Join us on this episode of the Soul Sense Podcast from Samaritan’s Well as we welcome back Healey Ikerd, Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Healy shares practical insights on building strong, faith-centered marriages, navigating communication challenges, trust, forgiveness, and cultivating joy even in difficult seasons.✨ Resources & Links:Healy’s private practice: HopeLife Counseling https://writtenbyhealey.comHealey’s podcast: Healthy & Redeemed https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/healthy-redeemed-helping-christians-grow-in-mental/id1777581136📌 Timestamps:0:00 – Welcome & Introduction0:28 – About Healey Ikerd: Counselor, Author, Veteran, Grammy2:45 – Most Common Couple Struggles3:15 – Communication vs. Connection4:30 – Handling Criticism, Contempt & Stonewalling14:00 – Integrating Faith in Counseling18:00 – The Importance of Prayer in Marriage18:55 – The Importance of Having Fun Together27:30 – From Contempt to Compassion (C− to C+)33:15 – Handling Betrayal and Affairs38:47 – Rebuilding Trust Brick by Brick43:10 – Common Mistakes Couples Make49:50 – Closing Thoughts & Encouragement👍🔔 If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. We'd love to hear what part of this episode hit home for you — comment below or send us a message! Your support helps us bring more meaningful conversations to light. We also value your feedback — please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.For more information on counseling and resources visit samaritanswell.com or email us at [email protected]. ✅ Stay connected:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaritanswell/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanswelldallaSLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/samaritan%E2%80%99s-well/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samaritanswellcounseling?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc🎁 Free Relationship "Talk Time" Guide: https://samaritanswell.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/talk-time-guideMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlight | License code: GAUXTZHWAYJROEFLhttps://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all-i-need | License code: LQFV9XYEQIWRJLNT

What actually happens in the brain when we experience trauma? And how can we truly “take every thought captive” when painful memories and emotions feel overwhelming?In this episode of the Soul Sense Podcast, Mark welcomes back Dr. Angela Deulen, professor of psychology at California Baptist University, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional clinical counselor, and Christian author. Together they explore the powerful intersection of neuroscience, trauma, faith, and spiritual growth.Dr. Deulen explains how traumatic memories are stored differently in the brain, why the body remembers painful experiences, and how chronic stress affects our ability to learn, heal, and grow. They also discuss the biblical command to “take every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5) and what neuroscience reveals about forming new mental and spiritual habits.You’ll learn how the brain’s design for survival can sometimes keep us stuck in patterns of fear or rumination—and how practices like nervous system regulation, spiritual disciplines, and renewing our thinking can help us experience real transformation.Topics covered in this episode include:• How trauma is stored in the brain• Why traumatic memories feel so “sticky”• The role of the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex• Neuroplasticity and spiritual transformation• What it really means to “take every thought captive”• Why doing hard things strengthens both the brain and the spirit• The connection between sanctification and neural pathways• The importance of wisdom when dealing with repressed memoriesDr. Deulen brings together cutting-edge neuroscience and biblical wisdom to help us better understand how God designed our brains—and how healing and spiritual growth truly happen.🔗 Learn more about Dr. Angela Deulen:[https://AngelaDeulen.com](https://AngelaDeulen.com)🎥 Find more of her teaching on YouTube:Search Dr. Angela Deulen👍🔔 If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. We'd love to hear what part of this episode hit home for you — comment below or send us a message! Your support helps us bring more meaningful conversations to light. We also value your feedback — please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.For more information on counseling and resources visit samaritanswell.com or email us at [email protected]. ✅ Stay connected:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaritanswell/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanswelldallaSLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/samaritan%E2%80%99s-well/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samaritanswellcounseling?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc🎁 Free Relationship "Talk Time" Guide: https://samaritanswell.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/talk-time-guideMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlight | License code: GAUXTZHWAYJROEFLhttps://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all-i-need | License code: LQFV9XYEQIWRJLNT

What if guilt and shame aren't part of who you really are?In this episode, Bible teacher and prison ministry volunteer James Early shares powerful stories from over 18 years of leading weekly Bible studies at a federal correctional institution — and what he's learned about guilt, shame, identity, and spiritual transformation along the way.James shares the story of a woman who came to his Bible study broken, medicated, estranged from her family, and done with God — and how two years later she walked out restored, healed, and off all her medications. The turning point? Being given permission to ask hard questions and discovering that sin is not her true identity.Using the simple but profound mud puddle analogy, James explains why guilt and shame don't define you — and why God hates iniquity not because he hates you, but because he loves you too much to let it stick.You'll also hear about:- Why practical faith matters more than right doctrine- How spiritual disciplines grow naturally when you taste God's presence- What it really means that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand- How inmates taught James as much as he taught themConnect with James Early:🎙️ The Bible Speaks to You Podcast🌐 thebiblespeakstoyou.com/soulsense------------------👍🔔 If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. We'd love to hear what part of this episode hit home for you — comment below or send us a message! Your support helps us bring more meaningful conversations to light. We also value your feedback — please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.For more information on counseling and resources visit samaritanswell.com or email us at [email protected]. ✅ Stay connected:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaritanswell/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanswelldallaSLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/samaritan%E2%80%99s-well/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samaritanswellcounseling?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc🎁 Free Relationship "Talk Time" Guide: https://samaritanswell.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/talk-time-guideMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlight | License code: GAUXTZHWAYJROEFLhttps://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all-i-need | License code: LQFV9XYEQIWRJLNT

Dr. Larry Brant — 17-year Navy chaplain, combat veteran, and author — joins the SoulSense podcast to unpack one of the most misunderstood wounds people carry: moral injury. It's not the same as PTSD. It's the place where guilt and shame go so deep that a person believes they are beyond love and beyond forgiveness.Dr. Brant draws from his deployment with Marines in Afghanistan, his work as an ICU chaplain during COVID, and his time with homeless veterans to explain what moral injury actually looks like — and what real healing requires. Spoiler: it's not a quick Bible verse and a pat on the back.In this conversation we cover:- The difference between PTSD, guilt, shame, and moral injury- Why the church often misses it — and what to do instead- The power of sitting with someone in their pain before trying to fix anything- Biblical examples of moral injury and restoration (David, Peter, Paul — and a surprising one from Numbers 31)- Practical tools like the two-way prayer journal- A story of a veteran whose life, marriage, and family were completely transformedDr. Brant's book "Restoring the Broken: A Ministry Leader's Guide to Understanding and Healing Moral Injury" is available now on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover.If moral injury describes you or someone you know — there is a path back.Learn more at https://restoring-the-broken.com/👍🔔 If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. Your support helps us bring more meaningful conversations to light.Thanks for joining us for this podcast! For more information on counseling, resources, and more, go to samaritanswell.com​. You can also email us questions to cover on the podcast at [email protected]. What part of this episode hit home for you? Comment below or email us: we would love to hear from you!Stay connected:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaritanswell/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanswelldallasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/samaritan%E2%80%99s-well/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samaritanswellcounseling?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcWe also value your feedback, so please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Free Relationship "Talk Time" Guide: https://samaritanswell.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/talk-time-guideMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlightLicense code: GAUXTZHWAYJROEFLMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all-i-needLicense code: LQFV9XYEQIWRJLNT

Most workplace problems aren't attitude problems — they're trauma responses nobody taught you to recognize. Dr. Melanie Gray, PhD, RN and trauma-informed leadership consultant, joins us to break down why your team's behavior makes more sense than you think, and what leaders can do about it.In this episode we cover:

• What trauma-informed care actually means in a workplace setting
• Why leaders have to examine their own triggers first
• How generational and childhood trauma shows up at work
• The real cost of burnout and overwork on your team
• Why community and acknowledgment matter more than programs

Dr. Melanie Gray helps organizations move from judgment to empathy — and from high turnover to genuine cultures of wellness.🔗 Learn more at drmelaniegray.com🔗 https://mailchi.mp/dff940f321fa/traum...Lead Without Burnout: Trauma-Informed Self-Care for LeadersA 3-Day Plan to Launch Your Self-Care PracticesLeadership begins with wholeness. This free 4-day plan helps you move from constant giving to grounded leading through trauma-informed self-care strategies. Each day offers a simple, science-backed practice to help you regulate stress, restore balance, and rebuild resilience—without guilt.Whether you lead a team, a mission, or a movement, this guide will help you create emotional safety within yourself so you can show up with clarity, confidence, and calm. Because the best way to serve others is to stay whole while you lead.#TraumaInformedLeadership #WorkplaceCulture #BurnoutPrevention #Leadership #MentalHealthAtWork #SoulSensePodcast👍🔔 If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. Your support helps us bring more meaningful conversations to light.Thanks for joining us for this podcast! For more information on counseling, resources, and more, go to samaritanswell.com​. You can also email us questions to cover on the podcast at [email protected]. What part of this episode hit home for you? Comment below or email us: we would love to hear from you!Stay connected:Instagram:   / facebook:     / samaritanswelldallaslinkedin:     / tiktok:   https://www.tiktok.com/@samaritanswel...We also value your feedback, so please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Free Relationship "Talk Time" Guide: https://samaritanswell.thinkific.com/...Music from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/feather... code: GAUXTZHWAYJROEFLMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all... code: LQFV9XYEQIWRJLNT

Ashley Nicole Kinkead spent 22 years with no contact with her father. At 38, she decided something had to change.Through a 12-step recovery program at her church, Ashley did the hard work of forgiveness, wrote an amends letter, and invited her father to meet her in Dallas for the first time in over two decades. What happened next changed both of their lives.In this episode, Ashley shares:- The 6 things she included in her reconciliation letter- Why forgiveness is not a one-time event- The difference between a peacemaker and a peacekeeper- What parents can do when their adult child has gone no contact- Why reconciliation doesn't mean going back to the way things wereAshley's book After the Locusts: A Story of Hope for Anyone Estranged or No Contact with a Parent is available now on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/After-Locusts-Anyone-Estranged-Contact-ebook/dp/B0FW5BYBWN📖 Find Ashley's book on Amazon: After the Locusts — Ashley Nicole Kinkead🌐 Regeneration Recovery: regenerationrecovery.org👍🔔 If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. Your support helps us bring more meaningful conversations to light.Thanks for joining us for this podcast! For more information on counseling, resources, and more, go to samaritanswell.com​. You can also email us questions to cover on the podcast at [email protected]. What part of this episode hit home for you? Comment below or email us: we would love to hear from you!Stay connected:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaritanswell/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanswelldallasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/samaritan%E2%80%99s-well/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samaritanswellcounseling?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcWe also value your feedback, so please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Free Relationship "Talk Time" Guide: https://samaritanswell.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/talk-time-guideMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlightLicense code: GAUXTZHWAYJROEFLMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all-i-needLicense code: LQFV9XYEQIWRJLNT

What if your sleepless nights weren't something to fight — but an invitation to connect with God?In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Benjamin Long, a dual board-certified sleep medicine physician and pediatrician, to explore the science and spirituality of sleep. Dr. Ben walks us through his "Sleepless Night Rules," the surprising connection between REM sleep and mental health, why you are not a machine, and how the Christian faith offers a uniquely powerful framework for finding rest.Whether you're a clock-watcher, a midnight mechanic, or just someone who can't turn their brain off at night — this conversation is for you.Topics covered:- The stages of sleep and why they matter- How anxiety and the illusion of control wreck your sleep- Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)- Sleep medications — what you should actually know- How to see the night as sacred space📖 Check out Dr. Ben's book, Sleep Habits Journal: Practices, Prayers, and Devotions to Ease Your Sleepless Nights at 👉 https://www.sleephabitsjournal.com/👍🔔 If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. Your support helps us bring more meaningful conversations to light.Thanks for joining us for this podcast! For more information on counseling, resources, and more, go to samaritanswell.com​. You can also email us questions to cover on the podcast at [email protected]. What part of this episode hit home for you? Comment below or email us: we would love to hear from you!Stay connected:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaritanswell/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanswelldallasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/samaritan%E2%80%99s-well/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samaritanswellcounseling?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcWe also value your feedback, so please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Free Relationship "Talk Time" Guide: https://samaritanswell.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/talk-time-guideMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlightLicense code: GAUXTZHWAYJROEFLMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all-i-needLicense code: LQFV9XYEQIWRJLNT

In this episode, we sit down with legendary musician and arranger Fletch Wiley to hear his incredible journey from drug addiction to redemption through Christ. Fletch shares stories from his remarkable career working with icons like Andre Crouch, Diana Ross, and Doc Severinsen, starting from his days at UNT's famous One O'Clock Lab Band.From getting saved in a Tulsa hotel room in 1971 to traveling the world sharing the gospel through music, Fletch's testimony is a powerful reminder that God doesn't play fair—and that's exactly what we need. He talks about his time as Andre Crouch's trumpet player, producing the hit children's album "Music Machine," and his current ministry traveling the globe with his wife Catherine.Whether you're a musician, someone struggling with addiction, or just looking for an honest story of God's transforming power, this conversation will encourage you.📖 Get Fletch's book "God Doesn't Play Fair (And That's a Good Thing)":https://www.amazon.com/dp/1961194449?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_VWVW8XCDGJKZ1JXNFRRN👍🔔 If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. Your support helps us bring more meaningful conversations to light.Thanks for joining us for this podcast! For more information on counseling, resources, and more, go to samaritanswell.com​. You can also email us questions to cover on the podcast at [email protected]. What part of this episode hit home for you? Comment below or email us: we would love to hear from you!Stay connected:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaritanswell/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanswelldallasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/samaritan%E2%80%99s-well/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samaritanswellcounseling?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcWe also value your feedback, so please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Free Relationship "Talk Time" Guide: https://samaritanswell.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/talk-time-guideMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlightLicense code: GAUXTZHWAYJROEFLMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all-i-needLicense code: LQFV9XYEQIWRJLNT

What if the key to a stronger relationship isn't avoiding conflict—but learning how to do it right?In this episode, licensed marriage and family therapist Lisa Gray shares game-changing insights from her 20+ years working with high-conflict couples and those navigating chronic illness. Lisa breaks down why most couples fail at conflict (hint: it's all about timing), introduces her powerful three-step process for healthy disagreements, and explains how chronic illness can actually deepen intimacy when approached with empathy and communication.Key Takeaways:• Why you should never fight when you're already mad• The three-step conflict process: Setup, Listen, Problem-Solve• How to separate listening from solution-finding• Navigating grief, guilt, and resentment in chronic illness• The difference between healthy guilt and toxic guilt• Why thriving is possible even in the hardest circumstancesAbout Lisa Gray:Lisa Gray is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in high-conflict couples and relationships impacted by chronic illness and chronic pain. She's the author of Healthy Conflict, Happy Couple and Thriving in a Relationship When You Have Chronic Illness.Connect with Lisa:Website: lisagraymft.comBooks & Resources: https://lisagrayauthor.com/Instagram: @lisagraymft#RelationshipAdvice #MarriageTherapy #HealthyConflict #ChronicIllness #CouplesTherapy #ConflictResolution #MarriageCounseling #RelationshipGoals #ChronicPain #LisaGray 👍🔔 If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. Your support helps us bring more meaningful conversations to light.Thanks for joining us for this podcast! For more information on counseling, resources, and more, go to samaritanswell.com​. You can also email us questions to cover on the podcast at [email protected]. What part of this episode hit home for you? Comment below or email us: we would love to hear from you!Stay connected:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaritanswell/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanswelldallasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/samaritan%E2%80%99s-well/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samaritanswellcounseling?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcWe also value your feedback, so please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Free Relationship "Talk Time" Guide: https://samaritanswell.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/talk-time-guideMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlightLicense code: GAUXTZHWAYJROEFLMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all-i-needLicense code: LQFV9XYEQIWRJLNT

Struggling with debt, anxiety, or shame around money? You're not alone. In this honest conversation, Heather Day shares her personal journey from financial chaos to freedom—and it wasn't about finding a quick fix.Heather and her husband Robert found themselves drowning in debt in their mid-20s. What changed everything wasn't a magic solution, but a parking lot prayer and a willingness to let God reveal what wasn't like Him in their financial habits.In this episode, we discuss:-How to surrender your finances to the Holy Spirit (and what that actually means)-Why budgeting tactics fail without heart change-The connection between the fruit of the Spirit and how we handle money-Practical steps to overcome financial anxiety and shame-How gratitude rewires our brains and changes our relationship with money-Why community matters when fighting financial bondageHeather's book "Money and the Spirit" offers a different approach to financial freedom—one that starts with humility, surrender, and recognizing that God wants to be involved in every area of our lives, including our bank accounts.Guest: Heather Day, Author & Communications Specialist at Barnabas FoundationConnect with Heather:https://heatherday.net/Get the Book:"Money and the Spirit: Surrendering Our Finances to the work of the Holy Spirit" - Available wherever books are sold👍🔔 If this conversation touched your heart, please like, subscribe, and share. Your support helps us bring more meaningful conversations to light.#EndOfLife #Faith #Grief #Hospice #DeathDoula #Sobriety #Healing #SpiritualJourney #HopeThanks for joining us for this podcast! For more information on counseling, resources, and more, go to samaritanswell.com​. You can also email us questions to cover on the podcast at [email protected]. What part of this episode hit home for you? Comment below or email us: we would love to hear from you!Stay connected:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samaritanswell/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samaritanswelldallasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/samaritan%E2%80%99s-well/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@samaritanswellcounseling?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pcWe also value your feedback, so please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Free Relationship "Talk Time" Guide: https://samaritanswell.thinkific.com/products/digital_downloads/talk-time-guideMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/featherlightLicense code: GAUXTZHWAYJROEFLMusic from Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/northwestern/all-i-needLicense code: LQFV9XYEQIWRJLNT