{"podcast":{"title":"The Best of You","slug":"the-best-of-you-5434878","podcast_index_feed_id":5434878,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/TSF6018604298","website_url":"https://www.alisoncookphd.com/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/bce7efe6-a03f-11ee-8c9f-774bed44a0bf/image/fc2ae1c482ec1458c40205cd8f979641.png?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"Dr. Alison Cook","episode_count":344,"summary":"Join therapist and author, Dr. Alison Cook, as she guides you through some of your toughest challenges with wisdom, kindness, and grace. Together with friends and experts we'll unpack the best of psychology from a faith-based perspective. You’ll discover how to break free from painful patterns, mend your past, and discover what brings out the best of you.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-30T18:19:05.176079+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878"},"episode":{"title":"Let Your No Be No (And Stop Overexplaining!)","slug":"let-your-no-be-no-and-stop-overexplaining","published_at":"2026-04-21T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878/let-your-no-be-no-and-stop-overexplaining","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878","url":"https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/arttrk.com/p/TSFL1/claritaspod.com/measure/traffic.megaphone.fm/AMPH7584383470.mp3?updated=1776572754","audio_url":"https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/arttrk.com/p/TSFL1/claritaspod.com/measure/traffic.megaphone.fm/AMPH7584383470.mp3?updated=1776572754","summary":"Today’s Scripture is: Matthew 5:33-37 Why is it so hard to say what we really mean? This episode explores the emotional and psychological roots of people-pleasing, over-explaining, and softening our truth. With insight from Scripture and psychology, you’ll learn how to move toward clarity, integrity, and more honest connection. In this episode: *The hidden cost of people-pleasing and overfunctioning *How empathy and attunement can make boundaries harder *The role of the nervous system in saying yes or no *Why clarity actually creates deeper connection *Simple ways to practice honest communication without guilt Go Deeper: Episode 14: The Fawn Response & the Hidden Root of People Pleasing Episode 171: Why People Pleasing Actually Makes You Feel More Alone, and 3 Steps to Create Real Connection Learn healthy boundaries in The Best of You - get the first 3 chapters free here. Connect with Dr. Alison on Instagram: @dralisoncook Join 80,000+ Soul Menders in Dr. Alison’s free email community for ongoing reflection and support. While Dr. Cook is a counselor, the content of this podcast and any of the products provided by Dr. Cook are not specific counseling advice nor are they a substitute for individual counseling. The content and products provided on this podcast are for informational purposes only.‍ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"Today’s Scripture is: Matthew 5:33-37 Why is it so hard to say what we really mean? This episode explores the emotional and psychological roots of people-…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":519,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-best-of-you-5434878/episodes/let-your-no-be-no-and-stop-overexplaining/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-best-of-you-5434878/let-your-no-be-no-and-stop-overexplaining.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}