Self-Confrontation

A transcript of Dr. Finlayson-Fife’s gospel study session hosted by Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. This fascinating discussion focuses on the fall of King David and how each of us is still beloved by God, despite being vulnerable to our own hubris and self-deception.

A transcript of Dr. Finlayson-Fife's Facebook Group discussion on conflict in relationships.

Monica Packer: I'm so honored to have Jennifer back. If you don't know her, well, hang tight. You're going to have your mind blown so much. This is who Jennifer is.  Dr. Finlayson-Fife: I'm Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife. I am a psychotherapist that works primarily with couples and individuals around relationship and sexuality issues. I also do a lot of teaching, both online courses and also in workshops around the country. I also do a lot of podcasting and public speaking.  Monica Packer: And my version of your intro is that you changed my life and I think you've changed thousands of...

Preston Pugmire: On the podcast today we have Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife. She is a licensed psychotherapist and she specializes in relationship and sexuality counseling. She primarily works with LDS couples. I first came to know about her through listening to her on other podcasts. And actually, me and my wife have bought her courses and love, love, love her work. So, Jennifer, thank you for coming on the podcast today.  Jennifer Finlayson-Fife: Thanks for having me. My pleasure.  Preston Pugmire: So just kind of introduce yourself a little bit, even though I already did. But tell...

“Are you willing to understand another view even as it pressures and challenges your view?” - Dr. Finlayson-Fife   Sherrae Phelps: In an interview I had with Dr. Finlayson-Fife in November 2017, she talked about an experience she had with her brother when they were at college together. Here’s her account from that interview:  Dr. Finlayson-Fife: Are you willing to understand another view even as it pressures and challenges your view?  For example, when I was at BYU, my brother was reading a lot of church history as he was going through a faith crisis. He wanted to talk about it an...

Something I've been thinking about this week is that fragility in people is often difficult to track. Sometimes friends and neighbors look like they have everything together when in fact there is real limitation lurking below the surface. Those of us who are focused on a palatable exterior, who avoid conflict or even gravitate to convention out of fear, often look stronger and more "together" than they are. The glossy surface may look like strength, but in fact is a sign of limitation.  Painting the ideal picture is often an attempt to get away from what is real, because what is re...

I’ve been thinking lately about what it means to “do your best”. The reality is that we are inherently flawed and have a limited understanding of our own and others’ motivations. This impairs our ability to always do what is best or wise. There’s no getting around this. Additionally, we all have a narrative of who we are that makes our choices make sense to us, but that often are destructive to ourselves and/or others. This makes repetition of our limited choices easy, and meaningful development hard. My work is helping people see what they can’t yet see about themselves (and others),...