Do you change and grow when you have those "Aha!" moments? When you understand why? Or does change actually happen when new habits, consistency, and accountability are in place? Brandon Joffe talks about the "seduction of why" in therapy. (Brandon also offers great wisdom for parents who may be struggling with their teens--including the host!) Bran…

How does growing up in an Asian or Asian-American culture shape the way you live out your Christian faith? How do traditional Asian values measure up against biblical values? And how can we understand attachment to a loving God as a basis for our mental health? Gary Quan, LMFT, James Chen, AMFT, and Ari X. return for Part 2 of the conversation abou…

What is unique about mental, emotional, and relational health in an AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) context? Our guests who are uniquely positioned to respond because of their identities as Christians, as Asian Americans, and as mental health providers are here for our first ever panel conversation with three guests. Gary Quan, LMFT is a ret…

Why do we seem to repeat the same emotional patterns over our lifetimes? And why do we pair up with partners who activate those same dysfunctional patterns? Counseling veteran Dr. Gary Lawrence is here to share his wisdom from over 50 years of counseling, ministry, and coaching. He'll show us how our addiction to our own early rejection is tearing …

ADHD is just a diagnosis for hyper little boys, right? Not so! Many more adults are realizing that some of the struggles they face in adulthood--causing problems in work, relationships, and parenting--are actually due to ADHD. Perhaps a social media post has you wondering if this is you. Check out Tiffany's story to see if you relate, and listen to…

More and more kids and adults are being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other types of neurodivergence. If you love someone on the spectrum, you might wonder how he or she processes concepts like salvation or the church. How can parents help autistic kids come to know and love Jesus? Larah from @raisingautisticdisciples is here to encou…

Sexual addiction is a cry for intimacy and connection that has gone awry. The betrayal a partner feels is excruciating. So how can couples heal, move beyond addictive behaviors, and find true intimacy? Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith are here to share their journey and how they are helping couples heal and discover new levels of intimacy. Matthew and …

We never want our children to suffer, but tragedy can strike any family. How do you talk to your kids about death? How do you lead them through grief when you are grieving yourself? Erin Nelson and Colleen Montague are here to talk about Jessica's House, a grief center serving families in Central California, and their new book, When Grief Comes Hom…

When a life-altering tragedy, or even just a big disappointment, threatens to derail your hopes and dreams, you might need a little bit of hope to believe that God plans to get you through it. After her husband's death, Tricia believed that her life was over, but God showed her that she could have "another beautiful life." Today she shares about ho…

After a traumatic divorce, Kathy struggled to find the support she needed as a Christian woman, so she created it! In this episode, Kathy shares her pain, hard-won wisdom, and compassion for those who are navigating being divorced with all the changes to social life, church community, sense of self, and parenting. Kathy Kaspar is a certified coach,…

It's a new year and we're being bombarded with messages about goals, resolutions, and transformations. It's high time that we get practical about setting goals in a way that works with our brains and honors God. In this episode, Renee Booe helps us to understand that we first consider who we want to be before we can decide what we should do. Renee …

ADHD brains are fascinating, creative, and capable of amazing things, but if you or someone you love struggles with the difficult parts of ADHD, this episode is for you. Chad Potts is back to talk about lifestyle changes, parenting strategies, and how pharmaceuticals can offer support. Chad Potts is a pharmacist, pastor, coach, and host of the RevR…

If you were a youth group kid in the 90s, you are already familiar with the movement now known as "Purity Culture," a social, political, and religious movement aimed at pushing young people to "save" themselves for marriage. While there were biblical roots to this idea, many young people suffered trauma, shame, and misshapen sexual identities from …

The holiday season is often a mix of stress and joy, but if you've lost someone, you might be dreading it. Bart Blair lost his teen son in 2021 and is using his experience in pastoral ministry to process through the complicated feelings of grief during the Christmas season. Trigger Warning: Teen suicide. Bart Blair is a pastor, author, and podcaste…

What does neurodiversity mean in the context of your family? Why does God allow some of us to suffer more than others? How can we think biblically about the the different ways our brains work? Emily Flowers is a blogger and a mom to a neurodivergent child who suffers with a psychiatric diagnosis. Through years of struggling, she is discovering how …

Psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist? Which one should you see and when? Dr. Uejin Kim is a Texas-based child psychiatrist who started her private practice because she wanted to integrate her faith more authentically in her treatment of patients. In this episode, she discusses how her healing from church hurt and acknowledging her spiritual gif…

Have you noticed how divided our country is feeling just weeks away from Election Day? How do you deal with anxiety related to politics? How do therapists keep it together in sessions when clients have different beliefs? How can our Christian identity help us face this political climate with faith and hope? In this solo episode, Ann talks through t…

How many feelings do you have in an average week? Probably a lot more than you acknowledge, express, or investigate! Depending on the culture and faith tradition that you've grown up in, you might not have learned how to think about your emotions, let alone talk to God about them. That can leave you feeling alone, awkward, and disconnected from God…

We all became adults with quirks, hang-ups, and self-protective masks. But what if you could really let your essential self out of hiding, live in an integrated way, and pursue your dreams with new resilience? Dr. Merry Lin is here to share about her new book Rebecoming: Come Out of Hiding to Live as Your God-Given Essential Self, where she shows h…

Whether you choose to drink or not, you have a relationship with alcohol, a readily available and socially acceptable substance that has the power both to add to celebrations and to destroy lives. If you're considering reducing or eliminating alcohol from your life, you will need support. Our guest today shares her story about why she chose to fors…

Medications for mental health disorders can be a tricky subject, especially among Christians. If you've been prescribed something for your depression, anxiety, or mood, chances are your doctor didn't have time to explain to you how the medicine would work and what to expect. In this episode, we'll hear from Chad Potts, a pharmacist and pastor, abou…

Is stress just the standard mode of operation in our modern society? It seems like everyone you meet is "busy" or "overwhelmed." What if you could learn to use spiritual practices to have more of the rest and abundant life that Jesus talked about? Barb Roose is a speaker, coach, Bible teacher, and the author of the new book Stronger than Stress: 10…

Many of us can improve our mental health by taking a few simple steps for our whole health--body, mind, and spirit. By working with an integrative health practitioner, you can find out how to get the bad stuff out and the good stuff in. Our guest today works with women from a Christian perspective on their physical, mental, and emotional health. De…

If your teen has strayed or struggled, you might feel very alone as a parent. Our guest today has experienced it all with her parenting journey: from adoption, to body image, to self-harm, to jail time, all contributing to her own struggling health and relationships. But she is here today to offer hope and encouragement to parents of teens in crisi…

Ever had a fight with your partner about finances? Or made a money decision that you didn't really want to share with your partner? Financial stress is one of the leading causes of relationship breakdown, so it's imperative that husbands and wives learn to talk about money and create a system that works. Karen Hackman is a finance coach who special…

A field of study is emerging around psychedelics, promising quicker resolution to trauma and relief from depression. But is it legitimate? Should Christians consider using ketamine, MDMA, or other varieties of psychedelics to heal? What spiritual implications, if any, should we consider? Amelia Mora Mars is a licensed therapist in Southern Californ…

Are you driven to rack up accomplishments, only to feel like you're never doing enough? Our guest Rachael Jenneman understands how it feels to look like you're doing all the things on the outside, but on inside you feel like an underachiever. She'll share how to find your purpose and how to be ok with exactly God's timing for your life. Rachael Jen…

Attachment refers to our styles of relating to our caregivers from our earliest moments. It shapes the way we carry out business, connect in relationships, and parent our kids. It even colors the way we connect to God. Reverend Summer Gross is here to show us how God offers us secure attachment and how we can turn towards Him. Summer Joy Gross is a…

One in four pregnancies results in miscarriage, so chances are, you or someone you know has dealt with the specific, private kind of grief that comes from a lost pregnancy. How can we as Christians respond in a faithful, loving way to the reality of miscarriage? How does miscarriage impact our emotional and relational health? Cate Purvis is a mom a…

No one heads to the altar planning for a divorce someday. We think that as Christians we should be able to beat the odds. Our churches are not set up to minister to people going through this life-altering split. That's what our guest noticed when he was struggling through his divorce amidst the chaos of the COVID pandemic. Todd Turner created the U…

When life feels out of control and the pain in unbearable, some of us turn to self-injury for a sense of relief. Rather than wanting to die, many people with self-injurious behaviors simply want a reliable way to quiet the noise. Unfortunately, like other attempts at controlling our pain, self-injury can lead to serious problems, not the least of w…

As a therapist, one of Ann's top skills is helping anxious and panicking people learn how to regulate their minds and bodies so that a "swirly" mind and edgy body don't interrupt life. In this solo episode, Ann unpacks the "first line of defense" against anxiety and shows you how to practice three techniques that will stave off a panic attack. If y…

Have you been told not to trust your emotions? Or have you inadvertently learned that your mind is more important to your faith than your feelings? Jesus actually has something to say about our emotions! He shows us His own emotions and shapes the emotions of His followers in the Gospels. Becky Castle Miller is a New Testament scholar, author, and …

Most Christians know that Jesus talks about fasting in the Gospels, but many of us don't have a regular practice of fasting or even understand it. Dr. Tabatha was a conventionally trained OB/GYN struggling with her own health when she went back to study functional medicine. She realized that fasting is not only a spiritual discipline, but it is a s…

"Give yourself grace" is a common phrase in our culture, but how does it fit in with the biblical concept of grace? And does the modern psychology concept of self-compassion fit within a biblical worldview? Join us, two Christian therapists still figuring it out, as we explore these concepts. Kristina Tucker is a Licensed Professional Counselor and…

From the tiny neurons that look like seedlings to the four types of soil Jesus uses to describe the conditions of our hearts, the Bible provides a lesson plan for emotional, physical, and mental health. Dr. Anita Phillips' new book The Garden Within dives into the nuances of God's design for our wellbeing. Dr. Anita Phillips is a trauma therapist, …

Some of us have stories of intense physical pain, while others feel broken relationally. There are seven types of pain that all humans experience at one point or another. Dr. Michelle shares with us about the types of pain and how we can reach out to God when it's just too overwhelming. Dr. Michelle Bengtson is a Board Certified Neuropsychologist w…

What role has trauma played in your faith? Have you ever wished that your Christian brothers and sisters (and leaders) understood trauma better as they relate to you? How can we prevent further wounding to church-goers as leaders carrying heavy burdens in the church? Jessica Gaffney, LCSW is a therapist and expert on PTSD coming to us from Florida.…

When people go through difficult circumstances, they don't always need a solution. They need a kind presence. Learn why it's so important to "sit in the dirt" with people with our guest Jeremy Williamson. Jeremy Williamson is a Storywork Coach in northern Colorado working with people from all over the world. His background in a variety of ministry …

Many Christians are familiar with the verse that tells us to "take our thoughts captive," but when we're juggling up to 60,000 thoughts per day, that can feel impossible! Victoria Lydon is here to help us break down a simple, faithful process for submitting our thoughts lives and receiving health in return. Victoria Lydon can be found at www.choose…

Trigger Warning: Mark discusses briefly some of the abuse that happened to him as a young child. Feel free to skip or save for later if you are sensitive to this content. A prescription drug addiction landed Mark McNear in rehab, hoping it would be a quick fix so he could get back to his therapy practice and his family. But instead, a caring therap…

Have you tried to set a boundary, only to feel frustrated and hurt in relationships? Does your life feel out of whack but you can't figure out why you're not meeting your goals for faith, wellness, or career? Meghan DeVito is a life coach and boundaries expert, here to help us understand the why, when, and how of boundaries. Meghan DeVito is a Boun…

Have you ever felt stuck in a relationship? Like you can't communicate or solve conflicts with the person you love? Relationship coaching might be a valuable tool in achieving the kind of marriage you desire. In this episode, Catie Loeffler talks with Ann about relationship coaching: what is it, who is it for, and when should a relationship be refe…

When Jesus took on human flesh, he was the most emotionally healthy person ever to walk the earth. What are the markers of emotional health that Jesus displayed? Our guest Chris Thurman is here to show us how Jesus made a way for our emotional health, too. Dr. Chris Thurman is a psychologist, author, and speaker with years of experience helping peo…

Imagine not being able to communicate in a way that represents your full intelligence and relational ability. It would have a huge impact on your wellbeing and relationships! Anne Maki is a speech and communication expert who helps accented professionals express themselves clearly in American English. Anne has discovered how much being understood i…

Faith Lee is a college student at Biola University with a powerful story of healing and God's faithfulness. She talks with Ann about how God worked in her heart after a life-altering accident and how she sees Him working in her mental health, friendships, and perspective on dating. This episode is a must if you have college, high school, or middle …

The Soul Grit Podcast has another year under the belt! We covered trauma, busyness and rest, body theology, and lots of fun interviews. It was also the season that was disrupted halfway through by a scary medical crisis. Hear all the highlights, celebrations, and updates from Season 2 in this episode! Got a free spot on your water bottle or laptop?…

Do you know if there are members of your church who need extra support when struggling with their mental health? What if a member of your church staff were dealing with a disorder like Bipolar II? Malinda Fugate is an author and a church staff member working in children's ministry. She also deals with a Bipolar Disorder diagnosis. In this episode, …

Do you have a "worry wart" or a sensitive kid? Marin Canaday was given these descriptions when she was a child, but it wasn't until motherhood that she was formally diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In this episode, Marin shares about her journey with OCD. With her children's book, My Little Monster, Marin hopes to offer hope to kids an…

Your career is one of the central aspects of your adult life. If you love it, you're probably feeling great, but if you're missing one of the "career factors," your overall wellness might be suffering. And if you're depressed or anxious or struggling in relationships, your career will suffer, too! Sam Feeney is a career coach and author The Career …