How to Create a Safe Haven Life & Marriage

by Dr. Tim Clinton | Dr. Sharon May

Original Air Date: 2/7/2024
http://mediaportaloutput.aacc.net.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/LLFF/media/2025/LLFF_081225_Sharon_May_ReAir.mp3
Dr. Tim Clinton is joined by Dr. Sharon May, founder of the Safe Haven Relationship Counseling Center, to explore what it means to build a marriage rooted in love, commitment, and emotional security. Drawing from attachment theory and decades of clinical experience, Dr. May shares how understanding emotional patterns can help couples better handle conflict and foster a stronger, more loving relationship.

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When the Church Hurts

When the place meant to feel like home becomes a source of pain, the wounds can be deep. Dr. Zach Clinton sits down with licensed professional counselor Chris Allison to explore the realities of church hurt, religious trauma, and what it looks like to heal through understanding, healthy boundaries, and trauma-informed care. Together, they help listeners see that healing is possible and that faith can be rebuilt with the right support.

Caring for the Church’s Mental and Emotional Health

Dr. Zach Clinton sits down with Dr. Mark Mayfield to talk about his book, The Mental Health Handbook for Ministry, and how science and Scripture work together to help people heal. They unpack how the struggles we face are often connected, involving the mind, body, and soul, and why true healing happens when we treat the whole person. Dr. Mayfield also shares how the church can step in to bring real truth, connection, and hope to those battling loneliness and mental health challenges.

Built to Withstand: Spiritual Discipline for Life’s Battles

Retired Navy SEAL Captain Bradley Geary sits down with Drs. Tim and Zach Clinton for a powerful conversation about why true growth only comes through challenge, and how nothing of lasting value is built without perseverance in suffering. They unpack what it really means to build discipline by prioritizing spiritual habits first, trusting that everything else—mental, physical, and emotional—will follow in alignment. It’s a compelling call to steward what God has given us, lay down idols, and boldly live a life that points others to His goodness.

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All Episodes

When the Church Hurts

When the place meant to feel like home becomes a source of pain, the wounds can be deep. Dr. Zach Clinton sits down with licensed professional counselor Chris Allison to explore the realities of church hurt, religious trauma, and what it looks like to heal through understanding, healthy boundaries, and trauma-informed care. Together, they help listeners see that healing is possible and that faith can be rebuilt with the right support.

Caring for the Church’s Mental and Emotional Health

Dr. Zach Clinton sits down with Dr. Mark Mayfield to talk about his book, The Mental Health Handbook for Ministry, and how science and Scripture work together to help people heal. They unpack how the struggles we face are often connected, involving the mind, body, and soul, and why true healing happens when we treat the whole person. Dr. Mayfield also shares how the church can step in to bring real truth, connection, and hope to those battling loneliness and mental health challenges.

Built to Withstand: Spiritual Discipline for Life’s Battles

Retired Navy SEAL Captain Bradley Geary sits down with Drs. Tim and Zach Clinton for a powerful conversation about why true growth only comes through challenge, and how nothing of lasting value is built without perseverance in suffering. They unpack what it really means to build discipline by prioritizing spiritual habits first, trusting that everything else—mental, physical, and emotional—will follow in alignment. It’s a compelling call to steward what God has given us, lay down idols, and boldly live a life that points others to His goodness.

Let’s Talk: Healing Dad/Daughter Wounds

Few relationships shape a child’s heart more deeply than that between a father and daughter. Dr. Tim Clinton welcomes Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield, counselor, author, and founder of The ABBA Project, to share a powerful message with dads: be the hero your daughter needs, stay present, and don’t pull away as she grows. You’ll also hear Dr. Michelle’s “H.E.A.L.” framework for those overcoming father wounds and be reminded of the unshakable love of your Heavenly Father.

Raising Gender Confident Kids

Gender identity is one of the most pressing issues impacting our kids today. Dr. Jeff Myers of Summit Ministries joins Dr. Tim Clinton to discuss just how deeply embedded gender ideology has become in our culture and the serious consequences that arise when parents remain silent or disengaged. Drawing from his book, co-authored with Dr. Kathy Koch, Dr. Myers shares how parents can restore their influence and reaffirm God’s intentional design of male and female within the home—so children grow up knowing they were purposefully and wonderfully made by their Creator. This is a must-listen for every mom, dad, and grandparent committed to raising children rooted in biblical truth.

Remembering 9/11: Honoring Lives Lost, Heroes, and Their Families

On the 25th anniversary of the day that altered our nation forever, Dr. Tim Clinton sits down with colleagues and trauma experts Jennifer Ellers and Jim Cress to reflect on their experiences providing first-response mental health care in Manhattan in September 2001. Though years have passed, they share how for them, and for all who were impacted by the attacks, the memories and stories from 9/11 and the days that followed will remain with them forever.

My Ascension: Suicide Prevention Advocate Emma Benoit Shares Her Hope and Story

At just 16 years old, Emma Benoit survived a suicide attempt that left her partially paralyzed, but it also awakened a deep calling to bring hope and healing to others. Today, she courageously shares her story to remind people that God is always on the throne and that no one has to walk through pain alone. Her life is a powerful testimony that even in the darkest moments, hope and restoration are possible. To get in touch with Emma or to book her to speak to your group, reach her at emmaspeaks.org or emma@myascension.us.

Living as Who God Says You Are

Dr. Zach Clinton is joined backstage at a recent Extraordinary Women event by author and talk-show host Sheila Walsh, as she reflects on the powerful message God has placed on her heart for women everywhere. She challenges listeners to consider what they call themselves, because when our identity is rooted as children of God, everything changes, including how we live out what we’ve been given. It’s a compelling reminder of who we are and why it matters.

You Don’t Have to Carry it Alone

Laughter may be what comedian and actress Chonda Pierce is known for, but behind the humor is a powerful story of pain, healing, and faith. Dr. Zach Clinton sits down with Chonda for a conversation about the burdens so many are quietly carrying and the danger of believing we have to face them alone. She shares hope, reminding us that healing often begins when we finally have the courage to share our story.

Who I Thought You Were: A Former Atheist’s Encounter with Jesus

Drs. Tim and Zach Clinton sit down with Christian singer-songwriter Olivia Lane for a conversation about what it looks like to go from searching to truly surrendering. She shares her journey from atheism to faith, and how through therapy, honest questions, and unexpected encounters with truth, she came to know Jesus in a deeply personal way. Olivia reflects on healing, identity, and the freedom that comes when we stop trying to have it all figured out and simply lay everything at the altar.

About Dr. Tim Clinton
and Dr. Zach Clinton

Tim Clinton, Ed.D., LPC, LMFT, is President of The American Association of Christian Counselors, (AACC), the world’s largest and most diverse Christian counseling organization, with over 50,000 active members and students. He also serves as Executive Director of the Global Center for Mental Health, Addiction, and Recovery and Professor Emeritus at Liberty University. Dr. Clinton previously served as co-host of the Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk nationally syndicated radio program, from 2018 to 2023. Dr. Clinton hosts a weekend television news talk program, Sunday The Road Forward, which airs on Real America’s Voice News Network and is available across numerous streaming platforms. Licensed as a professional counselor and as a marriage and family therapist, Dr. Clinton is recognized as an expert on mental health and relationship issues and spends much of his time working with Christian leaders and professional athletes.

Dr. Clinton has authored or edited nearly 30 books, including Take It Back: Reclaiming Biblical Masculinity, and Focus on the Future: Your Family, Your Faith, and Your Voice Matter Now More Than Ever. Tim has been married for over 44 years to his wife, Julie, and together they have two children, Megan (married to Ben) and Zach (married to Evelyn), and two granddaughters, Olivia and Sophia, who have stolen their hearts.

Dr. Zach Clinton, Ph.D., serves as Vice President of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), the world’s largest and most diverse Christian counseling organization. He is the Host of the renowned Built Different Podcast as well as President and Host of Ignite Men’s Ministry and Conferences. Dr. Zach is also a Licensed Professional Counseling Resident at Light Counseling as well as an athletic counselor specializing in sport and performance psychology at Liberty University. As a former Division 1 college baseball player, Dr. Clinton loves working with professional & collegiate athletes and enjoys speaking into the lives of today’s generations as he has a deep passion for helping people build self-esteem, emotion regulation, leadership qualities, and perspective shifts. He has dedicated his life to reminding people that no matter how dark, difficult, or painful life can be, they are never out of the fight! He is the author of Even If and is currently working on his next book, Remember My Chains: Helping You Move from Bondage to Breakthrough. Dr. Zach is thrilled to be married to his lovely wife, Evelyn, as they make their home in Central Virginia.