Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast

Does trauma stop revival? Can God genuinely move in a church where leaders—or the people experiencing Him—are carrying unresolved trauma? And does an intense hunger for God always mean a community is spiritually healthy?

In this episode, Heidi explores the complicated intersection of revival, trauma, spiritual hunger, emotional health, leadership, and discernment. From Samson's supernatural gifting alongside profound character struggles to the differences between charismatic expressions of hunger and the quiet faithfulness often seen in more traditional churches, this conversation asks an important question: How do we recognize a healthy move of God?

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why unresolved trauma doesn't necessarily prevent God from moving—but can affect how we perceive and steward what He is doing • How to distinguish spiritual gifts, emotional intensity, and manifestations from the fruit of the Spirit • Why a quiet, faithful Christian may be just as hungry for God as someone pursuing revival meetings and supernatural encounters • What Samson teaches us about the difference between gifting and character • Practical markers of healthy revival, including truth, accountability, humility, safety, repentance, rest, and lasting fruit "Test everything; hold fast what is good." — 1 Thessalonians 5:21

You don't have to be afraid of the supernatural, and you don't have to turn off discernment to pursue it. We can hunger for everything God has for us while remaining grounded in Scripture, wisdom, emotional health, and the fruit of the Spirit.

Find more about Heidi: www.heidimortensonlmft.com

Schedule a FREE 15-minute clarity call with Heidi: https://calendly.com/heidimortenson/15min

Join my mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5

If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!

Psychosis or Demonic? Discerning Mental Health and Spiritual Warfare

Is it psychosis, demonic influence—or could there be more than one thing happening at the same time?

In this episode of the Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast, Heidi sits down with Rafe Ronning to continue the conversation from the Mental Health & Deliverance Conference. Together, they explore one of the most challenging areas of discernment: distinguishing symptoms of mental illness from possible spiritual oppression.

Heidi and Rafe also discuss the Lindsay Clancy trial and case, including reports surrounding her mental state and alleged experiences of hearing a voice, and consider the questions her story raises about psychosis, spiritual warfare, and the importance of careful discernment. They do not attempt to diagnose Clancy or claim certainty about the spiritual causes of her actions.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How psychosis and spiritual oppression can sometimes appear similar
• Rafe's personal testimony of deliverance and spiritual freedom
• Why Christians disagree about whether believers can experience demonic oppression
• How to approach voices, intrusive thoughts, and unusual experiences with both spiritual and clinical discernment
• Why seeking appropriate help, staying grounded in Scripture, and following the Holy Spirit matter when navigating complex symptoms

This conversation isn't about labeling every mental health struggle as demonic—or dismissing the spiritual realm altogether. It's about learning to discern wisely, remain grounded in truth, and recognize when someone may need clinical care, spiritual support, or both.

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God." — 1 John 4:1 NKJV

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." — 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." — 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

Rafe's website: https://www.truthandfreedomchurch.com/

Find more about Heidi: www.heidimortensonlmft.com

Join my mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5

If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!

What do you do when the future you imagined suddenly feels uncertain?

In this powerful and hope-filled conversation, Heidi Mortenson sits down with Christian author and speaker Heidi Lee Anderson, who shares how a cancer diagnosis at just 23 years old changed the trajectory of her life—and deepened her understanding of what it really means to trust God when you don't know what comes next.

Heidi Lee shares her journey through Hodgkin's lymphoma, chemotherapy and radiation, fears about infertility and long-term health complications, and the unexpected ways God met her in the middle of it all—including meeting her future husband during treatment and later becoming a mom to four children.

Years later, new health concerns brought Heidi back to a familiar crossroads: Would she live consumed by the "what ifs," or trust the God who had already proven faithful? That journey became the foundation for her 100-day devotional, All in All Yours.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How to fight the spiral of "what if?" when fear and uncertainty take over
• Why faith doesn't require denying difficult circumstances—it means learning where to place your trust in the middle of them
• How God can be working behind the scenes even when your circumstances look nothing like you hoped
• The powerful role prayer and community can play when you're walking through suffering
• How to choose joy, surrender, and hope when you can't control what happens next

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." — Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

If you're walking through a diagnosis, an uncertain future, unanswered prayer, or simply a season where fear keeps whispering "What if?"—this conversation is a reminder that God is already present in the places you're afraid to go. Your circumstances may feel uncertain, but your God is not.

Heidi Lee Anderson's website: HeidiLeeAndersonMinistries.com

Purchase Heidi Lee Anderson's 100-day devotional: https://a.co/d/0aCuDka8

Find more about Heidi: www.heidimortensonlmft.com

Schedule a FREE 15-minute clarity call with Heidi: https://calendly.com/heidimortenson/15min

Join my mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5

If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!

What if every thought going through your mind isn't actually something you need to agree with?

Following my conversation with Dr. Natalie Atwell, I want to go deeper into spiritual discernment—and why understanding both the psychological and spiritual realms matters for our mental health.

As a mental health therapist and Christian, I believe we can fall into two extremes: seeing a demon behind every struggle or explaining everything psychologically and forgetting that Scripture says spiritual warfare is real.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How to recognize when a thought doesn't line up with God's truth
• Why Scripture tells us both to take thoughts captive and resist the enemy
• What the Bible says about our authority over demonic spirits
• Why Christians disagree about whether a believer can "have a demon"
• Practical steps for growing in discernment and walking in your authority in Christ

The goal isn't to become demon-focused. It's to know Jesus, know His Word, and become increasingly able to recognize what is true—and what isn't.

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." ~2 Corinthians 10:4–5

"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." ~ James 4:7

Find more about Heidi: www.heidimortensonlmft.com

Schedule a FREE 15-minute clarity call with Heidi: https://calendly.com/heidimortenson/15min

Join my mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5

If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!

What if some of what we're seeing in mental health can't be fully understood through a psychological lens alone?

In this episode of the Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast, Heidi sits down with Dr. Natalie Atwell, licensed clinical mental health counselor and author of Humanity Under Siege, for a thought-provoking conversation about mental health, spiritual warfare, and the unseen realm.

After encountering the biblical scholarship of Dr. Michael Heiser, Natalie began looking more deeply at what Scripture says about the spiritual world—and how that understanding might inform her work with clients. Rather than replacing good clinical care with spiritual explanations, Natalie developed an approach that considers the whole person: psychological, physical, relational, and spiritual.

Together, Heidi and Natalie discuss:

• How Michael Heiser's work on the unseen realm changed Natalie's approach to mental health
• How clinicians can explore spiritual concerns ethically, including the importance of assessment and informed consent
• Why Christians need discernment around New Age and other spiritual practices increasingly appearing in mental health spaces
• How to distinguish psychological and trauma-related patterns from possible spiritual influences—without assuming everything is spiritual
• How biblical truth, trauma-informed care, CBT, prayer, and spiritual assessment can work together while remaining within appropriate clinical boundaries

Natalie also shares why she believes Christian therapists shouldn't have to hide their faith to practice ethically—and why both courage and humility are needed when addressing areas we cannot always see.

This conversation is ultimately about hope. We don't have to fear the unseen realm, and we don't have to choose between sound mental health care and a biblical worldview. We can pursue truth, wisdom, discernment, and excellent care while continually pointing people toward the hope found in Jesus.

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." — Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

Learn more about Dr. Natalie Atwell and her work at Mental Warrior Consulting, and find her book, Humanity Under Siege, wherever books are sold.

Natalie's website: https://mentalwarriorconsulting.com/

Purchase Natalie's book Humanity Under Siege: https://a.co/d/000TlgOl

Find more about Heidi: www.heidimortensonlmft.com

Schedule a FREE 15-minute clarity call with Heidi: https://calendly.com/heidimortenson/15min

Join my mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5

If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!

Can mental health symptoms have psychological, trauma-related, physical and spiritual components? And how do we discern what we're actually dealing with without spiritualizing everything—or leaving God completely out of the conversation?

In this episode, Heidi shares some of her biggest takeaways from the Mental Health & Deliverance Conference and why clinicians, ministry leaders, and believers need wisdom, humility, and discernment when caring for people.

One phrase captures the tension:

"You can't cast out a person, and you can't counsel a demon."

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why not everything is a demon—and not everything is psychological • Why trauma-informed care matters in deliverance ministry • What "you can't counsel a demon, and you can't cast out a person" really means • How to stay in your lane without leaving the Holy Spirit outside the room • Why we need more collaboration between clinicians and ministry leaders

We don't have to choose between taking mental health seriously and taking the spiritual realm seriously. We can learn to hold both with wisdom, ethics, compassion, and biblical discernment.

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God…" — 1 John 4:1

Schedule a FREE 15-minute clarity call: https://calendly.com/heidimortenson/15min

Release what isn't yours free guide: https://subscribepage.io/IAqSlkIf

Heidi's website: www.heidimortenson.com

Join Heidi's mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5

If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!

What if some of the confusion you've experienced in your faith isn't because God is unclear—but because truth has become mixed with other voices?

In this thought-provoking episode, Heidi sits down with therapist, teacher, and author Dr. Jessica Stone to unpack one of the greatest challenges facing Christians today: spiritual mixture. Together they explore what happens when biblical truth becomes blended with personal experiences, emotional reasoning, cultural influences, or teachings that aren't rooted in Scripture.

Rather than living from formulas, other people's testimonies, or emotional highs, God invites us into something far deeper—a personal relationship with Him and a Kingdom mindset that brings clarity, freedom, and peace.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why spiritual mixture creates confusion and keeps believers stuck.
• How to discern God's voice from emotions, experiences, and human opinions.
• Why the simplicity of the Gospel is still the pathway to freedom.
• How testimonies can inspire without becoming unrealistic expectations.
• Practical ways to build a Kingdom mindset rooted in Scripture instead of spiritual trends.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Dr. Jessica also shares resources from her Kingdom Mindset Masterclass and discusses how believers can grow in biblical discernment while cultivating a deeper, more authentic relationship with Jesus.

Dr. Jessica Stone's website: https://www.kingdommindset.global/

Find more about Heidi: www.heidimortensonlmft.com

Join my mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5

If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!

Have you ever "surrendered" something to God—while secretly hoping your surrender would finally make Him change the situation?

Sometimes control doesn't look like control. It looks like helping. Fixing. Praying harder. Being extra kind. Trying to say exactly the right thing. Or even telling God, "I give this completely to You," while quietly expecting a particular outcome in return.

In this episode of the Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast, Heidi explores the difference between true biblical surrender and spiritualized control—and why trauma, relational pain, and a dysregulated nervous system can make letting go feel so difficult.

Using a simple dream about mowing someone else's lawn, Heidi asks a powerful question:

Am I tending what God has actually given me to tend—or am I trying to manage something that belongs to someone else?

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How control can disguise itself as love, helping, prayer, or surrender
• Why trauma and nervous-system activation can make control feel like safety
• How to distinguish what belongs to God, what belongs to you, and what belongs to another person
• Why trusting God does not require blindly trusting people
• How to carry hope for someone's transformation without making yourself responsible for producing it

"Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, 'But Lord, what about this man?' Jesus said to him, 'If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.'" ~ John 21:21–22 (NKJV)

Surrender isn't trusting God to give me the outcome I want. Surrender is trusting God with the outcome.

Sign up for the FREE Mental Health & Deliverance Conference: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1997857590835?aff=oddtdtcreator

Schedule a FREE 15-minute clarity call: https://calendly.com/heidimortenson/15min

Release what isn't yours free guide: https://subscribepage.io/IAqSlkIf

Heidi's website: www.heidimortenson.com

· Join my mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5

· If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!

Can someone survive extreme trauma, ritual abuse, and generational Satanism—and not only find freedom, but dedicate their life to helping others heal?

In one of the most powerful conversations on the Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast, Heidi sits down with Adele Vrey from South Africa to hear her remarkable testimony of redemption. Adele shares her journey out of generational Satanism, the devastating effects of ritual trauma and dissociation, and the years-long healing process that included counseling, deliverance, inner healing, prayer, and God's miraculous restoration.

Together, Heidi and Adele tackle one of the most important conversations facing the Church today: How do we wisely discern the difference between trauma, mental illness, and spiritual oppression? They discuss why the Church needs both biblical discernment and trauma-informed care—and why no single tool is enough.

In this episode you'll discover:

• How severe trauma can impact the brain, body, and spirit.
• Why healing often requires counseling, deliverance, prayer, and community—not just one approach.
• How to discern between psychological, physical, and spiritual causes of suffering.
• Why trauma-informed ministry is essential for today's Church.
• The incredible hope that Jesus brings, no matter how dark your past has been.

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners." — Isaiah 61:1

Connect with Adele Vrey

To learn more about Adele and Riaan Swiegelaar's ministry, counseling, training, and resources, visit: https://www.deliverance4me.com/

Join Us at the Mental Health & Deliverance Conference

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mental-health-deliverance-conference-tickets-1997857590835

If this conversation resonates with you, we'd love to have you join us August 26–27, 2026, at Truth and Freedom Church (Minnesota) for the Mental Health & Deliverance Conference featuring Adele Vrey, Rafe Ronning, and Heidi Mortenson.

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mental-health-deliverance-conference-tickets-1997857590835

Whether you're a therapist, ministry leader, pastor, or someone pursuing healing, this conference will equip you with practical tools, biblical wisdom, and greater discernment for walking with people toward freedom.

Find more about Heidi: www.heidimortensonlmft.com

Join my mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5

If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!

What if the behaviors you feel ashamed of are not proof that you are weak—but evidence that your nervous system has been trying to protect you?

In this episode, Heidi explores how faith, trauma, attachment, and neuroscience come together to explain why we sometimes overreact, shut down, people-please, strive, control, or feel uneasy when life is finally peaceful.

You'll learn:

• Why the brain predicts danger based on past experiences • Why familiar patterns can feel safer than healthy ones • How neuroplasticity allows the brain to form new pathways • Why safe relationships and co-regulation matter for healing • Five practical ways to retrain your nervous system with Jesus

Drawing from basic neuroscience research on predictive processing, memory reconsolidation, emotional regulation, and attachment, Heidi explains that healing is not about ignoring the body or simply "having more faith." It is about allowing God's truth, the Holy Spirit, healthy relationships, and the way God designed the brain and body to work together.

You'll also discover how to notice your reactions without shame, regulate before responding, identify old predictions, renew your mind with truth, and experience God as a secure place of attachment.

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless." — 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Schedule a FREE 15-minute clarity call: https://calendly.com/heidimortenson/15min

Release what isn't yours free guide: https://subscribepage.io/IAqSlkIf

Heidi's website: www.heidimortenson.com

· Join my mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5

· If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!