A Single Double Named Therapist

Jenna Bridgers came into my life when I needed her the most. She has been a faithful friend to me throughout this past year of grad school! 

She is a newly minted therapist with a background in storytelling, systems thinking, and late-night kitchen table conversations. After returning to grad school later in life, she brings a grounded, reflective presence to her clinical work—shaped by lived experience, curiosity, and a deep belief in personal reinvention. 

In this episode, we talk about the path to becoming a therapist, growing up in the 1980s, and how early relationships with food and body image quietly shape her work today.

I love this woman. She is also married and a mother to three! 

Below is Jenna's website for inquiries for counseling, and you can follow her on Instagram at @arisecounselingsc 

http://www.arisecounselingsc.com

What should we do with all the evil we see in the world? How do we hold people accountable when mental health, politics, and faith collide? And how do we move forward when we’ve witnessed tragedy and trauma up close—sometimes through videos we were never meant to see?

In this episode, I sit down with two of my professors, Dr. Seth Scott and Dr. Ben Mathew, and we lean into questions many of us are asking but don’t always know how to voice. We discuss the pull between silence and speaking up with family and friends who don’t share our beliefs. We ask what it means to process grief, violence, and division alongside our children and the next generation. We wrestle with the role of social media in shaping empathy, outrage, and our sense of responsibility to “say something” publicly.

Most importantly, we turn to what faith offers in these moments. As Timothy Keller wrote, “Jesus moves through the ruins with truth, tears, anger, and, finally, grace.” That’s the invitation in this conversation—to sit in the tension, acknowledge the pain, and find hope in the promise that everything broken will one day be made whole.

In complete transparency, I am very nervous about releasing this. If you listen to the podcast and disagree with anything I say, I welcome a coffee date or conversation about anything mentioned today. 

Y'all, bear with me! This is one of the earlier episodes, and I was learning my new microphones and traveling! 

Welcome, Dylan Murphy, to the podcast! This was such a fantastic episode to record with someone who works very closely with eating disorders and the struggle women (and men) have with food! 

Dylan, who married into my crazy family, lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a wife and mother! 

Below is her website linked as well as her Instagram for more information on how to contact her if you are interested in learning more! 

https://www.freemethodnutrition.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dylanmurphy.rd/

Clemson's finest. I am so honored that Ricky took the time to come on the podcast and talk to me about mental health! We talk about his journey from childhood to Clemson and then to the NFL, and how God has orchestrated people in his life to support him in the most crucial times. 

I knew Ricky in college, and to see how he has changed over the years is inspiring. He talks about his struggle with suicidal ideation and depression while playing football at Clemson. We discuss Rex Ryan and the Jets and the intervention that saved his life. Ricky played at Clemson from 2006 to 2009 and then in the NFL from 2010 to 2014. 

I am so encouraged that a man came and sat down with me to talk about mental health. Conversations heal, and this is one of those. 

Ricky is a dad to three children, a motivational speaker, and an author! He travels the country speaking and dancing, and probably has the most energy of any man I have seen in a long time. His spirit is contagious, and I am so thankful our paths crossed back in our Clemson days! 

Enjoy.. oh and Go Tigers!

http://www.TheRickySappfoundation.com

https://therickysappfoundation.com/mentorship%2Fspeaking

Dr. Scott joined the School of Counseling faculty of Columbia International University in 2019, and serves as the Program Director and Assistant Dean of the School of Counseling, Professor of Clinical Counseling, Director of the PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision, and Associate Director of Chinese Clinical Counseling. Seth teaches in the areas of research, faith integration, worldview formation, trauma, and clinical practice for the MA program and research, counselor identity, faith integration, and counselor education in the PhD. He is an active member and participant of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS), American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC), and the American Counseling Association (ACA). 

He also maintains a private practice, Sunrise Counseling, for both clinical work and supervision in the community. He is happily married to his wife, Jen, who is a potter, creating amazing ceramic products through Sunset Studio Pottery. Seth and Jen have two wonderful children, Suzie and Caleb.

 I am privileged to sit under his teaching and leadership in grad school. He has tremendously affected my life and continuously encourages me. When I decided to return to the podcast, he was among the first people I contacted to give honest feedback and counsel. This episode is a quick overview of things I wanted to talk about. He does a wonderful job explaining trauma and addiction and basic counseling tools. I hope you enjoy the episode! We tackle a lot! 

https://ciu.edu/faculty/seth-scott/

I called an audible on the first episode release! I initially announced my professor would be in the first episode, but life. I could not ask for a better beginning to my podcast. Hope does a beautiful job explaining what counseling means to her. She is so well spoken, calm, and confident in the work she has done. It was inspiring to sit with her. 

Hope Radebaugh is the wife of a longtime college basketball coach and teaches science in Charleston, South Carolina. She is a speaker and Bible teacher of 17 years and has extensive experience working with youth of all ages (elementary to college), women’s groups, and marriage retreats. 

She is a mother, grandmother, and a lifelong friend of my mom (manager). I will forever remember this interview. I sat with her for her one-liners, her ability to laugh in the struggle, and her ability to give Jesus the glory. Hope gives Hope. 

Enjoy! 

https://www.forgeforward.org/event-speakers/speaker-directory/hope-radebaugh/

Welcome back! So glad you are here!

I hope you come back weekly for episodes and interviews with incredible people! This episode is to thank the many people who have encouraged me along the way, and I know I left some out!  

A Single Double Named Therapist is a podcast for people who want to hear incredible stories of hope, change, and the goodness of God in their lives! 

Grab a fridge cig, a glass of wine, or a coffee, and meet me on Mondays! I cannot wait for this season! 

The inaugural episode is with the head of my graduate program, Seth Scott. Dr. Scott sits down with me and we will talk about many different topics in counseling. He is an incredible teacher with decades of experience in trauma work and other types of counseling! It is informative! 

Here we go!