In this episode of The Living Wholehearted Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Kristin Valerius, a pediatric psychologist and faith-filled leader, to talk honestly about parenting teens in an anxious world. Together, we explore how anxiety can be a signal of what we value most, why parents don’t need to rescue kids from every hard feeling, and how repair—not perfection—builds lasting connection. If you’ve ever wondered how to help your teen (and yourself) navigate big emotions with grace, resilience, and faith, this conversation will encourage and equip you.

1. Anxiety as information – Anxiety isn’t just a problem; it reveals what we value and can guide us toward growth.
2. The tipping point of anxiety – It becomes unhealthy when it blocks daily functioning or life-giving activities.
3. Validation before solutions – Teens feel calmer and more open when parents reflect their emotions before jumping into advice.
4. Repair matters more than perfection – Messing up is inevitable; owning it models humility, grace, and belonging.
5. Parents must regulate themselves too – Self-care, honesty about limits, and modeling resilience are essential for healthy homes.
6. Connection in their world – Entering your teen’s passions (even video games or music you don’t love) creates trust and closeness.
7. Hold the long view – Parenting teens can feel unrewarding, but grace reminds us that growth is a process, not a final arrival.

Website: www.sundstromclinic.com

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We LOVE that you’ve decided to join us this week for the Living Wholehearted Podcast. We hope you enjoyed the conversation, tips, and resources to help you transform every relationship that matters most to you. If you think this will help someone you know, make sure you send it their way or share on socials. Tag us @living_wholehearted and @terramattson! Don't forget to FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss an episode and help spread the word by leaving us some stars on a review. Thanks for partnering with us to help more leaders, just like you, who want to live and lead with integrity at home, work and in the community. Go to livingwholehearted.com and sign up to receive our free leadership tips and updates delivered to you in our monthly newsletter. And, if you’re a girl mom, check out mycourageousgirls.com.

Until next time, be the leader you would follow!

Grateful for you,

Jeff & Terra

To connect with Jeff & Terra Mattson and Living Wholehearted, go to:

INSTAGRAM

@TerraMattson

@Living_Wholehearted

@MyCourageousGirls

FACEBOOK

@WeAreLivingWholehearted

@MyCourageousGirls

WEBSITES

LivingWholehearted.com

TerraMattson.com

MyCourageousGirls.com

RESOURCES

Shrinking the Integrity Gap

Shrinking the Integrity Gap e-Course

Courageous: Being Daughters Rooted in Grace

Dear Mattsons

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters

As parents, we’re navigating a world of constant noise—externally from screens and schedules, and internally from emotional overload. In this episode, we sit down with Sarah Boyd, author of Turning Down the Noise, to talk about how overstimulation impacts both parents and kids, and how we can reclaim calm, connection, and emotional maturity in our homes. From recognizing early warning signs to creating healthy digital rhythms, this conversation offers both spiritual encouragement and practical tools for the journey.

Key Takeaways

1. Catch overstimulation early. Notice signs before they lead to emotional blowups.
2. Limits are a gift. Embracing them brings more peace and presence.
3. Screens drain energy. Even background media impacts our brains.
4. Connection over perfection. Simple rituals and shared interests go far.
5. Model emotional regulation. Kids learn calm by watching us.
6. Reduce noise, build resilience. Less input creates space for growth.
7. Parent with grace. Shame isn’t helpful—start with compassion.

Website: resilientlittlehearts.com

Instagram: @resilientlittlehearts

Facebook: Resilient Little Hearts

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We LOVE that you’ve decided to join us this week for the Living Wholehearted Podcast. We hope you enjoyed the conversation, tips, and resources to help you transform every relationship that matters most to you. If you think this will help someone you know, make sure you send it their way or share on socials. Tag us @living_wholehearted and @terramattson! Don't forget to FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss an episode and help spread the word by leaving us some stars on a review. Thanks for partnering with us to help more leaders, just like you, who want to live and lead with integrity at home, work and in the community. Go to livingwholehearted.com and sign up to receive our free leadership tips and updates delivered to you in our monthly newsletter. And, if you’re a girl mom, check out mycourageousgirls.com.

Until next time, be the leader you would follow!

Grateful for you,

Jeff & Terra

To connect with Jeff & Terra Mattson and Living Wholehearted, go to:

INSTAGRAM

@TerraMattson

@Living_Wholehearted

@MyCourageousGirls

FACEBOOK

@WeAreLivingWholehearted

@MyCourageousGirls

WEBSITES

LivingWholehearted.com

TerraMattson.com

MyCourageousGirls.com

RESOURCES

Shrinking the Integrity Gap

Shrinking the Integrity Gap e-Course

Courageous: Being Daughters Rooted in Grace

Dear Mattsons

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters

In this episode, we dive into the messy, holy work of parenting through connection—not perfection. Together, we explore how to navigate emotional floods, create safe spaces for our kids to struggle, and why repair matters more than always getting it right. From toddlers to teens, we talk about how to show up as calm, connected leaders—even when we feel overwhelmed ourselves. Whether you're parenting young kids, raising teens, or healing your own inner child, this episode offers hope, practical tools, and a reminder that you're not alone.

1. Repair is more powerful than perfection—kids don’t need us to never mess up, they need us to make things right.
2. Emotional flooding blocks learning—when a child is overwhelmed, connection is the first step, not correction.
3. Play is a child’s language—and a powerful tool for building trust and processing big feelings.
4. Teen connection looks different—they need presence and curiosity, not pressure or lectures.
5. Parents are thermostats, not thermometers—our regulation sets the tone in the home.
6. Tech can’t replace presence—small shifts can help us re-center connection in daily life.
7. God’s parenting is our model—He stays close and kind, even when we struggle.

========================================================

We LOVE that you’ve decided to join us this week for the Living Wholehearted Podcast. We hope you enjoyed the conversation, tips, and resources to help you transform every relationship that matters most to you. If you think this will help someone you know, make sure you send it their way or share on socials. Tag us @living_wholehearted and @terramattson! Don't forget to FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss an episode and help spread the word by leaving us some stars on a review. Thanks for partnering with us to help more leaders, just like you, who want to live and lead with integrity at home, work and in the community. Go to livingwholehearted.com and sign up to receive our free leadership tips and updates delivered to you in our monthly newsletter. And, if you’re a girl mom, check out mycourageousgirls.com.

Until next time, be the leader you would follow!

Grateful for you,

Jeff & Terra

To connect with Jeff & Terra Mattson and Living Wholehearted, go to:

INSTAGRAM

@TerraMattson

@Living_Wholehearted

@MyCourageousGirls

FACEBOOK

@WeAreLivingWholehearted

@MyCourageousGirls

WEBSITES

LivingWholehearted.com

TerraMattson.com

MyCourageousGirls.com

RESOURCES

Shrinking the Integrity Gap

Shrinking the Integrity Gap e-Course

Courageous: Being Daughters Rooted in Grace

Dear Mattsons

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters

In this episode, we sit down with Josh and Jaelyn Harrel for a courageous and grace-filled conversation about their journey through pornography addiction, hidden identity struggles, and the painful road to healing and restoration in marriage. As they share candidly about what it looked like to disclose deep secrets and choose connection in the face of betrayal, we’re reminded that God's love can redeem even the most broken places when we choose to walk in the light.

1. Pornography deeply affects intimacy: Even "secret" struggles erode trust and closeness in marriage.
2. Full disclosure takes time and courage: Healing requires honesty—even when it’s messy or slow.
3. Sexual identity struggles are real in the church: Silence fuels shame; trusted spaces bring hope.
4. The betrayed spouse also has a healing journey: Restoration involves both people doing the heart work.
5. God restores what's been shattered: When we surrender and stay open, beauty rises from the brokenness.
6. Supportive community matters: Trusted friends and wise counselors help carry the weight.
7. Restoration begins with choice: Daily, imperfect steps toward truth and trust make a difference.

Website: restoredliving.com

Instagram: @restoredliving

========================================================

We LOVE that you’ve decided to join us this week for the Living Wholehearted Podcast. We hope you enjoyed the conversation, tips, and resources to help you transform every relationship that matters most to you. If you think this will help someone you know, make sure you send it their way or share on socials. Tag us @living_wholehearted and @terramattson! Don't forget to FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss an episode and help spread the word by leaving us some stars on a review. Thanks for partnering with us to help more leaders, just like you, who want to live and lead with integrity at home, work and in the community. Go to livingwholehearted.com and sign up to receive our free leadership tips and updates delivered to you in our monthly newsletter. And, if you’re a girl mom, check out mycourageousgirls.com.

Until next time, be the leader you would follow!

Grateful for you,

Jeff & Terra

To connect with Jeff & Terra Mattson and Living Wholehearted, go to:

INSTAGRAM

@TerraMattson

@Living_Wholehearted

@MyCourageousGirls

FACEBOOK

@WeAreLivingWholehearted

@MyCourageousGirls

WEBSITES

LivingWholehearted.com

TerraMattson.com

MyCourageousGirls.com

RESOURCES

Shrinking the Integrity Gap

Shrinking the Integrity Gap e-Course

Courageous: Being Daughters Rooted in Grace

Dear Mattsons

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters

In this episode, we sit down with Josh and Jaelyn Harrel of Restored Living to unpack the powerful experience of their family’s 30-day media fast. We talk about what it revealed in their kids, their marriage, and their leadership. From rediscovering time freedom to learning to lead from a place of wholeness rather than hustle, this conversation is rich with practical insights and heartfelt encouragement. We also explore how their two-year journey in the Wholehearted Leadership Cohort shaped how they live, lead, and love—right where they are.

1. Presence brings freedom: Time freedom isn’t something we earn—it’s something we reclaim when we’re present.
2. Boredom is a gift to our kids: Without constant stimulation, children grow more resilient, creative, and emotionally aware.
3. Healthy leaders embrace limits: True leadership is formed by knowing your wiring, honoring your season, and leading from the inside out.
4. Transformation takes practice, not perfection: The media fast wasn’t flawless, but it shaped their family and rhythms in lasting ways.
5. Seasons shape priorities: Embracing your current lane—whether that’s parenting or leading—brings peace and purpose.
6. Experience changes more than information: Giving kids and leaders a new lived experience creates lasting transformation.

Website: restoredliving.com

Instagram: @restoredliving

========================================================

We LOVE that you’ve decided to join us this week for the Living Wholehearted Podcast. We hope you enjoyed the conversation, tips, and resources to help you transform every relationship that matters most to you. If you think this will help someone you know, make sure you send it their way or share on socials. Tag us @living_wholehearted and @terramattson! Don't forget to FOLLOW/SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss an episode and help spread the word by leaving us some stars on a review. Thanks for partnering with us to help more leaders, just like you, who want to live and lead with integrity at home, work and in the community. Go to livingwholehearted.com and sign up to receive our free leadership tips and updates delivered to you in our monthly newsletter. And, if you’re a girl mom, check out mycourageousgirls.com.

Until next time, be the leader you would follow!

Grateful for you,

Jeff & Terra

To connect with Jeff & Terra Mattson and Living Wholehearted, go to:

INSTAGRAM

@TerraMattson

@Living_Wholehearted

@MyCourageousGirls

FACEBOOK

@WeAreLivingWholehearted

@MyCourageousGirls

WEBSITES

LivingWholehearted.com

TerraMattson.com

MyCourageousGirls.com

RESOURCES

Shrinking the Integrity Gap

Shrinking the Integrity Gap e-Course

Courageous: Being Daughters Rooted in Grace

Dear Mattsons

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters