Sunburnt Souls | Faith, Mental Health & Mayhem

In this important episode of Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast, Pastor Dave Quak welcomes Dr. John Warlow, a leading Christian psychiatrist and member of the Living Wholeness Medical Team. We explore the critical intersection of faith and mental health in the church community.

Dr. John’s work with Living Wholeness is dedicated to equipping Christian leaders, pastors, and mental health professionals with the necessary tools to foster holistic transformation. His faith-integrated approach combines spiritual formation with psychological expertise, offering a powerful model of care that nurtures both mental and spiritual well-being.

The Church and Mental Health: A Holistic Approach

Dr. John shares practical, tangible ways that Christian communities can become genuine places of healing:

• How to integrate mental health care and awareness seamlessly into church ministries.
• The steps required to train church leaders to address mental health issues with compassion and understanding.
• Creating safe, non-judgmental spaces where individuals can find support and healing without fear of stigma.

Transforming Churches into Places of Healing

Through this vision, Dr. John and Living Wholeness envision a future where mental health support is a natural part of Christian ministry. Learn how your community can develop resilience, deepen its spiritual depth, and ensure that people struggling with mental illness feel seen, valued, and encouraged in their faith journey.

This episode is essential listening for pastors, ministry leaders, and anyone passionate about transforming mental health care within Christian communities.

Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! 

Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you:

• Embrace your identity in Jesus
• Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
• Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace

👉 Start your 28-day journey today

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

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Sunburnt Souls – Where Faith and Mental Health Collide

Today on Sunburnt Souls, we sit down with the one and only Tom Boyd to explore his personal journey through grief, suffering, ADHD, and restoration in Christ.

Tom is a unique blend of depth and contradiction—a sci-fi nerd with a Black Belt in martial arts, making him just as comfortable discussing Dungeons & Dragons as he is navigating life’s toughest battles.

Topics Covered in This Episode:

• Coping with ADHD and Mental Health – How Tom has learned to manage ADHD while maintaining resilience in faith.
• Grieving and Navigating Personal Suffering – A candid discussion on loss, hardship, and what it means to endure.
• Finding Hope and Resilience in Hard Times – How faith provides strength in moments of doubt and despair.
• Faith, Healing, and Mental Health in Today’s World – Why faith and mental health are not separate conversations but deeply intertwined.

Listen Now: A Conversation on Strength, Struggle, and Redemption

This episode is for anyone seeking hope in the midst of suffering, learning to navigate ADHD and mental health, or needing a reminder that faith is for the messy, the broken, and the searching.

• Subscribe to Sunburnt Souls for more real conversations about faith and mental well-being.
• Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred platform.

Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! 

Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you:

• Embrace your identity in Jesus
• Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
• Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace

👉 Start your 28-day journey today

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

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This wee on Sunburnt Souls, a Christian Mental Health Podcast, we chat to Amanda Barclay's story is one of resilience and faith, having navigated a long, complex journey with her own mental health, and that of her loved ones and friends.  After several misdiagnoses and traumatic experiences within both public and private mental health systems, Amanda fought for her son, eventually seeing progress when he attended Teen Challenge, which provided a significant digital detox. Through this experience, her son found stability, started a lawn mowing business, and got his medication in order.

Amanda’s personal journey also involved her own mental health challenges, for which she took medication for anxiety and depression. A breakthrough for her came through the Richards Trauma Process (TRTP), a method of trauma counselling she learned about through a Christian friend. Amanda found healing through this process, which helped resolve her PTSD and brought profound emotional relief, allowing her to care for her family and even leaving her teenagers at home enjoying a trip for the first time without constant worry. Amanda started a counselling practice offering TRTP to others, helping them resolve distress from past events without re traumatisation.

Throughout her journey, Amanda grappled with understanding why bad things happen, finding comfort and clarity through the allegory in *The Shack*. This perspective solidified her belief that God is inherently good and never the source of evil. She emphasises the importance of trusting that God only brings good and that evil arises from the brokenness of the world. For her, God's redemption is key—turning even the worst situations for good, while never being the author of evil.

to Contact Amanda

[email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556558804725&mibextid=JRoKGi
0421239630

also, if you're interested in studying the Graduate Certificate of Pastoral Care for mental health that Amanda recommends, do so here
https://bst.qld.edu.au/graduate-certificate-of-pastoral-care-for-mental-health/

Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! 

Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you:

• Embrace your identity in Jesus
• Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
• Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace

👉 Start your 28-day journey today

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

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Sunburnt Souls – Where Faith and Mental Health Collide

In this episode of Sunburnt Souls, we dive deep into Sharayah’s powerful testimony of overcoming anxiety and depression through the transformative friendship of Jesus.

Sharayah candidly shares her journey—from the weight of mental illness that left her feeling isolated and alone to the life-changing relationship with Christ that brought her healing and hope.

Finding Jesus in the Darkest Moments

Sharayah opens up about:

• The depth of her struggle with anxiety and depression.
• How Jesus met her at her lowest point—offering more than just comfort, but true friendship and restoration.
• The transformation that took place when she surrendered her pain to God.

Hope for Anyone Struggling with Mental Health

This episode is for:

• Anyone battling anxiety, depression, or loneliness.
• Those searching for hope and healing in their faith journey.
• Anyone needing a reminder that they are never alone in their struggles.

Listen Now: A Story of Grace, Healing, and Hope

Sharayah’s testimony is a powerful reminder that no matter how dark life feels, Jesus is always near, ready to restore and renew.

• Subscribe to Sunburnt Souls for more real conversations about faith and mental health.
• Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred platform.

Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! 

Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you:

• Embrace your identity in Jesus
• Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
• Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace

👉 Start your 28-day journey today

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

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Today on Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast, Pastor Dave Quak dives into three raw and powerful Psalms of Lament—Psalm 51, Psalm 3, and Psalm 88—that reveal the honesty of mental anguish, spiritual despair, and the transformative hope found in crying out to God.

The Psalms teach us that lament is not a lack of faith, but a brave, biblical step toward healing. We explore three different types of pain and the one God who listens:

• Psalm 51: When we are crushed by guilt, regret, and our own moral failure.
• Psalm 3: When betrayal or harm from others leaves us emotionally reeling.
• Psalm 88: When even God feels distant and the spiritual darkness won't lift.

Finding Hope in Honesty

In this episode, we explore:

• How to talk to God with absolute honesty when you're at your lowest mental health point.
• Why engaging in lament is a path to hope and restoration, not a dead-end.
• What the Psalms teach us about processing mental and emotional suffering through a biblical lens.

If you’re battling grief, regret, spiritual anxiety, or feeling abandoned by God, this conversation offers the framework and permission you need to be honest with your Creator.

Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! 

Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you:

• Embrace your identity in Jesus
• Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
• Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace

👉 Start your 28-day journey today

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

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In this special, empowering episode of Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast, host Pastor Dave Quak delivers 10 Pearls of Wisdom—a powerful collection of testimonies, practical truth, and hard-won life lessons drawn from real stories of transformation and healing previously featured on the podcast.

This is an essential, condensed Christian mental health resource for any believer navigating the complex intersection of faith and emotional struggles. You'll hear practical truth from Christians who have successfully broken stigma, learned to manage anxiety and depression, and found relentless hope in Jesus amidst life's messiest seasons.

Why You Need These 10 Pearls of Wisdom:

This episode is a beacon of hope and a faith-based resource that directly addresses the challenges faced by believers in the Church. You will gain:

• Resilience & Encouragement: Inspiring takeaways that prove intimacy with God emerges from brokenness, assuring you that you are not alone in your struggle.
• Stigma-Breaking Honesty: Wisdom from those who have spoken openly about conditions like bipolar disorder, addiction, and trauma, modeling a path toward full healing.
• Practical Faith Habits: Clear insights on spiritual growth and the practical tools necessary to find rest and manage emotional distress through a Christian lens.

Listen now to be encouraged by these powerful testimonies of faith, perseverance, and healing. Let these ten stories transform your perspective and assure you that God is present in every season of your struggle.

Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! 

Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you:

• Embrace your identity in Jesus
• Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
• Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace

👉 Start your 28-day journey today

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

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Sunburnt Souls: A Christian mental health podcast features an exceptionally raw, heartbreaking, and deeply inspiring conversation with Isaac, a man whose life has been shaped by mental illness, trauma, and Christian resilience.

⚠️ Trigger Warning: Sexual Abuse This episode discusses sensitive topics related to adult sexual abuse that may be triggering for some listeners. If you or someone you know is affected, please seek support from the following Australian resources:

• 1800RESPECT – 1800 737 732 (24/7 support and information)
• Lifeline – 13 11 14 (Crisis support and suicide prevention)
• Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636 (Mental health support)

Growing Up with a Parent Who Had Bipolar Disorder Isaac’s story begins in a home shaped by a parent living with bipolar disorder, where unpredictable moods and emotional highs and lows were challenging. We discuss the impact of a parent's mental illness on a child's identity and how faith and personal growth helped him process these early experiences.

Facing Childhood Anxiety and the Weight of Trauma Isaac bravely opens up about the sexual abuse he endured between the ages of 8 and 10, alongside his ongoing battle with childhood anxiety. This discussion explores:

• How childhood trauma impacts mental health into adulthood.
• Ways he has learned to heal over time and find strength despite the pain.
• How faith and perseverance continue to shape his journey toward Christian healing and hope.

Isaac’s story is a powerful reminder that healing is possible and no one is alone in their struggles. Whether you have walked a similar path or know someone who has, this episode offers a beacon of hope.

Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! 

Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you:

• Embrace your identity in Jesus
• Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
• Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace

👉 Start your 28-day journey today

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

• Listen and Rate on ...

Today on Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast, Pastor Dave Quak tackles a challenging but important topic: how to support a Christian friend or loved one who may be struggling with an undiagnosed mental illness but refuses to acknowledge it or seek help.

Many people fear judgment or simply don’t recognise their own struggles, making it difficult for those who care about them to intervene. In this compassionate conversation, Dave shares seven practical, faith-based steps to approach the situation with love, patience, and Christ-like wisdom.

Key Steps to Supporting a Friend with Undiagnosed Mental Illness

We walk through the essential guidance for walking alongside a struggling believer:

• Build Trust and Listen – Approach with empathy, not judgment, and create a space where they feel safe to share their concerns.
• Be Gentle, Not Confrontational – Avoid labelling their struggles; instead, focus on objective observations and concerns in a non-defensive way.
• Offer Support, Not Solutions – Learn to walk alongside them rather than trying to fix them. Sometimes, your caring presence matters more than quick answers.
• Highlight the Benefits of Professional Help – Gently encourage them to speak to a Christian counselor, pastor, or GP, emphasizing that support is available without pressure.
• Pray for Guidance and Healing – As a believer, we turn to God for wisdom in how to approach the situation, trusting Him for their eventual healing and breakthrough.
• Set Boundaries if Necessary – Understand that if their refusal to seek help affects your own mental health, it's okay to set healthy, loving boundaries while continuing to show care.

Helping a struggling friend requires patience, empathy, and a deep trust in God's presence. If you’re walking this journey with someone, this episode offers the guidance, encouragement, and practical wisdom you need.

Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! 

Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you:

• Embrace your identity in Jesus
• Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
• Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace

👉 Start your 28-day journey today

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

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Today on Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast, Pastor Dave Quak sits down with Dr. Stephen Beaumont, an expert in counselling and pastoral supervision, to unpack the complex transition of midlife. We challenge the notion of the "midlife crisis": Is it a legitimate psychological phenomenon for believers, or simply a cultural myth that ignores the opportunity for Christian growth?

Understanding the Midlife Transition for Christians

For believers in their 40s to 60s, this stage can bring significant changes—career shifts, evolving family relationships, aging parents, and deep moments of self-reflection about faith and purpose. Dr. Beaumont helps us explore the reality of this life stage:

• What actually happens in midlife—biologically, emotionally, and spiritually?
• How does culture shape our expectations for the "second half of life"?
• We define the difference between a natural transition and a destructive midlife crisis for those rooted in Christ.

How to Navigate Midlife with Faith and Wisdom

Instead of viewing midlife as a season of crisis, Dr. Beaumont shares healthy spiritual and mental health practices for embracing it as a time of renewal and deeper purpose. This discussion is vital for Christian men and women facing this transition:

• How to process identity shifts and feelings of restlessness with biblical wisdom and honesty.
• The role of self-reflection in shaping a more meaningful second half of life dedicated to Christ.
• How intentional practices can bring clarity and peace when facing major life changes.

Listen Now: If you've ever felt yourself thinking, "What the heck is happening to me?", this episode offers a faith-informed guide to moving beyond the crisis and stepping into a season of growth.

Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! 

Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you:

• Embrace your identity in Jesus
• Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
• Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace

👉 Start your 28-day journey today

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

• Listen and Rate on ...

Sunburnt Souls – Where Faith and Mental Health Collide

In this powerful episode of Sunburnt Souls, we sit down with Dani B, a voice of faith, resilience, and healing in the world of Christian Hip Hop. For the past six years, Dani has been boldly sharing her testimony through her podcast, poetry, and digital gospel radio station, Crowned Radio, spreading hope and love to listeners around the world.

Grief, Healing, and Purpose

Dani’s journey has been deeply shaped by the loss of her husband to Type 1 Diabetes. This heart-wrenching experience has given her:

• A profound understanding of love, grief, and healing through faith.
• A passion for supporting young widows in their 20s and 30s, helping them find strength and community.
• A mission to use music and storytelling to bring hope to those struggling with loss and mental health challenges.

The Role of Christian Hip Hop in Mental Health Awareness

Music is more than just entertainment—it’s a powerful tool for expression, healing, and faith. In this episode, we explore:

• How Christian Hip Hop provides a space for honesty and vulnerability.
• Why faith-based music is an effective way to navigate mental health struggles.
• How testimony and storytelling in the digital age can change lives.

Supporting Those in Grief and Ministry

Dani shares her thoughts on:

• The impact of authenticity in ministry.
• How faith communities can better support young widows and those facing similar losses.
• Why grief and mental health must be openly discussed in Christian spaces.

Listen Now: A Conversation on Faith, Music, and Healing

This episode is a must-listen for those who love music, testimony, and honest conversations about grief, faith, and mental health.

• Connect with Dani B and Crowned Radio:
  • Crowned Radio Website
  • Crowned Radio on Facebook
  • Listen to the Live Stream
• Subscribe to Sunburnt Souls for more raw and inspiring conversations.
• Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your preferred platform.

Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here! 

Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here

🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION

Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health

A 28-day, FREE journey to help you:

• Embrace your identity in Jesus
• Build life-giving spiritual rhythms
• Navigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace

👉 Start your 28-day journey today

📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter

⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW

Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey.

• Listen and Rate on ...