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We all carry invisible burdens—pain, shame, anxiety, fear—but what if the first step toward healing is simply naming what hurts? Licensed therapist and author Monica DiCristina joins Elliot to explore the transformative power of naming our pain. They discuss gaslighting, anxiety, shame, spiritual bypassing, boundaries, and practical ways to regulate your nervous system when life gets overwhelming.

This episode is a grounded and hopeful conversation about what happens when we stop minimizing, start naming, and take back the story pain tried to write for us.

Topics Covered

• Gaslighting and emotional manipulation

• Minimizing pain vs. honoring pain

• How to set (and receive) boundaries

• Why childhood wounds still show up in adulthood

• Naming pain and regaining agency

• Anxiety as a signal—not the whole problem

• Soothing practices: breathing, walking, music, gratitude

• Shame resilience and identity

• Grace, faith, and the emotional life of believers

Monica DiCristina is a licensed professional counselor, podcast host, and author of Your Pain Has a Name. Through her therapy practice, writing, and speaking, she helps people identify and name emotional pain so they can heal and thrive. Known for her compassionate, clear voice, Monica equips others with the language and tools to navigate anxiety, shame, grief, and relationships with grace. She's a trusted guide for those longing to feel seen and whole.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

Connect with Monica DiCristina

Website: monicadicristina.com

Instagram: @monicadicristina

Substack: monicadicristina.substack.com

Book: Your Pain Has a Name

Connect with Live Faith First

LiveFaithFirst.com

Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

TikTok: @livefaithfirst

facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

youtube.com/@livefaithfirst

Stay Connected-signup for our newsletter- https://www.livefaithfirst.org/contact

We live in a time when violence, polarization, and dehumanization dominate our cultural moment. From character assassination on social media to literal assassination attempts, our nation feels fractured and fragile. In this conversation, Elliot sits down with pastor, author, and peacemaker Mike Chong Perkinson to explore how followers of Jesus can respond differently.

Together, Elliot and Mike wrestle with what it means to see others as image bearers of God, how to resist turning people into ideologies, and how prayer for our enemies reshapes our own hearts. This timely and challenging episode calls us to reclaim the ministry of reconciliation, to clean out the “fear and apathy” that pollute our inner lives, and to step forward as peacemakers in a fractured world.

Mike Chong Perkinson is a church planter, pastor, and leader passionate about renewing Christian leaders and churches through relational, faithful ministry. He is co-founder and Senior Developer of The Praxis Center for Church Development, President of The Trivium Institute, and currently serves as Network Lead & Superintendent of the Pacific Coast Japanese Conference in the Free Methodist Church.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

Connect with Mike Chong Perkinson:

Website: The Praxis Center

Website: PCJC Free Methodist

Instagram: @mikechongperkinson

Facebook: Mike C. Perkinson

LinkedIn: Mike Chong Perkinson

Connect with Live Faith First

LiveFaithFirst.com

Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

TikTok: @livefaithfirst

Facebook: facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

YouTube: youtube.com/@livefaithfirst

Stay Connected-signup for our newsletter- https://www.livefaithfirst.org/contact

What if your greatest weakness was actually your greatest strength? Kevan Chandler lives with spinal muscular atrophy and has spent his life inviting others into his place of need—not just to survive, but to build rich, reciprocal relationships. In this deeply personal and profound conversation, Kevan shares how asking for help has created community, revealed God's design for mutual care, and sparked global adventures fueled by trust, humility, and joy.

We talk about how our limitations can invite connection, what the Bible says about mutual need, why Jesus chose to rely on others, and how Kevan’s book The Hospitality of Need offers a radically countercultural invitation to both give and receive help in a lonely world. From band tours to China, couch-surfers to communal living, this episode will challenge how you view strength, independence, and God’s plan for friendship.

Kevan Chandler is a storyteller, speaker, and the author of several books including The Hospitality of Need and We Carry Kevan. Born with spinal muscular atrophy, Kevan’s life has been shaped by radical dependence and the joy of community. He is the founder of We Carry Kevan, a nonprofit that challenges cultural perceptions of disability and mobilizes people to carry one another—sometimes literally.

Elliot Sands is the host of the Live Faith First podcast—a dynamic space where faith meets real-world challenges. With a rich background as a pastor, school principal, health-tech co-founder, and now Executive Director of Faith First, Elliot brings deep wisdom and practical insight to every conversation. As a husband, father, and grandfather, he weaves personal experience with thoughtful discussion, tackling tough topics with clarity and compassion. Live Faith First is all about bridging divides—whether in society or the church—encouraging listeners to step beyond echo chambers and build real, meaningful relationships across the aisle, the street, or the table.

Connect with Kevan:

https://wecarrykevan.com

Instagram: @wecarrykevan

Facebook: facebook.com/wecarrykevan

Connect with Live Faith First:

LiveFaithFirst.com

Instagram: @LiveFaithFirst

TikTok: @livefaithfirst

Facebook: facebook.com/LiveFaithFirst

YouTube: youtube.com/@livefaithfirst