In this powerful part two of the episode on Why are feelings important, Christine and co-host Tim Long go deeper into the question around feelings and attempt the solve the dilemma: If feelings are so important… why do we avoid them?

Christine shares raw, personal stories from her own journey—growing up learning to suppress emotions, struggling with self-criticism, and eventually discovering how to reconnect with her “little self” in a way that brought real healing. From a surprising therapy breakthrough involving a teddy bear… to learning how to sit with pain instead of running from it… to understanding the internal “critic” that drives shame and perfectionism—this episode is both deeply honest and incredibly practical.

Together, they unpack:

• Why emotions can feel unsafe (especially after trauma)
• The exhausting cycle of self-rejection and inner conflict
• What it means to actually process feelings instead of suppressing them
• How faith, attachment, and emotional healing connect
• And how learning to “be with” your emotions can change everything

00:00 – Why many of us learned feelings aren’t safe
02:00 – “Take me to your pain” (and why we resist it)
03:00 – The idea of “little you” and why it’s uncomfortable
05:30 – A real-life moment of feeling rejected
07:30 – Escaping emotions vs. facing them
10:00 – The first breakthrough: choosing to feel
12:00 – The teddy bear moment (learning self-compassion)
15:30 – Daily practice: prayer, healing, and emotional connection
19:30 – Feeling unseen and the “colander” analogy
23:00 – Why emotions “leak” without inner security
26:00 – What is emotional regulation (and why feelings feel dangerous)
28:30 – Seen, soothed, safe, and secure (what we all need)
30:00 – The inner critic: where it comes from
33:00 – Perfectionism, trauma, and shame
36:00 – Reconnecting with compassion instead of criticism
38:30 – Losing touch with your own desires
41:00 – Learning to ask: “What do I actually want?”
43:00 – Finding balance between faith and feelings