CXMH: On Faith & Mental Health

Robert and Holly reflect on Season 6 and look toward the summer break from the show. Connect with Robert on his website , Twitter , Facebook , or Instagram. Connect with Holly on her website , Twitter , Facebook , or Instagram . Connect more with CXMH on Facebook ,  Twitter ,  Instagram , or Pinterest . Ways to support CXMH: -  make a pledge on Patreon  and get rewards like submitting questions fo...

Morgan Harper Nichols reading her poem “Witness.” This clip is from our recent episode, 158 - Peace as a Practice (feat. Morgan Harper Nichols) . Connect with Morgan on her website , on Instagram , on Twitter , on Pinterest , or on Facebook . Buy Peace Is a Practice: An Invitation to Breathe Deep and Find a New Rhythm for Life on Amazon . Connect with Robert on his website , Twitter , Facebook , o...

For our last interview of Season 6, we’re excited to have the return of Morgan Harper Nichols! She talks to us about her recent autism diagnosis, how viewing peace as a practice is helpful, and some ways to engage in that practice. Morgan is an artist, a poet, and the author of Peace Is a Practice: An Invitation to Breathe Deep and Find a New Rhythm for Life . Things we mention in this episode/oth...

This week we talk with writer, pastor, and therapist Eric Minton. He talks to us about his new book It's Not You, It's Everything: What Our Pain Reveals about the Anxious Pursuit of the Good Life . Why are we all so depressed and anxious? Are those things individual concerns or reflections of larger problems with our society? Eric gives us his thoughts from his years working in helping professions...

This week we talk with Diana Gruver, author of Companions in the Darkness: Seven Saints Who Struggled with Depression and Doubt . She talks to us about the struggles of people like Charles Spurgeon, Mother Theresa, William Cowper, Martin Luther King Jr., and more. In the intro, Robert & Holly talk about historical figures that have shaped them. Things we mention in this episode/other resources...

This week we’re joined by Russell Siler Jones to talk about his book Spirit in Session: Working with Your Client’s Spirituality (and Your Own) in Psychotherapy . He talks with us about why spirituality matters for all of us, some ways spirituality shows up in conversations, and why paying attention to our own spiritual journey is important to helping others. Things we mention in this episode/other...

Content warning: grief, death, loss, and brief mention of suicide death Today we’re joined by Dr. Jill Harrington, editor of Superhero Grief: the Transformative Power of Loss . She teaches us about grieving styles, the continuing bonds theory, and unpacks some types of loss (such as cumulative & collective loss and ambiguous loss). Jill A. Harrington, DSW, LCSW is an Adjunct Professor for the...

On this week’s episode we’re joined by Dr. Amy Marschall to talk about being a trauma-informed community. What does ‘trauma-informed’ even mean? What changes when we use that lens? How does it shape caring for others (and ourselves)? We talk about all this and more! Things we mention in this episode/other resources: -  Trauma-Informed Pastoral Care: How to Respond When Things Fall Apart by Karen M...

This week we talk with Niro Feliciano about the difference between happiness & contentment (13:02), why happiness is so hard to find in the first place (17:37), and the 8 keys to contentment (24:11). These keys include things like connection (27:38) and present focus (33:34). In the intro, Robert & Holly talk about birthday parties for animals! Niro Feliciano is a psychotherapist, podcast...

On today’s episode, we talk with author & podcaster James Prescott! We talk about grief, how learning how to grief can guide us through certainty & deconstruction, and we hear a lot of James’s story. Also, he talks about superheroes! Things we mention in this episode/other resources: - Poema S6 034 | Holly Oxhandler on Mental Health & Church During & Beyond The Pandemic - Poema S7...

Today we’re joined by Emmy Kegler to talk about her new book, All Who Are Weary: Easing the Burden on the Walk with Mental Illness. In the intro, we talk about Spring Break and how Holly might’ve taken the ‘break’ part of that a little too practically. Connect with Emmy on her website , on Facebook , on Twitter , or on Instagram . Listen to Cafeteria Christian . Buy her books: All Who Are Weary: E...

Content warning: in this episode we talk about suicide  This week we’re joined by Brandon Johnson, public health expert and creator of The Black Mental Wellness Lounge. We talk about why conversations specific to black mental health matter (including suicide prevention), how a public health lens helps, and the role that the black church can play. In the intro, Robert & Holly talk about famous...

It’s book launch day for Holly’s brand new book The Soul of The Helper! To celebrate, we’re releasing the interview we did where Robert interviews Holly about it. In a really special intro, Robert’s copy of the book gets delivered (seriously) and Holly reads the Intention from the book for our listeners. (There’s a lot of Robert’s dog Nox in this intro.) Original Show Notes: This week is a special...

This week we talk with Kevin Nye, author of the upcoming book Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness. Kevin tells us about how COVID has impacted homelessness, why the housing first model is so important, and how homelessness is related to faith and mental health. Things we mention in this episode/other resources: - preorder Kevin’s upcoming book, Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Ch...

This week we’re rereleasing our conversation from 2019 with Holly Stallcup & Dr. Bella DePaulo about singleness. Here’s the link to preorder Dr. Holly Oxhandler’s new book ! Original show notes below: -------------------------------------------------- It’s Valentine’s week, and one important conversation to have is about singleness. What messages do people get about being single? Are there pos...

This week we talk with pastor & author Courtney Ellis about playfulness! Why it matters, how it can show up in our everyday lives, and how to play more regularly. In the intro, Robert & Holly talk about games they’ve enjoyed recently. Things we mention in this episode/other resources: - CXMH ep. 63 - Uncluttering Our Spaces, Our Schedules, & Our Lives (feat. Courtney Ellis) - the GoodR...

This week we’re joined by Dr. Beth Allison Barr, historian and author of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. She tells us about the role of women throughout Christian history, why understand that matters today, and why understanding context is important. Connect with Dr. Barr on her website , on Twitter , or on Facebook . Buy The Making of Biblical W...

This week we’re joined by Matthew Paul Turner (author of children’s books like When God Made Light, When God Made You, and more). Matthew talks to us about why children’s books is important in our view of ourselves & God, he answers some questions from young fans, and he reads us some portions from his upcoming books. In the intro, Robert & Holly talk about their favorite children’s books....

To kick off the second half of Season 6, we talk with Dr. Hillary McBride! Hillary is a therapist, research, podcaster, and the author of The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living . She talks to us about how embodiment is different from body image, how it can change our understanding of healing & theology, and how to understand our ‘stress stai...

Robert and Holly chat before taking the holiday break off! We talk about our experiences being in Christmas plays (03:51), our favorite Christmas songs (10:56), reflect on the first half of Season 6 (14:18), and our hopes for the listeners over the next month (20:28). If you’re curious about Holly’s experience being a Super French Conductor Star (I’m serious), you’ll want to give this one a listen...

This week is a special episode of CXMH! Robert interviews our very own Dr. Holly Oxhandler about the ideas in her upcoming book, The Soul of The Helper. Holly teaches us about her Namaste Theory, how we can see the sacred within ourselves, and why that’s critical for anyone that is serving others in some capacity.

To celebrate Tanner Olson’s new book Walk A Little Slower: A Collection of Poems and Other Words, we’re sharing this recording of ‘Walk A Little Slower’ that Tanner recorded specifically for CXMH.

This week we’re joined by Dr. Brianna Garrison & Dr. Dennis Myers. They teach us about dementia, how to care for those living with it, and how to care for their caregivers. In the intro, Robert & Holly talk about ways they’ve been cared for.

This week we share part 2 of our conversation with Dr. Kathryn Gordon based on The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook. She talks us through some strategies for navigating suicidal thoughts such as Uncovering Causes (08:18), Coping with Crises (10:27), Reducing Emotional Pain (14:26), Fostering Self-Acceptance and Compassion (17:46), and Making Meaning (20:51).

Content warning: suicide, self-injury In part 1 of a 2 part conversation with Dr. Kathryn Gordon, she tells us how we can understand suicidal thoughts, how contexts & environments might play a role, and more. Dr. Gordon is the author of The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook. Things we mention in this episode/other resources: - preorder Holly’s book now! - the research Robert mentions in the intro abo...