When Love Doesn’t Look Like You Thought It Would: The Disappointment of Relationship Status

Many of us grow up assuming marriage is simply the next step in life. But what happens when that story doesn’t unfold the way we expected? In this episode, we explore the quiet disappointment many people carry regarding relationship status: whether that’s longing to be married, navigating singleness, divorce, dating later in life than expected, or feeling lonely within a marriage. We also talk about how cultural and church messages around marriage can intensify this grief. When something is framed as inevitable, not experiencing it can feel like falling behind or missing something essential. Using insights from attachment research, we explore why relational disappointment can feel so personal and painful, and how to separate grief from shame. In this episode we explore: 1. Why relationship disappointment runs so deep 2. How cultural and church messages shape expectations around marriage 3. Attachment and the human need for connection 4. Hold longing without tying it to your worth

In this special Q&A episode, Laura is tackling a few questions that have been coming up a lot lately around mental health and relationships. She shares some interesting trends showing up in 2026—from people switching to “brick phones” to set better digital boundaries, to the danger of self-diagnosis and conversations around family boundaries. Then she covers some practical questions: How do you know if you might need counseling? How can you suggest therapy to someone you care about without it coming across the wrong way? And what do you do if you’re someone who’s afraid of making mistakes? If you've ever asked any of these questions - this episode is for you.

In this episode, Laura explores the difference between judgement and curiosity—and why learning to regulate our judgement is essential for becoming grounded, healthy adults. She explains how judgement is biologically protective, when it’s necessary for safety, and when it crosses into harmful territory. Laura then offers a roadmap for shifting from judgement to curiosity while holding ethical boundaries for ourselves and others.   If you’ve ever found yourself judging too quickly—or judging yourself even more harshly—this episode invites you into compassion, clarity, and deeper relational awareness for yourself and others.

In this episode of Encountering You, Laura Williams explains why nervous system regulation isn’t about being calm, positive, or emotionally controlled. Regulation is about your ability to stay present with stress, emotion, and discomfort without shutting down or becoming reactive.   You’ll learn how fight, flight, freeze, and fawn show up in everyday life, why dysregulation isn’t a failure, and how regulation grows through compassion, repetition, and safe connection.

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In this episode, Laura explores why purpose is so essential to our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being—and why so many of us feel disconnected from it. Instead of treating purpose like a goal to achieve, Laura reframes it as something that naturally emerges as we heal, become more grounded, and reconnect with who we truly are. Drawing from personal story, the Healing Our Core Issues (HOCI) model, and current research, she explains how purpose is shaped by our core developmental needs (attachment, self-esteem, boundaries, reality, dependency, and moderation) and how unmet needs can make purpose feel confusing or out of reach. You’ll learn: why purpose grows from worth, not achievement how purpose affects the nervous system, stress, and longevity why purpose is both psychological and spiritual why your purpose isn’t your job title—it’s how you show up in your life simple practices to approach purpose gently in the new year Laura closes with a grounding blessing, reminding you that you don’t have to earn your purpose.You are here on purpose—and that is enough.

Encountering You will be taking a short break over Christmas and New Years. In this short message, Laura shares what she hopes for you this season, and a preview of what to expect from Encountering You in 2026!

The holidays can stir up more than joy—they can activate old wounds, grief, and loneliness we don’t always talk about. In this episode, Laura gently explores why this season can feel heavy, how family systems and sensory memories pull us back into old roles, and why grief shows up in so many forms. With grounding tools and compassionate guidance, she invites you to move through the holidays with more honesty, choice, and kindness toward yourself. This episode is a soft place to land if the season feels tender.

In this episode of Encountering You, Laura Williams explores how a well-known relationship tool — Love Languages— can unintentionally create disconnection when used as a rule instead of a reflection of real love. Through the lens of Healing Our Core Issues, Laura unpacks how our love languages often reveal unmet childhood needs and how genuine connection grows through attunement, not performance. You’ll learn: Why the Love Languages framework lacks scientific grounding. How love languages can become transactional or controlling. Why attunement, not technique, builds secure attachment. How to shift from “If you loved me…” to “When you do this, I feel close to you.”

Politics and faith weren’t meant to be weapons, but windows into the heart. When conversations turn political, it’s easy to choose sides and lose sight of each other. In this week’s episode, Laura will talk about what happens when belonging gets tangled with belief—and how to hold conviction without losing compassion. Maybe the real question isn’t whose side are you on, but how can we stay connected in the middle? What if Jesus didn’t come to take sides—but to take us home to love?