What do Christians get wrong about sex, porn, and parenting? In this candid Q&A, Sy Rogers addresses some of the most difficult and often avoided topics in the Christian life. These are real questions from real people—about sex, pornography, masturbation, parenting, shame, and self-control—and Syanswers them with biblical clarity, compassion, and decades of pastoral experience.

We talk about:

• How to talk to your kids about sex without shame
• The truth about pornography and its impact
• What healthy sexuality looks like in marriage
• Helping teens navigate desire and self-control
• Healing from sexual brokenness and past wounds

Chapter Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Sy Rogers this Q&A0

2:50 Is oral sex wrong in marriage?

10:35 Talking to teens about sex & masturbation

14:30 The real goal: self-control (not shame)

21:20 How to handle young kids’ body curiosity

26:00 Breaking free from pornography addiction

29:30 Shame vs. calling: helping someone move forward

32:20 Is porn ever okay in marriage?

36:30 How porn rewires desire (and why it matters)

42:55 Gender confusion in kids—how should parents respond?

45:30 Sexual abuse statistics & prevention

47:45 Helping teens manage sexual urges

49:50 When your child is being bullied

52:30 Raising boys without strong male role models

55:10 Why affection matters for boys and girls

56:55 Healing from sexual abuse and trauma

01:00:50 Dating, boundaries, and integrity

01:03:45 STD realities and removing shame

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

What happens when addiction takes everything—and God still calls you back?

In this powerful episode, Christine sits down with Katina Anagnostakis, who shares her raw and redemptive journey through drug use, gambling addiction, and devastating loss—including gambling away nearly $1 million in just three years.

But Katina’s story doesn’t end in destruction. Through recovery, the 12 steps, and a renewed relationship with Jesus, she discovered that addiction isn’t just about behavior—it’s about the deeper question: “Why am I not enough?” Now mentoring dozens of women in recovery, Katina reveals how God uses brokenness to build purpose—and how true healing begins with honesty, surrender, and identity in Christ.

This conversation dives deep into:

• The real root of addiction (it’s not what you think)
• How the 12 steps align with biblical truth
• Why identity matters in mental health and recovery
• How to move from shame to freedom
• What true healing in Christ actually looks like

00:00 Why “I’m Not Enough” Started It All
00:07 Early Addiction & Belonging
00:24 Divorce & Relapse
00:27 The First Jackpot (How Gambling Took Over)
00:30 Losing $1 Million in 3 Years
00:33 Rock Bottom Moment
00:34 Entering Treatment
00:36 The Truth About the 12 Steps
00:50 The Moment God Changed Everything
01:03 From Addiction to Ministry
01:06 Identity in Christ
01:10 Faith in Suffering

Connect with Katina on:

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Awaken-Rhema-Coaching/61565049081931/

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakenrhemacoaching

What happens when a pastor secretly battles shame, addiction, and a double life?

In this powerful episode of Mental Health Matters for Christians, Dr. Mike Courtney shares his raw and honest story—from growing up in a broken home to becoming a successful pastor… while hiding deep struggles with shame and sexual addiction. After years of secrecy, everything came crashing down—costing him his family, his ministry, and his reputation.

But that wasn’t the end of his story.

At rock bottom, Mike encountered the truth of God’s love in a way that changed everything. What followed was a long, humbling journey of healing, restoration, and redemption—including the rebuilding of his marriage and relationships with his sons, and the creation of a thriving Christian counseling ministry helping thousands each year.

This conversation dives deep into:

• The roots of shame and addiction
• Why pastors (and Christians) hide their struggles
• The connection between faith and mental health
• What real healing actually looks like
• How God redeems even our worst failures

If you’ve ever struggled with shame, hidden sin, addiction, or feeling like you’re beyond redemption—this episode is for you.

• Clinical psychologist, former pastor
• Founder of a nonprofit Christian counseling center, Branches in Murfreesboro, TN
• Author of Failure and How I Achieved It Connect with Mike

  Website: https://www.branches.org/

  Connect with Christine

  Website: https://www.worthycreations.org/

In this powerful episode of Mental Health Matters for Christians, Christine sits down with Angie Monroe—author, speaker, and advocate for survivors of military sexual trauma—to share a story that is both heartbreaking and deeply hopeful.

After experiencing a brutal assault while serving in the military, Angie was pressured to stay silent and left to carry the weight of trauma alone. What followed was years of suppressed pain, shame, and emotional struggle—until a breaking point forced her to confront what she had buried.

In this conversation, Angie opens up about her journey from silence to healing, how unprocessed trauma impacted her mental health, and how God ultimately restored her voice and purpose. Her story is a powerful reminder that healing is possible—and that your past does not define your worth. If you’ve ever struggled with trauma, shame, or feeling unseen, this episode will encourage you, equip you, and remind you that freedom is possible.

In this episode of Mental Health Matters for Christians, Christine and co-host Tim Long dive into a question many believers struggle with: Why are feelings important—and what do we do with them?

For many of us, we were taught that emotions are unreliable, dangerous, or even sinful. But what if ignoring your feelings is actually keeping you stuck?

Tim shares his powerful story of growing up disconnected from emotions—despite spiritual discipline and success—and how that led to cycles of shame and addiction. Christine opens up about learning to suppress sadness and turn to anger (and even food) instead.

Together, they unpack:

• Why feelings were never meant to be ignored
• How emotional suppression leads to addiction and shame cycles
• The difference between feeling your feelings and being controlled by them
• Why sadness is actually essential for connection and healing
• What the Bible really says about emotions (including the Beatitudes)

This conversation will challenge the way you think about emotions—and help you see them as a God-given pathway to healing, not a threat to your faith.

Website: https://www.kainoschristiantherapy.com/

In this powerful opening episode, Christine sits down with Becky Dymond—a licensed mental health counselor and founder of Lighthouse PBC—who is on the front lines rescuing trafficked women through radical acts of love, relationship building and consistency. By meeting women at laundromats, building trust, and offering real pathways to freedom, Becky shares what it actually takes to walk someone out of trauma, addiction, and exploitation into healing and restoration.

Becky also opens up about her own story of abandonment, addiction, and deep emotional wounds, revealing how God met her in those broken places and brought lasting freedom. This conversation is a raw and hope-filled reminder that your past doesn’t disqualify you—it equips you. If you’ve ever struggled with shame, trauma, or wondering if healing is possible, this episode will show you that transformation is real and your story can help set others free.