“There’s a part of you that drinks and a part of you that doesn’t—and that doesn’t make you crazy. That makes you human.”

What happens when your faith says one thing and your actions say another? And what do you do when the coping mechanisms that once helped you survive start controlling you? That’s where today’s conversation lives—right in the messy space where faith and psychology meet, and it answers the question, "Why do I do the things I don't want to do?"

Dr. Alison Cook is a Christian therapist and the author of two incredible books that were monumental in my own addiction recovery: Boundaries for Your Soul and I Shouldn’t Feel This Way.

In this episode of "Confessions," Alison talks about how parts of ourselves can be both hurting and helping, how to hold compassion without coddling, cognitive dissonance, and why curiosity—not shame—is what truly leads to transformation. We also explore spiritual bypassing, the New Testament idea of sozo (salvation/healing), and how Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps us make sense of the parts of us that manage, protect, and sometimes reach for the “firehose” when pain flares up. 

If you’ve ever been disgusted by your own actions, but are ready to stop beating yourself up, you'll want to listen.

We explore: 

—Why Christians often experience cognitive dissonance but don’t know how to name it
—What Internal Family Systems (IFS) is and how it helps you understand yourself
—How to tell the difference between healthy coping and numbing
—The concept of “firefighters,” “managers,” and “exiles” inside your internal system
—Why spiritual bypassing is so common in the church
—How trauma gets buried and drives our behavior
—What Scripture really means by “salvation” (sozo)
—The link between addiction and unprocessed pain
—Why medication can be a gift of common grace
—How Jacob’s limp and new name point to a holy, healed identity

Books: Boundaries for Your Soul and I Shouldn't Feel This Way

Website: dralisoncook.com

Instagram: @dralisoncook

Podcast: The Best of You

Follow Jon: @jonseidl

Order the new book, Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic: www.christianalcoholic.com.

Watch this episode and get daily motivation: www.theveritasdaily.com

&ldquo;There&rsquo;s a part of you that drinks and a part of you that doesn&rsquo;t&mdash;and that doesn&rsquo;t make you crazy. That makes you human.&rdquo;
What happens when your faith says one thing and your actions say another? And what do you do when the coping mechanisms that once helped you survive start controlling you? That&rsquo;s where today&rsquo;s conversation lives&mdash;right in the messy space where faith and psychology meet, and it answers the question, "Why do I do the things I don't want to do?"
Dr. Alison Cook is a Christian therapist and the author of two incredible books that were monumental in my own addiction recovery: Boundaries for Your Soul and I Shouldn&rsquo;t Feel This Way.
In this episode of "Confessions," Alison talks about how parts of ourselves can be both hurting and helping, how to hold compassion without coddling, cognitive dissonance, and why curiosity&mdash;not shame&mdash;is what truly leads to transformation. We also explore spiritual bypassing, the New Testament idea of sozo (salvation/healing), and how Internal Family Systems (IFS) helps us make sense of the parts of us that manage, protect, and sometimes reach for the &ldquo;firehose&rdquo; when pain flares up.&nbsp;
If you&rsquo;ve ever been disgusted by your own actions, but are ready to stop beating yourself up, you'll want to listen.
We explore:&nbsp;
&mdash;Why Christians often experience cognitive dissonance but don&rsquo;t know how to name it &mdash;What Internal Family Systems (IFS) is and how it helps you understand yourself &mdash;How to tell the difference between healthy coping and numbing &mdash;The concept of &ldquo;firefighters,&rdquo; &ldquo;managers,&rdquo; and &ldquo;exiles&rdquo; inside your internal system &mdash;Why spiritual bypassing is so common in the church &mdash;How trauma gets buried and drives our behavior &mdash;What Scripture really means by &ldquo;salvation&rdquo; (sozo) &mdash;The link between addiction and unprocessed pain &mdash;Why medication can be a gift of common grace &mdash;How Jacob&rsquo;s limp and new name point to a holy, healed identity
Books:&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/47oKBmn">Boundaries for Your Soul</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/4gdCb3C">I Shouldn't Feel This Way</a>
Website: <a href="https://www.dralisoncook.com">dralisoncook.com</a>
Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dralisoncook/">@dralisoncook</a>
Podcast: <a href="https://www.dralisoncook.com/podcast">The Best of You</a>
Follow Jon: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jonseidl/">@jonseidl</a>
Order the new book,&nbsp;Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.christianalcoholic.com">www.christianalcoholic.com</a>.
Watch this episode and get daily motivation: <a href="https://www.theveritasdaily.com/">www.theveritasdaily.com</a>

Jon Seidl is the bestselling Christian author who became an alcoholic, not the other way around. It's usually the other way around. Or is it? "Confessions of a Christian alcoholic" (based on the book by the same title) is all about real stories, radical vulnerability, and remarkable comebacks of people who have struggled with alcoholism and addictions of all sorts. The show features interviews with fellow addicts and alcoholics as well as professionals in the fields of trauma, faith, and addiction recovery. Because let's be honest, we're all addicted to something. "Confessions" is a place for the desperate, the downtrodden, the destitute, and especially, the drunk. But it's also a place of hope and healing. Jon found sobriety after decades of struggling, but more importantly than finding sobriety, he found Jesus. In every episode, he gets radically vulnerable as he explores what it looks like to be on this journey of messy sanctification. Visit christianalcoholic.com for more resources.

Jon Seidl is the bestselling Christian author who became an alcoholic, not the other way around. It's usually the other way around. Or is it? "Confessions of a Christian alcoholic" (based on the book by the same title) is all about real stories, radical vulnerability, and remarkable comebacks of people who have struggled with alcoholism and addictions of all sorts. The show features interviews with fellow addicts and alcoholics as well as professionals in the fields of trauma, faith, and addiction recovery. Because let's be honest, we're all addicted to something. "Confessions" is a place for the desperate, the downtrodden, the destitute, and especially, the drunk. But it's also a place of hope and healing. Jon found sobriety after decades of struggling, but more importantly than finding sobriety, he found Jesus. In every episode, he gets radically vulnerable as he explores what it looks like to be on this journey of messy sanctification. Visit <a href="http://christianalcoholic.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://christianalcoholic.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1747239325727000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1G-752Q-1dyjq6GN5gt7xw">christianalcoholic.com</a> for more resources.

Jon Seidl is the bestselling Christian author who became an alcoholic, not the other way around. It's usually the other way around. Or is it? "Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic" is all about real stories, radical vulnerability, and remarkable comebacks of people who have struggled with alcoholism and addictions of all sorts.

Confessions of a Christian Alcoholic with Jon Seidl

Why You Do What You Don't Want to Do: Cognitive Dissonance, Parts Work, and the Power of Curiosity with Dr. Alison Cook (Episode 17)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/5656e496-83ff-4050-a3a2-b34c011aac57/transcript

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