Bless This Brain

You don't win battles simply returning fire for fire. Battles are won through deliberate planning, a thorough building of forces, and a strategy that doesn't simply put an end to one battle, but will lead to winning the entire war. So goes our mental health recovery journey. About Us Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear...

Often when we begin the journey of recovery from mental health challenges, the first thing we feel isn't relief. It's guilt. About Us Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma through creative storytelling, mental health first aid training, and innovative workshops. We come alongside people as they navigate their...

Because our God is capable of all He wills, we can confidently ask "What if?" About Us Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma through creative storytelling, mental health first aid training, and innovative workshops. We come alongside people as they navigate their recovery journey, ensuring no one who comes to...

Mental health challenges surprised us when they arrived. They didn't surprise Him, and He never left our side. About Us Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma through creative storytelling, mental health first aid training, and innovative workshops. We come alongside people as they navigate their recovery journ...

For many, living with a mental health challenge is a personal matter. Something they address and then go on about their lives. For some, their experience comes with a special calling. About Us Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma through creative storytelling, mental health first aid training, and innovative...

One of the fears we encounter the most is the fear of the "secular" therapist. The one who turns people away from their faith and leads them down the path of destruction. This is an invitation to learn why the reality is far more nuanced than we might imagine. About Us Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma thr...

Of all the things we could hope to become, we couldn't hope for anything greater than to become a mightily curious person. About Us Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma through creative storytelling, mental health first aid training, and innovative workshops. We come alongside people as they navigate their re...

There are a myriad of ways that aren't just recommended, but often required, to obtain and maintain a healthy mind. It can be easy to look for an easy fix, but like an order at a restaurant, an incomplete meal leaves our minds unsatisfied. About Us Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma through creative storyte...

What hope is there to be gleaned from suffering? In this episode, we examine the power of juxtaposition in enhancing our ultimate experience of God. About Us Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma through creative storytelling, mental health first aid training, and innovative workshops. We come alongside peopl...

It happens to most of us, especially those who live with depression and anxiety. Hopelessness. The sense that nothing will ever feel better than it does right now, and right now it feels bad. How do find hope in the midst of hopelessness? By looking to the one who holds it all. About Us Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We t...

You've likely heard of adverse childhood experiences, or ACES. A higher number of these experiences can almost guarantee future mental health challenges and negative lifetime outcomes. That said, cultivating positive childhood experiences can actually create a buffer against the future effects of a high ACE score. Churches are uniquely equipped to provide these experiences if we approach the work...

All of us to some degree are both more fortunate than some and less fortunate than others. This episode is for anyone who struggles to have compassion for those whose mental health challenges have impacted their lives in significant ways. A message for any and all of us. Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma t...

The word "numbing" is synonymous with the topic of psychiatric medication. In this episode we learn why "numb" is dumb and why we need to move away from this unhelpful language. Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma through creative storytelling, mental health first aid training, and innovative workshops. We c...

Self-care. It's not a new thing, but it's something we talk about now more than ever. I'm a fan of self-care, but when does it become a problem? Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma through creative storytelling, mental health first aid training, and innovative workshops. We come alongside people as they navi...

Take your thoughts captive. The oft repeated response from well-meaning individuals seeking to help those who are experiencing mental health challenges. But...does it mean what they think it means. In this episode, we're going to see where this phrase comes from in scripture, examine it in its greater context, and see whether it helps or hurts. Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to brid...

The pursuit of mental health recovery can sometimes lead to an unwanted outcome. That is, an obsession with how we're feeling every moment of every day. Looking inward is good and necessary, but what do we do when it ventures into the realm of relentless navel gazing. Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between churches and mental health help. We tear down stigma thro...

In this episode I reflect on a phrase that regularly marked my childhood. "Hey, kid." The familiar greeting my grandfather used whenever he visited. What would we say if we could talk to ourselves growing up? What, as people experiencing mental health challenges, would we convey to ourselves in our youth? Let's explore some "Hey, kids" that we can convey to the youth in our lives. Bless This Brain...

There is no topic more sensitive when it comes to discussion of treating mental illness, than medication. This episode isn't an attempt to get you to take medication. It's about weighing the cost of symptom relief against the occasional experience of unwanted side effects. Written by a guy who was deathly afraid of those little white pills. Bless This Brain is an organization dedicated to bridging...

Everything tells us that we're called to do big, great, amazing things. That, like so much of the world, we should never be satisfied with less than having the largest impact. But at what cost? The cost of great love.

When are the weird things we do more than they seem to be? In this episode we explore how being curious about behaviors rather than taking them at face value, can help to identify when someone might be struggling.

Come back with me to a far away place, the land of 1995. In this episode, I talk about a childhood experience that shaped me in a powerful way. It's...not what you think

We exist in a world that seeks out those who impress, entertain, and inspire us. But, as Christians, we're not meant to be a part of that world. Today we'll talk about why it's important to keep our eyes on the corners

Why is the church often the hardest place to find out who is dealing with a mental health challenge, and how can we work together to change that?

Oh, the golden age when nobody experienced depression and anxiety. Back in the good old year of never ever. Mental illness has always been around, so why do some find that hard to believe?

Prayer blesses our brains. Community blesses our brains. Reading God's word blesses our brains. But there's something on the spiritual side of things that I've come to believe plays maybe the largest part in what keeps a mentally ill Christian from experiencing healing