GoHealth Podcast

By Guild of Health and St Raphael

How have you experienced healing in your life? What does healing mean to you? Where do you find healing? How do we talk about healing having lived through a global pandemic? What do we mean by Christi... more

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FAQs about GoHealth Podcast:

How many episodes does GoHealth Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 49 episodes available.

GoHealth Podcast episodes:

February 06, 2026S8 Ep6: Trystan Owain Hughes - Finding hope through pilgrimage and suffering
In this deeply moving conversation, Trystan Owain Hughes shares his journey of undertaking a 140-mile pilgrimage across North Wales while living with chronic pain, and the unexpected second pilgrimage that followed when his back injury worsened dramatically. Drawing from his latest book "To Hell's Mouth and Back: Pilgrimage, Suffering, and Hope," Trystan explores how vulnerability in leadership, finding meaning in suffering, and noticing "God winks" in everyday moments can transform our understanding of healing and hope.
Key Topics Discussed
The Physical Pilgrimage
The Pilgrim's Way: 140 miles across North Wales to Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli)
Undertaken eight years after major back surgery (titanium bolt between vertebrae)
Challenges included knee injury, getting lost, bad weather, and ongoing chronic pain
Five elements that define pilgrimage: suffering, wonder of nature, friendship, dependence on God and others, and signs from God
The Second Pilgrimage: Recovery
Extreme back pain returned the day after completing the walk
Spent a month largely confined to a red sofa
Explores the "pilgrimage mindset" - finding the same sources of hope whether on a 140-mile walk or a 30-yard walk to a lake
Viktor Frankl's insight: suffering expands to fill whatever space we're in, regardless of size
Goldfinch Moments: Noticing God's Presence
The goldfinch as a traditional Christian symbol of healing
"God winks" - moments when God prompts, directs, or comforts us
Carl Jung on synchronicity: "People don't see God in their lives because they don't look long enough"
Scientific backing from neuroscientist Tara Swart and the concept of spiritual intelligence
Ancient Places and Celtic Spirituality
The healing shrine of St. Winifred at Holywell
Remote churches, healing wells, and crosses along the route
Welsh concepts: Heddwch (outer peace) vs. Tangnefedd (inner peace)
R.S. Thomas's "confetti moments" - small instances where hope, love, and joy break through
Vulnerability in Leadership
Why Trystan chose to share his personal story after seven previous books
The challenge of being defined by disability rather than seen as a whole person
New criteria for Church in Wales ministry that emphasizes vulnerability and weakness as strengths
"We don't want Superman in our churches. We want Lois Lane's, Clark Kent's - real people who are vulnerable, open, and compassionate"
Resources Mentioned
Books:
"To Hell's Mouth and Back: Pilgrimage, Suffering, and Hope" by Trystan Owain Hughes
"Finding Hope and Meaning in Suffering" by Trystan Owain Hughes
Other references:
"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl
"The Signs" by Tara Swart
Dylan Thomas's "Under Milk Wood"
Carl Jung's work on synchronicity
Edith Eger (Holocaust survivor and psychologist)
David Gray's album "Life in Slow Motion"
About GoHealth
GoHealth is an organization with a vision to enable churches and individual Christians to be a healing presence in the world. The GoHealth Community offers online courses, monthly gatherings, and a supportive space to explore how to connect faith and health.
Connect with GoHealth:
Join the GoHealth Community
Join the conversation about vulnerability and impactful leadership
...more
37min
November 14, 2025S8 Ep5: Vocation, Leadership and Healing: A conversation with the next Archbishop of Canterbury
In this conversation, Rt. Revd. and Rt. Hon. Dame Sarah Mullally talks to Gillian Straine about her life, her models of leadership and the ways that holistic healing has shaped her approach to service as a nurse and a priest. It is an inspiring and hopeful encounter for anyone concerned with the future of the church, for how leadership can be both humble and powerful, and how the church can meets the needs of the world today.

+Sarah and Gillian explore:
Bishop Sarah’s reflections on saying “yes” to the call to be Archbishop of Cantebury and discerning vocation.
How her nursing background shapes her ministry and leadership style.
The importance of holistic health and rhythms of wellbeing for clergy and leaders.
Servant leadership in practice—and its challenges in a culture of power.
Cultural change in safeguarding and creating safe spaces in the church.
Practical ways churches can engage in social prescribing and community health.
Bishop Sarah’s hopes for the church and the nation as she steps into her new role.
Find a transcript of this episode on the GoHealth website here.
Join the GoHealth Community: www.gohealth.org.uk

Look out for our upcoming reflective course based on this conversation, launching ahead of Bishop Sarah’s installation.
...more
36min
October 17, 2025S8 Ep4: Rachel Michael - Movement and Mission
Revd Dr Gillian Straine talks with dance movement psychotherapist Rachel Michael, founder of Embodied Perspective and author of Embodied Prayer as Mission: Our Response to Cultural Change.

Rachel shares how dance, faith and therapy meet in her work — helping people reconnect body, mind and spirit through gentle movement, awareness and prayer. Together, they explore how the body can become a sacred space for healing, how trauma and emotion are held within us, and how embodied practices can deepen our relationship with God.

A beautiful and thought-provoking episode on rediscovering our bodies as instruments of prayer and transformation.

In this episode Rachel and Gillian explore:
Dance as expression: Rachel discovered early on that movement can express what words can’t.
From stage to healing: She shifted from professional dance to dance movement psychotherapy, helping others connect body, mind and spirit.
Healing through movement: Gentle awareness of posture, breath and gesture helps release emotion and restore balance.
Working with trauma: Movement can safely unlock feelings held in the body, bringing freedom and integration.
Embodied prayer: Rachel links movement and Scripture — especially Psalm 139 — to explore the body as a place of encounter with God.
Rediscovering the body in faith: Many Christians learn to ignore the body; Rachel invites us to see it as sacred and central to prayer.
Faith meets science: The conversation celebrates how research on spirituality and neuroscience echoes ancient Christian wisdom about embodied prayer.

Links:
Transcript for the episode can be found here
Join the GoHealth Community: www.gohealth.org.uk
Embodied Perspective
Embodied Prayer as Mission (Grove booklet)
GoHealth LiFT course - where we explore the importance of movement
...more
31min
September 22, 2025S8 Ep3: Faith, food and flourishing
In this episode of the GoHealth Podcast, CEO Gillian Straine sits down with Dr. Shola Oladipo, a registered dietitian with nearly 30 years of experience, researcher, pastor, and CEO of Food for Purpose. Shola’s pioneering work sits at the intersection of faith, food, and health — equipping Black Majority Churches and wider communities to embrace culturally relevant approaches to health and healing.

Together they explore:
Shola’s story of food, family, and faith growing up in the Pentecostal church.

The Rest–Digest–Reset project and how it is reshaping health through community co-design.

The unique health challenges facing Black, African, and Caribbean communities — and what mainstream health systems often overlook.

Why “cultural relevance” matters so much in healthcare.

The deeper barriers to health, from chronic stress and hypertension to the “weathering effect.”

How church leaders can be powerful agents of change — while also needing care themselves.

The theology that helps us connect faith with health, and how slowing down to “find the pace of God’s love” can itself be an act of healing.
About our guest:
Dr. Shola Oladipo is a registered dietitian, doctoral researcher, and the founder of Food for Purpose (FFP CIC). She has created the award-winning Healthy Church Initiative and partners with churches, NHS trusts, and local councils to tackle health inequalities. Her PhD research focuses on how Black Majority Church leaders can influence health behaviours and build healthier futures.

Links and resources:
Find out more about Shola’s work: Food for Purpose

Join the GoHealth Community: www.gohealth.org.uk
...more
38min
July 18, 2025S8 Ep2: Mark Vernon - Spiritual Intelligence
What is Spiritual Intelligence and what does it have to offer in the times that we are living through? This is the central question in this fascinating conversation between Mark Vernon and GoHealth Podcast host, Gillian Straine.

Together they explore:
Spiritual Intelligence in contrast to Artificial and Emotional Intelligence
What difference Spiritual Intelligence makes to our lives
Whether or not Spiritual Intelligence is an individual or communal pursuit
What Spiritual Intelligence looks like in practice
How Spiritual Intelligence can bring healing and wholeness
Episode Links:
Full transcript for this episode can be found here
Mark Vernon’s book Spiritual Intelligence in Seven Steps
Mark Vernon’s book Awake- William Blake and the power of the Imagination
Mark is teaching on a Foundation course with the Temenos Academy
GoHealth Spiritual Intelligence Course
Join The GoHealth Community
Share your requests for prayers for healing.
...more
38min
June 23, 2025S8 Ep1: The LiFT series - flourishing through character strengths
In this first episode of our brand new series we dive deep into the heart of Character Strengths and Virtues with our special guest, Dr. Roger Bretherton — clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, coach, and a thoughtful Christian voice in the field of wellbeing and spiritual intelligence.

Together, we explore:
What are character strengths and virtues?
How can we recognise, strengthen, and heal the weaker parts of our character?
How can we reframe adversity and suffering through the lens of character development?
Where does faith fit in — is it a master character strength?
How does this all connect to holistic health, and our new LiFT and Spiritual Intelligence courses?
Roger also shares his own journey into this work, the thinkers who’ve influenced him, and a practical tips you can try to strengthen your own character.

Links:
Roger Bretherton - Bio | VIA Institute
GoHealth – Encouraging Health and Faith
...more
37min
February 21, 2025S7 Ep2: Luigi Gioia on praying for healing
We continue our 2025 season on Belonging and Healing with an inspiring conversation between Gillian and Anglican priest, Father Luigi Gioia. This is a rich and profound episode where they go deep into lived experience and the reality of what it means to pray for healing.

The Rev. Dr. Luigi Gioia is the Theologian in Residence at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, New York City, and Research Associate at the Von Hügel Institute at the University of Cambridge (UK). He is the author of Say It To God. In Search of Prayer. The Archbishop of Canterbury Lent Book 2018 (Bloomsbury 2017), and The Wisdom of St Benedict. Monastic Spirituality And The Life Of The Church (Canterbury Press 2021). His books have been translated in six languages.

TW: Mentions suicide.

Together they discuss:
Why pray for healing?
The difference between being cured and being healed.
What is happening for people at Lourdes.
The healing sacraments.
The place of death in prayers for healing.
The difference between acceptance and resignation.
The importance of community in healing experiences.
Father Luigi's own very personal current experience of praying for healing.
Links:
Transcript for this episode is available on our website.
Join The GoHealth Community
Share your requests for prayers for healing.
...more
39min
January 17, 2025S7 Ep1: John Swinton - Presence and Belonging
Gillian begins our 2025 season on Belonging by talking with Prof John Swinton, Professor of Practical and pastoral theology at aberdeen university. John is an registered mental health nurse, ordained minister and noted theologian, researching particularly in areas of mental health and dementia. He is also President of GoHealth, and a musician, recently releasing an album Beautiful songs about difficult things.

Together they explore:
Countercultural presence
Absence because of mobile phone use
Getting comfortable with disruption in church
Mental health in terms of discipleship and vocation
Moving from ‘fixing’ to friendship.
Theology of the Psalms of lament.
Spirituality of darkness.
Helpful and harmful anger.
Solastalgia.
Belonging as being missed.
Learning to be kind.
The Denis Duncan Lecture 2025
Links

Join The GoHealth Community Here

Beautiful Songs about Difficult Things by John Swinton

Register here for the Denis Duncan Lecture

Full transcript available here.

Follow the GoHealth Community on our socials @guildofhealth
...more
28min
November 08, 2024S6 Ep3: Creation Cares - Taking Action
What is ours to do? We've been deep in this theme of Creation Cares for a number of weeks as a GoHealth Community. In this episode Gillian talks with Clare Fussell from Operation Noah about what we can do in response, and what we can leave undone!

Clare Fussell joined Operation Noah in January 2024. Clare has a background in coordinating environmental campaigns, with experience leading The Climate Coalition, managing Christian Aid’s Campaign Team, and being Environmental Adviser for Bristol Diocese. She is passionate about linking Christian faith with environmental action, and enjoys learning about permaculture and biodiversity through her role as trustee of Hazelnut Community Farm in Bristol, as well as through the eco work at her church. Clare is married to Luke, a renewable energy engineer, and they have two young children.

In their conversation together Gillian and Clare explore:
Would Clare's teenage self imagine she would be doing what she is doing now
Responding to the Climate crisis by balancing the big scene with small actions
How Operation Noah has been supporting churches through the Bright Now campaign.
What churches can do in response to climate change and biodiversity loss.
Why climate change and environmental concerns are not a side show to the main purpose of the church.
Clare's three tips for avoiding activist burnout as a Christian engaged in climate justice.
Links:
Operation Noah
The Hazelnut Community
Burning Down the House Report - Tearfund
The Lost Words by Robert McFarlane and Jackie Morris
Borrowed Time - A Green Christian project
The Loss and Damage Campaign - Christian Aid
COP29 - United Nations Conference of the Parties
...more
34min
September 27, 2024S6 Ep2: Creation Cares - Noticing nature
What in Creation caught your attention today? Do you have a sense of why that might have been? These are some of the many questions explored in this beautiful conversation between Gillian Straine and Steve Aisthorpe.

Steve is the Director of Kilmalieu, a retreat centre on the west coast of the Highlands, part of the Abernethy Trust. He is a coach, retreat leader and author of The Invisible Church (SAP, 2016) and Rewilding the Church (SAP, 2020). He was previously a mission development officer for the Church of Scotland and Executive Director of the International Nepal Fellowship.

Together, Gillian and Steve explore
Kilmalieu retreat centre – what is distinctive about its approach.
How folk attending the centre connect with the rugged landscape around them.
How being at Kilmalieu benefits people.
The three ways of seeing.
The threshold prayer.
How connecting with nature cultivates resilience in the face of the climate crisis.
Rewilding the Church - Steve's book.
How folk listening can practice nature connection today, wherever they are.

Episode links:
Kilmalieu website
Abernethy Kilmalieu Facebook
Kilmalieu Instagram
GoHealth Creation Cares series
Join the GoHealth Community

Facebook and Instagram: @GuildofHealth
...more
34min

FAQs about GoHealth Podcast:

How many episodes does GoHealth Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 49 episodes available.

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