Soul Grit

Most prisoners are impacted by trauma, mental health, and relational needs that have little chance of being met while they are incarcerated. Jennifer Brianne, author and podcaster, is the founder of the Pens to Prisons ministry, which organizes volunteers to write letters incorporating prayer, scripture, and encouragement to inmates in approximately 10 different prisons in 5 states. Hear her perspective on the mental health and relational challenges that come through in the letters.

Listen to Jennifer's podcasts, read her books, and find out how you can be involved in the Pens to Prisons ministry by visiting her website at www.jenniferbrianne.com.

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Getting arrested and processed through county jail is traumatizing in itself, but many inmates have mental health challenges before they even arrive in the system. Ann talks with Gary Quan, LMFT, about his time serving in the county jail offering hope and dignity to inmates who find themselves in the cycle of incarceration.

Come back next week to learn more about a ministry that is offering messages of hope and salvation to prison inmates in several US states!

This episode came about because a listener just like you asked a question. What kind of topics would you like to hear about next on Soul Grit?

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If you had a mental health crisis, would you be able to afford treatment? Today's guest, Andrew Syed, realized after his own encounter with trauma treatment that he had what many do not: a chance to get the therapy he needed when he needed it most. Along with some friends, he founded A Way Thru, a non-profit that helps people from under-served backgrounds access mental health care.

You can learn more about A Way Thru at waythru.org and consider giving to this organization to help more hurting people get the help they need.

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Who do you call first when you have a crisis? Your pastor, or a therapist? Depending on your background and what you're going through, your answer might be different.

The beginning of this episode includes the end of the conversation that started in the previous episode with Pastor Charles Wolfe. Then Ann explains why she sees pastors and therapists as frontline workers.

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Charles Wolfe is the pastor of a small local church. As a Soul Grit listener, he started to ask questions about how therapists and pastors can both come alongside hurting people in a collaborative way. In this episode, Ann and Charles discuss why Christians need support from both pastors and therapists and started brainstorming about how to make this kind of holistic care available.

You can find out more about Charles' ministry at www.rockridgechurch.org. And don't forget to come back next week to hear the rest of the conversation!

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If your family ever hit a moment when a big or a small crisis turned your lives upside down, you may or may not have known that family therapy could help you out. But many of us think of family therapy as too daunting or too impractical to make that phone call.

In this episode, Ann is joined by Lauren McClain, LMFT-A, to talk about family therapy and how it can help in all sorts of family situations. Lauren believes deeply in God's concern about families, as seen throughout the Scriptures. She takes that passion into the counseling room to help families navigate difficult situations.

You can find out more about Lauren on IG @laurenmcclaincounseling or at https://laurenmcclaincounseling.com/ (for TX residents seeking therapy).

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Kicking off a mini-series about families and family therapy, Soul Grit welcomes Tammy Kennington, a Christian writer, speaker, coach, and mental health advocate. Tammy shares her story of a childhood filled with abuse and the ways God brought about healing in her adult life.

Trigger Warning: physical and sexual abuse, generational curses.

Ann jumps in to help listeners understand the clinical family dynamics and how counselors go about understanding and unpacking generational trauma.

You can find more of Tammy at https://tammykennington.com/ or on IG @tammylkennington.

If you have a question about families or family therapy, email [email protected] and Ann will include it in an upcoming episode.

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Whether you're a Disney fan or just a nerd about family therapy, you'll love this episode. Ibinye Osibodu-Onyali, LMFT returns to the Soul Grit Podcast to talk about Disney's new hit movie Encanto. Ann and Ibi discuss the family dynamics, mental health issues, and generational trauma present in the Madrigal family. Then they tie it back to roles and gifts in the family of God. Whether or not you've watched the movie, you will find this episode entertaining and enlightening.

You can find out more about Ibi on social media @thezinniapractice or at www.thezinniapractice.com.

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Today's episode is a continuation of last week's conversation (Ep. 39: Making Up Your Mind - Pt. 1). You will learn all about mindset and how to choose a healthy one, plus lots more about following Jesus and improving your mental health. Michelle Nietert is the co-author of the upcoming book, Make Up Your Mind, which is available now for pre-order.

You can find out more about Michelle on her website www.yourmentalhealthcoach.com or follow her on social media @michellenietert. Her podcast is called Raising Mentally Healthy Kids.

Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and email your questions and comments to [email protected]. Sign up at www.soulgritresources.com to be the first to know about new blogs, episodes, and more. 

Why is mindset important? What does the Bible say about our mindsets? In today's episode, Ann chats with Michelle Nietert, a mental health professional and author of an upcoming book Make Up Your Mind. Besides mindset, Ann and Michelle cover lots of topics related to therapy and following Jesus.

You can find out more about Michelle on her website www.yourmentalhealthcoach.com or follow her on social media @michellenietert. Her podcast is called Raising Mentally Healthy Kids.

Follow @soulgritresources on FB and IG and email your questions and comments to [email protected]. Sign up at www.soulgritresources.com to be the first to know about new blogs, episodes, and more.