Speaking

Using southern charm and conversational humor, Dr. Laurel Shaler speaks on topics related to the intersection of faith, culture, and emotional well-being. Her speaking topics and descriptions are listed below followed by several brief videos and audio clips for your review. Please contact Laurel if you are interested in having her speak to your group.

Reclaiming Sanity: Hope and Healing for Trauma, Stress, and Overwhelming Life Events

With a girlfriend’s companionship and a professional counselor’s expertise, Dr. Laurel Shaler walks you through personal stories and biblical insights that shed light on daily and traumatic stress. In this talk, Laurel will show you:

  • How to find freedom from the past
  • Five myths about anger and how to overcome them
  • The antidote for nagging worry and sleepless nights
  • Ways to rebuild trust in others
  • How Christ gives true strength

 

Affair Proofing Your Marriage

Despite all the headlines announcing yet another Christian leader engaging in adultery, there is hope for marriage. In this talk, Laurel will share:

  • The importance of placing Christ at the center of your marriage, including the power of prayer and commitment.
  • Why mentoring, pre-marital counseling, and marriage counseling can be critical to the success of your marriage.
  • How to guard your heart against affairs through sacrifice and attention to your marriage.

 

Anchoring Emotions to God

Emotions change frequently and can be overwhelming to try and manage alone. With God, we can reign in our emotions and have more control over them. After this talk, participants will:

  • Not feel so alone in their battle with emotions.
  • Understand the most common problematic emotions and and their consequences.
  • Be able to anchor emotions to God through prayer, God’s word, and wise counsel.

 

Help for the Frustrated Female!

In this talk, Laurel will help you:

  • Identify when your frustration is hurting you.
  • Help you learn new coping skills.
  • Begin to identify deeper hurts that are masked by frustration and anger so that you can begin to heal.

 

Feel Good Friends: Don’t Be One

Friends. We’ve all got them. We’ve all had problems with them. In a retreat form, Laurel will help us define “Feel Good Friends”, “Fun Friends”, “Floater Friends”

  • Learn about the problem with “Feel Good Friends” and determine if you are one
  • Progress unhealthy friendships to healthy ones by learning how to develop honesty in friendships.
  • Diminish conflict in relationships by learning how to resolve conflict in a Biblical manner.

(This is also offered in a retreat format where you will not only learn about “Feel Good Friends”, but about “Fun Friends”, “Floater Friends”, and more. But we won’t stop there. By learning what the Bible has to say about friendships, you can move from unhealthy to healthy relationships with the girlfriends in your life.)

 

Infertility and Adoption Awareness

Through 14 years of marriage and infertility, Laurel and her husband are in the process of adopting. Through this talk, Laurel will relay:

  • Her own story of infertility.
  • The importance of adoption not being the “back up option.”
  • How to war against abortion through adoption.

 

Mental Illness Affects the Church Too

Often seen as taboo, this topic is a critical one. Many Christians face depression, anxiety, and even more serious mental disorders. By attending this talk, Laurel will help you:

  • Overcome the stigma that is attached to mental illness by providing education on mental illness.
  • Discern what type of help you or a loved one may need through information on the varieties of help available.

 

Supporting Service Members & Veterans

Almost everyone has a connection with our armed forces. If not directly, then through a loved one who has had difficult military experiences. Through this talk, Laurel:

  • Educates participants on military culture.
  • Speaks about Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other common concerns among service members and veterans.
  • Informs participants on how they can support their beloved service members and veterans.

 

If God Is For Me…

This is the story of Laurel’s life-saving surgery at age 18 and how she has seen God’s plan for her life since. Through this testimony, Laurel:

  • Conveys God’s healing power and provisions.
  • Brings light to the battle that ensues following a difficult life experience.
  • Helps her audience see that God has a purpose for each of His children.

 

Self-Care is Not Selfish

This talk is for the caregivers. Whether you are a professional caregiver, caring for a loved one in need of full time care, or caring for your families day-to-day needs, this talk is for you. Through this talk, Laurel:

  • Teaches the importance of relaxing and walks the audience through relaxation techniques.
  • Addresses the importance of holistic self-care: emotional, physical, relational, and spiritual.
  • Shares the benefit of humor as a tool for self-care.