Have you ever walked into church, smiled, said “I’m fine,” and instantly felt the ache of pretending?

In this episode, Melissa and Jasmine unpack the hidden pressure many believers feel to appear “spiritually mature.” We explore how church culture can unintentionally reward masking - showing up polished, composed, and holy - when our souls are actually crying out for safety and connection.

You’ll hear honest reflections about:

• The loneliness that comes from feeling unseen, even in church.
• Why we equate vulnerability with weakness.
• How pretending keeps us disconnected from both God and others.
• Practical, grace-filled ways to begin unmasking, little by little, without losing your sense of safety.
• What it looks like to let others in when your heart is still in a tender season of healing.

This isn’t about church-bashing. It’s about healing the parts of us that learned to hide and remembering that God meets us most deeply when we’re real.

Reflection Questions:

1. When was the last time you said "I'm fine" but didn’t mean it?
2. What keeps you from being honest with your community or even with yourself?
3. What would “one small act of honesty” look like for you this week?

👉 Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes, and follow Melissa on Instagram @melissachancoaching for more encouragement and resources!

The Real Truth About People Pleasing

Most people think people pleasing is just about being “too nice” or not wanting to disappoint others, but the truth runs much deeper. For many of us, people pleasing is actually a trauma response - what we psychologists call fawning. It’s how we learned to survive unsafe environments, and it often shows up in ways we don’t even recognize.

In this episode, I share:

• The deeper reasons behind people pleasing that go beyond what you might expect
• The barriers and fears that keep us stuck in these patterns (and what you might feel when you start saying no)
• Tangible ways to begin overcoming people pleasing with God’s help, so you can walk in true freedom

If you’ve ever felt guilty for setting boundaries, terrified of rejection, or unsure who you are apart from meeting others’ needs, this conversation's for you.

👉 Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes, and follow Melissa on Instagram @melissachancoaching for more encouragement and resources!

“Am I too broken to be used by God?”
If you’re battling depression, anxiety, childhood trauma, navigating neurodivergence, or even just struggling to get through daily tasks, you’ve probably asked yourself that same question.

I’ve wrestled with it too... feeling like my weaknesses and struggles disqualified me from being useful in God’s Kingdom.

In this episode, I share my personal journey of striving, burnout, and reaching the end of myself. What I discovered is that God doesn’t ask us to perform or prove ourselves even when we’re well-intentioned in our desire to please Him, He takes our brokenness - the very things we want to hide - and redeems them as a stage for His glory.

If you’ve ever felt like your mental health struggles or weaknesses make you “too much” or “not enough” for God, this conversation will remind you of His power, His presence, and His ability to use your story for His glory. All it takes is your surrender to Him without shame.

✨ What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Why nothing can disqualify you from God’s purpose
• How striving to “be enough” can get in the way of God’s grace
• The beauty of crawling to God and watching Him work through weakness

This is… Real Emotions, Real Healing, Real Jesus.

👉 Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes, and follow Melissa on Instagram @melissachancoaching for more encouragement and resources!

Many Christian women secretly wonder if their emotions are proof of weak faith - or even sin. In this episode, we unpack the truth about emotions:

• Why God gave emotions to us
• How emotions can point us back to Him
• What it looks like to bring every feeling from joy to anger to sadness into His presence without shame

Join Melissa Chan, PhD, Christian Emotional Healing Coach, and her co-host Jasmine Barcia as they share biblical insights, personal stories, and practical steps to help you release guilt, embrace emotional honesty, and walk in deeper intimacy with Christ.

Your emotions don’t disqualify you. They’re an invitation to experience God’s love more fully.

Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes, and follow Melissa on Instagram @melissachancoaching for more encouragement and resources!

👉 Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss future episodes, and follow Melissa on Instagram @melissachancoaching for more encouragement and resources!