the heart of Advent and the fulfillment of all our deepest hopes, longings, and desires. Throughout this series, we’ve explored hope, peace, and joy. Now, we turn to love—the love of God made flesh in Christ, Emmanuel. In this quiet time, you’ll be guided to reflect on what you love most, where your life feels aligned—or out of alignment—and how God’s love might invite you to reorder your heart. Find a quiet space, take a deep breath, and let yourself settle into this sacred moment. Let’s begin. ⁠https://youtu.be/zi2d5IPCCM0 Check out our blog - Fourth Sunday of Advent: Love. https://thethrivecenter.org/fourth-sunday-of-advent-love/ https://depree.org/de-pree-journal/love-that-comes-near/ To receive all four meditations, visit https://thethrivecenter.org/ and sign up for our newsletter https://mailchi.mp/fuller.edu/sm-practices-for-spiritual-health-part2. We at the Thrive Center wish you a season filled with the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christ. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Welcome to the third week of our Advent Meditation Journey. If you’re longing for a more meaningful Advent season, this meditation invites you to pause and reflect on the deeper joy that often hides beneath the noise and hustle of December. Each week, we focus on a different theme—Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love—and today we turn our attention to joy. Joy is more than a fleeting feeling—it’s rooted in what we love and how we live. This short reflection will guide you to consider the longings that shape your joy and help you notice where God may be meeting you right now. So take a few moments, find a quiet space, and let yourself be still. Wherever you are, however you are, know that God welcomes you here. Let’s begin. We at the Thrive Center wish you a season filled with the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christ. To receive all four meditations, visit  https://thethrivecenter.org/ and sign up for our newsletter  Check out our blog - Third Sunday of Advent: Joy. https://thethrivecenter.org/third-sunday-of-advent-joy/ About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Welcome to the second week of our Advent Meditation Journey. In this sacred season of waiting, we turn our attention to peace—not just as a feeling, but as a way of being rooted in God’s presence. This meditation invites you to pause, breathe deeply, and explore the longings that stir beneath the surface. However you are today—tense or calm, weary or expectant—you are welcome here. Let this be a moment to bring your whole self before God and receive the peace that passes understanding. To receive all four meditations, visit  https://thethrivecenter.org/ and sign up for our newsletter  https://youtu.be/FYCPLepj1kU We at the Thrive Center wish you a season filled with the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christ. Check out our blog - Second Sunday of Advent: Peace. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Welcome to the 2025 Advent Meditation Journey. If you are longing for a more meaningful Advent season, we invite you to join us in setting aside time each week to reflect, pray, and re-center. Advent is a season of preparation—a sacred invitation to slow down and open ourselves to the coming of Christ. This is the first week of our Advent Meditation Journey. In this season of sacred waiting, we pause to reflect on longing and hope. Whether you’re feeling grounded or weary, hopeful or uncertain, you are welcome here. This brief meditation is an invitation to slow down, tune into your heart, and open yourself to the quiet stirrings of hope. Find a comfortable place, take a deep breath, and join me as we begin this Advent journey together—with honesty, stillness, and expectation. Check out our blog - First Sunday of Advent: Hope. https://thethrivecenter.org/first-sunday-of-advent-hope/ To receive all four meditations, visit  https://thethrivecenter.org/  and sign up for our newsletter  https://mailchi.mp/fuller.edu/sm-practices-for-spiritual-health-part2 https://mailchi.mp/fuller.edu/web-thrive-advent2025 ⁠https://youtu.be/FYCPLepj1kU We at the Thrive Center wish you a season filled with the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christ. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Christmas is about the love of God given to us in Christ. Love compels us forward through darkness and light—enabling us to grow and change, connect and relate, forgive and let go, and make a difference and seek justice. This December, we’re celebrating Advent with you by offering four guided meditations by Dr. Pam King—considering how to cultivate the Advent virtues of hope, peace, joy, and love into our lives this year. We’d be grateful if you considered the Thrive Center in your year-end giving. To make a year-end tax-deductible gift, visit thethrivecenter.org/contribute. Don't forget that Season 2 of With & For launches with all new episodes on January 6, 2025! Show Notes Jesus said, "As I have loved you, you must love one another.” “Love compels us forward through darkness and light, with its power to connect and heal.” Love for God, love for others, and love for yourself You are beloved. Breathing practice Attuning to sensations of love in your body What are these feelings of love saying about you, your values, your beliefs? What does love say about your deepest beliefs about what matters most in life? Who needs love from you today? How do you live out love in the world? What is one thing you can do to lean into love or to live out love? About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Joy is more than a feeling. It’s a virtue. And it’s something we can cultivate. We live into joy when we encounter who or what matters most to us. It’s associated with our life's deepest yearnings and connection. This December, we’re celebrating Advent with you by offering four guided meditations by Dr. Pam King—considering how to cultivate the Advent virtues of hope, peace, joy, and love into our lives this year. We’d be grateful if you considered the Thrive Center in your year-end giving. To make a year-end tax-deductible gift, visit thethrivecenter.org/contribute. Don't forget that Season 2 of With & For launches with all new episodes on January 6, 2025! Show Notes The Shepherd’s Candle—symbolizing joy Joy is more than a feeling. It’s a virtue. Cultivating joy through encountering who and what matters most to us Breathing practice Loving and joyful presence of God How are you experiencing joy in your body? Joy’s insight into our values, opening us up to creativity and connection Does pursuing joy require you to step out of your normal routine? What can you do to bring joy to another? About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Peace can be elusive, but if set an intention to be instruments of peace—both in offering it and experiencing it—it has the power to transform us. Peace is often an indication that life is in balance and going well, either in the immediate or the eternal sense. This December, we’re celebrating Advent with you by offering four guided meditations by Dr. Pam King—considering how to cultivate the Advent virtues of hope, peace, joy, and love into our lives this year. We’d be grateful if you considered the Thrive Center in your year-end giving. To make a year-end tax-deductible gift, visit thethrivecenter.org/contribute. Don't forget that Season 2 of With & For launches with all new episodes on January 6, 2025! Show Notes “Peace can be elusive.” Peace is more than a feeling—it’s an indication that “all is well.” Consider the Prince of Peace, who comes to dwell with us this Christmas Breathing practice What brings you peace? Where do you feel peace in your body? What has been preventing peace for you? “Peace is often an indication that life is in balance, and that life is going well, either in the immediate or the eternal sense.” Setting an intention to pursue peace “Peace I give you.” “May the peace of God be with you and pervade your life this week as you anticipate the coming of the Prince of Peace this Christmas.” About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Hope is powerful. It’s more than a feeling. It’s a foundation for getting us through even the darkest of times. The season of Advent provides the opportunity to attune to hope, become aware of our deepest hopes and desires, and then align our lives to hope. This December, we’re celebrating Advent with you by offering four guided meditations by Dr. Pam King—considering how to cultivate the Advent virtues of hope, peace, joy, and love into our lives this year. We’d be grateful if you considered the Thrive Center in your year-end giving. To make a year-end tax-deductible gift, visit thethrivecenter.org/contribute. Don't forget that Season 2 of With & For launches with all new episodes on January 6, 2025! Show Notes “Hope has the power to transform and involves our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.” Take hold of hope with simple steps of attunement, awareness, alignment, and activation Breath work Attune, in order to feel sensations of hope in your body. How are you experiencing or feeling hope in your body? Notice, don’t judge. What do the feelings of hope say about your deepest desires? Where does your hope come from? How can you align your day with your hope? How can you align with hope to reflect God's desires for you? What is one thing you can do today to lean forward into hope? About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

How can we reconnect, repair, and rebuild our fractured world? We need grounded scientific insight that we connect us with what is good, true, and beautiful. We need wider perspective that guides us toward purpose, community, wisdom, and spiritual health. Developmental psychologist, ordained minister, and professor, Dr. Pam King introduces Season 2 of With & For, which launches on January 6, 2025. Inviting guests with expertise in psychology, spirituality, and leadership, this new season will tackle practical questions with courage, openness, and hope—focusing on insights, stories, and exercises for how to reconnect, repair, and rebuild our fractured world. How to find psychological, emotional, and spiritual health, and how to find one another in love. This season, episode topics include: The power of positive emotions like awe, wonder, curiosity, and transcendence, along with other research backed practices that encourage them. The dangers of spiritual and religious abuse, the psychological impact of childhood relational trauma, and how to heal from the wounds of the past. The neuroscience behind our emotional health, its impact on how we develop, learn, grow, and make meaning. The science behind core human relationships, the emotional vulnerability and power dynamics of intimate romantic relationships, as well as the challenge of parenting and being parented. Why and how our moral lives and cultivating virtues are fundamental to joy and thriving. The legacies of racial justice and consider the spiritual and moral underpinnings of nonviolent resistance. The healing properties of art, creativity, and beauty, and how they offer comfort and strength beyond words. And much more. Subscribe to With & For wherever you listen to podcasts and visit us online at thethrivecenter.org/podcast. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Dr. Pam King joins longtime friend, entrepreneur, and inspiring podcast host Nada Jones on for a conversation on thriving and self-discovery in mid-life. Nada Jones is the founder and CEO of Liberty Road, a podcast and organization for entrepreneurial women focused on growth, wisdom, sharing stories, and finding purpose. She has a regular podcast where women in the middle third of their lives share their journeys of self-discovery. Together they discuss Pam’s approach to thriving as a developmental psychologist; the adventure of women entering and exploring the middle third of their lives; Pam’s definition of thriving; and what might get in the way of thriving during this challenging period of life. Pam shares resources from psychology and spirituality that can provide for people to grow and support others, describing three pillars for a thriving life: individual, relational, and aspirational.   Show Notes About Liberty Road podcast and organization “Pursuing your future doesn't end at 40. In fact, it may mark the beginning of knowing who you are, what you're capable of, and what you really want.” Thriving at the intersection of three pillars of life: individual, relational, and aspirational. “In the deepest part of my being, I really want to enable people to thrive in a very holistic way. And live more fully into who they are. Living more authentically, living with deeper connection and, and with deeper purpose.” Not just another self-help platform “How do you help us understand purpose or thriving when maybe we haven't put ourselves first?" Examples for each three pillars Stay-at-home mom moving into a new phase of life “Start with loving ourselves and giving ourselves grace.” “Bring out the best in yourself. Love yourself.” What images come to mind as positive memories of competency and strength? Obligations in relationships What are we actually living out? Is it consistent with our values? Change your environment or change yourself. What is spirituality? Pam King on life in the “middle third” Reprioritizing and making professional shifts What keeps you grounded? 10 minutes of silence of meditation. What are you currently reading? Open and Unafraid by W. David Taylor / Strength That Remains, by Tracy Kidder About Nada Jones Nada Jones is the founder and CEO of Liberty Road, a podcast and organization for entrepreneurial women focused on growth, wisdom, sharing stories, and finding purpose. Discover more of her work at www.liberty-road.com. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

Dr. Pam King joins the Yale Center for Faith & Culture podcast, For the Life of the World, for a discussion of human development, purpose, relational intimacy, and spiritual connection—all through the integration of developmental psychology and theology. With host Evan Rosa (Yale Center for Faith & Culture), she reflects on human change and plasticity in the midst of a whole complex life; relational attachment for the sake of intimacy and exploration and ultimate purpose or meaning; the proper place of self-love; God’s enabling and loving presence as the ultimate secure attachment figure; the importance of learning, gaining skills, and the pursuit of expertise; the prospects of regaining emotional regulation through relationships; the game changing impact of deliberate psychological and spiritual practices to move us well beyond surviving to a life of thriving. Show Notes Martin Buber’s I and Thou John Bowlby and Attachment Theory Trolick’s Still Face Experiment (Video) Justin Barrett & Pamela Ebstyne King, Thriving with Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing Production Notes This podcast featured Pamela Ebstyne King Edited and Produced by Evan Rosa Hosted by Evan Rosa Production Assistance by Macie Bridge and Kaylen Yun A Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School  https://faith.yale.edu/about Support For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give‍ This episode was made possible in part by the generous support of Blueprint 1543. For more information, visit Blueprint1543.org. About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

If we want to bear good fruit in our lives, we must have strong roots. Good fruit must lead to love. As the Rev. Dr. Pam King offers in this episode, “Root into love so that you can live out love.” Speaking on Jesus’s parable of the Tree and Its Fruits in Luke 6, she draws on theological and psychological resources to reflect on the role of active and intentional love in a thriving life. Luke 6:43-45: “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit.  Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes bramble bush.  The good person, out of the good treasure of the heart, produces good. And the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil,  for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” Show Notes Luke 6:43-45: “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes bramble bush. The good person, out of the good treasure of the heart, produces good. And the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.” “I believe this scripture … redefines reality and redefines fruit.” True love in *The Princess Bride — “Wuv. Twoo Wuv.” “True love is the greatest thing in the world.” “Root into love so that you can live out love.” What is thriving? What New Testament parables of Jesus express thriving? Redefining “Good” What is good? “Good” is a four-letter word There’s always a right answer in Sunday School: “Jesus” Defining the Relationship? Or Define the Reality? A reordering of values “… a radical reordering of values and a re sanctification of sanctioned behaviors. He describes the kind of conduct that is appropriate for this kingdom that he will be leading. It is love your enemies, do good out of love. Give generously out of love. Lend without expectation. Love your neighbor.” Fruit is a symbol of love Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz, “The Home of God”—what is to come is coming now. “Inbreaking” Flux in congregational or community life The Reciprocating Self Conformity is not synonymous with uniformity “We are each invited to bear fruit out of our own giftedness.” “Bear fruit as yourself.” “Pam, you’re a good Pam.” “We bear fruit by living out God's love. in this world as ourselves.” Tree imagery in the Bible “A tree firmly planted, or some versions rooted, by streams of water, that does not get blown when the winds come by.” What kind of tree are you? How do you root into God’s love? Eli Finkel and third-person perspective taking “When people take a benevolent third person view in the Christian worldview, God's perspective, and they actually write those things about a person, the conflict is still there, but they're able to interact and care for that person more effectively and see that person more wholly.” “80 percent of Americans young people are lonely. We are in a cultural mode of despair in many ways. We are losing our relational capacity.” About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

“How did it go?” As we pursue purpose and spiritual health, we need regular opportunities to take stock and understand how our efforts are making an impact in our lives and in the lives of others. In the process of pursuing purpose, cultivating joy, and connecting more deeply to ourselves, we need to learn how to audit and assess how its going as we live out our spirituality and refine our values. In this episode, Dr. Pam King explains assessment—the final (and absolutely essential) step in the process of cultivating agility and adaptivity for spiritual health. At this stage, we take stock, adapt, and flex, ready to start fresh and begin anew each day. Show Notes Audit and assess Take stock, adapt, and flex, ready to start fresh and begin anew each day. Consider cycles and frequencies of assessment The Ignatian Prayer of Examen Becoming aware of where God is most fully active in our lives Slow down, connect with God, and take a different perspective What are we made and created to do? What is our purpose as full human selves? The importance of patience and pausing Accountability Utilize emotions as signposts Drawing on the first step of attunement How to facilitate the final step of the cycle and move toward beginning again About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

“Activate your skills, gifts, and passions for the benefit of others.” Activation is the practical step in the cycle of 5 A’s for Agility in Spiritual Health—where we implement a practice or exercise, make a move toward our values, or experiment with something to help us grow. In this episode, Dr. Pam King walks through the fourth step of the 5 A’s: Activate. This step in the cycle draws from each previous step, going from non-judgmental observation, internally connecting to our values, and then puts our values into action for the sake of living out our purpose. Show Notes Implement a practice or exercise, make a move toward our values, or experiment with something to help us grow. “What is one thing I can do today to more clearly align my life to those values and those sources of joy and mattering  that I thought about when I was considering alignment.” An attitude of discovery Enacting intentional behavior; bringing our values into real life “Activate your skills, gifts, and passions for the benefit of others.” Activating your purpose What will get us one step closer to our purpose? Stay mindful of the feelings we attuned to in the first step of the 5 A’s. Positive, expansive feelings Small microsteps forward Moving toward what matters most About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

“When our life is aligned to what truly matters, that is when we experience the most enduring joy.” In this episode, Dr. Pam King explains the 3rd step in the 5 A’s of Agility for Spiritual Health. Alignment is the process of becoming more reflective, drawing connections between our thoughts and emotions—and our beliefs, values, habits, and the experiences that shape us. This is the step where we look for our intentions and expectations and hold them up to our raw experiences and the possible meanings associated with them. We begin by identifying what's true or what's false in our feelings and thoughts so we can more clearly move toward our purposes. Show Notes “Alignment involves aligning the insights that you gained from taking inventory and attuning to your feelings and becoming aware of their meanings of then aligning these feelings to your ideals, your values, and what you assume matters.” What matters to you? Taking stock of what we attuned to, and what we became aware of How do we align what is with what we want? How to practice alignment How do you spend your time? Reflecting regularly on life goals “When our life is aligned to what truly matters, that is when we experience the most enduring joy.” Resilience and stability About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

It’s not easy to reflect on our emotions without judging them or running away from them. It’s difficult to stay with challenging or frightening feelings and thoughts. But to cultivate awareness means taking an open, curious, and non-judgmental approach to observing our minds. More than simple or immediate observation (like Attunement), awareness asks us to get curious and reflect on our feelings, emotions, thoughts, and the landscape of experience we discovered in step one of attunement. What emotions are coming up for us? What thoughts keep coming into our consciousness? In this second step of the 5 A’s of Agility for Spiritual Health, Pam King explains how we can become more emotionally aware and open-minded about our psychological reality. The key to observing our thoughts and feelings is to simply look, and not judge yourself. Let the emotions come and go, and learn from they provide information to us. ANNOUNCEMENT: With & For Season 2 launches on January 6, 2025! Show Notes Jill Westbrook introduces the episode For the most enriching and helpful listening experience, make sure to start with the beginning of this series! More than immediate observation: we must reflect non-judgmentally Just observe, don’t judge yourself. Examining the meaning of our feelings, thoughts, and sensations Attach reflective thoughts to our embodied and psychological experience Journaling is a powerful exercise to connect kinetically with emotional realities. Narration and storytelling helps with processing non-judgmentally. Cultivating curiosity and open-mindedness “So be curious, welcome the dust, welcome the muck,  hold it, consider what it means and what it's pointing you towards.” “Avenues for growth. Avenues for loving yourself.” Uncover the values that fuel our life. Understanding anger, sadness, disappointment, joy, delight—all as emotional signposts to meaning and purpose Emotions that direct us to what matters. Practical Example: Anger Practical Example: Sorrow or Sadness “Linger, but don’t loiter.” “You’re not in this alone.” About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.

What’s happening right now? What do you feel? What physical sensations are present from head to toe? The first step in practicing the 5 A’s of Spiritual Health is Attunement—a simple, direct process of connecting to reality, perceiving your experience of the present moment, and paying attention to our physical sensations. It’s as simple as a clear-eyed consciousness: listening, feeling, acknowledging, being aware of basic sensations. In this episode, Dr. Pam King explains attunement and the foundation it lays for cultivating greater agility and adaptivity. She oconsiders theological and psychological grounding for the benefits of attunement, and offers practical techniques, including a body scan and breath exercises. Show Notes Jill Westbrook introduces the episode What is attunement? And how does it support personal agility and adaptivity? Connecting to reality, the present moment, and our physical experience and sensations Clear-eyed consciousness Listening, feeling, acknowledging, noticing sensations Embodiment and rooting in the body Our bodies are part of the created order. God has given us bodies to know and serve God. Pain and stress, joy or pleasure How do we attune? How to perform a body scan Breath exercises Walking as a spiritual practice of attunement Breathing Andrew Huberman’s breath exercises: “the physiological sigh” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZKIupBUuc About the Thrive Center Learn more at thethrivecenter.org. Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenter Follow us on X @thrivecenter Follow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter   About Dr. Pam King Dr. Pam King is Executive Director the Thrive Center and is Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.  Follow her @drpamking.   About With & For Host: Pam King Senior Director and Producer: Jill Westbrook Operations Manager: Lauren Kim Social Media Graphic Designer: Wren Juergensen Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and the Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy.