Podcasts about Richmont Graduate University

259. God Speaks to His Kids . . . Here's How with Chris Allen   **Transcription Below**   “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 NIV   Questions and Topics We Discuss: How can we actually disciple our children to listen to God and recognize when they are hearing from the Holy Spirit as well? You've stated, "If you want to hear him, cultivate wonder." Will you elaborate? What are some follow up questions we can ask our kids to actually put this into practice?   Chris Allen is married to Rachael and they have three kids. Chris has a masters degree in spiritual formation from Richmont Graduate University and he is a trained spiritual director. Previously Chris was a pastor in full time ministry for many years, but he is also a technology entrepreneur and is currently working in the technology group at Chick-fil-A.    Other Episode Mentioned from The Savvy Sauce:   231 Stories Series: Faith Building Miracles with Dave Pridemore   Thank You to Our Sponsor:  Sam Leman Eureka   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   **Transcription**   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:10 - 1:36) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Duggar, and I'm so glad you're here.    The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today, over 55 years later, at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka.   Owned and operated by the Birchie family, Sam Leman and Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over Central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at samlemanchevy.com.    Chris Allen is my guest today.   He has a master's degree in spiritual formation from Richmond Graduate University, and he's also a trained spiritual director. Previously, Chris was in full-time ministry as a pastor for many years, but he's also a technology entrepreneur, and currently he's working in the technology group at Chick-fil-A. Chris and my husband, Mark, actually go way back, so I've also invited Mark to come along with me today to interview Chris as we ask him more about cultivating wonder in our children and helping them to understand how to hear from God so that they can enjoy a conversational relationship with the Lord.   Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Mark, and Chris.   Mark Dugger: (1:38 - 1:39) Hey, thanks. Great to be here.    Chris Allen: (1:39 – 1:41) Yeah, it's great to be here.   Laura Dugger: (1:42 - 1:48) Well, I just want to start off and have both of you just take us back to how you two initially met.   Chris Allen: (1:49 - 2:20) Oh, gosh, that's dangerous, Laura. Are you sure you want to do that? Well, Mark and I met in, I think it was fourth grade. But I've kind of known for not having the best memory, so I could have that off.   Maybe Mark will correct me, but yeah, starting somewhere in maybe sixth grade, we started kind of being pretty close and spent a lot, a lot of years together through middle school and high school and into adulthood, so it's been a while. Yeah, Mark?   Mark Dugger: (2:20 - 2:32) I'm pretty sure we were in the nursery together at church growing up, so clearly you meant more to me than I meant to you. I think is what it's coming down to, but that's okay.   Chris Allen: (2:33 - 2:38) I know that's been a theme in our relationship, but you are very important to me, Mark.   Mark Dugger: (2:39 - 2:58) No, I just remember a mutual friend of ours moved away, and I think that was the catalyst for us starting to hang out. You lived right behind him. I would go to his house all the time, and then when he moved away, that was kind of the catalyst for us to start hanging out, and then I feel like we were pretty much inseparable from then on.   Chris Allen: (2:59 - 3:07) See, it's always good to have at least someone who remembers, but I do know that you're important to me today.   Mark Dugger: (3:08 - 3:10) Well, thank you, Chris.   Laura Dugger: (3:11 - 3:34) Well, and it's been awesome just to hear the stories of growing up together and being close through all the years, but you guys also had so many unique opportunities. As I hear how both of you had a faith at a reasonably young age, so I'd love to hear from both of you, what were some of your experiences through those formative years that grew your faith?   Chris Allen: (3:39 - 5:27) Yeah. Looking back on those years is kind of interesting for me. I became captivated by Jesus around the age of 13, and it really kind of consumed my time, at least mostly, and not because I needed to or had to.   It was I wanted to. In our church community, mostly our youth group, just kind of became honestly where I spent most of my time. Mark and I kind of experienced that together. So, I think we had a lot of time there.   We had a really tight-knit community. And then the other big thing was pretty early, we both kind of got invited into participating in God's work in different ways. We would lead things at our youth group.   We started leading things. Other youth groups started having us come in, and we had a worship band, and we would facilitate study and some teaching. But looking back at that, I'm like, oh my gosh, I can't believe they let me lead anything.   And so, it really, for me, illuminates how God has chosen to work in our lives. He invites us to participate in His kingdom. There is no qualification for that.   It's just as we are. And then He uses our participation not only to create fruit, like others are impacted by it, but He also shapes us in the process. And so, I think that's always true.   It's true today of all of us, but I can see it a little bit more clearly when I look back at that season. Yeah.   Mark Dugger: (5:29 - 6:20) Well, Chris, you glossed over the fact about talking about the praise band that we were part of and how I was really the core being the manager, aka sound manager. It was awful. I was literally there with no musical inclination whatsoever, and I was only there by association because you guys were awesome musicians, leading worship in incredible ways.   And I was the tagalong who we would do sound checks, and you would be like, “hey, Mark, can you turn up the left monitor? No, no, no, no, not that one. The other monitor. No, wait, no. You know what? I'm just going to come back and just do it for you.”   And so really, I was the glue that held everyone together. You didn't really talk about that part.   Chris Allen: (6:21 - 6:51) Yeah. I'm so glad you brought it up, Mark. Yeah, there was a lot of trips running from the stage to the soundboard to do the thing I was trying to get Mark to do.   But no, Mark, you were incredibly supportive in those years. All that was accurate, except for the amazing musician part. We maybe could say that about him, but for me, I think I knew just enough to maybe get through the song.   Mark Dugger: (6:52 - 8:45) Well, I was going to say, in all seriousness, there was one particular retreat I remember specifically, and you let me do the closing message at the very end, and it was going to be on the Prodigal Son. And I remember being like, this is one of those cool experiences that's still surreal to me that came in. I felt like I was kind of the closing deal. And so, I remember there being a lot of pride involved in that.   And I remember hearing about the Prodigal Son and knowing that story really well. And I came in just thinking, all right, I'm just going to just bring it and it's going to be amazing. And all of these kids are going to come and know the Lord.   And I remember even in my arrogance and pride, God still shined through. And I remember getting off that stage when I was about to walk off. I remember just, I even like forgot my words at one point and walked off the stage.   And it was absolutely, I felt embarrassed, and I felt like I had just failed God through my pride and arrogance. And then all of a sudden, you came in and kind of rescued this amazing moment and really closed out that message. And I'll just never forget how shaping that was for me, that seeing even in spite of arrogance and pride and fault and sin of my own, that God can still use those things for His good.   And I just remember that being such a shaping moment for me. And really just, I think it further grew our friendship just to see, you just kind of pick me up in that way and answer God's call and have the courage just to kind of lead through it there. So, I just remember that being just a profound moment in my faith and growth.   Chris Allen: (8:47 - 9:01) Yeah. Well, that's a great example of just the kinds of things we got to experience at that age. And I think it was really formative for both of us to get to do that in middle school and high school years.   Laura Dugger: (9:03 - 9:28) And I've just gotten to know this over the years, hearing all of these stories of the two of you and Adam Johnson, who was part of the band. And it's incredible to be so close in friendship still, all three of you, and now they're awesome wives. And so, switching gears though, from the past now, Chris, can you catch us up on your current life stage with your family as well?   Chris Allen: (9:29 - 10:34) Well, the biggest news is we just got a new pup. I don't know if you can hear him barking in the background, but Walt is our newest member. He's a little Shih poos.   So, he is a fluffy monster, which is wonderful when you're petting him, not so great when you have to pay for the grooming. But it's actually, it's been really good. We've talked about getting a dog for a lot of years, and our kids are just at the perfect season to soak it up.   So, we have three kids, 11, 9, and 6 (Ryan, Ramsey and Harvey) and my wife, Rachel. We are coming up on 16 years of marriage here this fall. So yeah, that's the season we're in.   We're having a lot of fun. It's like, you know, people keep telling me like, you're in the golden years. And I feel like we're actually experiencing it and enjoying it for the most part.   Of course, there's always, always the things. But yes, that's where we are.   Mark Dugger: (10:35 - 11:23) So, I want to go back here recently. We were on a drive down to Atlanta, and our kids love their phone conversations with Uncle Chris on the way down. And I just remember one specific instance where we were talking to you and asking you about this experience you had to, you were asked to lead a retreat for Ryan's school.   And we were just blown away by what you were learning, what you were experiencing, and then especially how you talked about growing in faith and really building a life of relationship with God and your kids. So, do you mind kind of just sharing us a little synopsis of that talk and what that looked like?   Chris Allen: (11:25 - 19:12) Yes, I'd be happy to. But first, I feel like the audience should know that most of my calls with your girls in the van are Uncle Chris trying to sell them a pizza or order a pizza with random things on it or making up like random songs or being a random character. So, it's mostly joking conversation.   And I'm not actually their uncle. We've just given me that title because we're close. But yeah, that's most of our conversations.   But yeah, I got invited to be the speaker at the fifth-grade retreat for my son's class. So, it was like a three-day retreat for their grade at his school. And as I was wrestling with like, okay, well, what, you know, what am I going to share?   I don't do that sort of thing that often. So, I'm usually excited when I get the opportunity to, but was just kind of sorting out, all right, what, like, God, what do you want to share with them? And this thought, actually, I should say, this was planned way in advance, and like, like, six to eight months in advance.   And it was kind of like in the back of my mind for a lot of months. And I had nothing like I had no clarity about what I was gonna talk about. And of course, you know, as you get closer and closer, you know, it starts to like, be a little bit more on your mind.   But I kept coming back to this thought of like, no, like, you know, God will bring clarity when he's ready. And trying to hold on to that thought. And then as we got like two weeks out, this thought just came, it was like, what if they began a conversational life with God at fifth grade?   Like, I've been working on this project that's kind of about how to help adults develop a conversational life with God. And before this moment, like I had not put these two opportunities together. But once that thought came, like, it just lit me up.   Because obviously, I have three kids that are kind of in that stage. And, you know, we're constantly pursuing them spiritually and trying to help them explore who God is. But that's not necessarily easy.   And obviously, trying to help them develop their own life with God, which is not easy, you know, they're kids, and they see things differently. And so for me, it was like, wow, what if they started now? You know, for adults, I think it's really hard.   Like prayer can mean a lot of things. I think most adults feel like prayer or conversation with God is somewhat hard. It's something they struggle with, typically something they want more of, but maybe don't feel super successful in.   So, the thought was, you know if you start in fifth grade, what would that change? Um, so I kind of went on a journey of trying to think about how could I help them? How could I help them explore this?   How could I help them start a conversational life with God? And that that kind of ended up being, you know, what the series of talks that I gave throughout the retreat were. So, my second thing was around like, if you want to hear him, you've got to cultivate wonder, which I'll come back to in just a second.   And then my third thing is, was teaching them to pay attention to their thought life, which we can dive into more. But the wonder piece, it may not be obvious, like why wonder, you know, why is that important? Um, so let me just speak to that for a second.   So, uh, the way I like to think about wonder is if you've ever been snorkeling in like the ocean, ideally in really clear water, uh, there's this moment, like, right. So, like you go out on a boat, you get to the spot where you're going to snorkel, you've got all your gear, you get in the water. And there's this moment where you're, you're about to go underwater, but before you do your head's still above the water, right.   And in this moment, you're like so close to beginning to see this whole new world that's underneath the water. Uh, but for this moment, your eyeline is above the water and you're really like, that's all you see. Like you really, you really can't, like, if you look down, you just see kind of like this fuzzy picture, right.   This distorted kind of water picture. Uh, but you can see for miles and miles across the top of the water, you see the sky, like there's so much above the water that you can see. Right.   And then you put your goggles on, and you drop your head down like six inches. And all of a sudden there's this whole other world, uh, that you really didn't have access to before that moment, right. You couldn't really see what was going on down there until you put your head under the water.   Uh, but then all of a sudden you start to see, you know, depths of the ocean. Uh, you know, reefs, all these, you know, different colors, all these different fish, wildlife, you know. Um, and then the same is kind of true when you're underwater. Like if you go underwater and look up, you can like see a vague color of the sky, but it's kind of all distorted.   So, I like this analogy because it kind of, it's like you almost have like two totally separate kingdoms, right? Like the underwater world and the above water world, they are right next to each other. There is this point at which they touch, but they operate so differently.   Like, you know, everything underwater is different, right? You can't breathe, like oxygen is different. Uh, you know, uh, the way you move is different.   You got to swim, you can't walk. Like the way things work underwater is different than how they work out of water. And I think the kingdom of God in the kingdom of earth is kind of similar.   Like there is a threshold at which they touch, but they, they operate so differently. Like the kingdom of God is just different. It's different than what we know in the kingdom of earth.   So essentially, uh, I kind of see like all of life is us, you know, trying to, or working towards participating with God in the kingdom. His kingdom, uh, while we are operating here on earth and the kingdom of earth. Um, and so wonder for me is, is like the goggles, uh, that help us move back and forth between kingdom of earth and kingdom of God. Uh, like when you put the goggles on, you know, you can, you can open your eyes underwater depending on the water, uh, but you can see so much better with, with goggles.   And so, um, wonder for me is like, is the vehicle that helps me move towards the kingdom of God. So, um, I'll, I'll, I'll share more about kind of like how I talked with the kids about that, but God speaks to his kids. If you want to hear them cultivate wonder.   And then lastly, pay attention to your thoughts. Uh, so that's, that's kind of what we talked about.   Laura Dugger: (19:14 - 21:09) And now a brief message from our sponsor. Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka has been owned and operated by the Birchie family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Steven's grandfather, Sam Leman opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago.   If you visit their dealership today, though, you'll find that not everything has changed. 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You can also call them at 309-467-2351.   Thanks for your sponsorship.    Well, and I love all of those. So let's just slow it down and kind of go through all three, beginning with that first statement that you make that God speaks to his kids.   And from previous conversations, I know that Mark and I agree with you on that, but not everybody does. Even those who are in the faith community may not agree that God is still speaking to his children. And so, what would you say is the basis for your belief on that?   Chris Allen: (21:11 - 23:18) Yeah, that's a big question. Well, you know, I think, I think it's pretty clear in scripture. Like, you know, we have in John 10 where he says, “I'm the good shepherd.   I know my sheep and my sheep will know, they'll know my voice. They listen to me.” Like, and if you read that section, it's not only that, like, he speaks, it's that like, it almost sounds like it's easy.   Like the sheep don't have to work to know who their master is like, or the shepherd is like, they know his voice. you know, like when the shepherd calls, the sheep can instantly know if it's his voice or not. you know, quick, funny story. I wasn't planning on telling you, but my wife is an identical twin. And when we first started dating her and her twin shared a phone, a cell phone.   So we're in college, we start dating. I would call my girlfriend, not knowing if she was going to answer the phone or if her sister was going to answer the phone. And I had to know, just based on the tone of their voice, which one it was could get in big trouble if I get this wrong.   Right. So, you know, I learned, I learned her voice. Right.   And the same is true, obviously, with like our kids, like they can tell the difference between your voice and some other parents voice. Right. Did you always get it right?   Did I always get it right? There was a few times where it was a little hard. Usually a lot of times, like there was context clues, you know, like just by the way they would talk to me, but sometimes like Rebecca would answer and just say like, “Hey, and you know.” it's like, that's all I got to work with is a “Hey, you know”?   And, you know, I wasn't quite sure for a moment. So, I would ask a question to get more talking going, and then I would figure out who this was. So, yeah.   Mark Dugger: (23:19 - 23:21) That's good. Sorry, I derailed you there.   Laura Dugger: (23:22 - 23:44) I'll bring us back because I think that's so profound, even how you said context clues. So, I'll bring it back. You were talking first, John 10:14.   “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me”. And then also a few verses later in 27, where he says, “my sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me.”   Chris Allen: (23:47 - 25:06) Yeah, I think. And then I think also like Jesus modeled this throughout his whole life. Like we would, you know, I and the Father are one, He would often retreat for time with the Father.   He seemed very clear on what the Father was saying. I mean, I realized there's a divinity gap between looking at how Jesus operated and maybe how we are. But then He also says, “like, it's better for Me to leave because I'm going to send my Helper, the Holy Spirit.”   And I think we see in that language, an even more intimate relationship. Like Jesus is in, like God is in us, you know? So, I don't think like when I study scripture, I don't think God intended for it to be hard for us to hear Him.   Which is why, you know, I'm interested in this topic. And as a lot of people that I interact, do struggle with that, and I struggle with that in my own life. I don't want to just accept that, you know?   So that's kind of what motivates me in this topic. It gets me excited to talk about it.   Mark Dugger: (25:09 - 25:12) That's cool. You have something else you wanted to say?   Chris Allen: (25:13 - 31:40) Well, I was kind of going back to the retreat. So, I think, you know, one of the biggest hurdles when I was in with the kids, as well as I think with us, even as adults, is first just acknowledging that we don't notice everything. Like there's things happening around us that we just simply don't notice.   If you're like me, like I feel like I'm fairly observant. And I do notice a lot of things. And I typically kind of feel like I'm right about things, you know, or I feel like my take is kind of on point.   It can be hard to admit this, but the reality is like there's so much happening around us that we actually don't notice. So, when I was talking to the kids, this was like the first thing that I tried to establish. So, I had this opening slide that said, if you're reading this, put your finger on your nose.   And so, as I come up to talk, I mean, I'm just introducing myself for the first time. Hey, everyone, I'm so glad to be here. My name is Chris. Mr. Chris, you know, and I'm starting to talk to them, you know, leading into our time together. The whole time behind me is this slide. If you're reading this, put your finger on your nose. And so, as I'm talking, you know, certain kids started putting their finger on their nose, but as I went on for like five or 10 minutes, right.   And in the end, you know, maybe a third of them had their finger on their nose. And so, I was like, you know, the first thing I want to establish with us together is an idea that there's things happening around you that you do not notice. And to convince you that that is true.   I want you to look around and notice your friends who have their finger on their nose. And the reason is because of the slide behind me that you haven't noticed yet. Right.   And so, it was a really fun way just to help them go like, oh, interesting. I guess I don't notice everything. And then we kind of moved to this idea of taking on a posture of curiosity.   And so, I was like, I want you to imagine that we or I was like, does anybody know a name of a famous detective? You know, they're shouting out names and stuff. So, we landed on Sherlock Holmes.   OK, well, Sherlock Holmes was here in the room with us, and he was trying to solve a mystery. What do you think he would do? And, you know, hands start going up.   He'd look for clues. Like, yeah, that's right. He'd look around.   You know, he's trying to figure out clues to solve the mystery. Right. And so, cultivating this posture of curiosity of like, OK, if things are happening around me that I don't notice.   And I want to notice them, like, what would that look like? I've got to start getting curious about my life, about the things that are already in it. And why are they there?   And so that's really kind of at the root of this idea of cultivating wonder is looking at your life and the things that are already in it and wondering about them. I'll give you an example. Our oldest, Ryan, is going into middle school, a transition which there's been a little bit of energy about in our house.   But near the end of fifth grade, Ryan was a little bit unsure what school he wanted to go to. He wasn't sure if he wanted the school that they are in which goes K through 12. So, he had the option of staying there.   But he also had the option of potentially moving to a different school. And he had some friends that are going to move. And that was kind of a catalyst for a lot of the conversation.   So, for a lot of that time, you know, just to be transparent, there was a lot of worry and anxiety as we were trying to discern, like, which school should he go to? And, you know, you've got layers that you've got my take on, you've got Rachel's take on it, you've got Ryan's take on it, right? And all of course, his parents, like, you know, we don't want to just make a call and force him, you know. We really want him to be bought in.   And at the same time, we have a sense of what we think. And so for a while, we were just kind of doing what I call wandering. Wwe were just wandering around within this topic, like, you know, Rachel would feel anxious about certain things, I would feel certain things, you know, Ryan's feeling certain things. And we're just kind of ping ponging around, wandering around.   And then one day, it finally started to shift towards wonder for me. And it was just like, you know, I wonder what God is up to in Ryan's life. Like, I wonder what God has in mind for Ryan, as he's moving into middle school.   I wonder which environment might be best for him, you know, to shape him in this next season. And instead of like latching on to the pieces that we're maybe concerned about and obsessing about those or thinking about those, just moving towards wonder, even though it doesn't solve anything, it doesn't change anything, like the situation is still the same. But it begins to change how I hold that thing.   And before I know it, I am interacting with my Father God about this thing that I was just worried about. And so, it's like this transformation of taking the, because here's the thing, this thing is already happening in my life. I'm already spending energy on it.   Like, why not let it be the catalyst for how I'm going to interact with God? And so cultivating wonder, curiosity, why is this happening? What is God up to?   As I mentioned already, for me, it's kind of been the gateway for me to put on goggles and to begin to see more of why things might be happening. Or what God's up to and just hold them differently than I was previously.   Mark Dugger: (31:40 - 31:55) So, I love this topic and thinking about it. How can we then disciple our children to listen to God and know for themselves, like, and recognize when they're actually hearing from the Holy Spirit?   Chris Allen: (31:56 - 39:42) Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think, I don't think there's a perfect formula.   I think it's something we just cultivate. Some of that's going to depend on the individual. I think each child's going to be a little bit different, but I think this idea of starting to notice things is a key one and just helping them think about or acknowledge that they're not going to see everything.   Another little tool that I use with the students was those magic eye things. I don't know if you remember this from our childhood, but they had books and posters with these pictures of, like, when you look at it from a distance, it's just like a lot of little random things or like a confusing drawing at most. But if you look at it a certain way, right, you start to see this picture within the picture.   Right. And so, we used that. It was awesome.   We had like a contest to see who could see it first and they got prizes and stuff. But you know, it's basically like we have to fix our eyes. Right.   We have to learn how to see the unseen, essentially, in the same way. I mean, those posters are actually a little tricky for a lot of people. Like if you don't see it, you don't see it.   Like, you know, you have to learn a certain like once you get the hang of it and you position yourself in relationship to it just right. Right. You can start to see like the horse or whatever jump off the page.   But, you know, learning to see what is unseen is not easy. But here's the really, really cool part that I think is really important for kids. It's like God made them for this.   And, you know, not just kids like us to like God made us for this. Your mind is already doing the things that is needed for this. And so, at the retreat to help them like understand what I mean by this, I basically wanted to show them all the things that they already know that they never learned.   And you may not know what I mean by that, but basically we played this game where I had all these logos from different famous brands. But I intentionally chose brands that were like adult brands, like insurance, Allstate, you know, State Farm. And so, we had their slogans or their logos in some cases, and they had to guess what it was.   They knew them all. And it's like, you know, I would make jokes, of course, in between they get off. They got Allstate.   And I'm like, I would go up to the kids who guessed it right. I'd be like, so tell me, do you have auto insurance with Allstate? Or is it home insurance?   What is what's your coverage amount? You know, what is your policy like? Just to drive home the point, it's like, you know, they're not a customer.   There's no reason they should know who Allstate is. But they are watching TV, they're driving around, they're doing different things in life. And of course, they have absorbed, their mind has learned what Allstate is without them even trying, right.   And so, your mind is doing a lot of this work already. It's already noticing everything around you. It's already learning and processing all this information.   Dallas Willard talks about kind of the role of the mind. A lot of times, we think of the mind as a generator of thoughts. And this is a pretty big position or adjustment that I think is important.   But instead of viewing the mind as a generator of thoughts, viewing it more as a processor of thoughts. Because reality is like, you didn't make up Allstate, you didn't make up the brand, the kid didn't make up the brand. You just processed it, you know, and that's what your mind is doing with most information.   And so when we start to view the mind as a processor, you now have a category for okay, there's all these other things that are basically submitting things to our minds. And you know, that's all the things we've been talking about, right? That's billboards, that's TV, that's us, like we're submitting thoughts to our kids' minds.   But you know, everything they read, everything they look, everything around them is constantly submitting thoughts to their minds. And their mind is just processing away. But it does it all automatically, like that's what the mind was made for.   So, for me, the kind of good news in all this, even though I think some of these thoughts can sound kind of foreign, or maybe hard to go figure out, it really is how we were designed. Like it's, you know, God designed our minds to interact with him. He designed our minds to be able to recognize thoughts that are coming from him.   So, when we shift the mind to a processor, really, that point is just about learning to notice those thoughts, okay, as they come in, right? And as you start to notice them, you can notice, you know, kind of the nature of them or the characteristic of them. And God, the thoughts that God might be presenting to your mind versus the thoughts that other sources might be presenting to your mind, over time starts to become clearer and clearer and clearer.   So maybe just like a practical example would be that, like, sometimes when we're processing things with our kids, if they're feeling a certain way, I might ask them, like, hey, what are you thinking about this? Or what's the most, like, what's the last thought you had about this? And it's like, oh, I'm worried, you know, I was thinking about, you know, my buddy, how he won't like this thing, you know. And it's like, oh, okay, that's why you don't want to go, you know, to that place, because your buddy doesn't like it. You know, it's like, but oftentimes, I will go to the, I'll go to thoughts, and ask them about their thoughts, what's the most recent thought to understand what emotions might be happening now. But I think even just talking about thoughts as a thing, right?   Like, what thought did you have, is really helpful to start, because a lot of times, I think the default is we kind of like assume we are our thoughts, we are one with our thoughts. And this can get really dangerous. I think, especially for young men, but really for all of us, because we have a lot of thoughts that are not honoring to God or to each other, right?   And so, if those are me, then that says a lot about who I am, right? So separating ourselves from our thoughts, positioning the mind as the processor of thoughts, not only gives room for the idea that God is presenting thoughts to our minds, but it also gives room for the idea that the enemy or the world or these other things are presenting thoughts to our minds. So just because we might have that thought doesn't mean it's us, which is a big thing as well.   Laura Dugger: (39:43 - 40:52) I love that because, okay, so going back to that first point, so God speaks to His children, and I think it's helpful for me just to have that articulated. That has been my experience, that one of the ways God speaks to me is through my thoughts, and so sharing that with our children as well. And something, when I'm verbally processing then later, if I'm wondering and I'm questioning, where did this thought come from?   Where did this originate? Mark's question to me will always be, whose voice is that? And I think it's another way of what you're saying, because it could be culture, it could be God, it could be the enemy's voice, and that it is through our thoughts.   But then if we are now, you've recommended also thinking about what our thoughts are. So, thinking about our thinking and pursuing that listening stance. So that kind of leads into the next point where you share that you say, if you want to hear Him, cultivate wonder.   So, can you just elaborate on that?   Chris Allen: (40:55 - 45:09) Yes. So well, let me also mention, so I mentioned Dallas Willard, he has like a quote that I really love around this. And I'll just go ahead and say it for those that might be thinking it, like, did you really present all this to kids?   Yes, I did. I wrestled so much going into this with like, this is too much, like it's too deep, it's too much content. I almost changed a lot of the talk, like literally like five minutes before it.   But I kind of landed on this, you know what, and there was a lot of adults in the room, it wasn't aimed at them, but it was just like, my job is to just throw it out there. And like, if one kid just grabs onto something, you know, so yes, I did. I did give this to kids, but I realized it's a lot.   So, but Willard says, he says, generally, it is much more important to cultivate the quiet inward space of a constant listening than to always be approaching God for specific direction. And he goes on to say, in the still small voice of God, we are given a message that bears the stamp of his personality quite clearly. And in a way, we will learn to recognize it.   How the message comes, this is kind of the biggest part right here: how the message comes is diminished almost to the vanishing point, taking the form of thoughts that are our thoughts, though these thoughts are not from us. And so, when I first read this, it was like, oh my gosh, like, I think I've experienced that. But he is putting words to something I, you know, maybe hadn't fully acknowledged that like, this, this is God speaking to me, you know. So, I think a lot of times we, we write off our thoughts as just like, oh, it's just my lunch, you know, or whatever. But I, I really believe, and Willard, you know, believes that one of the primary ways that God speaks to his people, and when we say children, I don't mean children in this case, not like the age of someone, but anyone, um, any person, like, this is a, at least a huge part of how God speaks to them is, is through their thought life.   And so, for me, like, as I, as I've started to walk in this, and, um, take, pay more attention to my thoughts, and then actually, like, hold them like, okay, well, what if this was God speaking? You know, it's, it's changed my personal interaction with God, um, for sure. So, I think for most people, if you're not already practicing this, it can feel inaccessible.   It can feel hard. It's like, oh my gosh, like, are you telling me that I have, like, I have to change everything. Like, I have to start recognizing all my, like, if you're not already doing that, um, and I think that's where cultivate wonder comes in. Is moving towards just a posture of curiosity, moving towards a posture of wonder, of, um, when you start to notice a thought, like, just hold it out there.   It's like, oh, that's interesting. I just had that thought. Hmm.   And you just think about it. You just wonder about it, right? You don't really have to do anything.   Like in the beginning of this, you don't have to do anything with it. Like, just look at it, hold it, name it, and just wonder about it. Like, I think that is the first step.   And so, I think there's little ways we can help our kids with that, right? Just as we're helping them process things, as we're talking through things, um, we can call out what we think we hear them say, you know, and just say, Hey, it sounds like you had this thought. Is that right?   You know? Um, and just the way we, you know, they can pick things up quickly. So, the way that we teach them to process what they're thinking about, um, is a huge gift to them.   If we can help them name their thoughts and hold them out.   Laura Dugger: (45:09 - 47:07) When was the first time you listened to an episode of The Savvy Sauce? How did you hear about our podcast? Did a friend share it with you?   Will you be willing to be that friend now and text five other friends or post on your socials, anything about The Savvy Sauce that you love? If you share your favorite episodes, that is how we continue to expand our reach and get the good news of Jesus Christ in more ears across the world. So, we need your help.   Another way to help us grow is to leave a five-star review on Apple podcasts. Each of these suggestions will cost you less than a minute, but it will be a great benefit to us. Thank you so much for being willing to be generous with your time and share. We appreciate you.    Well, and just want to speak to some of this as well. So, when you were sharing about children, meaning more than actual age children, I was thinking back.   Our oldest daughter, Selah was baptized a couple of years ago and a scripture that was really meaningful to her in that process as she was writing out her testimony and just pondering the work that God had done in her life. She really was impacted by a verse I'd love to read because that's another sure way that God does speak to us is through the word of God. So, the Bible, that's always a way that we can hear from Him.   But this verse is John 8:47, and it says, “Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”   Chris Allen: (47:07 - 50:09) Well,  I think the emphasis that I would point out on that is that it's not that God is not speaking.   It's the reason you don't hear. So, I believe God's pursuing people even that aren't following Him. And even in our case, I think God pursues us even in our disobedience.   But what shifts is our ability to hear. And so, it's like we're tuning in, and that invitation exists for, I think, for all people. It's the opportunity to just tune in more to what God is up to, what He's saying, just by looking at what He's already doing in your life, what's already happening.   Just look around, pay attention, start to notice, start to name it. And like I was saying, if this feels overwhelming, which I think it definitely can, the beautiful thing is we were made for this. Our mind was made to work this way.   It's how God designed it. And one of the final ways that I pushed this across the finish line with the kids was the final logo that I had was Nike. And of course, not only did every kid in the room know the answer to what the brand was, half of them were wearing it.   But if you look back in your life, and this is what I had them do. It's like there's some moment in your life where you were not aware of Nike. You probably were already wearing it, the toddler walking around in it or something. It's all around you.   It's everywhere. Everybody else is wearing it too. You've seen tons of ads and advertisements.   It's everywhere. Yet there was some moment where you didn't know what it was. If you saw the logo, you'd be like, I don't know what that is.   And then at some point you cross this threshold where it's like all of a sudden you learn like, oh, that's Nike. And so, if you could pinpoint that moment in a kid's life, it's like in that moment, you go from like, I don't know, to like, Nike. Well, Nike didn't all of a sudden exist in that moment.   It was no more present than it was before. It was always around you. It was always active.   It was always everywhere. The only thing that changed in that moment is you became aware of it. And that's how I like to think about like what God is up to in our lives.   He is active. He's all over it. He is in your every day and every situation that we're in.   And He is inviting us to participate with Him, to notice Him, to talk with Him about it and to interact with Him through those things. But we just have to become aware of Him. And for me, I think wonder is the thing that helps me shift in that direction, just cultivating wonder.   Mark Dugger: (50:11 - 50:31) That's awesome. So you talked about with your kids, asking them and follow up questions about their thoughts. But is there any other practical ways you think about bringing this to life with our kids to help them kind of shape some of this line of thinking?   Chris Allen: (50:34 - 52:38) Yeah, that's a great question. I mean, the other kind of analogy that I've used with my kids as well is where's Waldo? So, my spiritual director, Jeannie Hoover, who's amazing, who lives in Illinois as well, she actually was the one who used this analogy in our conversations first.   But you know, where's Waldo's fun? You get the book or the posters and you're looking for Waldo, right? But you have no chance of finding him.   First, you can't find Waldo unless one, you believe he exists. Two, you know what he looks like. And three, you look for him.   And so that's kind of the starting point. I think an easy starting point with kids, plus you can use the Waldo book and they love it. But they have to believe God exists.   They have to know what He looks like, and they got to start looking for Him. Obviously, we can play a very tangible role in helping them kind of learn what He looks like and helping them look for Him. I think one easy way is like, you know, some kind of daily routine, as maybe you're putting them to bed or debriefing the day.   Or you might ask a simple question like, you know, did you notice God anywhere today? Or was there anything that happened in your life today, you know, where you noticed God? Or you can also go, I think a lot of times we can find Him in the things that we're struggling with.   So, is there anything that happened today that hurt you or didn't sit well with you? But as you help them process that, right, you're kind of looking for where is God in the story? What is he up to?   And helping them connect those dots.   Mark Dugger: (52:40 - 52:41) Oh, go ahead.   Laura Dugger: (52:41 - 52:44) Oh, you go first. I wonder if we're on the same thought.   Mark Dugger: (52:44 - 54:00) I was thinking, I was recently, this is helpful for me personally, but I was recently frustrated about a day or something that happened recently. And I was just, you know, going through the iterations of why this thing caused me frustration. And, you know, it caused me to take out frustration on others that were around me and impacted others.   And then my friend was just casually kind of listening to me and just said, what do you think God's calling you to do in the midst of this? And it was just such a simple yet profound question that I hadn't even considered. Like I wasn't even thinking about God being active and involved in this frustration that was going on in my life because I was so consumed by it.   But yet when I take that moment, I think him asking that question to me, helped me step back out kind of that 10,000 foot view and just say, huh, what, where is God right now in this process? And what is he potentially trying to show me in the midst of this frustration? And I think that's something that our kids can really understand too.   They can really grasp onto that concept. So, I think that's been a helpful one for me.   Laura Dugger: (54:00 - 54:58) You're both stirring all these ideas because I also think something that Mark's started recently on a Sunday on Sabbath, he loves to go around the table with our kids. And the youngest is five, as you know, Chris, and he'll ask all of us, where did you see God at work in your life this week? And they are able from a young age to think back on their life.   And I think that God does manifest himself to them. But then whether this is a question then for children or adults or everyone, even a conversation that Mark and I have had with you and Rachel before, where when you're going back to something that's happened in the past, asking yourself of that situation, if I go back to that scene in my mind, where was Jesus within that? And that's a pretty profound experience, I would say as well.   Chris Allen: (54:59 - 56:56) Yeah. Well, I think another something that I would encourage people to think about is this is not something that we have to figure out. That's really God's role is to teach us how to do this.   I think throughout scripture, the posture of curiosity or wonder is encouraged. Just ask, just seek, just knock. And you will find it.   The door will be open to you. And so, I don't think God asks us to figure out how to hear His voice or figure out how He speaks. I think if we come with just a posture of curiosity, which honestly, even that alone takes a little bit of work on our side, right?   But if we just cultivate some curiosity about what he's up to, my experience has been that you will start to notice. If you just focus on noticing and being curious, you will start to notice Him. I think sometimes we focus on the outcome.   We think the intimacy, like if I could hear God well, if I had a conversational life with God, I would experience intimacy with Him, right? But I think the truer thing is that a lot of the intimacy is in the learning. It's in the process.   We just show up, we just cultivate curiosity. And as God teaches us, a lot of the intimacy comes out of the teaching. Like, oh my gosh, that was God.   I just saw Him in a way I hadn't before. And so I think hopefully it takes some of the pressure off and allows us just to start to look for Him.   Mark Dugger: (56:57 - 57:13) Yeah. This conversation, I think, has been so helpful just to begin the process of thinking about this. Is there anything else that you want to add or help this message stick or bring home deep within us?   Chris Allen: (57:16 - 58:07) I think I would just say, if you're someone who maybe is not sure that God is speaking, I would just challenge you to pretend that He is. Just try it. Just start looking around, start noticing, and just see what happens.   In my experience, God is fully capable of making Himself known to us. If we just take a step in his direction with curiosity or wonder, He will reveal himself to you. He'll start showing you things.   And it's not constant, right? But over time, your faith will grow that He is speaking, that He does speak, and it will start to transform how you interact with Him.   Laura Dugger: (58:10 - 58:31) I love it. And I'm going to kind of summarize. Okay, so God speaks to his kids.   We get to participate and cultivate wonder. And a practical thing was to pay attention to our thoughts. With all of this too, Chris, you've alluded to a project.   Do you want to share any more information about that?   Chris Allen: (58:31 - 59:54) Oh, man. Yeah. So yeah, I've been working on a book for about a year and a half now with my spiritual director, Jamie, who I mentioned, really for adults about wonder.   I think we activate and use wonder a lot as kids, especially when we were kids. I think kids are better, more naturally jumping into wonder. The pool of life for adults is away from wonder.   It's towards the other side of the brain. It's towards be productive, be on time, be on task, get it done. And the more we fill our lives up with things, which as you all, like in this season that we're in, life is very busy, wonder just so easily gets squeezed out.   And so the project I've been working on is really aimed at helping adults cultivate wonder in their life again, specifically around how they interact with God, which probably no surprise at this point in the conversation. But yeah, it's so exciting. I mean, we're down the road, things are starting to solidify, and we got a good bit of work left to do, but I'm really excited about what that will be.   Laura Dugger: (59:55 - 1:00:15) Well, then we look forward to a part two of this conversation when that's further along. We'd love to have you back, but you are already familiar that we are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so as my final question for you today, Chris, what is your Savvy Sauce?   Chris Allen: (1:00:16 - 1:00:57) Oh man, well, I think I might be a broken record on this one. So it's probably a summary statement here, but if wonder is our goggles into the kingdom, the question is how can we put them on more? And so, my encouragement is to leverage the things that are already happening in your life to help you cultivate wonder.   And obviously that's what the book is about. So hopefully maybe I can help some people do that more in specific ways once that's out, but that would be my Savvy Sauce.   Laura Dugger: (1:00:58 - 1:01:38) Love it. Well, I think Mark can share as well, but from the two of us, we just love you and Rachel, and Ryan, Ramsey and Harvey. And Mark and I are so grateful you have profoundly impacted us.   Just the friendship with you guys has been incredible. And also spiritually, we've learned so much from you and hopefully sharpened one another. And I appreciate the impact that the two of you have had on each other spiritually as well.   And I get to enjoy sweet fruit from your amazing and godly friendship. So, thank you for all you shared today. Thank you for your friendship.   And thank you for being our guest.   Chris Allen: (1:01:40 - 1:01:42) You're very welcome. Thanks for having me on.   Mark Dugger: (1:01:43 - 1:03:04) Yeah, I was just gonna say thanks. You know, friendship is pretty rare. And it's pretty remarkable just to think about all we've been through together.   But yet, Laura summarized it so well, but you've had such a profound impact on me, even in those years, you know, picking me up in high school ministry when we were doing those, those kinds of things together. And then we shared a mentor with Dave Pridemore, who's actually been a previous guest here on The Savvy Sauce. And just learning more about who we are in Christ.   And you've always been an encouragement to me. And that's just been such a blessing in my life. Just to know that there's always that constant friendship.   And no matter what goes on, no matter how, you know, being states apart, you know, sometimes we're not always talking all the time, but it's always nice to know that you, it's always the same. It's like we picked up right where we left off. And I think that's, that's deeper than just the friendship, but it's the bond that we have in Christ.   And that's, you know, you've challenged me in this way, just to think about wonder, this isn't something that comes to me naturally. And so I'm just very thankful for this conversation. And then just to be able to share some of the things that we've talked about privately, but be able to share with this audience today.   So thanks for doing that.   Chris Allen: (1:03:05 - 1:03:06) Absolutely.   Laura Dugger: (1:03:07 - 1:06:50) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.   We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now?   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life?   We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.   If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason.   We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone.   Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible.   I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ.   I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “In the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

In this episode of The Practice of Therapy Podcast, host Gordon Brewer welcomes Whitney Owens, a seasoned group practice owner and consultant, to discuss the critical issue of therapist retention. Whitney shares her insights on why losing a therapist can be costly—not just financially, but in terms of client care, team morale, and overall practice stability. She breaks down practical strategies to create a supportive work environment, improve hiring and onboarding processes, and foster long-term commitment among therapists. Whether you're struggling with turnover or looking to build a thriving team, this episode is packed with actionable advice you won't want to miss! Resources Mentioned In This Episode Read the full show notes here Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free Website Design Packages from Inflow Google Ads for Therapists Start Consulting with Gordon The PsychCraft Network The Practice of Therapy Community Mental Health Wear TN Meet Whitney Owens Whitney Owens is the owner of Water's Edge Counseling, a thriving group practice in Savannah, Georgia. When she's not leading her practice, she enjoys coaching, running, or sipping coffee while reading a good book. She is married to a pastor and is the proud mother of two daughters. Having navigated the challenges of balancing work and family, she continues to learn and grow in both areas. A graduate of Richmont Graduate University, Whitney received specialized training in both professional counseling and faith integration. Her career spans various clinical settings, including residential treatment, hospital work, and the successful launch of multiple private practices. Today, Whitney has created a fulfilling lifestyle, working four days a week, picking up her children from school, and running a profitable business. She has found a way to do the work she loves, live out her faith, and enjoy the journey along the way. Whitney's Website Instagram Facebook Summit

Casey has much to offer as she shares her journey to become a counselor and her passion to encourage healthy families. She talks about the pain experienced by parents and by the children. And the conversations that can lead to healing.Casey Lewis is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist living in Chattanooga, TN. She worked with Cru for three years out of college before spending five years at the University of Alabama. From there, she attended Richmont Graduate University. She has worked for 11 years in private practice and has over 20 years of experience working with teenagers. Casey's Resources:Casey's Blog: https://www.forwhatitsworthblog.comhttps://www.attachmentproject.com/Judy's Resources:Read Home: The Most Significant Place in the World: https://bit.ly/3Qo3FYgRead Joy and Pain Over Generations: https://bit.ly/4hGNt0bJoin the Prayer for Prodigals community here: https://bit.ly/3uyhSWQSign up for Judy's monthly newsletter here: https://bit.ly/39TBlYtPurchase a copy of the When You Love a Prodigal book for you or a loved one here: https://amzn.to/3RuiUx9Stay connected:Website: judydouglass.com/podcastFacebook: facebook.com/JudyDouglass417Instagram: instagram.com/judydouglass417Twitter: twitter.com/judydouglass417Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/judyddouglass/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JudyDouglass

In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Preston Hill and Sarey Conception for a conversation about psychological trauma and theology. Preston's academic work focuses on trauma theology, aiming to help people of faith understand and address trauma through a science-informed approach. The conversation delves into the importance of balancing the seriousness of trauma with the possibilities for hope and healing. Additionally, we discuss the launch of the Spiritual First Responders Project. WATCH the conversation on YouTube here. Dr. Preston Hill serves as Assistant Professor of Integrative Theology at Richmont Graduate University and the Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program. ln 2021 he completed a Ph.D. in Theology at St Mary's College, University of St Andrews, having previously completed an MLitt degree in Analytic and Exegetical Theology from the Logos Institute at St Andrews. He has released his first coauthored book with Scott Harrower and Joshua Cockayne entitled Dawn of Sunday: The Trinity and Trauma-Safe Church (Cascade) and is releasing his first edited volume entitled Christ and Trauma: Theology East of Eden (Pickwick Publications). Dr. Hill is also ordained in the Anglican tradition and is a pre-licensed clinical pastoral therapist. Spiritual First Responders Project: Spiritual thriving after a big faith change is possible! The Spiritual First Responders Project is a new resource for navigating faith change with evidence-backed processing groups led by licensed mental health professionals. They are looking for folks who have de-identified from religion but are still seeking a healthy community and some sort of healthy spiritual practice. We know that globally, one out of every five people used to identify as religious and now no longer identify as religious. Half of those folks still have persisting spiritual desires and don't feel like those desires are being satisfied. There's no current social infrastructure to help them flourish how they want. If you aren't finding room for doubting, questioning, or exploring other parts of your own tradition and other traditions altogether, and you want a safe community to do so, consider joining the SFRP. The essential aim is to provide groups that are aimed to meet the unique needs of this population. So if you would benefit from a safe, anonymous group led by a licensed mental health professional, check it out. _____________________ Join my Substack - Process This! Join our upcoming class - THE RISE OF BONHOEFFER, for a guided tour of Bonhoeffer's life and thought. Go with me to Berlin to spend a week in Bonhoeffer's House! Follow the podcast, drop a review, send feedback/questions or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

239 Stories Series: Experiencing the Supernatural with Jackie Coleman   Genesis 50:20 + 21 (NIV) "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them."   Questions and Topics We Discuss: Are you willing to share some of the supernatural happenings you experienced with you family and  your dad near the end of his life? Will you share a few of your God stories you've experienced through your daughter, Olive's medical journey? What are some recent things the Lord has been teaching you?   Jackie Coleman completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia in 2005. She later earned an M.A. in Counseling from Richmont Graduate University and an M.Ed. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she was named an Urban Scholar. While in Boston, she worked as a bilingual Family Counselor for Youth Villages, and later launched the Transitional Living program, which is designed to assist at-risk youth aging out of state custody. While in Atlanta, she worked on marriage and family issues with Building Intimate Marriages and research and writing projects for best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn. In 2012, as Executive Director, Jackie helped design and implement Governor Deal's REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) Georgia program, a mentoring and college scholarship opportunity for low-income middle school students. Eventually Jackie taught at Winters Chapel School where her children attended. Jackie is married to John and she now stays home with their four children.   Other Episodes Mentioned from The Savvy Sauce: 23 Nurturing Friendships with Jackie Coleman 99 Sabbath Rest with Sandy Feit   Total Forgiveness Sermon by R.T. Kendall   Thank You to Our Sponsor: WinShape Marriage   Connect with The Savvy Sauce through Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Ever wonder what holds people back from living fully now? What's in the way? Or how people can be so toxic AND successful? It's next to impossible to live a legacy now with genuine abandon and joy without a journey of personal wholeness. Jenna Riemersma explains the internal journey we make to free ourselves internally. Using the IFS (internal family systems therapy) we discuss embarrassing habits, debilitating anxiety, selfish motives, addiction and toxic thoughts as real struggles facing us all. How do we approach inner healing to really live differently? Jenna is the founder and clinical director of The Atlanta Center for Relational Healing. She is teaching faculty for the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP) and core faculty for Addo Recovery. She holds a master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a master's degree in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University. Her two books Altogether You and Altogether Us offer great wisdom to anyone on a journey to wholeness. This episode is full of wisdom, insights and practical steps! Jenna is transparently joyful, open, wise and qualified to lead us toward wholeness as we seek to live lives that matter now. https://jennariemersma.com | https://ifs-institute.com/nobadparts | www.movetoward.com | https://www.wvi.org/publications/research/water-sanitation-and-hygiene/strong-women-strong-world-beyond-access-learning This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit daniellestrickland.substack.com

In this episode, we talk with Preston Hill, assistant professor of integrative theology at Richmond Graduate University. Preston's insights challenge us to rethink our understanding of trauma, moving away from viewing it simply as suffering. This important, timely conversation includes a discussion of spiritual hurt and the often painful reality of trauma within church communities. As we delve into the characteristics of trauma-informed churches, Preston emphasizes prioritizing the safety of people over protecting the church's image. Our conversation highlights the pivotal roles of listening, believing, empowering, and restoring in creating trauma-informed communities. Join us for a thoughtful exploration of trauma, theology, and the healing process. Preston Hill Bio-  Preston Hill is an Assistant Professor of Integrative Theology at Richmont Graduate University. He's also a Clinical Pastoral Therapist in private practice and an Anglican priest-in-training. As a practical theologian and practicing therapist, Preston's research, teaching, and clinical work engages themes related to theology and mental health. His theological work has engaged the Reformed tradition, science-engaged theology, and topics including suffering, theodicy, atonement, trauma, and spirituality. He's the author of Dawn of Sunday: The Trinity and Trauma-Safe Churches and the upcoming Christ and Trauma: Theology East of Eden. In addition, Preston has edited the volume Trauma Theology: Perspectives on Christ & Wounds That Remain, which is due to be published in 2024.  Resources: Preston's website Previous episode: Becoming a Trauma-Informed Church Free downloadable toolkit: Becoming a Trauma-Informed Church Action Plan Spiritual First Aid (includes a module on “Becoming a Trauma-Informed Church, Community, or Organization”) —---------   This episode was produced by WildfireCreative for the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College. Theme Song: “Turning Over Tables” by The Brilliance Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | Stitcher | RSS Follow us on Twitter: @drjamieaten | @kentannan Follow on Instagram: @wildfirecreativeco Note to the listener: In this podcast, sometimes we'll have Evangelicals, and sometimes we won't. Learning how to do better involves listening to many perspectives with different insights and understanding. Sometimes, it will make us uncomfortable; sometimes we'll agree, and sometimes, we won't. We think that's good. We want to listen for correction—especially in our blind spots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dave Worland, Executive Director with The Knoble introduces you to Dr. Timothy Quinnan, President of Richmont Graduate University. Dr. Quinnan shares about the significance of integrating academics, scripture, and your Christian faith when it comes to the practical application of counseling. Tim also shares the history of Richmont Graduate University which has its roots here in Chattanooga.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The Trinity & Trauma-Safe Churches" with Dr. Preston HillWhether we realize it or not, our churches are full of those who have experienced and are living with the aftereffects of horror and trauma, whether as survivors, carers, or perpetrators. The central question of this book is simple: How can our churches become open to the Trinity such that they are trauma-safe environments for everyone? How can we join the triune God to become trauma-safe churches? While the reality is bleak, the church can dare to hope for healing because of the reality of God and the body of Christ. Using the metaphor of the dawn of Sunday, the authors propose a double witness to trauma that straddles the boundary between the deadly silence of Holy Saturday and the joy of Easter Sunday. While witnessing loss and lament we can also be open to the possibility of new life through God's trinitarian works of safety and recovery in the church. This involves adopting some basic principles and practices of trauma safety that every pastor, congregation, and layperson can begin using today. Creating trauma-safe churches is possible through God the Trinity.Preston Hill (PhD, MLitt, University of St Andrews) is Assistant Professor of Integrative Theology at Richmont Graduate University, where he serves as the Co-Chair of Integration and the Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program. His doctoral research offers the first book-length study of Christ's descent into hell in the theology of John Calvin. His current research focuses on reformation theology, science, and mental health. His latest publications include Dawn of Sunday: The Trinity and Trauma-Safe Church (Cascade, 2021), and a forthcoming volume entitled Trauma Theology: Perspectives on Christ and the Wounds That Remain (Fortress Academic).

The social and political life of the church is in upheaval, as the currents of our polarized culture invade the Christian witness from both within and without. We desperately need a re-centering on the radical work of Jesus, even if this means ceding our securities and curating a holy suspicion of the world's power structures. In this lecture and in his new book, Making Christ Real, Dr. Sam Youngs argues that the ascension of Christ is an untapped resource in this regard, with invigorating implications for both spiritual formation and cultural engagement. Come and hear a new and powerful theological rendering on the meaning of the ascension for our everyday experience in difficult times.Samuel J. Youngs serves as an associate professor of Christian studies at Bryan College, adjunct professor of theology and church history at Richmont Graduate University, and the Dean of the Mission School of Ministry. He completed his PhD under Paul Janz and Oliver Davies at King's College London. His first book, The Way of the Kenotic Christ, was a major English monograph on the Christology of Jürgen Moltmann, and he has published on interreligious topics, theology and psychology, the thought of Martin Luther, the Old Saxon Heliand, natural theology, narrative pedagogy, kenosis, and staurology.Lecture begins at 2:54Q&A begins at 49:10

Today for our Valentine's focused show, we are discussing intimacy, romance, sex, duty sex, and sexless marriage. We have as our guests today Andrew and Amanda Scott. While we usually discuss NeuroDiversity as the Autism Spectrum, Neurodiversity also includes ADHD. Andrew and Amanda are also NDCC! Andrew is an ordained minister with a Masters in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Amanda holds an MA from Richmont Graduate University and is an MFT and Certified Sex Therapist. She sees clients here in GA at Building Intimate Marriages in Suwanee, GA. Andrew and Amanda share an online ministry @andrewamandascott and enjoy raising their two little redheaded princesses in Atlanta. We talk about God's design for sex in marriage and the dangers of porn in marriage.Andrew and Amanda have great resources for working on your intimacy if you are out of crisis mode and ready to begin work on your sexual intimacy.Youtube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@AndrewandAmandaScottWebsitehttps://www.andrewandamandascott.comhttps://www.andrewandamandascott.com/sacred-sensuality

Dr. Nicole Thaxton is the co-Founder and Clinical Director of Atlanta Wellness Collective, a holistic counseling and wellness practice located in Acworth and Marietta, Georgia. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor in the state of Georgia, who has counseled high-achieving individuals and families in private practice since 2016. She is passionate about findings in the fields of psychology, leadership development, exercise and nutrition, and high performance. She uses that knowledge to help people find freedom from anxiety, overachievement, and people-pleasing so they can grow in self-awareness and enjoy a fulfilled life.Dr. Nicole says she was born a high achiever, writing "Let No One Outwork You Today" on her bedroom wall when she was 8. Dr. Nicole went on to earn an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, a master's degree from Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, and a Ph.D. from Mercer University. She has doctoral specializations in developmental trauma, child and adolescent counseling, and counseling supervision. Dr. Nicole also founded and operated The Anxious Achievers Club, a weekly online newsletter and online support community serving over 50K members.Dr. Nicole lives in Marietta with her husband RJ and her amazing teenage stepdaughter. You can find her on Instagram @cocothax and TikTok @drnicolethaxton. Contact info: hello@atlwell.comwww.atlwell.comIG: @cocothaxTT: @drnicolethaxtonSupport the show

In this episode, host Dana Brookover, PhD interviews Mitchell Waters, PhD about his novel dissertation study titled, " The Experiences of Religiously and Spiritually Diverse Counselors and Psychotherapists Who Work with Survivors of Sexual Violence ". Dr. Waters discusses the qualitative study's implications for counseling, counselor education, and our personal lives.  He also shares his advice for making it through a PhD program.Guest bio:Dr. Mitchell Waters is an Assistant Professor in Mental Health Counseling at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He received his Ph.D in Counselor Education and Supervision from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and his Master's of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Richmont Graduate University in Chattanooga, TN. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with Mental Health Service Provider designation. He has worked as a counselor in community mental health, private practice, corrections, and higher education for years. He has had the privilege of working with individuals, couples, and groups of diverse gender, racial, ethnic, sexual, and religious identities. His clinical specialties are on the treatment of post-traumatic stress and sexual addiction. His research interests focus on survivors of trauma, secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma, religious and spiritual diversity in the counseling setting, and interfaith harmony.Link to dissertation study: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/6876/

In this episode, we interview Scott Harrower on his recently released book, Dawn of Sunday, from the New Studies in Trauma and Theology series at Wipf and Stock (book link: https://wipfandstock.com/9781725291041/dawn-of-sunday/ ). The book is co-authored with Joshua Cockayne and Preston Hill (see author bios below). This is part one of our interview, so stay tuned for an additional episode. In case it's helpful, here are some timestamps for the episode: 1:42 - Why write a book on trauma? 4:25 - Increased awareness about trauma within the Church 7:40 The many forms of trauma and how to identify it 9:15 - The role of the trinity in understanding how we approach trauma recovery 13:00 Trauma and the Trinitarian Paradigm in ‘The Dawn of Sunday' 16:00 - The definition of trauma from a medical perspective 21:30 - Collective trauma, intergenerational trauma, and how they relate to trauma responses at the individual level 23:40 - Trauma and its relationship to various understandings of evil ~~~ Music: “10 Days (Instrumental)" by Forget the Whale 
From Free Music Archive
 CC BY NC SA ~~~ Author Bios: Scott Harrower is associate professor of theology, history, and ethics at Ridley College in Melbourne, Australia. He is an Anglican priest and is the author of God of All Comfort: A Trinitarian Response to the Horrors of This World. Joshua Cockayne is a city center mission lead in the Diocese of Leeds and an honorary lecturer in theology at the University of St Andrews. He has published widely in philosophical theology on issues related to spirituality, liturgy, and ecclesiology. Preston Hill is assistant professor of integrative theology at Richmont Graduate University which houses an Institute of Trauma and Recovery. He is an ordinand in the Anglican Church in North America.

On today's episode, Fr. Wesley sits down with Scott Harrower, associate professor of theology, history, and ethics at Ridley College, and Preston Hill, assistant professor of integrative theology at Richmont Graduate University, to talk about their new book Dawn of Sunday: The Trinity and Trauma-Safe Churches. You can listen to previous interviews with Scott Harrower here and here. You can send your feedback and questions to thesacramentalists@gmail.com or reach out to us on Twitter @sacramentalists. If you want to dive deeper and enjoy dialoguing with others about content on the Sacramentalists, check out our Facebook discussion group here. Be sure to join our Communion of Patreon Saints for only $5 a month!

Dr. Stephanie Caine joins me today to chat about mental health and parenting. I had so much fun and gained so much from our conversation! Dr. Caine has worked in education as a high school counselor for 14 years in both public and Christian school settings in Atlanta, Georgia. During her time in education, Dr. Caine served in various leadership roles including Department head, Director of Diversity, and College Counseling. Dr. Caine previously taught in the Master's in Counseling program at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, Dr. Caine is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Georgia. Dr. Caine has led several trainings to school faculty and multiple conferences in the areas of equity and diversity, parenting skills, suicide prevention, relationships, and bullying prevention.Find Dr. Caine Website www.renewcc.netEmaildrsteph@renewcc.netInstagram@drsteph.renewcc〰️〰️Shanny

Welcome to the new season of the Power Shift podcast, another beautiful collaboration between Danielle Strickland and World Vision. We are connecting with people who are at the intersection of power shifting around the world, including World Vision staff.  Our third episode is interviewing Jenna Riemersma. Jenna is a best-selling author and popular speaker on topics including faith, mental health and authentic living. Jenna's book, Altogether You, was a #1 best-selling new release on Amazon and can be found by clicking here.Jenna Riemersma is the founder and clinical director of The Atlanta Center for Relational Healing. She is teaching faculty for the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP) and core faculty for Addo Recovery. She holds a master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a master's degree in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University.Jenna is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Level III Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapist, an EMDR therapist, Certified Sex Addiction Therapist Supervisor (CSAT-S), Certified Multiple Addiction Therapist Supervisor (CMAT-S), and a National Certified Counselor (NCC).Jenna has been married for twenty-six years, is the proud mom of two young adults, an animal lover, and yoga enthusiast.For more on all the things Danielle Strickland, go to daniellestrickland.comFor more information on Infinitum Life, go to infinitumlife.comFor more information on the Women Speakers Collective, go to womenspeakerscollective.comCheck out these other collaborations with World Vision:Right Side Up course: Videos & activation guide from Season 1, on beatitudes:  https://www.worldvision.org/church/resources/rsu_curriculum Prayer Postures: https://www.worldvision.org/church/resources/prayerrhythms Soul Care for leaders: https://www.worldvision.org/church/resources/right-side-up-soul-care-with-danielle-strickland Resilient Leadership for Kingdom Come (pastor specific): https://www.worldvision.org/church/resources/resilient-leadership-for-kingdom-come Infinitum Prayer Days: https://infinitumlife.com/prayerday 

The church today is increasingly traumatized and traumatizing. An endless stream of "scandals" and "moral failing" of major church leaders is leaving many Christians disenchanted, disillusioned, and deconstructing their faith. There are so many survivors in our churches today suffering in silence. They carry wounds hidden in shame among communities that feel overwhelmed and unprepared to offer effective trauma-care. Where do we go from here? How can we create churches that are trauma-safe? This presentation will sketch some basic principles and practices of a trauma-safe church which are made possible by the triune God of the gospel and the blessed incarnation of Jesus Christ who has promised to never leave his people come hell or high water. Our theology is simply too good not to be trauma-safe. By seeing trauma more clearly in the light of basic Christian theology, we can begin immediately to be who we are, namely, Christ's very own body, the trauma-safe church.Preston Hill (PhD, MLitt, University of St Andrews) is Assistant Professor of Integrative Theology at Richmont Graduate University. His doctoral thesis offers the first monograph-length exposition of the place of Christ's descent into hell in the theology of John Calvin. Dr. Hill is the co-author of the forthcoming book "Dawn of Sunday: The Tinity and Trauma-Safe Church" that explores the themes of this lecture in depth.

As we increasingly attend to the ongoing mental health crisis, the church must raise its awareness of both psychology and trauma. Certainly, a well-informed church can contribute to meaningful healing in these contexts. But the church has also, historically, been a significant factor in traumatization. Christian teaching itself has contributed to psychological wounding on many fronts, and the church will struggle to become fully trauma-informed until it examines this reality. This presentation will discuss the dynamic interplay that can arise between religious doctrine and traumatizing circumstances, in the hope that such awareness will enable wisdom, compassion, and repentance.Samuel J. Youngs serves as an associate professor of Christian studies at Bryan College, adjunct professor of theology and church history at Richmont Graduate University, and the Dean of the Mission School of Ministry. He completed his PhD under Paul Janz and Oliver Davies at King's College London. His first book, The Way of the Kenotic Christ, was a major English monograph on the Christology of Jürgen Moltmann, and he has published on inter-religious topics, theology and psychology, the thought of Martin Luther, the Old Saxon Heliand, natural theology, narrative pedagogy, kenosis, and staurology.

We are joined on this episode by Dr. Preston Hill, Assistant Professor of Integrated Theology at Richmont Graduate University. Preston discusses his work on trauma, abuse, and trinitarian theology, as well as his soon-to-release co-authored book, Dawn of Sunday. How is the Trinity foundational for our understanding of human relationality? How can pastors create trauma-safe spaces for community and healing in their congregations? All this and much more on this week's episode.

I am lucky to have many of my good friends and peers join the show. Uriah Guilford, Jessica Tappana, and Whitney Owens are here for a casual conversation. First, we dive into the importance of diversifying your income. We open up about what it's like to run a practice as well as another business. Both isolation and imposter syndrome can show up for us; we talk about ways to overcome and navigate our limiting beliefs. Later, we chat about the importance of finding a community to build you up, make you feel confident, and allow you to be vulnerable on your journey. Meet Uriah Guilford I am a licensed therapist & group practice owner. I want to help you be more productive, profitable & happy with your business and your life. Basically, work less and get more done! If you have achieved any level of success in your private practice then you can relate to the following. You have more tasks to complete than hours in the day. You work super hard because you are passionate and want to grow. Sometimes you neglect your self-care and other important things in your life. Not so great right!? That is why I have built a team of amazing virtual assistants for practice owners just like you! Hiring a virtual assistant in 2012 was one of the best decisions I ever made. It allowed me to double my business income without feeling like I was losing my mind. Actually, go on vacation and not be tied to my iPhone the whole time. And serve my clients better! It made such a massive difference for me and it can for you as well! If this sounds interesting, check out our services page and the most frequently asked questions we get all the time. Meet Whitney Owens I enjoy working with both adults and adolescents on an individual basis. I have experience working with those suffering from depression, anxiety, self-harming behaviors, identity formation, relational issues, and other mood disorders. I use a variety of therapeutic models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. I have been seeing clients since 2009 in a variety of settings. While earning my Master in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University, I saw young adults at a residential treatment facility. In 2010 I moved to Colorado where I spent four years working at an inpatient and day treatment facility. Also while in Colorado, I joined a group practice and saw teenagers and adults. In 2014 I moved back to Savannah and started Water's Edge Counseling. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and a member of the American Counseling Association and the Licensed Professional Counseling Association of Georgia. In addition to counseling, I also offer a number of other services including training and speaking engagements. Meet Jessica Tappana Jessica Tappana started her private practice on her maternity leave about 20 months ago. After filling up in only a matter of months, she decided to bring on other therapists as 1099s and transitioned Aspire Counseling into a group practice. Worried about how she would fill the caseloads of these new therapists, Jessica tried several different marketing strategies.  Ultimately, she decided to focus on getting her website to the first page of Google and began teaching herself SEO at nights after her kids were in bed. Slowly after gathering a couple of tips here and there, she got her website to the first page for nearly every keyword she targets.  Aspire Counseling has grown to now include five therapists and a virtual assistant! In fact, all of the therapists are nearly full, and Jessica hopes to find a few more quality team members in the months to come. Create Another Business For An Additional Income Stream A theme that people hear from me a lot on the podcast is how it's important to diversify income. Uriah, Jessica, and Whitney all run at least two businesses. There are a lot of unique challenges that come with owning multiple businesses. One of the great things about having two businesses is constantly waking up excited. If you're less excited about one business, at least you can get excited about your other project. However, having two businesses can come with a lot of stress, and people from the outside looking in don't get to see that side of things. No matter what, you can wake up every day and bring 'you' into that business. Battling Isolation and Imposter Syndrome In Private Practice As practice owners and business owners, it can get very isolating at times. So, sometimes imposter syndrome shows up. Uriah says one of the most valuable things for battling the isolation and imposter syndrome is feedback. Feedback is invaluable on your private practice journey. When you have people you can gain feedback from, you will walk away with thousand times more confidence. Everyone struggles with their business, so if you can hear other people's experiences, it will make you feel less isolated. Plus, this feedback will shape the future of your business for the better. Find Support No Matter Where You Are In Your Journey Regardless of where you are in private practice, you need support. Find a group of people that you trust to help you on your journey. Make sure you're comfortable with this group, and you can be vulnerable with them. The power of a group is having a community where you can share anything. As therapists, we all know the importance of group work and community. A mastermind group can be a powerful tool to uplevel your practice and uplevel your business. It will give you the confidence to keep working on your business and take the next step. Take A Risk, Get To Know Others, and Create A Community Private practice is hard, and managing people is hard. So, make sure to take care of yourself so you can have energy in your businesses. Get out of your comfort zone and meet people. If you're not already in one, create a community for yourself. Get involved and take risks in getting to know people. In general, therapists are pretty safe people. It would help if you weren't too scared to reach out to someone and get to know them. [fusebox_transcript]     Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Uriah's Resources Productive Therapist Guilford Family Counseling  Instagram Whitney's Resources Waters Edge Counseling  Grow Your Faith-Based Practice with Faith in Practice Mastermind! Practice of the Practice: Faith in Practice Podcast Jessica's Resources Aspire Counseling MO Simplified SEO Consulting  Email: Jessica@SimplifiedSEOConsulting.com Resources Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Blueprint Health: First month free with promo code TPOTPODCAST Join the Practice of Therapy Focus Group Using Google Workspace As A Practice Platform Course Thursday (Oct. 28th) at 1pm ET:  Using Google Workspace In Private Practice Free Webinar: Using Google Workspace for Practice Management Get Your Copy of The Full Focus Planner   Join the Google Workspace for Therapists Users Group Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, “Like” us on Facebook.

Such a great conversation with a new friend, Tina Hall! She is Travis Hall's wife and is a pastor, nutritionist, and just overall good person. She specializes in intuitive eating and her business is called Fit 4 Purpose, which definitely lines up with me and this podcast. I loved our discussion about being fit, physically and spiritually, to be sure we are aligned with what God wants for us! You will, too! Enjoy!   Key Takeaways: How she was led to being a nutritionist If the Holy Spirit is within us, shouldn't we treating ourselves differently Balance, variety, and moderation are key  

Join Pastor Travis Hall and guest Dr. Dan Sartor as they talk about the problematic notion where "it's ok for everyone to be broken—except the healer." Data shows, 7 out of 10 pastors suffer from depression. Unfortunately, when stress, anxiety, or depression start to creep in, pastors are often the last to realize it. In this episode, Dan talks about the varying symptoms of depression, how God sometimes reveals His works when you seek help, and why Dan thinks love blossoms in places of vulnerability and suffering. Tune in as they put the spot on the Transformational Truth #38 - Wounded healers need a safe place to heal with Dr. Dan Sartor. Ready your notes, as there will be a ton to take away from this episode. In this episode you will learn: · Dan: "I felt like I had to live in a way that looked like I had found the answers." · About the Wounded Healer Paradigm · The symptoms of depression from a pastor's experience · Seeking help can be your discovery of God working to set you free · Why is it not good that man should be alone? · …and so much more! About Dr. Dan Sartor: Dan Sartor is the Vice President of Integration and Professor of Counseling at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, GA. He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Board-Certified Counselor. Dan's clinical specialties include complex trauma recovery, sexuality issues, addiction recovery, marital therapy, and the integration of faith within clinical practice. He provides continuing education, advising, clinical supervision, and consultation to non-profit and ministry organizations on complex trauma, trauma-informed care, vicarious trauma, and compassion satisfaction to promote thriving at the levels of organizational health, staff wellness, and client care. Dan and his wife, Robin, have been married for over 30 years, and they have four young adult children, a beloved son-in-law, and a very stubborn miniature dachshund. Dan enjoys reading, music, and home improvement projects. Connect with Dr. Dan Sartor on: Website: https://www.dansartorphd.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-sartor/ Catch Pastor Travis Hall on: Website: http://cultivatemypurpose.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pastortravishall/ Seven Deadly Thoughts Book by Travis H. Hall: https://cultivatemypurpose.com/book/

In this episode, Whitney Owens opens the show by explaining the importance of having grace and acceptance on your private practice journey. If you aren't as productive as you want to be, learn from your mistakes and make better choices moving forward. Whitney also explains why she does a time study to determine where she spends most of her working hours and what she can improve on in the future. Plus, Whitney reveals why learning more about Enneagrams has taken her business to the next level, and we chat about using faith in private practice. Meet Whitney Owens I enjoy working with both adults and adolescents on an individual basis. I have experience working with those suffering from depression, anxiety, self-harming behaviors, identity formation, relational issues, and other mood disorders. I use a variety of therapeutic models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. I have been seeing clients since 2009 in a variety of settings. While earning my Master in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University, I saw young adults at a residential treatment facility. In 2010 I moved to Colorado where I spent four years working at an inpatient and day treatment facility. Also while in Colorado, I joined a group practice and saw teenagers and adults. In 2014 I moved back to Savannah and started Water's Edge Counseling. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and a member of the American Counseling Association and the Licensed Professional Counseling Association of Georgia. In addition to counseling, I also offer a number of other services including training and speaking engagements. I have been invited to local organizations such as churches and schools to educate on leadership, adolescent issues, parenting, family concerns, and mental health. As well, I have spoken at retreats focused on helping women heal and find themselves. I have also spoken at youth meetings to adolescents. Please let me know about your next event and how I can help. Practice Grace And Acceptance The most important thing is that private practice owners need to provide themselves is grace and acceptance. When a day doesn't go the way you want it to, or maybe you don't prioritize everything the way you would wish to, it's best to learn from it. Always take a lesson from the mistakes that you make and make better choices moving forward. Never beat yourself up for something! Delegating has been huge for Whitney as she works on managing more and more in her personal life and professional life. She relies on her husband tremendously when she needs help around the house and their children. Conduct A Time Study A time study is significant because our time gets away from us, and we have no idea where we spend it. From a financial standpoint, it's essential to know where your time is going. If you have a side hustle for your practice, think about where you spend your time and which one is bringing you more income. Also, think about where you can delegate more. If you're spending too much time in one area and not getting enough money, consider having more delegation efforts. That way, you can focus your time on the area that will bring you the most income. Making a list will help you see where you can save time throughout the day. Consider Joining A Mastermind Group Do you want to grow a faith-based group practice? Whitney's favorite thing about consulting is the group work that she gets to do with people. Specifically, she loves mastermind groups because you see these great connections come together in a small group of people working on their business. Whitney's mastermind group is for people who have a faith-based practice. In the group, they talk about religion when appropriate, but they also work on their businesses. Luckily, Whitney and her group get to pray for each other and use their faith to help make business decisions together. If you want to learn more about Growing Your Faith-Based Practice with Faith in Practice Mastermind, check out the link: https://practiceofthepractice.lpages.co/faith-mastermind/. Learn More About Enneagrams When Whitney learned that the Enneagram Type 1 has a critical voice in their head at all times, she was confused. Whitney thought that everyone had a critical voice in their head. Also, Enneagram Type 1 carries anger around with them; they are angry at the world for being so messed up. These simple things spoke to Whitney. After digging into the Enneagram Type 1, Whitney understands herself so much better. Now Whitney uses it to understand other people and help other people know themselves. In fact, Whitney is planning an Enneagram Type 1 training for all of her staff next week. Overall, Whitney does it with all her clients, and she does it with everyone she consults; it really helps move treatment and businesses along. Learn more about Enneagrams by checking out Ian Cron's work: https://ianmorgancron.com/. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links! Whitney's Resources Waters Edge Counseling  Grow Your Faith-Based Practice with Faith in Practice Mastermind! Practice of the Practice: Faith in Practice Podcast Whitney Owens | Starting Fresh & Growing Fast in Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 036 Whitney Owens | Contractors Vs. Employees In Group Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 091 Faith in Practice Consulting with Whitney @Practice of the Practice Group Practice Launch Membership Community Email: Whitney@practiceofthepractice.com Resources  Use the promo code "GORDON" to get 2 months of Therapy Notes free. Solo to Group Practice: Adding More Therapists to Grow Your Time & Income Money Matters In Private Practice | The Course Get your FREE Financial Analysis Guide... Google Workspace for Therapists | The E-Course Purchase The Full Focus Planner™ Join my Focus Groups Session Note Helper 3.0 Join the Google Workspace for Therapists Users Group Cool Resources Follow @PracticeofTherapy on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast wherever you listen to it. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn, and Pinterest, “Like” us on Facebook.

*DISCLAIMER* This episode discusses adult themes and is not intended for little ears   Brain's Role in Sexual Intimacy with Angie Landry    Isaiah 55:8+9 (NIV) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”    Angela Landry, an LMFT, Nationally Certified Counselor, and Certified Sex Therapist of Restoration Counseling TN, is a passionate individual seeking to help others. She takes satisfaction in working with individuals, couples, and groups. Angela received her undergraduate degrees from Trevecca Nazarene University in downtown Nashville, TN in Behavioral Science and Religious Studies. She graduated from Richmont Graduate University with a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and specializations in Counseling & Spirituality and Christian Sex Therapy. She runs a private practice full-time in Franklin, TN. She also enjoys teaching, mentoring new therapists, assisting in a yearly assessment retreat with candidates for ordination in the Nazarene Church and their spouses and providing intensives for couples/families. The vast majority of her clientele seek her out for assistance with some form of sexual dysfunction or trauma but she also sees other concerns. She and her husband have been married for 14 years and have 3 kids ages 10-3. She grew up a Nazarene pastors kid (Wesleyan/Methodist for those who aren't familiar with the Nazarene Church) and is proud of this heritage. She loves being with/around/on a horse, the ocean, and is a country girl at heart.   Restoration Counseling Center (Franklin, TN)   The Savvy Sauce episodes with Dr. Michael Sytsma:   Top 10 from 2019: #8 Enjoying a God-Honoring Healthy Sex Life with Your Spouse with Dr. Michael Sytsma Episode 104: Sexual Desire Discrepancy in Marriage with Dr. Michael Sytsma Top Ten from 2018: #9 Ten Common Questions About Sex with Dr. Michael Sytsma   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Also, check out our Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and freebies!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

“No issues touch us more profoundly or more universally. No themes are more inseparably intertwined. No topics caused more controversy. No human realities have greater power to bless or to curse. No three things have been sought after or more in need of a Christian response: money, sex, and power. — Richard Foster, from Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Money, Sex, and Power We are continuing the conversation today with Steve and Special guest Hayne Steen - “The Trap of Money, Sex, and Power, Part 2”   MEET SPECIAL GUEST HAYNE STEEN, MAMFT, LMHC Hayne grew up on the north Florida coast and met his wife at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida where they were both students and Young Life leaders. Since 1992 they have been serving together in full time ministry with Young Life and the local church all over the southeast. Hayne worked in private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist for six years while co-directing The SoulCare Project, serving as the Director of Counseling and Care. In 2017, he started his own practice, Elbow Tree Christian Counseling, LLC. Hayne is a Flagler Alumnus (‘95) and did his graduate work at Richmont Graduate University (‘11). He lives in Saint Augustine, FL with his wife, three children, and one grandchild. Contact Info for Hayne at Elbow Tree Christian Counseling: Website | www.elbowtreeflorida.com Office | 904.559.1944      Email | turnhere@elbowtreeflorida.com   MENTIONED IN PODCAST Proverbs 11:14 (NIV) Proverbs 12:15 (NIV) Proverbs 15:22 (NIV) Family of Origin exercise - 6 questions: What were the negative characteristics that you experienced in your caregiver (In the growing up years when you were just being formed)? Whether that was a mom, dad, or a grandparent that was charged with your care. What were the positive characteristics that you experienced in that caregiver? What were the unmet needs that went unmet. Like, what were the needs that you had, like physical, emotional, spiritual, that just did not get met? What were the words that never were said, that needed to have been said over you that you long to hear? When we think back on positive experiences in your family: vacations weekends, special birthdays, holidays--positive experiences in the family, what were the warm emotions that you felt in that season? When things were not going well in the family; when things were blowing up; when things were breaking down—How did you cope? Where would we find you? What did you do? Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Money, Sex, and Power by Richard Foster  READING: Excerpt from In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen - [READ]   SOLO: CREATING SPACE WITH GOD by Stephen W. Smith and Peter Ivey

SHOW NOTES “No issues touch us more profoundly or more universally. No themes are more inseparably intertwined. No topics caused more controversy. No human realities have greater power to bless or to curse. No three things have been sought after or more in need of a Christian response: money, sex, and power." — Richard Foster, from Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Money, Sex, and Power This quote from Richard Foster is the perfect introduction to today’s podcast. Join Steve and Special guest Hayne Steen on today’s new podcast “The Trap of Money, Sex, and Power.”   MEET SPECIAL GUEST HAYNE STEEN, MAMFT, LMHC Hayne grew up on the north Florida coast and met his wife at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida where they were both students and Young Life leaders. Since 1992 they have been serving together in full time ministry with Young Life and the local church all over the southeast. Hayne worked in private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist for six years while co-directing The SoulCare Project, serving as the Director of Counseling and Care. In 2017, he started his own practice, Elbow Tree Christian Counseling, LLC. Hayne is a Flagler Alumnus (‘95) and did his graduate work at Richmont Graduate University (‘11). He lives in Saint Augustine, FL with his wife, three children, and one grandchild.   MENTIONED IN PODCAST Challenge of the Disciplined Life: Money, Sex, and Power by Richard Foster  Family of Origin exercise - 6 questions: In your growing up years when you were just being formed, what were the negative characteristics that you experienced in your caregiver? Whether that was a mom, dad, or a grandparent that was charged with your care - what were the positive characteristics that you experienced in that caregiver? What were the unmet needs that went unmet. Like, what were the needs that you had, like physical, emotional, spiritual, that just did not get met? What were the words that never were said, that needed to have been said over you that you long to hear? When we think back on positive experiences in your family: vacations weekends, special birthdays, holidays--positive experiences in the family, what were the warm emotions that you felt in that season? When things were not going well in the family; when things were blowing up; when things were breaking down—How did you cope? Where would we find you? What did you do? Ephesians 1:3 (MSG) Brene Brown - The Daring Way “A Prayer for the Church” by Rev. Emily Swan reading - words to meditate and pray on From the book “Rhythm of Prayer” by Sarah Bessey O Ignis Spiritus (Music) - Lyrics translated to English   SOLO: CREATING SPACE WITH GOD by Stephen W. Smith and Peter Ivey

Christie Simons, Executive Director of Atlanta Angels Christie is a counselor by training, holding her Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Richmont Graduate University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She currently works as the director of a university counseling center and has also served as […] The post Christie Simons from Atlanta Angels appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

Christie Simons, Executive Director of Atlanta Angels Christie is a counselor by training, holding her Master s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Richmont Graduate University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor. She currently works as the director of a university counseling center and has also served as […]

If you've ever felt that You are Your own worst enemy, then this episode is for you! We talk about many things, but at the core of it all is how to stop warring internally to find more peace, happiness, and truly connect with ourselves. (or the “IMAGO DEI” )In this episode we interview Jenna Riemersma - Jenna is the founder and clinical director of The Atlanta Center for Relational Healing. She is teaching faculty for the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP) and core faculty for Addo Recovery. She holds a master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University.GREAT IDEAS IN THIS EPISODEWhat is IFS (Internal Family Systems Therapy)We over-identify with whatever we are currently feeling and thinkingMove toward vs Move against energyAll. Parts. Of. You. Are. Good.Big-T trauma or little-t trauma, we've all got "exiles" that experience pain.The role of "managers" and "fire-fighters."Finding strength through acceptance and understandingRESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODEwww.jennariemersma.comLink to Jenna's Free CoursesSnag Jenna's awesome book All Together You : Experiencing personal and spiritual transformation with Internal Family Systems therapy (amazon affiliate)WHAT WE DOWe show you how to turn ideas into daily action to create lasting change, no matter how full your plate is. You already have all the info you need. It's time to ACT!We help you build confidence by...Providing ideas you can act on todayKeeping promises to yourselfTaking daily steps forwardCreating habits that improve your life and compound into resultsWHO WE AREWe are the action guides. Two family guys shortcutting success ideas into simple action steps that fit a busy life. We put the guru ideas and challenges to the test and modify them to fit any lifestyle. We believe in changeWe believe in the power of compounding daily habitsWe believe you can become the best version of yourself by acting with intention FOR MORE GREAT IDEAS - CONNECT, FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBEPodcast: Apple | Spotify | Google | WebsiteFacebook: @ideagympodcastInstagram: @idea.gymEnjoyed this episode? Subscribe and leave us a review. We're always working to get better and love feedback. Connect with us on social media or send us an email at hello@ideagym.info.What idea are you going to put to work today?

Jenna Riemersma is the Clinical Director of The Atlanta Center for Relational Healing. She is a teaching faculty member for the International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP). Jenna holds a Master's degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a Masters’ Degree in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University. Jenna is the recent author of Altogether You, which better explains IFS therapy and how every part of you is meant to be (and should not be shamed for it).   TAKEAWAYS: [3:00] What is Jenna’s book about and why did she write it? [5:15] How do we best manage or process the different parts of ourselves? [7:15] We each have a core or a deep self within us. It is whole and it consists of the 8 C’s. However, our different parts (traumas) jump up and obstruct our access to our deep self. [10:55] Dr. Rob shares an example to better understand what Jenna means. [14:30] How do you bring healing to your different parts to become connected to your core self? [15:50] Why do we have such high relapse rates in addiction? [18:50] When we live in our core self, we instinctively embrace all parts. [21:45] Rage and sex addiction are not okay, but the part underneath it all is what we’re trying to help: the individual. [24:10] We all have parts at war within ourselves. For addicts, it might be they want to act out sexually and at the same time, they desperately want to be faithful to their partner. [28:00] IFS is applicable not for addiction, but for relationships and conflict. [33:15] How does MDMA help people with complex PTSD?   RESOURCES:  The Porn Panic: Is Porn a ‘Public Health Crisis’? Sex and Relationship Healing @RobWeissMSW Sex Addiction 101  Seeking Integrity Cruise Control: Understanding Sex Addiction in Gay Men  Prodependence: Moving Beyond Codependency Connect with Jenna Riemersma: Jennariemersma.com Jenna’s book: Altogether You   QUOTES: “The more effective way to bring healing to a part is by recognizing this is a wonderful part that’s gotten stuck in a very damaging role.” “It’s really about befriending the parts of us of which we are the most ashamed and the parts we feel are the most unacceptable.” “All parts of them are welcome and there’s another way besides shaming ourselves that we can heal.” “We all have parts at war and they look different in all of us.”

My guest in episode 48 is my friend, Chris Eaker.  Chris is a husband, father, former engineer, academic librarian, musician, and spiritual director who lives in Knoxville, TN. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 2000 with a degree in civil engineering and in 2013 from the University of Tennessee with a degree in informational sciences. He received his Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Richmont Graduate University in May 2020 and now offers a contemplative and reflective style of spiritual direction in Knoxville and virtually. His own spiritual formation formation has been guided by contemplative prayer practices, journaling, and silent retreats. Together, those form the foundation of spiritual direction through Stepping Stones Life Ministries. In this conversation, we discuss Chris' spiritual evolution, recently being shown the left foot of Christian of fellowship by his local church, and how contemplative practices and spiritual direction have helped lay a foundation of freedom in his life. You can connect with Chris and Stepping Stones Life Ministries on Facebook. While you're on Facebook, please follow our podcast as well! You can also join our listeners only FB group Messy Conversations. For more information about Chris and his spiritual direction ministry, please check out his ministry website here. Our brand new online course-"Navigating Your Spiritual Evolution" is now open for registration here! Please be sure to subscribe, follow, rate, and review the podcast on your platform of choice. Finally, please consider helping us keep this podcast on the air with a Patreon pledge of $1, $5, or $25 by clicking here. Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, changing industries and technology led to massive shifts in American life. And now, after stay-at-home orders end, we will likely emerge to a different world than the one we once knew. Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves and churches can help people fight against despair by meeting the needs of their communities. This is something Pastor Travis Lowe and his West Virginia church have experienced first hand. He joins Jeff Pickering to share their stories of facing uncertain times with the hope of the gospel. This episode is sponsored by The Good Book Company, publisher of Where is God in a Coronavirus World? by John Lennox Guest Biography Pastor Travis Lowe was born and raised in the Appalachian mountains and is proud to call Bluefield, West Virginia home. He is married to the love of his life, Jessi and they have two children Graci and Dayne. Travis is the pastor of Crossroads Church and he also leads REBUILD.REVIVE.THRIVE., a local business owner think tank for the common good. He is a graduate of Maranatha Bible College and is currently completing a Masters of Ministry through Richmont Graduate University. Resources from the Conversation Watch this video of Bluefield's story: “When Coal Stops Burning” Read Travis' article | I've Seen the Future. It Looks Like Appalachia Read the Washington Post article | A West Virginia church spends Easter making masks, other PPE using 3-D printers Connect with Pastor Travis Lowe Learn more about REBUILD.REVIVE.THRIVE. and Made to Flourish ERLC | Capitol Conversation Podcast

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, changing industries and technology led to massive shifts in American life. And now, after stay-at-home orders end, we will likely emerge to a different world than the one we once knew. Jesus commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves and churches can help people fight against despair by meeting the needs of their communities. This is something Pastor Travis Lowe and his West Virginia church have experienced first hand. He joins Jeff Pickering to share their stories of facing uncertain times with the hope of the gospel. This episode is sponsored by The Good Book Company, publisher of Where is God in a Coronavirus World? by John Lennox Guest Biography Pastor Travis Lowe was born and raised in the Appalachian mountains and is proud to call Bluefield, West Virginia home. He is married to the love of his life, Jessi and they have two children Graci and Dayne. Travis is the pastor of Crossroads Church and he also leads REBUILD.REVIVE.THRIVE., a local business owner think tank for the common good. He is a graduate of Maranatha Bible College and is currently completing a Masters of Ministry through Richmont Graduate University. Resources from the Conversation Watch this video of Bluefield’s story: “When Coal Stops Burning” Read Travis’ article | I’ve Seen the Future. It Looks Like Appalachia Read the Washington Post article | A West Virginia church spends Easter making masks, other PPE using 3-D printers Connect with Pastor Travis Lowe Learn more about REBUILD.REVIVE.THRIVE. and Made to Flourish ERLC | Capitol Conversation Podcast

Gordon and a panel of private practice leaders and consultants discuss what we can do to navigate the uncertainties of the current COVID-19 crisis as private practice owners and clinicians. They discuss switching to online therapy and counseling. They also talk about the economic impact of people canceling sessions and the unknowns this places on practices. Plus, we learn creative ways to serve our clients like doing mini sessions, teaching meditation, and relationship-building. Also, start thinking about ways you can diversify your income and how to plan for future emergencies. Meet Alison Pidgeon Alison Pidgeon, MA, LPC, is a licensed professional counselor and the owner of Move Forward Counseling in Lancaster, PA. Her private practice,  which focuses on women's issues, currently consists of six other therapists and two assistants. Alison has recently purchased an office building to house her private practice and will be expanding to a total of 12 therapists in the fall of 2018. In addition, for the past two years, Alison has been working as a business consultant along with Joe Sanok, from Practice of the Practice, for other private practice owners. She loves being an entrepreneur and helping others achieve their dream of being their own boss. Alison's specialty as a consultant is how to have an insurance-based practice, helping those who are just starting out and how to grow from a solo to a group practice. Meet Amanda Patterson Amanda Patterson is a private practice consultant who helps therapists create business and marketing plans. She's the owner of a group practice, Caring Therapists of Broward in South Florida.  She's the founder of My Private Practice Tribe, an online community for therapists in private practice.  Find out more about Amanda here: www.amandapattersonlmhc.com Meet David Hall Dr. Stephen “David” Hall heads up content and creative direction as the “Chief Maven” of PsychMaven. He began his work as a psychotherapist in 2005, and he currently holds clinical licenses in Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. He has built up multiple counseling practices in his years as a clinician, first in Georgia and then in his home state of Tennessee. In 2015, he led the start-up of an independent psychiatry clinic, Haven Family Psychiatry, in Knoxville, TN. Dr. Hall maintains a psychotherapy caseload and supervises postgraduate therapists in the practice he leads in the clinic, Haven Counseling Center at Haven Family Psychiatry.  Meet Jane Carter Jane Carter, LPC is a counselor and business coach from Asheville, NC. Jane has spent the last several years in private practice as a counselor and has recently begun focusing more on business coaching, not only for therapists but other businesses as well.  Her website is: JaneCarterCoaching.com Jane says, “As a therapist, business coach, and life coach, I love helping people navigate the path to achieving their goals for a meaningful life. I apply these principles in my own life in the mountains of Asheville, NC, where I'm an outdoorswoman, world-traveler, dog-mama, food-and-wine lover, reader, and coffee-shop connoisseur. Meet Jessica Tappana Jessica Tappana started her private practice on her maternity leave about 20 months ago. After filling up in only a matter of months, she decided to bring on other therapists as 1099s and transitioned Aspire Counseling into a group practice. Worried about how she would fill the caseloads of these new therapists, Jessica tried several different marketing strategies.  Ultimately, she decided to focus on getting her website to the first page of Google and began teaching herself SEO at nights after her kids were in bed. Slowly after gathering a couple of tips here and there, she got her website to the first page for nearly every keyword she targets.  Aspire Counseling has grown to now include five therapists and a virtual assistant! In fact, all of the therapists are nearly full, and Jessica hopes to find a few more quality team members in the months to come. Meet Joe Sanok Joe Sanok, MA, LLP, LPC, NCC is the person behind the #1podcast for therapists, The Practice of the Practice. Joe has helped hundreds of private practice owners in growing and scaling their private practices. Joe has also been a mentor and coach for Gordon in his journey and inspired him to start The Practice of Therapy. Joe says, “In 2012 I launched Practice of the Practice to blog about what I was learning about business, marketing, and private practice. Since then, my income has gone up over 2,000%. In the beginning, I was making around $1000 per month. In 2015, I grossed over $200k! In fact, every month I post exactly what I made and how I made it. It's important to me, because we don't usually talk about money and how to make it in an ethical way. I want to increase your influence and your income!” Meet John Clarke John Clarke is a licensed psychotherapist and a private practice expert at PrivatePracticeWorkshop. After learning a lot of things the hard way while building his first practice in San Francisco, he started a blog to share with others the lessons he had learned. Private Practice Workshop was born, and this blog eventually evolved into so much more: a thriving Facebook community, a successful podcast, online courses, and coaching/consulting. Some therapists want to learn how to use digital marketing to grow their audience and get more clients, but the majority just want to leave it to the pros. John founded Unconditional Media, the digital marketing team for therapists, to meet the biggest need of private practitioners: getting more clients! Meet Kasey Compton Kasey built a million-dollar practice with over seventy-five staff members in less than two years from the ground up. She is the President/CEO of Mindsight Behavioral Group with multiple offices located in Kentucky.  Kasey says, “it definitely wasn't easy but I learned a lot scaling a practice”. She is now in year three and her business with basically running itself; largely due to the systems and processes we put into place. Now, Kasey is a behavioral group consultant (www.consultwithkc.com) and author that helps practices avoid mistakes by cleaning up their systems, implementing better processes, and understanding what to do with their money. Kasey says, “ I take so much pride in my own practice and now I feel honored to help others grow too.” Meet Katie Englert Katie Englert, LPCC, NCC, BC-TMH is an experienced entrepreneur who works with therapists to help them pioneer new ways to practice.  She believes that helping therapists find their purpose as a therapist is how the mental health field will prosper.  Katie has started and grown six-figure group private practices and co-created Practikat, the first online marketplace exclusive for therapists.  She loves helping therapists discover products they have already created!  Outside of work, she enjoys spending time on the soccer field with her kids, travel, hanging out with her family and learning about her family history. About Katie Lemieux I attended graduate school at Nova Southeastern University and graduated with my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Medical Family Therapy in 2004. I fell in love with couple's work which is my main specialty.  I am trained in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy and Emotionally Focused Therapy. I am the proud Co-Owner of The Private Practice Startup.  My business partner is the amazing Dr. Kate Campbell. We inspire ambitious mental health professionals to brand themselves and grow their dream private practice. Meet Marissa Lawton “I'm passionate about bringing my two loves together: strategy and therapy, to help my therapeutic community thrive in the online space. It is seriously one of the most important aspects of my life to help other therapists create on-brand messages that target their ideal clients and build the private practices they've always longed for.” Marissa's mission is to help clinicians in various stages of private practice to create online marketing plans that attract clients with integrity and authenticity. Marissa says, “there is seriously no point in portraying yourself online in a way that contradicts who you are in session, no matter how many calls it brings you. When you invite me to help you with your online marketing, you're partnering with someone who takes your practice, your goals, and your dreams into consideration. You're getting a guide who promises to walk alongside you every step of the way.” Meet Whitney Owens I enjoy working with both adults and adolescents on an individual basis. I have experience working with those suffering from depression, anxiety, self-harming behaviors, identity formation, relational issues, and other mood disorders. I use a variety of therapeutic models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. I have been seeing clients since 2009 in a variety of settings. While earning my Master in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University, I saw young adults at a residential treatment facility. In 2010 I moved to Colorado where I spent four years working at an inpatient and day treatment facility. Also while in Colorado, I joined a group practice and saw teenagers and adults. In 2014 I moved back to Savannah and started Water's Edge Counseling. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and a member of the American Counseling Association and the Licensed Professional Counseling Association of Georgia. In addition to counseling, I also offer a number of other services including training and speaking engagements. Making the Switch to Telemental Health It's time to be creative and flexible. Put a pop-up on the website stating that you are offering telemental health services. Do not put your client's health at risk – do not see clients in person. Now is the time to get ahead of everything and start seeing clients virtually. Remember HIPAA. Creative Ways to Serve Clients Discount your fees. Do mini sessions. Charge a small fee for a mindfulness meet-up. Teach meditation techniques. Work on relationship-building during this time. Write blog posts to provide useful information for your community. Emergency Planning Practice both short-term and long-term thinking. Make sure you keep your long-term vision in mind. Have a three to six-month fund ready for emergencies like this. This is either an opportunity or a challenge. Take lessons during this recovery. Be realistic with your staff. Make sure all your staff is working toward the same thing. Call your liability insurance. Email your boards to get clarification on things. Therapists need to think about what really matters: your health, your clinician's health, your client's health, and your business. What To Do Now Use this time to position your brand, grow your email list, create multiple streams of revenue. Deepen your relationships. Bring joy to your life every single day and to other people. Work on the products that you are developing. Look long-term and start preparing for the future. Think about offering a discounted rate. Self-care! Being transparent… Some of the links below are affiliate links.  This simply means that if you use the link to make a purchase, I get a commission at no extra cost to you.  Thanks for using the links! Alison's Resources alison@practiceofthepractice.com Grow a Group Practice Podcast Amanda's Resources My Private Practice Tribe Website David's Resources The Narrative Institute PsychMaven Jane's Resources JaneCarterCoaching.com “Money Mindset in Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 005” Jessica's Resources Aspire Counseling MO Simplified SEO Consulting  Joe's Resources Practice of the Practice Killin'It Camp John's Resources Private Practice Workshop John's Free Email Marketing Course Kasey's Resources hello@consultwithkc.com  Consult with KC Katie E's Resources Practikat Katie L's Resources Private Practice Startup Marissa's Resources Marissa's Website The Empathy Rising Podcast Side Hustle Support Group Whitney's Resources Waters Edge Counseling  Whitney Owens | Starting Fresh & Growing Fast in Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 036 Faith in Practice Consulting with Whitney @Practice of the Practice Other Resources TherapyNotes.com Apply for the Focus Group G Suite for Therapists | The E-Course Session Note Helper Cool Resources Be a Podcast Guest Follow @TPOTpodcast on Instagram Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog. He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer, and writer. PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook

Mentors mean more than you think! In this episode, recorded in Atlanta at Richmont Graduate University, Dr. Tim Quinnan shares everything you need to know about mentors and how important mentors are for your professional development. And out of all of our episodes so far… I'd put this one at the top of our must-listen list! On behalf of the Careerfluencer team and our entire community, special thanks to Richmont Graduate University for this opportunity. “Careers are a journey. There's going to be a lot of highs and lows (and there might be even more lows than highs), but it's worth the journey. And make sure that you have somebody that's honest with you about the challenges you're going to face and what it's going to take to get there.” Highlights: -What qualities to look for in a potential mentor. -How to ask someone to be your mentor. -Tips to create a sustainable mentor relationship. -Leaning on your mentors during tough times. -Finding mentors worldwide using today's technology. -Learning by observation of what not to do as a leader. -Advice for finding a mentor before graduating college. -Planning your career from now to retirement. Text CAREER to 33777 to get free insider updates and episode alerts! Follow @careerfluencer on Instagram. Learn more and find show notes: https://careerfluencer.com/notes

*DISCLAIMER* This episode contains adult themes and is not intended for little ears   Hormones and Body Image with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George   Zephaniah 3:17 NIV “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”    Vickie L. George, M.Ed., M.S., LMFT, LPC, CST is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Sex Therapist, and is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) by CCE of the NBCC, and a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor (CPCS) by the State of Georgia. She has a Master's degree in counseling from Georgia State University, a Master's degree in Christian Psychological Integration with a specialization in Sex Therapy from Richmont Graduate University (formerly the Psychological Studies Institute), and also has completed post-graduate work in marriage and family therapy training at the University of Georgia and training in supervision.   Vickie has been counseling, teaching and consulting with several organizations since opening her practice in 1984. During her 30 plus years, she has gained extensive experience as she has helped clients work through difficult issues such as couple problems, sexual problems, addiction, abuse, women's issues, and examining spiritual issues.   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.comand affiliated sites.    Vickie's Website Co-Dependent No More by Melody Beattie The New Codependency by Melody Beattie It Will Never Happen to Me by Claudia Black Facing Codependence by Pia Mellody   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Sam Glenn   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Also, check out our Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and freebies!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  

In this episode, Gordon talks again with Whitney Owens, LPC and they discuss the difference between hiring independent contractors versus employees. Overall, hiring an independent contractor is less paperwork, but you will also have less control over their supervision. Then, Whitney explains how she uses promotion groups to bring clients to her practice and how she plans to help private practice owners incorporate faith into their businesses. Plus, the two talk about their upcoming trip to Killin'It Camp! Meet Whitney Owens I enjoy working with both adults and adolescents on an individual basis. I have experience working with those suffering from depression, anxiety, self-harming behaviors, identity formation, relational issues, and other mood disorders. I use a variety of therapeutic models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. I have been seeing clients since 2009 in a variety of settings. While earning my Master in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University, I saw young adults at a residential treatment facility. In 2010 I moved to Colorado where I spent four years working at an inpatient and day treatment facility. Also while in Colorado, I joined a group practice and saw teenagers and adults. In 2014 I moved back to Savannah and started Water's Edge Counseling. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia and a member of the American Counseling Association and the Licensed Professional Counseling Association of Georgia. In addition to counseling, I also offer a number of other services including training and speaking engagements. I have been invited to local organizations such as churches and schools to educate on leadership, adolescent issues, parenting, family concerns, and mental health. As well, I have spoken at retreats focused on helping women heal and find themselves. I have also spoken at youth meetings to adolescents. Please let me know about your next event and how I can help. Contractors vs. Employees Working with an independent contractor, you cannot tell the therapist what they can and cannot say. Whitney wanted to provide more supervision to her counselors. The same day her last contractor put in her two weeks was the first day she had an interview for a W-2 employee. Having a contractor is less paperwork, but you will not have as much control. There is way more teamwork with her employees vs. when she had contractors. Plus, morale is a lot better because everyone feels part of the business; they have team meetings, discuss the work they do together and participate in more events. At Christmas, they went out together, and Whitney can pay for continuing education. Run your numbers to understand which one will be more profitable depending on your structure. Promotion Groups One of the ways Whitney has been able to market her practice is through community promotion groups. Whitney has several connections within a group called Southern Mamas; you pay every six months, and you get to put up something once a week. They add it to their electronic newsletter, and you get to showcase your banner. Whitney says to try new things and see what sticks. Also, make sure to know your numbers when trying out new promotions. For instance, Whitney knows she needs to book three sessions to make up the cost for Southern Mamas. Faith in Private Practice Whitney had a big idea to help consult other practice owners on how they want to make faith a part of what they do. She also helps with the therapist's verbiage on their website to attract the right type of clients. Some people want to make faith part of everything they do in their practice, including their name and branding. Whereas others do not want it incorporated with their advertising or branding, but their practice is faith-informed. Gordon tells his clients that he is a clergy person, but he does not have a religious agenda with his counseling. If you are thinking about a faith-based practice, slow down, and think about what kind of practice you want to have and what type of clients you are looking to attract. The most exciting part should be creating your branding and clients, slow down, and consider what you are building. Being transparent… Some of the resources below use affiliate links which simply means we receive a commission if you purchase using the links, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for using the links!   Whitney's Resources Waters Edge Counseling  Whitney Owens | Starting Fresh & Growing Fast in Private Practice | TPOT Podcast 036 Email: Whitney@watersedgecounseling.com Call: 912-319-5553 Other Resources Practice Solutions Faith as a Niche in Private Practice 2019 East & West TNAMFT Conferences >>Get the FREE Financial Analysis Guide

Bonus Episode: God is Faithful in Motherhood with Counselor, Wife, and Mother to 5, Aja Duncan   Proverbs 16:9 (NIV) “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Aja' Duncan is a wife, mother of 5, and works full time as a therapist.  She received her Master's in Marriage and Family therapy at Richmont Graduate University with a specialization in Child & Adolescent therapy. Currently she is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) , licensed addiction counselor (LAC), and specializes in integrated care. She works for her local hospital system's outpatient psychiatry department. She is well supported by her mother who is a "live-in granny nanny". She and her children enjoy supporting her coach of a husband at football games, where the community feels like a second family. She has a love for the arts and in her "me" time can be found in dance fitness classes or at her local Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) group. Retail me not  Aja's Recommended Pulled Barbecue Chicken Instant-pot Recipe Aja's Recommended Instant-pot Lentil Soup Recipe Instant-pot Butternut Squash Soup Recipe  Nutribullet Baby Food Recipes   Aja's Nutribullet Baby Food Recipe: 2-3 oz formula or breast milk 1/2 cup spinach 1 carrot  1/2 peeled apple or banana or blueberries (or ALL!)   Put spinach in the Nutribullet first and then add remaining ingredients   (You can add more formula/ milk depending on the consistency you want and the age of your baby)   As your baby gets older, experiment with other fruits and veggies but beware of greens that cause gas!   I would usually double or triple this recipe so that I could freeze the extra in silicone baby food storage trays. It would take care of feedings for a week!   Thank You to Our Sponsor: A Perfect Promotion   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Also, check out our Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and freebies!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

New research findings in leadership coaching are rare because Professional Coaching is still a relatively new field, so we’re excited to share fresh, well-done research on Leadership Coaching from a seasoned expert in Professional Coaching and Human Development. Whether your niche is geared more toward executives, organizational leaders, work teams, or individuals, you’ll discover new treasures for your coaching toolbox in today’s podcast.   Takeaway Value:  Understand current statistics behind what motivates coaches most, so you stay in check with honoring yours and your clients’ greatest values Uncover the correlations between self-leadership and success as a coach so you can bring the best of who you are into every coaching session Turn your life-long-love of learning into advancement as you become more relevant to your clients and those you influence     About Fran LaMattina: Fran is the President and Founder of Strategies for Greatness, LLC, an executive coaching practice that serves leaders of organizations and work teams to be more effective.  Fran has been coaching since 1999, achieving a Master Coach Certification (MCC) and Board Certified Coach designation (BCC) in the early days of the profession.  Recently, Fran completed a Doctorate in Professional Coaching and Human Development (Ph.D.). She has established a niche with organizational leaders, especially in the areas of strategic planning, team effectiveness, assessments, and emotional intelligence.   Fran draws from over 20 years of business experience in the areas of marketing, sales/business development, finance, technology, operations, and organizational development prior to entering the coaching profession.  She has personally led and coached in several business sectors including consumer products, general contracting, healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, and non-profits. Before creating her private coaching practice, she was the Director of Marketing Public Relations and a Partner with Ronald Blue & Co, a personal financial planning firm. She has been an adjunct professor at Richmont Graduate University (formerly Psychological Studies Institute) and taught at The Institute for Life Coach Training and The Academies. She presently teaches Leadership Development Coaching and Team Coaching at The Professional Christian Coaching Institute.   Fran’s Ph.D. in Professional Coaching and Human Development through the International University of Professional Studies was focused on the self-leadership practices of successful coaches. She received her initial coaching education through Coach Inc. Prior to establishing herself professionally in executive coaching and leadership consulting, Fran attended Purdue University, graduating with a Masters degree in Industrial Relations.   She founded and developed the women’s ministry at North Point Community Church, where she led a team and over 125 community group leaders in the church. During her twelve years under the leadership of Andy Stanley at North Point, she refined and applied relevant, visionary principles of leadership to her coaching platform which flow into her day-to-day coaching of both individual clients and teams in her practice.   Fran has been both an active member and officer on the boards of several organizations such as Seeds of Hope, Ministry Ventures, The Lighthouse Family Retreat, Richmont Graduate University, Half Time of Georgia, Whitefield Academy, The Christian Coaching Network, Denver Ministries and her neighborhood association. Fran is single and lives in Alpharetta, GA, a northern suburb of Atlanta, Georgia.   Reach out to Fran at fran@strategiesforgreatness.com   Click “Subscribe” to see embedded links   Show Notes: http://professionalchristiancoachingtoday.com/178 http://professionalchristiancoachingtoday.com/         

DISCLAIMER: This message contains some adult themes and is not recommended for little ears   Gender Differences and Common Conflict in Relationships with Certified Sex Therapist, Vickie George   Philippians 2:4 NIV “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”    Vickie L. George, M.Ed., M.S., LMFT, LPC, CST is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Sex Therapist, and is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) by CCE of the NBCC, and a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor (CPCS) by the State of Georgia. She has a Master's degree in counseling from Georgia State University, a Master's degree in Christian Psychological Integration with a specialization in Sex Therapy from Richmont Graduate University (formerly the Psychological Studies Institute), and also has completed post-graduate work in marriage and family therapy training at the University of Georgia and training in supervision. Vickie has been counseling, teaching and consulting with several organizations since opening her practice in 1984. During her 30 plus years, she has gained extensive experience as she has helped clients work through difficult issues such as couple problems, sexual problems, addiction, abuse, women's issues, and examining spiritual issues.   At The Savvy Sauce, we only recommend resources we believe in! We also want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.    Vickie's Website For Men Only and For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Chick-fil-A East Peoria   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Also, check out our Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and freebies!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

*DISCLAIMER* This episode contains some adult themes and is not intended for little ears.    Treatment for Sexual Issues with Certified Sex Therapist, Emma Schmidt   Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”   Emma Schmidt, MA is a professional counselor, certified sex therapist, and certified clinical sexual addiction specialist licensed in the State of Ohio. She is a graduate of Cincinnati Christian University's Master of Arts in Counseling program. Emma received her sex therapy education at the Institute for Sexual Wholeness at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, Georgia. Emma is certified through both The American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and The American Board of Christian Sex Therapists (ABCST).   She has specialized training in treating sexual addiction, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, sex therapy, victims' advocacy, crisis intervention and advanced training in emotion-focused therapy for couples. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Biblical Studies from Cincinnati Christian University. Emma has two years of doctoral training from Union Institute and University's PsyD Clinical Psychology program. She currently owns a group practice, Emma Schmidt & Associates, Sex + Relationship Therapy, in Cincinnati, Ohio.   Emma's Website    Connect with Emma on facebook: Emma Schmidt & Assoc., Sex + Relationship Therapy   Instagram: @emmaschmidtandassociates   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Check out our newly launched Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and freebies!   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Nurturing Friendships With Harvard Graduate, Jackie Coleman   1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV) “However, as it is written: no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”   Jackie Coleman completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia in 2005. She later earned an M.A. in Counseling from Richmont Graduate University and an M.Ed. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she was named an Urban Scholar. While in Boston, she worked as a bilingual Family Counselor for Youth Villages, and later launched the Transitional Living program, which is designed to assist at-risk youth aging out of state custody. While in Atlanta, she worked on marriage and family issues with Building Intimate Marriages and research and writing projects for best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn. In 2012, as Executive Director, Jackie helped design and implement Governor Deal's REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen) Georgia program, a mentoring and college scholarship opportunity for low-income middle school students. Most recently, Jackie has been teaching at Winters Chapel School where her children, John Wyatt (4) and Olive (2), attend.    Mr. Feit's principles to live by • Trust God  • Expect a miracle • Never take a single moment for granted • Be anxious for nothing   At The Savvy Sauce, we will only recommend resources we believe in! We want you to be aware: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.    Honey For a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt  The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming-of-Age Crisis—And How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance, by Ben Sasse  John and Jackie's Article on Work-Life Balance   John's Most Recent Article on Work-Life Balance  Amazon Fresh Stitch Fix   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Fair & Simple    Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Introduction to The Savvy Sauce   Revelation 12:11a (AMP) “And they overcame and conquered him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony,"   Laura Dugger loves Jesus, is married to her best friend, Mark, and is a joyful mom to (update: 4) beloved daughters. She acquired a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Illinois State University before receiving her Master's Degree from Richmont Graduate University with a specialization in christian sex therapy. As a licensed marriage and family therapist, she started her career seeing clients in a private practice in California, then taught as an adjunct professor in Indiana before creating The Savvy Sauce while living in central Illinois. She and Mark have moved 9 times in marriage and now Laura is excited to combine her love of people, curiosity, and learning through questions to start her dream job as host of The Savvy Sauce.   Natalie Baker loves the Lord and is a wife, mom, nurse, and sound engineer for The Savvy Sauce podcast.  She grew up in a small town in the Midwest where she and her husband returned to raise their 3 children.  She has a Bachelor's degree in the Science of Nursing and is a Certified Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse with a background in Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine.  These days, Natalie can most likely be found at home with her sweet and active 3-year old son, experimenting in the kitchen for her husband, or coordinating her 7- and 9-year old daughters' Irish dance, swim, gymnastics, drama, rock climbing, and soccer schedules.  She is a lover of Jesus, coffee, and travel.  She is happiest when road-tripping with her husband and kids.   Lauren Sauder has been married to her husband, Steven, for 10 years and keeps busy with 3 little kids-a son and two daughters. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a double major in Education and Spanish and attended graduate school at Moody Bible Institute for Spiritual Formation. She and her husband were missionaries in Thailand for 6 years where they started a real estate company and a food truck. They have since moved back to Central Illinois and Lauren likes to call herself an "accidental farmer's wife". Being from a big city, small-town farm life has been an adjustment, but she loves the community and slower pace of life. When she's not having dance parties with her kids, you can find Lauren in the kitchen cooking or running the social media outlets for The Savvy Sauce.   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Our Favorite Things… Life:Beautiful Magazine Fair & Simple Linen Origami Pouches Liv Thai Bracelet   Samples of encouraging Scripture God revealed as we pursued launching The Savvy Sauce:   Luke 7:47 (NIV) “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”   Luke 1:45 (NIV) “Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”   Matthew 6:33 (KJV) “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”    Proverbs 4:5 (AMP) “Get [skillful and godly] wisdom! Acquire understanding [actively seek spiritual discernment, mature comprehension, and logical interpretation]! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.”    James 1:22 (NIV) “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”   Mark 12:29-31 (NIV) “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.”    Mission: We exist to invite you to a space to meet with Jesus and be filled to overflowing   Our prayer for The Savvy Sauce: Dear God, we ask that The Savvy Sauce will be a loving, safe, warm, welcoming, inclusive, encouraging, generous and fun environment, where we do hear Your Word and we understand how to apply it personally! We ask you, God, to use Your Holy Spirit to specifically and uniquely speak to everyone who listens. In Jesus Name, we pray, Amen!   Laura's Values: Reminders for her to personally to stay on track…feel free to hold her accountable:   Be inspired.  Share! Sow generously Don't compare!   We believe all Truth is God's Truth. We don't feel the responsibility to agree with 100% of each guest's beliefs, but we do believe our guests have been given some piece of God-given wisdom and we want to do our part to share it with you! Some guests you may agree with more than others, but we encourage you to help us make this a safe, inviting, welcoming space where we can have these candid conversations and hopefully learn something new to apply to our life to make each day a little bit better and brighter! That's the heart behind this podcast

In this episode of the Practice of Therapy Podcast, Gordon talks with Jarrod Justice about caring for caregivers and the importance of self-care in this field. They also talk about spirituality how that can be an influence for people in their lives. Gordon and Jarrod have a conversation about how they both have what that consider “faith informed” practices. Both are clergy people and they talk about how this influences the way they do therapy and the ethical considerations they both take in their practices.   Meet Jarrod Justice Jarrod Justice, MAMFT, is a post-master's counselor in Knoxville specializing in marriage and family therapy. He currently works at Haven Family Psychiatry with clients who are experiencing: anxiety, depression, sexual health issues, relationship concerns, and challenging family dynamics. Jarrod has worked as a Christian minister for over a decade in Knoxville—serving in various roles as a college pastor, worship leader, and lead pastor. He also has experience working for a local non-profit called With Inc., where he provided mentorship and soul care to individuals, couples, and ministers in need. Jarrod graduated from Baylor University in 2003 with a B.A. in International Studies, and recently graduated from Richmont Graduate University with a M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy. Jarrod loves people and wants to offer his clients hope and courage on life's journey. He is a current member of the (AAMFT) American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and is an active member of the (CLC) Christian Leadership Concepts in Knoxville. Originally from Texas, he has called East Tennessee home for nearly 14 years. In his personal time, other than good coffee and great music—he enjoys meaningful dates with his wife, peanut butter, and watching his three boys play baseball. “Faith Informed” vs. “Faith-Based” One designation or niche that many therapists and counselors identify with is around spirituality. For some, this very much informs who they are as people.  For others, not so much. Gordon and Jarrod discuss how they have both landed in what they refer to as “faith informed” practices. A “faith-based” practice differs from a “faith informed” practice in that a “faith-based” practice usually has some sort of direct affiliation with a religious organization (church, synagogue, mosque, etc.).  Whereas a “faith informed” practice really has to do with the therapist and how they might approach their work with people. Both Gordon and Jarrod are clinically trained in the traditional sense and use evidence-based approaches with clients.  And when religion comes up, if it comes up, they are both very comfortable discussing those things with clients. Caring for Caregivers One of the things that Jarrod has noted in his own journey is that clergy or pastors can find themselves very isolated at times.  Jarrod talks about how pastors and religious leaders can have a lot of external pressure from their “flock”. Pastors and clergy are very much in the business of caregiving, not unlike therapists and counselors. And over-time if the caregiver is not being cared for, it can quickly lead to “compassion fatigue”. An important part of this whole thing is also learning self-care and learning how to manage your own emotions well.  Clergy and counselors alike, get handed a lot of heavy stuff from our clients and parishioners. It is so important to know how to process that “stuff” well and seek the support you need in handling that. Knowing Yourself Well Jarrod and Gordon also talk about the importance of knowing yourself well and knowing how to not only process other people's emotions but knowing how to process our own well. In many ways, we need to develop our own emotional intelligence just like we do in helping our clients. They talk about the importance of seeking therapy and/or pastoral care for ourselves as caregivers. We all need a safe place to process our issues and be vulnerable.  We all need a place to process and be heard. Making Genuine Connections Jarrod talked about the need we all have to make genuine connections and connect with people on more than a superficial level.  With all the social media we are exposed to, Jarrod makes the analogy of eating fast food vs. eating healthy food. In many ways, the connections we make through social media is like eating fast food.  It fills us up and stops the hunger temporarily, but in the long run is not as healthy for us. What we really need and want are those relationships that are more meaningful and help us connect at a deeper level. People Want to Know Their Therapist One interesting thing about how people choose therapists has a lot to do with the commonalities they see themselves having with a potential therapist. (See the previous podcast with Jeff Geunther, Episode 044). Depending on your client demographics and where you are located, religion might be an important cultural factor.  For some, religious affiliation is an important piece. Gordon and Jarrod talk about their approach to this in that they disclose to clients their religious affiliation, but at the same time express NOT having a “religious agenda” with their counseling. Both Gordon and Jarrod are clinically trained in the traditional sense and use evidence-based approaches with clients.  And when religion comes up, if it comes up, they are both very comfortable discussing those things with clients. Integrating Spirituality In Therapy Practice Jarrod and Gordon talk about giving people the space to talk about spiritual matters.  Jarrod mentions that he asks clients if they want to talk about spiritual matters. Both Gordon and Jarrod talk about the importance of being sensitive to differing views and how people's spiritual experiences can be painful for them to talk about.  For example, someone being emotionally abused by people in their faith communities. Ultimately, who we are as therapists does come into the therapy room. Being able to share those parts of ourselves with others in a way that is validating of their life experiences and their personal beliefs is important. It is possible to be spiritual without pushing a religious agenda or other convictions onto others. Resources Mentioned: Jeff's Therapy Practice – Haven Family Psychiatry   Join A Mastermind Group with Gordon   Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog.He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer and writer.  PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.

In this episode, Gordon talks with Whitney Owens, LPC about marketing a private practice after starting from scratch. Whitney is the owner of Waters Edge Counseling in Savannah, GA.  Whitney has started a private practice twice. Because of moves, she has made with her family, Whitney has had practices in both Georgia and in Colorado. Whitney and Gordon discuss the ways that she found to network and make contacts with people to grow her practice quickly after starting it. Meet Whitney Owens, LPC Whitney is originally from Valdosta, Georgia and has a master's degree in Professional Counseling from Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta. GA.  Following graduate school, Whitney and her husband immediately moved to Denver, CO where she built a private practice while also doing inpatient work at a local hospital. In 2014 they moved to Savannah, Georgia and  Whitney started Water's Edge Counseling. Whitney is married with two beautiful girls ages five and one. In addition to counseling, Whitney also offers a number of other services including training and keynote speaking. She has been invited to local organizations such as churches and schools to educate on leadership, adolescent issues, parenting, family concerns, and mental health. Whitney has also facilitated retreats focused on helping women heal and find themselves. Starting From Scratch In Private Practice One of the unique things about Whitney is that when she started her current practice, she was able to build it and fill it with clients fairly quickly. What Whitney has done has been to concentrate on some proven ways to build a practice from scratch. Whitney has had the unique opportunity to start private practices in two different cities during her career thus far.  And what she did was typical for a lot of people, she started at private practice while working somewhere else. Whitney was working in an inpatient setting and then would see private practice clients in the evenings and on weekends. Both experiences gave her the opportunity to learn not only clinical skills but also some business building and private practice skills.  When Whitney and her husband got the opportunity to move back to Georgia from Colorado, Whitney made the decision to pursue private practice as a full-time endeavor. Marketing and Building Relationships One thing that Whitney knew she needed to do in order to build her practice was start networking.  What she knows about the town and culture she now lives in (Savannah, GA), is that building those relationships in the community were important.   What has worked best for Whitney is spending time out in the community going to doctors offices and even doing some presentations with them on mental health issues. So many times doctors offices, hospitals, and other providers are grateful to have the contact and know who to refer to. By having that personal connection just increases the likelihood of them feeling confident to make those referrals. Understanding the Community's Needs The other place in which Whitney has had a lot of success is in having an understanding of the community's needs.  By spending time with doctors and other professionals, she would simply ask what were their concerns for patients and how as a therapist, she could help them with those problems.  It comes from a place of concern rather than going out there to “convince” someone to make referrals. For example, Whitney was able to connect with a local design school that sends her referrals from their student counseling services. And in addition to the referrals, she is getting, she was able to connect with some students to help with the revamp of her website.  So it was a “win, win” situation for both she and the design school students. Drawing on Supports The other thing that Whitney has been able to do is to draw on the support of a mastermind group. Both Gordon and Whitney have been involved in mutual mastermind groups and have learned so much. Whitney said that she has been able to double her income since being involved in a mastermind group. Mastermind groups allow clinicians to be with peers who are struggling with many of the same issues in their practices.  A person can learn so much from the group in that many of the people in the group, along with the facilitator, have done or are working on many of the same things. For example, things as simple as what phone system to use or larger issues like whether or not to form a group practice.   The other thing that mastermind group does is create a sense of accountability for you in your practice.  Private practice can be lonely and by having other like-minded people to bounce things off of, helps us stay focused.  Also if you say you are going to do something, the group, in a way, holds you do that and holds you accountable. Creating A Niche One of the other things that Whitney and Gordon discussed is how they have both integrated faith and spirituality as somewhat of a niche in their practices.  Both Whitney and Gordon have theological/faith-informed training. They talk about how this has helped them in their practices in terms of being identified as “Christian Counselors” and being able to incorporate addressing spirituality as part of what they can offer clients. Of course, both Whitney and Gordon very much recognize that this needs to all be done in the context of doing sound clinical work first and keeping those ethical boundaries by being respectful of differing beliefs or spiritual practices. Having a “faith focus” or identifying one's spiritual orientation can be attractive for some potential clients. Finally, the key to success in private practice comes with hard work and persistence.  Being able to face that challenges of private practice head-on and continue no matter what is what is needed to create a successful private practice. Resources Mentioned: Whitney's website: https://watersedgecounseling.com/ Join a Mastermind Group   Meet Gordon Brewer, MEd, LMFT Gordon is the person behind The Practice of Therapy Podcast & Blog.He is also President and Founder of Kingsport Counseling Associates, PLLC. He is a therapist, consultant, business mentor, trainer and writer.  PLEASE Subscribe to The Practice of Therapy Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Play. Follow us on Twitter @therapistlearn and Pinterest “Like” us on Facebook.

Karen holds a masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Trauma Recovery from Richmont Graduate University. She's been in Full-Time ministry, pastoral counseling for the last 16 years. She now lives in Nicaragua with a dream to start a Trauma Recovery Training Center. Her goal is to "train those who can train others to equip professionals and pastors to help individuals heal from traumatic events in their lives. We envision having training centers at strategic locations throughout Nicaragua that will allow all those gifted and willing to learn the appropriate skills to help victims of trauma heal and thrive." Visit our website at teaoflifepodcast.com for show notes and links.   

Karen holds a masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Trauma Recovery from Richmont Graduate University. She’s been in Full-Time ministry, pastoral counseling for the last 16 years. She now lives in Nicaragua with a dream to start a Trauma Recovery Training Center. Her goal is to "train those who can train others to equip professionals and pastors to help individuals heal from traumatic events in their lives. We envision having training centers at strategic locations throughout Nicaragua that will allow all those gifted and willing to learn the appropriate skills to help victims of trauma heal and thrive." Visit our website at teaoflifepodcast.com for show notes and links.   

"What does it look like to love God for the next ten minutes? What does it look like to love the person in front of me for the next ten minutes? That’s the Great Commandment." ~ Jan Johnson Jan Johnson is  a spiritual director, speaker, instructor at Richmont Graduate University, and writer of 22 books (!!). She says that everything she writes or speaks on flows out of these three areas: spiritual formation, partnering with God in caring for the voiceless, and living with purposeful intentionality. Isn’t that lovely? She lives in Simi Valley California with her husband, has two adult children and two little grandbabies. In Heaven we’re going to try to live next door to each other. ;) I can’t wait for you to meet her today on DD Episode 33.    All show notes: www.susiedavis.org  

Gary W. Moon, former executive vice president/provost and professor of psychology and spirituality at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, is the first director of the Martin Family Institute and Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation at Westmont. Moon also serves as director for the Renovaré International Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation and as editor-in-chief for Conversations: A Forum for Authentic Transformation.

Gary W. Moon, former executive vice president/provost and professor of psychology and spirituality at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, is the first director of the Martin Family Institute and Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation at Westmont. Moon also serves as director for the Renovaré International Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation and as editor-in-chief for Conversations: A Forum for Authentic Transformation.

Gary W. Moon, former executive vice president/provost and professor of psychology and spirituality at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, is the first director of the Martin Family Institute and Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation at Westmont. Moon also serves as director for the Renovaré International Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation and as editor-in-chief for Conversations: A Forum for Authentic Transformation.

Vanessa Snyder is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Sex Therapist, Certified Traumatologist and AAMFT Approved Supervisor in Training in Atlanta, GA. She specializes in the treatment of sexual abuse and trauma, complex trauma, and dissociative disorders, sexual and gender identity issues, as well as marital and family work. Her research is focused on the population and treatment of children and adults in the commercial sex trafficking trade, secondary traumatic stress in aftercare providers of trauma, and complex trauma survivors as well as therapeutic alliance outcomes in clinical training. She is the Dean of Clinical Affairs and Assistant Professor at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, Academic Dean for the Institute for Sexual Wholeness and Director of Richmont’s Institute of Traumatology.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-trauma-therapist-podcast-with-guy-macpherson-phd-inspiring-interviews-with-thought-leaders-in-the-field-of-trauma/donationsWant to advertise on this podcast? Go to https://redcircle.com/brands and sign up.