Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

How to Recognize Hidden Emotional Baggage You Didn’t Know You Were Carrying

October 01, 2026
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Episode Summary:

Today’s episode with Laurie Davies brings a powerful lens to a struggle many of us don’t even realize we have: emotional hoarding. We joke about “emotional baggage,” but most of us are carrying far more than a suitcase—we’re holding closets full of unprocessed feelings like worry, panic, regret, false guilt, anger, or shame. Our guest’s new Moody Publishers release offers a gentle, insightful, biblical pathway to recognize the emotional clutter weighing us down and step into the freedom Christ provides. This is a conversation that will help you name what’s been holding you back and learn how to release it for good.

Quotables from the episode:

  • I have a luggage tag that I put on my carry-on bag, and it says, “My emotional baggage won't fit into the overhead bin,” and it always gets a lot of laughs. We talk about that in a light way sometimes. My thesis in the book is that we don't actually have an emotional baggage problem. We're emotional hoarders.
  • I think hoarded hearts are very much like hoarded homes. We can let emotional kind of skyscrapers build in our hearts. Before we know it, we're maneuvering our way around with all this clutter, which actually is a lack of freedom.
  • All these kinds of emotions that God doesn't want us to haul all of these out to the dumpster. But I do think he wants us to look at them, acknowledge them, process them, and see kind of what he's showing us through them.
  • I think any of us who want to put forth that we're 100 percent healed. I mean, we'll all be looking at each other in heaven, 100 percent healed. And until then, aren't we glad for the grace of God and the tenderness of the Holy Spirit?
  • We know these emotions are not good. They don't even feel good. But if we go back to bitterness, I think if we're being honest, sometimes we like the way the grudge feels in our hands. It gives us that little feeling of “I'm not going to let them off the hook.”
  • Galatians 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ set us free.” So why would we go back to wearing a yoke of slavery? Freedom is of high value to the Lord. It's why he came to set the captives free, to set the prisoners free.
  • When we start to face the things that are keeping us stuck, we'll taste a freedom that we won't want to turn back from. It’s a life changer, and we won't want to go back to the chains we once wore. They just won't fit anymore.
  • Grace fills all those gaps where we wish we would have gone left instead of right.
  • There's no room for shame. There is plenty of room for conviction. And conviction is offered to us as a gift to restore our relationship with God.

Scripture References:

  • Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, God, and know my heart…See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Recommended Resources:

    Social Media Links for Host:

    Connect with Laurie Davies:

    Website / Instagram

    For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at:

    Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple

    Guest:

    Laurie Davies is a writer, national speaker, and lay counselor who helps women deal with their “emotional accumulation,” letting go of things like regret, grudges, false guilt, and shame. Her debut book, Emotional Hoarding: Letting Go of the Stuff That Keeps You Stuck, released with Moody Publishers in March 2026. Laurie’s writing has been featured in Guideposts and the Proverbs 31 First 5 app, and she also serves as lead editor on Shaunti Feldhahn’s Atlanta-based ministry staff. Laurie lives in the Phoenix area with her husband of 30 years. Their adult son lives nearby.

    Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson

    Audio Technical Support: Ashton Bengtson

    Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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    Meet Your Host
    Dr. Michelle Bengtson is a hope concierge! She is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, international speaker, and award-winning author dedicated to offering hope, healing, and practical tools for mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. As the host of the top-rated podcast Your Hope-Filled Perspective, she combines her professional expertise with biblical truth to empower listeners to overcome anxiety, depression, and life’s challenges through faith.

    A trusted voice in Christian mental health, Dr. Bengtson is the bestselling author of Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor's Personal Journey through Depression and Breaking Anxiety's Grip. With over 30 years of clinical experience, she has helped countless individuals find lasting freedom from fear, stress, and discouragement.

    Dr. Bengtson is a frequent media guest on platforms such as Focus on the Family, Life Today, and Moody Radio. Her writing and resources have been featured on outlets including Crosswalk, iBelieve, and Salem Media, equipping believers to embrace God's promises in every season.

    Connect with Dr. Bengtson at DrMichelleBengtson.com, where she shares faith-based encouragement, expert insights, and free resources for cultivating a hope-filled life.
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