Love & Life is your place for conversations grounded in psych research, psychotherapy, and Biblical truth to help you THRIVE in love and life! Join psychologist Karin Anderson Abrell, Ph.D. and pastor and psychotherapist Elliott Anderson, M.A., as they focus on relationships and how to flourish therein with a holistic approach to emotional and psychological well-being, recognizing we only thrive when we nourish each of these key domains—Mind, Body, and Spirit. Together they bring over 60 yea ...
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Abortions at the DNC: How This Relates to Our What is a Man? Series Ep. 314
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Elliott didn’t know about this—I’m way more into current events than he is—so I decided to inform him during our episode. I wanted him to share his thoughts as a therapist, husband, father, and perhaps most importantly, as a pastor. Abortion is a heavy, sensitive, and painful, subject—at least, it used to be. Clinton claimed it should be, “Safe, le…
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What is a Man? Part 3: Theology of Man Ep. 313
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Today Pastor Elliott and Producer Tim continue our series on "What is a Man?" In his work as a counselor and pastor Elliott has developed a thesis for what he believes makes up the theology of a man based on the book of Genesis. Specifically Elliott dives into the following topics: Accountability Responsibility Sacrifice Interdependence And how men…
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What is a Man? Part 2: Female Boxing Controversy at The Olympics Ep. 312
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As you’ve likely heard, last week Olympic boxer Imane Khelif beat Angela Carini in a bout that lasted only 46 seconds. Carini said of Khelif’s punch to her nose, “I’ve never been hit so hard in my life.” Controversy ensued because just last year, Khelif had been disqualified from competing in the World Boxing Championships in the women’s category b…
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Dying to Be Free! How to Take Charge in Oppressive Times with Dr. Leland Stillman Ep. 311
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Our world feels increasingly chaotic and morally inverted. And for those who remain skeptical and endeavor to think critically and rationally, it’s extremely overwhelming. As you know from episode 294 “COVID Trauma: How to Move Through Post COVID Stress Disorder,” Elliott and I have lost trust in many, if not most, of the institutions we once thoug…
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What is a Man? Part 1: A Tribute to My Father-in-Law Ep. 310
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My father-in-law passed away a month ago. We knew his death was imminent, so we weren’t caught off guard, but I was definitely surprised by the depth of my grief. I’d only known Max for 14 years and because I was in my 40s when I joined the Abrell family, I hadn’t had the years of connection with him. Yet my grief was significant and multifaceted. …
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Do These 3 Things TODAY to Level Up Your Mindset! Ep. 309
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As psychotherapists, Elliott and I obviously view love and life through a psychological lens. We take a holistic approach to love and life—underscoring the interaction of our mind, body, and spirit. Elliott takes this approach in his role as a pastor, too. He reads the Bible and interprets scripture through this lens. God designed psychology—meanin…
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Single and NOT Settling! with Vanessa Maree Ep. 308
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Please enjoy this conversation Dr. Karin had on the Single and Not Settling podcast! A note from Vanessa of Single and Not Settling: "This is absolutely a dream come true. I was so nervous throughout this interview as I could have pinched myself, achieving this goal of mine. You see in 2020 after I was ghosted and the world shut down, I found a pod…
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Americans are Getting More Therapy, but We’re Less Happy. What’s Going On? Ep. 307
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Recently, I read an article in Time Magazine titled, “America Has Reached Peak Therapy. Why Is Our Mental Health Getting Worse?” Obviously, the content was quite sobering. How is it that mental health awareness is up, stigma is down—and yet, we’re more depressed and anxious than ever!?! I knew I wanted to discuss the article with Elliott and share …
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Is it Better to Marry Younger or Wait a While? The Debate Continues! Part 2 Ep. 306
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No surprise, Elliott and I had plenty to say on this topic so we broke up the debate into two parts. In part 1 (ep. 304), Elliott and I tackled 3 questions: Are younger couples more at risk of codependency because they marry before their identities are sufficiently formed? Do older couples struggle to adjust to the division of labor and day to day …
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Is Anxiety in Blocking Your Goals in Love & Life? Move Through it with Strategies from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Ep. 305
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Recently Dr. Karin appeared on the Odyssey Resilience podcast to discuss dating and anxiety! From Odyssey Resilience: “Dr. Karin Anderson Abrell is a psychologist, author, podcast host, and musician. Her book, Single is the New Black: Don't Wear White 'Til It's Right is a word of empowerment to singles—encouraging them to stay strong amidst “single…
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Is it Better to Marry Younger or Wait a While? What Does the Science Say? Part 1 Ep. 304
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Elliott and I have been meaning to debate this question for a while now—so here it is! Elliott married at the tender age of 22 and, as for me, I was 42 before Dan and I tied the knot. We both have strong, loving marriages. We’re both incredibly happy. But, we took very different paths. Over the years, we’ve had fun taking sides—with Elliott proclai…
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Save Women’s Sports! with Former UPenn Swimmer Paula Scanlan Ep. 303
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Imagine this: you’ve worked your whole life to swim at the collegiate level. You make the team at an Ivy League school. All those sacrifices paid off—you’re competing at the elite level!And then, before your sophomore year, a guy joins the team. His name is Will, but he now goes by Lia because during his junior year, he decided he was a woman and s…
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When Your In-Laws Step Over the Line: Help for Newlyweds (and Others!) in Establishing Boundaries Ep. 302
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In the midst of newlywed bliss, we often overlook the importance of presenting ourselves to our families and friends as a united front. That is, until our in-laws begin to meddle and make inappropriate demands . . . Of course, we remain respectful of our parents and in-laws. Of course, we want to avail ourselves of their wisdom and guidance. But, a…
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The Sex is Bad but I Don’t Plan On Leaving. Now What? Ep. 301
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You have questions. We’ve got answers! As part of our series on Elliott’s premarital counseling curriculum, we shared 2 episodes about how to cultivate true sexual intimacy and fulfillment. We received some feedback from listeners whose sex lives are extremely difficult. They don’t intend to leave their marriages for various reasons–there are child…
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Couples Who Pray Together Stay Together. The Importance of Spiritual Intimacy in Relationships Ep. 300
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A 2016 Pew Research Poll found that just 44% of respondents consider shared religious beliefs to be key to a successful marriage. Therefore, 66% of us aren’t too worried about aligning spiritually with our partner. But, is it wise to minimize this? Actually, according to multiple studies, couples who pray together DO stay together. In fact, marital…
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From “Nurse of the Year” to Fired for Refusing the Jab: Live Med Free with Dave Wayne, Part 2 Ep. 299
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Dave Wayne had found his passion and purpose in life. As a psychiatric nurse, he’d gained the respect of both his peers and superiors–so much so, that he won a prestigious award at his hospital!. Not long after receiving this accolade, Dave was fired. Why? He declined to take an injection of an experimental product. But as so often happens in life,…
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From Pro Pharma Psychiatric Nurse to Holistic Health Coach! Live Med Free with David Wayne, Part 1 Ep. 298
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We started an occasional series a while ago called, “Empowered Evolving” in part, because I saw so much shifting all around us. Beliefs that had once been considered integral to folks with certain philosophical ideology, now seem to be embraced by those on the opposite side of things. Furthermore, over the last several years, we’ve witnessed the ab…
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Are Family Entanglements Preventing You from Enjoying Healthy Romantic Partnership? Ep. 297
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Sometimes, even when we’re well into adulthood, dynamics from our family of origin continue to impact us and our relationships. We may be physically distant, but still emotionally enmeshed! Oftentimes, we remain entangled in family drama, which consumes our time and energy. What’s worse—it robs us of the emotional bandwidth necessary to pursue heal…
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Let’s Talk About Sex—Again! How to Cultivate Deep Physical Intimacy Ep. 296
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In Elliott’s final session of his premarital curriculum, he delves into a topic which all too often proves incredibly difficult for couples to discuss—sex. We began this conversation in episode 295 but, because there’s obviously a lot to talk about, we broke it up into 2 parts. Elliott shares Biblical wisdom to help couples cultivate deep, meaningf…
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Let’s Talk About Sex! How to Experience True Sexual Intimacy and Fulfillment Ep. 295
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In the final session of Elliott’s premarital curriculum, he helps couples develop habits and dynamics necessary for cultivating sexual intimacy and fulfillment. Step one—you need to be able to talk about it! As Elliott notes, many couples struggle to discuss this most important element of their relationship. Elliott shares the key questions he pose…
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COVID Trauma: How to Move Through Post COVID Stress Disorder Ep. 294
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Four years after “2 weeks to stop the spread” and I’m still reeling. They say, “Get over it. Move on! COVID’s done.” Of course, I’d like to forget about it. But, it doesn’t feel “done” to me. I’m still trying to get my bearings. Elliott says it’s Post COVID Trauma. We all feel it to some degree. And, we all deal with it differently. How could we NO…
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How to Navigate Money & Power Dynamics Ep. 293
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In the fifth session of Elliott’s premarital curriculum he discusses the relationship dynamics related to money and power. Karin is out of town this week so Elliott and Tim tackle this topic and address the following issues: How do we communicate with our partner about finances? What role do you play with your partner in relationship to money? How …
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We all know conflict is unavoidable. And, it’s certainly inherent to marriage. In the fourth session of Elliott’s premarital curriculum, couples take a deep dive into all aspects of conflict. We know it’s inevitable, but can conflict actually strengthen our bond and cultivate intimacy? Specifically we address: Why does conflict happen? When is it m…
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Is Your Relationship Out of Order? Ep. 291
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As we all know, if something is “out of order,” it’s not working. So, too, in marriage! In session 3 of his premarital curriculum, Elliott discusses the importance of “order” in marriage. He shares key verses in Ephesians 5 with which some couples struggle. Elliott asserts a deeper understanding reveals how husbands and wives are empowered by these…
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We’re continuing our series on engagement by sharing Elliott’s premarital curriculum with you 💍 In session 2, Elliott asks couples if they believe love is enough. If we’re madly in love, can we be guaranteed a happy, solid, fulfilling marriage? He goes into depth regarding the Bible’s instructions (I Peter 3:1-7) for how husbands are to treat their…
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