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Triggered and True — Health & Fitness
Triggered and True

If you feel emotionally overwhelmed, stuck in cycles of shame, blame, and judgment, or just exhausted from trying to fix yourself, this is a place to breathe.

Triggered & True® is a podcast about emotional healing, grief, and self-compassion with Laura Duncan, creator of the Compassion Method™, and co-host Brian Freise. Each episode Laura and Brian get honest about shame, anger, anxiety, and the triggers that run our lives — and walk through healing that begins with compassion instead of self-improvement.

For over 14 years, Laura has helped people through trauma, loss, and grief. The grief that doesn’t follow a timeline and comes in waves. Brian is living proof it works: after years of debilitating panic attacks, he found actual relief through the Compassion Method.

The method is three words: Awareness, Comfort, Discovery. Or put simply: Feel your pain. Get comfort. Go play. Because healing isn’t becoming someone new — it’s returning to who you’ve always been. New episodes monthly on the third Saturday.

Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868

Copyright: © 2024 Triggered and True

Latest Episodes:

How to Be Okay When Everything Around You Isn’t | Winning The War For Your Heart (Ep. 6) Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

Your greatest superpower is learning to be okay when it's not okay all around you.

In Episode 6 of Winning the War for Your Heart, Brian Freise — author of Above All Else — gives you the most practical tool in the Compassion Method arsenal: the Remote Control Exercise. Brian walks through the exact 5-step process he uses every time a trigger fires, the 3 tender emotions hiding underneath every reaction, and the moment he realized his rice-picking-up reflex was the same pattern running his entire life.

If you've ever felt like you can't be okay until your external world is fixed — this is the episode that gives you back your power.

Get the book that started this journey — Above All Else by Brian Freise here

Get your copy of Above All Else: Winning the War for Your Heart by clicking here.

(Ep. 75) Is Any Condition Too Broken to Heal? OCD, Bipolar & Faith Questions Sep 19, 2026

Show notes

What if even the conditions that feel most hopeless, the ones you've been told no one can help, aren't the end of your story?

In this episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Freise open the mailbag for a wide-ranging round of listener questions, from mental health to matters of faith. It's an honest, compassionate conversation that meets people right where they're stuck and offers real hope without ever over-promising.

They begin with a tender one: does the Compassion Method help someone with OCD; the "doubting disease" where hope can feel scarce?

Laura responds with deep empathy and reframes obsessive thinking as a protector, a survival strategy a child built to counter a world that felt too out of control, and explains how bringing in love and unmet needs can help the brain rewire and let those thoughts go.

She extends the same hope to bipolar and other conditions she's encountered across 15 years of clients, always alongside, never in place of, the medical care people need.

Then two faith questions: first, a listener worried that "using God as medicine" meant they shouldn't bring their pain to Him.

Laura clarifies that it's the opposite, that medicating with God meant not actually bringing Him her pain.

The second, whether the method is built on universalism, which Laura answers plainly (it isn't), while sharing her belief in Jesus and her wonder at the free will God preserves in us.

In this episode:

🔹 Can the Compassion Method help with OCD? Reframing obsessive thinking as a protector the brain can rewire

🔹 Why the same hope extends to bipolar and other conditions — always alongside, never replacing, medical care

🔹 "Using God as medicine," clarified: why it means bringing Him your pain, not staying away from Him

🔹 Is the method based on universalism? Laura answers directly — and on free will and the Garden

🔹 Why separation from God can come through unhealed pain, not just obvious sin

📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion

Two quick notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868

🔗 Learn more:

https://triggeredandtrue.com

https://lauraduncan.com

Get your copy of Above All Else: Winning the War for Your Heart here: https://a.co/d/057P9Z3g

The Most Powerful Force In The Universe | Winning The War For Your Heart (Ep. 5) Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Compassion is what love feels like in the trenches.

In Episode 5 of Winning the War for Your Heart, Brian Freise — author of Above All Else — exposes the most misunderstood force in the universe. Brian breaks down the difference between pity and compassion, the brutal truth that enablement is not compassion (it's selfishness in disguise), and the Jesus story that wrecked his entire view of what it means to be tender. If you've ever dismissed compassion as soft, weak, or "not for real men" — Episode 5 is your wake-up call.

If you've ever felt like love is just a feeling, this is the episode that turns it into a force.
Get the book that started this journey — Above All Else by Brian Freise here

Get your copy of Above All Else: Winning the War for Your Heart by clicking here.

You're Not The Horrible Person You Might Think You Are (Like I Did). | Winning The War For Your Heart (Ep. 4) Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

You're not the horrible person you think you are.

In Episode 4 of Winning the War for Your Heart, Brian Freise — author of Above All Else — exposes the origins of shame and the prison it builds inside every human heart. Brian walks through the Genesis 3 moment when Adam and Eve's eyes were opened to a story of deficiency God never intended, the cosmic blame game that's been echoing through every family argument since, and the inside-out reframe that broke his own shame cycle: "No one or nothing shames us from the outside. We do it to ourselves."

If you've ever felt like your failures define you — this is where you start to untangle who you are from what you do.
Get the book that started this journey — Above All Else by Brian Freise here

Get your copy of Above All Else: Winning the War for Your Heart by clicking here.

You're Not Broken. You Were Never Broken. | Winning The War For Your Heart (Ep. 3) Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

You're not broken. You were never broken.

In Episode 3 of Winning the War for Your Heart, Brian Freise — author of Above All Else — shares the first words Laura Duncan said to him when he walked into her office asking to be fixed. Brian opens up about the 8-year-old photo exercise that cracked his heart open, the four core deficiencies he discovered in his own childhood, and the orphanage analogy that explains why so many Christians feel stuck despite knowing the truth of their new identity in Christ.

If you've ever felt like the Bible's promises don't match your reality — this is where the disconnect starts to make sense.
Get the book that started this journey — Above All Else by Brian Freise here
Triggered and True: https://www.triggeredandtrue.com
Laura Duncan: https://www.lauraduncan.com/weeklydose

Get your copy of Above All Else: Winning the War for Your Heart by clicking here.

Why Do I Do Stupid Things? The Brain Science Behind Your Triggers | Winning The War For Your Heart (Ep. 2) Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Why do we do the stupid things we do? And why, in the moment, does it feel so impossible to stop?

In Episode 2 of Winning the War for Your Heart, Brian Freise shares the story of a Starbucks fight that he was afraid would end his marriage—and the surprising conversation with Laura that helped him understand what was really happening beneath his reaction.

Brian explores what happens when your primal brain takes over, how to recognize when you're triggered, and why understanding your reactions can change the way you respond.

He also shares the “fun sucker” nickname his family had given him, and how that uncomfortable realization helped him discover that he wasn't simply a grumpy person—he was hurting.

If you've ever looked back after a reaction and thought, Why did I just do that? this episode will help you understand where that reaction may have come from.

Get the book that started this journey — Above All Else by Brian Freise here

Get your copy of Above All Else: Winning the War for Your Heart by clicking here.

Your Anxiety Is Trying To Tell You Something | Winning The War For Your Heart (Ep. 1) Aug 24, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to Winning the War for Your Heart, a special series based on Brian Freise's book, Above All Else.

What if your anxiety, panic, or depression isn't something you need to get rid of—but something you actually need to learn to listen to?

In Episode 1, Brian tells the story of the night pain invaded his life in a way he could no longer ignore, numb, or outrun.

Brian takes us back to November 2018, when panic walked into his life uninvited, the ER visit he was ashamed to make, and the moment four words—"It's as bad as it feels"—became his first brush with real compassion.

If you've ever felt broken, behind, or completely out of control, this is where Brian's journey begins.

In this episode, you'll discover:

Why "I'm going to push through this" can actually keep you from healing
How Brian's "Great Awakening" changed his relationship with emotion
The difference between soul neglect and genuine self-care
Why "Above all else, guard your heart" is about stewardship—not simply protection
Why emotional pain doesn't heal the same way physical pain does
What to do when anxiety shows up in the middle of the night

Get the book that started this journey — Above All Else by Brian Freise here

Learn more about Triggered & True: Triggered & True

Get your copy of Above All Else: Winning the War for Your Heart by clicking here.

(Ep. 74) Feeling Stuck in Your Healing? You're Not as Stuck as You Think Aug 15, 2026

Show notes

What if feeling stuck, like you've slipped backward in your healing, isn't a sign the work has failed, but a sign it's finally you've grown more than you think?

In this episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese continue their series on how the Compassion Method brings biblical truths to life, this time turning to perseverance, and what to do when your emotional and spiritual growth feels like it's stalled.

Brian talks openly about the very human urge to give up when the process feels slow, when no clear milestone appears to be reached, and when people find it tempting to think, "This just isn't working for me." It's learning to be: with yourself, with others, and with God.

Together they unpack why we get the order backward, trying to "do to be" instead of "being to do", and why understanding without application only medicates our pain instead of healing it.

Laura explains why simplicity creates the consistency that actually rewires the heart and brain, and why chasing the next book or the next technique can feel like progress while quietly keeping us stuck.

They dive into the freeing truth for anyone ready to walk away: many of us try to escape our pain by cutting off the marriage, the job, or the church.

But drawing on James 1 and Brian's own writing, Laura invites a braver path—turning into the storm within, letting it do its work, and discovering we can often be okay in the very relationships we thought we had to leave.

Like the "wax on, wax off" of the Karate Kid, the unseen work is building the muscle for the "I get it" moment, and the times we most want to give up are usually right before it finally clicks.

In this episode:
🔹 Why hitting a plateau—or feeling like you've gone backward—is normal, and often a sign that genuine change is happening
🔹 The myth of "arriving," and the shift from "doing to be" to "being to do"
🔹 What "being" actually looks like day to day—and why understanding without application only medicates the pain
🔹 Why simplicity and consistency, not more information, are what truly rewire the heart and brain
🔹 How to "turn into the storm within you" and persevere—so you rarely have to cut off the relationships, churches, or jobs you thought you had to leave

📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868

🔗 Learn more:
https://triggeredandtrue.com
https://lauraduncan.com

Get your copy of Above All Else: Winning the War for Your Heart by clicking here.

(Ep. 73) Does God Even Hear Me? Why Prayer Feels So Hard Jul 18, 2026

Show notes

What if the reason prayer feels so difficult has less to do with your faith—and more to do with the wounds you've carried since childhood?

In this episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese continue their series on how the Compassion Method brings biblical truths to life by exploring prayer, forgiveness, loving your enemies, and other commands that often feel impossible to live out.

Brian vulnerably shares a childhood memory that helped him understand why prayer had always felt like talking into the void. Although he believed God loved him, he struggled to believe God truly cared to hear him.

Laura helps trace that struggle back to a past experience of not feeling heard, revealing how our relationships with earthly caregivers often shape the way we experience our relationship with God.

Together, they unpack a freeing truth: many of the hardest commands in Scripture become natural—not through trying harder—but through healing the places in our hearts that keep us from experiencing God's love.

When our wounds receive compassion, obedience becomes the fruit of relationship instead of the burden of performance.

In this episode:

🔹 Brian's personal story of why prayer felt so difficult—and the childhood wound that helped explain it

🔹 How early experiences with parents and caregivers can shape the way we relate to God

🔹 Why biblical commands like prayer, forgiveness, and loving your enemies become possible through healing rather than willpower

🔹 The difference between behavior management and allowing God to transform your heart from the inside out

🔹 How the Compassion Method helps remove the barriers that keep you from experiencing a deeper relationship with God and others

📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868

🔗 Learn more:

https://triggeredandtrue.com

https://lauraduncan.com

Get your copy of Above All Else: Winning the War for Your Heart by clicking here.

(Ep. 72) Why You Can't Force Emotional Growth: Shame, Self-Control & the Performance Trap Jun 20, 2026

Show notes

What if the Christian life was never meant to be about trying harder, but about healing deeply enough that love becomes natural?

In this episode of Triggered & True, Laura Duncan and co-host Brian Friese continue their conversation about faith and emotional healing by exploring one of the biggest misunderstandings in the Christian life: the difference between producing the fruit of the Spirit and trying to manufacture it through willpower.

Using Galatians 5 as the foundation, Laura explains why Scripture calls love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control fruit—not accomplishments.

Fruit isn't something we force; it's the natural result of a healthy root. In the same way, emotional healing and a deep relationship with God create the conditions where Christlike character grows from the inside out.

Rather than leaving listeners with another list of spiritual behaviors to achieve, this episode offers a freeing invitation: stop striving to look like Jesus, and begin allowing Him to heal the places that keep His life from flowing naturally through you.

In this episode:

🔹 Why the fruit of the Spirit is something God grows in us—not something we produce through willpower

🔹 How emotional healing removes the wounded patterns that keep Christlike character from flowing naturally

🔹 The connection between the Compassion Method, inner healing, and spiritual transformation

🔹 Why trying harder often leads to frustration—and why a relationship with God leads to lasting change

🔹 How healing your heart allows love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control to become the natural overflow of your life

📩 Get your free Weekly Dose of Compassion — two short notes in your inbox every week. One to speak over yourself. One from Laura: https://www.lauraduncan.com/pl/2148814868

🔗 Learn more:

https://triggeredandtrue.com

https://lauraduncan.com

Get your copy of Above All Else: Winning the War for Your Heart by clicking here.

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