Living with Heart: From Birth to Death
Dr. Chip Dodd’s ”The Voice of the Heart” is one of the seminal and most practically impactful books of the last several decades in the counseling, coaching, and mentorship space. In ”Living with Heart,” Dr. Dodd joins co-host, Bryan Barley, to discuss with greater depth, detail, and practicality how to live with heart through the entire journey of life - from birth to death.
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Episodes
2 days ago
2 days ago
The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com.
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
Click here to read the episode highlights.
The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com.
Be sure to subscribe to Dr Chip Dodd’s new Substack. He will be sharing two to three articles a week. The topics focus on healthy relationship, personal growth, and leadership.
What is Substack? It is a subscription-based platform that allows independent
writers and other creators to publish content directly to their subscribers’ inboxes.
The cost of the subscription is only $7 a month. Dr. Dodd shares content two to three times a week. The content focuses on healthy relationship, personal growth, and leadership. To subscribe, use the link above or go to chipdodd.com.
In this new season, “What is Addiction” we will focus on three main aspects of addiction:
what addiction is
how addiction operates
what recovery entails
The pervasive impact of addiction
The pervasiveness of addiction and its impact makes it a pandemic, perhaps the deadliest human beings have ever experienced.
A pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (continents in the case of addiction.) It affects a significant proportion of the population.
An epidemic is localized.
A pandemic refers to “all demographics.”
Tragically, Addiction impairs the addict’s ability to see the impact of their addiction. This impairment is called denial. It prevents the addict from seeing clearly and accurately the consequences of his/her addiction.
We have 30+ million alcoholics in this country and 15+ million people addicted to illegal drugs.
For every one person chemically dependent on alcohol or illegal drugs, 3 to 4 other people are emotionally, mentally, if not physically harmed.
These addictions result in emotional trauma, setting up the high probability of tendency toward addiction.
Adding up the numbers using only the impact of addiction upon 3 people is 135 million people in this nation harmed. When the addicted person is added to the number, the impact is monstrous.
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Tuesday Jan 13, 2026
Tuesday Jan 13, 2026
Click here to read the episode highlights.
The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com.
Be sure to subscribe to Dr Chip Dodd’s new Substack. He will be sharing two to three articles a week. The topics focus on healthy relationship, personal growth, and leadership.
What is Substack? It is a subscription-based platform that allows independent
writers and other creators to publish content directly to their subscribers’ inboxes.
The cost of the subscription is only $7 a month. Dr. Dodd shares content two to three times a week. The content focuses on healthy relationship, personal growth, and leadership. To subscribe, use the link above or go to chipdodd.com.
In this new season, “What is Addiction” we will focus on three main aspects of addiction:
what addiction is
how addiction operates
what recovery entails
How Addiction Operates
Addiction as a feelings problem
Addiction is a “feelings” disorder. A disorder of not knowing how to face, feel, and deal with the feelings that come with living life on life’s terms.
Life is a “feelings” experience, one we don’t control as much as we must face, feel, and deal with as wisely and productively as we possibly can.
To face life wisely and productively requires that we live in connection with others and God in an intimate way.
The substitute for living relationally connected is to distract ourselves from our own needs. This means that we attempt to find a counterfeit connection that offers a relief, but not what we genuinely need.
The distraction from our own hearts becomes the addictive process.
Addiction is marked by negative consequences for the addicted person, but their actions don’t change.
Addiction also has its foundation on the defense of denial.
Denial has five characteristics:
Denial of facing the reality of what is occurring.
Denial of the feelings related to reality.
Denial of the needs related to the feelings.
Denial about talking about the first three characteristics.
Denial of the need to trust that things can actually be different.
Addiction is rooted in toxic shame.
Toxic shame is the internal sense of contempt a person has towards
their feelings and needs
the “clumsiness” of being human
the reality of imperfection
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Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
Tuesday Jan 06, 2026
Click here to read the episode highlights.
The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com.
Be sure to subscribe to Dr Chip Dodd’s new Substack. He will be sharing two to three articles a week. The topics focus on healthy relationship, personal growth, and leadership.
What is Substack? It is a subscription-based platform that allows independent
writers and other creators to publish content directly to their subscribers’ inboxes.
The cost of the subscription is only $7 a month. Dr. Dodd shares content two to three times a week. The content focuses on healthy relationship, personal growth, and leadership. To subscribe, use the link above or go to chipdodd.com.
In this new season, “What is Addiction” we will focus on three main aspects of addiction:
what addiction is
how addiction operates
what recovery entails
What is addiction?
Addiction is a counterfeit substitute for the normal desire for fulfillment and relief-seeking.
Addiction actually robs us of the legitimate fulfillment and relief that we seek.
Addiction prevents us from seeing who we are made to be and blocks us from doing what we are made to do.
Addiction is a thief that steals, kills, and destroys.
Addiction defined
Addiction is a set of behaviors that eventually result in negative outcomes and yet the person continues in the behavior, without admitting that the problem is beyond their own control to change it or stop it.
Addiction as a sickness:
In 1957 the American Medical Association concluded that addiction fit the categories to be classified as a disease, not a moral, intellectual, or will power failure. Alcoholics Anonymous had been operating under the conclusion that addiction was a sickness that required a relational and spiritual “cure” since 1935.
The AMA stated that addiction, like all diseases, is a morbid process, with a characteristic set of symptoms, of known or unknown origin, that is chronic, progressive, and often fatal.
Addiction is specifically marked by denial, blame, and projection. Ultimately, a self-diagnosis is required for recovery to a normal life and lifestyle.
Addiction is not:
An intellectual problem. Everyone who is addicted to any substance or process uses “artful” logic to continue and justify their actions.
A will power problem. Everyone who is addicted is able to continue to operate, usually like “normal”, while being burdened by the “secrecy” of what is actually going on.
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Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Click here to read the episode highlights.
The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com.
Be sure to subscribe to Dr Chip Dodd’s new Substack. He will be sharing two to three articles a week, beginning December 2nd. The topics focus on healthy relationship, personal growth, and leadership.
Dr Dodd continues to focus on his mission of almost 40 years, helping people see who they are made to be, so they can do what they are created to do. The articles in December focus on living fully, loving deeply, and leading well during the holidays.
It is the month of Christmas. How are you going to keep Christ in Christmas this year? I recommend spending a few minutes each day in December reading The Jesse Tree: A Christmas Devotional. This devotional will take you through the Bible, from Genesis to the birth of Jesus. Each day focuses on God’s protection of the royal line of Jesus and God’s plan of redemption for His people.
Chip begins the episode reading an article called, “I Believe It Like Air” that he puts out every year. It is a statement of believing in the miracle of Jesus’ birth, as much as he believes in the air he breathes moment to moment. (This article is also included in Substack on December 23.)
So many of us never actually grow-up, which is to face that we are primarily emotional and spiritual creatures who find fulfillment in relationship. Our fulfillment comes from being able to connect to our own hearts, the hearts of others, and the heart of God.
“Adults” are people who wear masks to hide what they don’t know, to cover up the vulnerability that exposes their neediness.
Grown-ups develop maturity by being in need and growing and becoming more and more response able. Adults do not mature beyond their ability to mask vulnerability.
“Adults” lose the meaning and wonder of Christmas. Grown-ups live it fully with a faith that can contend with tragedy.
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have established strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
(Psalm 8:2, NKJV)
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Tuesday Nov 25, 2025
Tuesday Nov 25, 2025
Click here to read the episode highlights.
The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com.
It is amost Thanksgiving, and Christmas is just around the corner. How are you going to keep Christ in Christmas this year? I recommend spending a few minutes each day in December reading The Jesse Tree: A Christmas Devotional. This devotional will take you through the Bible, from Genesis to the birth of Jesus. Each day focuses on God’s protection of the royal line of Jesus and God’s plan of redemption for His people.
We are made for more
October to April opens up the most magical time of the year and potentially the most painful.
As the fall approaches and the “harvest” season settles into our consciousness, we begin to long for what the holidays are created to offer, family, friends, and fellowship.
The windows of the “soul” open to our heavenly longings as the holiday season of anticipation begins. The window remains open until the new year begins, our resolutions have turned back into daily life, and we lift the “heavy burden” of getting back to work—we prepare to pay our taxes in April!
If we allow ourselves to long for what we dream the holidays can offer, we will also need to allow ourselves to grieve what they cannot give us—heavenly completion on earth:
It is okay to grieve
The family gatherings will not live up to what we dream at the worst, and they will end with departures at their best.
The friends we love to be with will need to return to their places of other purposes.
The fellowship that blesses us will also come to an end.
We can experience heavenly hints of completion, but not get to remain in the place of completion.
The holidays awaken us to holy moments of seeing how life could be, or is created to be, but this is still not heaven.
In the movie “Field of Dreams” a character asks, “Is this heaven?” The answer to the beautiful question of hope is, “No, this is Iowa.” We can taste heaven here during the holiday season, but not keep it or possess it; we can only take time to live it by bringing family and friends together in fellowship.
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Tuesday Nov 18, 2025
Tuesday Nov 18, 2025
Click here to read the episode highlights!
The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com.
It is already November, and Christmas is just around the corner. How are you going to keep Christ in Christmas this year? I recommend spending a few minutes each day in December reading The Jesse Tree: A Christmas Devotional. This devotional will take you through the Bible, from Genesis to the birth of Jesus. Each day focuses on God’s protection of the royal line of Jesus and God’s plan of redemption for His people.
2 Helpful and free resources along your parenting journey:
Characteristics of a Functional Family
8 Feelings for Children Chart
I recommend purchasing a copy of How Are You Feeling Today?
This children’s book about feelings will help you get started in guiding your children to understand express their feelings. This would be a great Christmas present for the children in your lives.
There are four characteristics that every parent needs to “allow” children to experience, so that they can grow into thriving grownups.
Parents often struggle with their own past experiences and their intolerance of feelings. Sadly, they often don’t develop the ability to know how to deal with the feelings that come when a child has to struggle with life’s experiences.
Click here to continue reading the episode highlights.
Tuesday Nov 11, 2025
Tuesday Nov 11, 2025
Click here to read the episode highlights.
The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com.
It is already November, and Christmas is just around the corner. How are you going to keep Christ in Christmas this year? I recommend spending a few minutes each day in December reading The Jesse Tree: A Christmas Devotional. This devotional will take you through the Bible, from Genesis to the birth of Jesus. Each day focuses on God’s protection of the royal line of Jesus and God’s plan of redemption for His people.
2 Helpful and free resources along your parenting journey:
Characteristics of a Functional Family
8 Feelings for Children Chart
I recommend purchasing a copy of How Are You Feeling Today?
This children’s book about feelings will help you get started in guiding your children to understand express their feelings. This would be a great Christmas present for the children in your lives.
The Remaining 6 Characteristics of a Healthy Family:
Family members can be different.
Parents do what they say, and they are self-disciplined disciplinarians.
Roles are flexible and chosen; no one person “always” has the same “job.”
Rules require accountability.
Violation of healthy family values leads to guilt.
Mistakes are forgiven and viewed as learning tools.
Parents are aware of not being God; they have healthy shame.
In healthy relationships six general principles create a foundation for emotional, spiritual, and relational development:
I can talk openly about things that are important to me.
I can name my feelings, values, beliefs, and keep my behaviors consistent with them.
I can define the limits of what I can comfortably do or give.
I can clarify what is acceptable or tolerable in a relationship.
I can share my vulnerabilities and competencies with others.
I can give others permission to do the same things.
Click here to continue reading the episode highlights.
Tuesday Nov 04, 2025
Tuesday Nov 04, 2025
Click here to read the episode highlights.
The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com.
It is already November, and Christmas is just around the corner. How are you going to keep Christ in Christmas this year? I recommend spending a few minutes each day in December reading The Jesse Tree: A Christmas Devotional. This devotional will take you through the Bible, from Genesis to the birth of Jesus. Each day focuses on God’s protection of the royal line of Jesus and God’s plan of redemption for His people.
2 Helpful and free resources along your parenting journey:
Characteristics of a Functional Family
8 Feelings for Children Chart
I recommend purchasing a copy of How Are You Feeling Today?
This children’s book about feelings will help you get started in guiding your children to understand express their feelings.
TO ALL PARENTS:
Please remember that the list the characteristics of a healthy family is not about a perfect family; it is about a functioning family.
A functional family simply consistently works on “working things out” for love’s sake.
Perfect isn’t functional. An atmosphere of perfection is oppressive; it is just as damaging as a chaotic atmosphere is abandoning. Neither a perfectionistic nor a chaotic atmosphere advance emotional, spiritual, and relational growth.
To parent well, we need to be willing to seek aid, wisdom, and courage from God and others. No one has all the answers, but our humility can allow us to have more than we would have without asking.
There are six basic principles to creating a functional relational system, one in which relationship and health is the primary concern, whether it be a family, friendship or marriage:
I can talk openly about things that are important to me.
I can name my feelings, beliefs, and values, and keep my behaviors consistent with them.
I can define the limits of what I can comfortably do or give.
I can clarify the limits of what is acceptable or tolerable in the relationship.
I can openly share my vulnerabilities and competencies with others.
I can give permission and support others in doing the same things.
Click here to continue reading the episode highlights.
Tuesday Oct 28, 2025
Tuesday Oct 28, 2025
Click here to read the episode highlights.
The "Living with Heart" Podcast is brought to you by Chip Dodd Resources (www.chipdodd.com) and The Voice of the Heart Center (vothcenter.com). You can connect with Dr. Chip Dodd at chip@chipdodd.com. Contact Bryan Barley for coaching at bryan@vothcenter.com.
2 Helpful resources along the parenting journey:
Link to 8 Feelings for Children Chart
How Are You Feeling Today
The research in the book, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness supports everything that is contained in each and every episode of Living with Heart: From Birth to Death. The authors state, “Good relationships keep us healthier and happier. Period” (page 10). The 85-year longitudinal study, which is ongoing, concluded that, “Relationships are not just essential as stepping-stones to other things, and they are not simply a functional route to health and happiness. They are an end in themselves.” (page 51).
The Good Life, by Robert Waldinger, MD, and Marc Schulz, PhD.
Living with Heart podcast content focus is always about how we are created to find fulfillment through relationships.
We are created as emotional and spiritual creatures, created to do one thing in this life and that is live fully.
We cannot live fully unless we are doing so in relationship with ourselves, others, and God. The Voice of the Heart by Chip Dodd, PhD.
Digital age
Since the early 21st century our children have been living in a time unlike any other in history. The technological advances, starting with the internet, then the cell phone, and now AI, have presented parents and children with a significant dilemma, one that will require some difficult choices to combat the negative consequences of our extraordinary advancements.
Digital technology has been proven to be addictive; screening distracts people from their emotions and addressing their needs for connecting relationally.
Screening distracts people from their emotions and needs for connecting relationally, and AI puts people at risk of avoiding the brain work of thinking.
We are creating a world in which we are not actually involved, with “sweat, thinking, touching the dirt, needing others with us, etc.”
FOMO and the increase of depression and anxiety is directly related to the digital age.
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