Pastors and ministry leaders have an opportunity to love and serve their people well by becoming trauma-informed. In our finale for the trauma series, Ann talks to Dr. Heather Gingrich, an expert on trauma treatment and trauma-informed care. Dr. Heather Gingrich is a therapist and professor at Toccoa Falls College in Georgia, where she is debuting a new certificate program to train counselors, pastors, and others in trauma. She is the author of Restoring the Shattered Self: A Christian Counselor...
Oct 11, 2022•40 min•Season 2Ep. 60
Does the term Brainspotting sound really mysterious to you? Continuing in our series on trauma, Ann's guest Timothy Wong, LMFT teaches us about what brainspotting is, how it can help, and how Christians can experience healing through this natural, targeted way of recovering from trauma. Timothy Wong, LMFT is a therapist working with Kaiser Permanente in Northern California and a graduate of Western Seminary. Using brainspotting, he is seeing his clients recover more quickly and more effectively ...
Oct 04, 2022•29 min•Season 2Ep. 59
We each have a zone in which we function the best cognitively, physically, and emotionally. Trauma and stress can push us out of that zone, known as the window of tolerance. In this episode, Ann and Jess explain hyper- and hypo-arousal and how to come back into your window from either direction. Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and email your questions and comments to [email protected] . Sign up at www.soulgritresources.com to be the first to know abo...
Sep 27, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 58
Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is one of the top methods for treating trauma. In this episode, Ann is joined by Monica Helvie, LMFT, a trauma specialist and EMDR Consultant. Monica explains how EMDR works and how Christians can tap into the natural healing that God created for our minds and bodies. Find out more about Monica at www.monicahelvie.com and on Instagram @monicahelvielmft . Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and email your questions and comments to ...
Sep 20, 2022•41 min•Season 2Ep. 57
Trauma is a buzzword in our culture today. But what is trauma really? And why should we care? In this episode, Ann and Jess break down what trauma is and how it effects us on mental, physical, and relational levels. This is Part 1 of a series that will continue this fall! Resources mentioned in this episode: ACES Questionnaire The Deepest Well by Nadine Burke Harris The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk Try Softer by Aundi Kolber Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and e...
Sep 13, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 56
We're back for Season 2! Listen in to hear about how you can know when you need a break and how that might look different than you imagined. You'll also hear updates and some new vision and features for the Soul Grit Podcast! Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and email your questions and comments to [email protected] . Sign up at www.soulgritresources.com to be the first to know about new blogs, episodes, and more. ...
Sep 06, 2022•30 min•Season 2Ep. 55
This episode is the 1st Anniversary celebration! Ann is joined by her sister, Carrie Consalvi, to talk through highlights of the past year and reflect on moments that have been the most impactful. Ann provides a sneak peek at what's next for Season 2 and gives listeners an opportunity to make requests. Make sure you're subscribed to the Soul Grit Podcast so you'll automatically catch it when we come back from summer break! Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and email your questions and comme...
May 31, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 54
When chronic pain changed the very nature of Tricia's husband, leading him to take his own life, she thought she would never live the life she dreamed of. God met her in her grief and sparked a passion to understand brain science and to help Christian women transform their lives. In this episode, Ann and Tricia talk about how pain changes the brain to make suicide seem like the only option. ***Although we do not talk about suicide in a graphic or detailed way, please use discretion if suicide is...
May 24, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Beyond lock-checking and hand-washing, OCD forced Ryan to drop out of seminary twice. In this episode, Ryan shares with Ann how he discovered he had some bad "habits," how he overcame the debilitating impact of OCD, and how he sees now that his faith is a gift. Ryan Ragozine is the host of the Thinker Sensitive Podcast , where he helps Christians and skeptics alike develop "think better" and "think together." Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and email your questions and comments to info@so...
May 17, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Last week we celebrated 50 episodes and next month we will have the first anniversary of the Soul Grit Podcast. It's time that Ann told you about her labor of love, an e-course designed to help therapists integrate their Christian faith into their practices. If you're a counselor (or in school to become one) this episode is for you! If you're not in the counseling field, you're welcome to listen in to hear Ann's passion, and pass the episode to a counselor in your community. Find out more about ...
May 10, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Christians deal with anxiety, just like anyone else. In fact, anxiety on the whole has been on the rise (can you guess why)? But Christians have power to overcome anxiety that the world doesn't have. Healey Ikerd is a licensed therapist who wrote a book called Changing Your Feelings: A Workbook and Journal for Anxiety and Worry to help Christians manage anxiety with tools from both Scripture and the counseling field. In this episode, she shares some of the highlights from her book, as well as he...
May 03, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 50
If you're a human, you are in relationship. Relationships are the domain of Marriage and Family Therapists, and one of the big issues we see in practice is the need to give and receive forgiveness. We know that the Bible instructs us to forgive, but it doesn't really seem like it explains how to forgive. Author Janey Pitts helps us understand what forgiveness means in the Bible and offers some practical tips on how we can practice forgiving in our own lives. Read the book Deeply Defined and find...
Apr 26, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Most prisoners are impacted by trauma, mental health, and relational needs that have little chance of being met while they are incarcerated. Jennifer Brianne, author and podcaster, is the founder of the Pens to Prisons ministry, which organizes volunteers to write letters incorporating prayer, scripture, and encouragement to inmates in approximately 10 different prisons in 5 states. Hear her perspective on the mental health and relational challenges that come through in the letters. Listen to Je...
Apr 19, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Getting arrested and processed through county jail is traumatizing in itself, but many inmates have mental health challenges before they even arrive in the system. Ann talks with Gary Quan, LMFT, about his time serving in the county jail offering hope and dignity to inmates who find themselves in the cycle of incarceration. Come back next week to learn more about a ministry that is offering messages of hope and salvation to prison inmates in several US states! This episode came about because a l...
Apr 12, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 47
If you had a mental health crisis, would you be able to afford treatment? Today's guest, Andrew Syed, realized after his own encounter with trauma treatment that he had what many do not: a chance to get the therapy he needed when he needed it most. Along with some friends, he founded A Way Thru, a non-profit that helps people from under-served backgrounds access mental health care. You can learn more about A Way Thru at waythru.org and consider giving to this organization to help more hurting pe...
Apr 05, 2022•35 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Who do you call first when you have a crisis? Your pastor, or a therapist? Depending on your background and what you're going through, your answer might be different. The beginning of this episode includes the end of the conversation that started in the previous episode with Pastor Charles Wolfe. Then Ann explains why she sees pastors and therapists as frontline workers. Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and email your questions and comments to [email protected] . Sign up at www.so...
Mar 29, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Charles Wolfe is the pastor of a small local church. As a Soul Grit listener, he started to ask questions about how therapists and pastors can both come alongside hurting people in a collaborative way. In this episode, Ann and Charles discuss why Christians need support from both pastors and therapists and started brainstorming about how to make this kind of holistic care available. You can find out more about Charles' ministry at www.rockridgechurch.org . And don't forget to come back next week...
Mar 22, 2022•55 min•Season 1Ep. 44
If your family ever hit a moment when a big or a small crisis turned your lives upside down, you may or may not have known that family therapy could help you out. But many of us think of family therapy as too daunting or too impractical to make that phone call. In this episode, Ann is joined by Lauren McClain, LMFT-A, to talk about family therapy and how it can help in all sorts of family situations. Lauren believes deeply in God's concern about families, as seen throughout the Scriptures. She t...
Mar 15, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Kicking off a mini-series about families and family therapy, Soul Grit welcomes Tammy Kennington, a Christian writer, speaker, coach, and mental health advocate. Tammy shares her story of a childhood filled with abuse and the ways God brought about healing in her adult life. Trigger Warning: physical and sexual abuse, generational curses. Ann jumps in to help listeners understand the clinical family dynamics and how counselors go about understanding and unpacking generational trauma. You can fin...
Mar 08, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Whether you're a Disney fan or just a nerd about family therapy, you'll love this episode. Ibinye Osibodu-Onyali, LMFT returns to the Soul Grit Podcast to talk about Disney's new hit movie Encanto. Ann and Ibi discuss the family dynamics, mental health issues, and generational trauma present in the Madrigal family. Then they tie it back to roles and gifts in the family of God. Whether or not you've watched the movie, you will find this episode entertaining and enlightening. You can find out more...
Mar 01, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Today's episode is a continuation of last week's conversation (Ep. 39: Making Up Your Mind - Pt. 1). You will learn all about mindset and how to choose a healthy one, plus lots more about following Jesus and improving your mental health. Michelle Nietert is the co-author of the upcoming book, Make Up Your Mind , which is available now for pre-order. You can find out more about Michelle on her website www.yourmentalhealthcoach.com or follow her on social media @michellenietert. Her podcast is cal...
Feb 22, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Why is mindset important? What does the Bible say about our mindsets? In today's episode, Ann chats with Michelle Nietert, a mental health professional and author of an upcoming book Make Up Your Mind . Besides mindset, Ann and Michelle cover lots of topics related to therapy and following Jesus. You can find out more about Michelle on her website www.yourmentalhealthcoach.com or follow her on social media @michellenietert. Her podcast is called Raising Mentally Healthy Kids . Follow @soulgritre...
Feb 15, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Pastor Drew Froese reveals the moment he realized he wasn't functioning as well as he could mentally and emotionally. In this episode, Ann and Drew talk about how medication helped Drew function as a compassionate and connected father, husband, and leader, and how sharing about his mental health struggles has helped others get the support they need. Find out more about Drew and his book FAITH FULL: A Practical Guide To Fully Living Out Your Faith at www. drewfroese.com . Follow @soulgritr...
Feb 08, 2022•45 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Are you hesitant about meds because you've heard people struggling with side effects or becoming addicted to them? Let Ann share with you her own story of medication, starting from the time she was 17. In this episode, Ann shares personal experience with meds over the course of several major life events, and how she keeps godly discernment in view at all times. Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and email your questions and comments to [email protected] . Sign up at www.soulgritreso...
Feb 01, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Is it ok for Christians to take antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds? What about more serious conditions that need meds? How should we understand the role of God's healing versus medical science for mental health conditions? In this episode, Ann offers some answers to questions about a Christian's approach to psych meds, when they should be taken and when they shouldn't. Listen in for a balanced view considering biblical and clinical wisdom. Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and email your ...
Jan 25, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Maybe you know God called you to do something big, but you're not sure how to get going? Or maybe your mental health struggles and self-doubt have kept you from really understanding God's purpose for your life? Listen to this conversation with Taylor Phillips, author of Training Ground: From Anointing to Appointing, and get inspired to get after the dreams God put in your heart. Taylor shares how she overcame her own anxiety and people-pleasing to follow the course God laid out for her. You can ...
Jan 18, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Before we can get to any real deep therapy work, we have to have a good foundation. If you want to maximize your mental and spiritual health in 2022, here are five simple resets you may consider. Last week, Ann covered sleep, nutrition, and exercise. In this second part, Ann covers social support and spirituality , and how they impact your mental health, and some quick steps to getting things on track. Ann even shares examples from her own busy schedule. Have a question for a Christian counselor...
Jan 11, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Before we can get to any real deep therapy work, we have to have a good foundation. If you want to maximize your mental and spiritual health in 2022, here are five simple resets you may consider. In this solo episode, Ann covers sleep, movement, and nutrition, how they impact your mental health, and some quick steps to getting things on track. Next week, Ann will continue covering the 5 areas by focusing on social support and spirituality! Have a question for a Christian counselor? Email info@so...
Jan 04, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 33
If you're feeling overwhelmed by all the festive foods this season, you'll love listening to this conversation between Ann and Jess Doan. Both are therapists, moms, Jesus-lovers, and foodies that need to have daily conversations with God about this "thorn in the flesh." In this episode, we talk about self-soothing, being connected to God and others, and some practical tips to bring order to your holiday food chaos. Some resources we mentioned in this episode: Dr. Curt Thompson on attachment and ...
Dec 21, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 32
What brings you joy? Have you ever made a list? How would you put it into practice in your daily life? Listen in to Ann's second session of joy coaching with Robin Shear of Joy to the World Coaching. This is Part Two of a two part coaching experience. Check out Episode 30 from December 7, 2021 for Part One. You can find out more about Robin at www.joytotheworldcoaching.com . She's also active on social media @joycoachrobin . Sign up at www.soulgritresources.com to be notified whenever a new podc...
Dec 14, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 31
