CG Podcast: Bodies, Boundaries, Belonging

Raising girls in today’s culture means navigating tension—between purity culture and personal freedom, between shame and grace, between rules and relationship. In this episode of Courageous Girls, we sit down with our dear friend and trusted expert Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield for an honest, hope-filled conversation about how we talk to our daughters (and ourselves) about bodies, boundaries, and belonging.

Together, we unpack the impact of purity culture, the pendulum swing toward “it’s my body, don’t shame me,” and the invitation to a better way—one rooted in grace, discernment, and deep identity in Christ. This conversation is as much for moms as it is for daughters, because the work always begins with us.

With wisdom from clinical practice, Scripture, and lived experience, we explore how moms and dads can partner together (even imperfectly) to speak life, affirmation, and truth into the hearts of girls—starting young and continuing through the teen years.

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Beyond rules to relationship – Why the goal isn’t control or permissiveness, but helping girls hear God’s voice and trust His love.

🔹 Our stories matter – How a mom’s own experiences with shame, purity culture, or freedom shape the messages her daughter receives.

🔹 The power of words and presence – Practical ways parents—especially dads—can speak affirmation that protects against lies and insecurity.

🔹 Raising discerning daughters – Helping girls understand their value, their bodies, and the kind of love they were made for.

Our hope is to raise girls who aren’t driven by fear, performance, or attention—but who are confident, resilient, and rooted in grace. And along the way, to become women who are healing, growing, and walking in that freedom too.

Website: www.drmichellewatson.com

Learn more about the Courageous Girls movement at www.mycourageousgirls.com

Follow along on Instagram: @mycourageousgirls

Read the book: Courageous by Terra Mattson

Download the Courageous Girls App—available on any app store.

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Courageous Girls' motivation is to see a generation of women who are navigating trusted relationships, are confident in who God says He is and who He made them to be and are resiliently moving through the peaks and valleys of life. A generation of women who are rooted in grace and free from the performance-based treadmill we are enticed with every day.

CG answers this goal by providing clear and trusted Biblical, clinical and relational wisdom for moms. With the long-term goal in mind, lessons are created as building blocks and encouraged to unfold within community.

Not only does a CG community provide the perfect place to practice the art of relationship, but it also allows the moms to share the load which provides a diversity in leadership. All the while nurturing a trusted connection with the first model in a daughter’s life, her mom. 

Groups provide a safe place to focus on God’s word rather than the competing influences in the world. Instead of competition, comparison and judgment… groups strive to grow in gratitude, joy and acceptance. CG is an intentional choice to equip ourselves and our daughters to love others well and to live from a place of wholeness and grace. 

To connect with Courageous Girls, go to:

Instagram

@MyCourageousGirls

Facebook

@MyCourageousGirls

Websites

MyCourageousGirls.com

Resources

Courageous: Being Daughters Rooted in Grace

Helping Moms Raise Confident Daughters Courses

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