Ep. 068 – Flashback Friday | Wholeness in Marriage: From Codependence to Christ-Dependence with Erin Smalley
What if conflict wasn’t the enemy of marriage, but the doorway to deeper intimacy? In this powerful Flashback Friday episode, Dr. Barbara revisits a 2020 conversation with Erin Smalley, marriage counselor, nurse, and daughter-in-law of the late Dr. Gary Smalley.
Together,they explore what truly creates wholeness in marriage, not control, not avoidance, but healing the heart beneath the conflict.
This episode walks listeners through the emotional, neurological, and spiritual dynamics beneath marital triggers, defensiveness, and relational shutdown. You’ll learn how unresolved childhood wounds surface in adult relationships, why conflict escalates so quickly, and how couples can move from reactive codependence to Christ-centered maturity. Whether you’re married, single, divorced, or discerning your future, this conversation offers tools for healthier relationships rooted in truth, courage, and spiritual formation.
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