Speak Out Loud

Welcome to Season 3 of the Speak Out Loud Podcast!! Thank you for joining us as we begin another season of sharing hope and encouragement for those who struggle with mental illness and for those who love and support them. In this episode, Stacee and Doug talk about the power and importance of community to overcome the mental health impacts of isolation, the hope of God's promise that His love and...

Today's episode is a conversation and interview with two special friends, Jason and Angie Brown. Jason and Angie are the founding pastors of the 1910 Church in Boerne, TX. Jason and Angie love God and love people, and you can't be with them for but a few moments and not be encouraged!   You'll feel that love and encouragement as you listen to today's episode as Jason and Angie talk with Stace...

Christmas can be a happy and hope-filled season, but for many, especially those struggling with mental illness, the holidays can be difficult. The expectations we, our families and others put on the holidays can increase anxiety and be difficult to live up to. Unmet expectations often  become triggers for those struggling with anxiety, depression, eating disorders and other mental health issu...

In this episode, Stacee and Doug talk about the power of being thankful, even during the pain of a mental illness struggle. Stacee opens up about the challenges of holidays, especially Thanksgiving with such an emphasis on food, throughout her eating disorder journey and recovery. She talks about both the attitude and the practice of thankfulness, the power it has to re-focus us in our journey, an...

In this episode, Stacee and Doug continue last week's conversation on supporting a loved one or friend battling mental illness. Doug talks about lessons learned the hard way, what He'd do different to better support Stacee's journey, resilience built from milestones of hope, and the gift and promise of  God's sustaining grace and love. If you are carrying hope for someone or needing some hope...

In part one of a 2-part conversation, Stacee and Doug talk about marriage, parenting, medicine, therapy and much more as Stacee interviews Doug about his experience being the spouse and primary family supporter for her on the mental illness journey. Doug and Stacee haven't arrived at a point of completion, but they do recognize the progress and growth experienced over their many years of doing lif...

Is God disappointed in us because of mental illness? In this vulnerable conversation, Stacee and Doug talk about the fear of disappointing others and disappointing God because of mental illness and the ups and downs of recovery. The negative thinking of depression, patterns built into us from the past, and unmet expectations for recovery can lead to disappointment and possibly projecting that disa...

Do I need counseling? How can I find the right therapist for me? Is what I'm experiencing normal? These and more are questions those struggling with mental health face as they consider getting help. Too often, we wait too long to seek help and miss out on some of the hope and peace that could be found much earlier. Counseling and therapy have made a huge impact in Stacee and Doug's mental illness...

This episode is the recording of a deep and intimate conversation between Stacee and friend of nearly 30 years, Debbie Wallace. We invite you to listen to the wisdom and depth of this conversation as Stacee and Debbie talk about feeling like you're "too much," the importance of friendship and community in the mental illness recovery journey, and you'll hear the story of the phone call that changed...

Trauma.... it sounds so extreme. And to those who experience trauma's pain and power, it can be just that daunting. Through this interview with LPC and trauma specialist Phoebe Barron, Stacee and Doug hope to start the conversation to begin the healing process. Getting help and finding hope are possible for the impacts of trauma in your life or the life of a loved one or friend! Trauma can be expe...

Welcome to Season 2 of the Speak Out Loud podcast! Thank you for joining us in this journey of sharing hope and encouragement for those who struggle with mental illness and for those who love and support them. There are no straight lines of recovery. Through the ups and downs, staying the course builds resilience, especially when you are suffering. In this episode, Stacee and Doug talk about makin...

Welcome to Season 2 of the Speak Out Loud podcast! Today's brief preview provides a taste of what's ahead in season 2 - new topics, new interviews, Stacee and Doug continuing to share out their mental illness recovery journey and the same commitment to sharing hope and encouragement for those who struggle with mental illness and for those who love and support them! We hope you join us for each epi...

In part 3 of Stacee and Doug's discussion about her battle with anorexia, they talk about what ongoing recovery looks like, finding hope, joy, and peace in the midst of the journey, and experiencing purpose in the midst of the pain of this life-long battle for Stacee. This episode also wraps Season 1 of the Speak Out Loud podcast. Thank you to those who have listened and made season 1  realit...

A lot's packed into this short episode focused on recovering well and recovering with integrity. Stacee and Doug talk about being commited to recovery, starting anew after a rough day, finding momentum, and the hope to press on even when your battle has you exhausted.

Stacee and Doug continue with their story of recovery in Stacee's battle with anorexia. In this episode, Stacee and Doug talk about Stacee's in-patient treatment program, lessons and practices learned by both Stacee and Doug, and the life-changing and life-saving impact of treatment. If you struggle with an eating disorder or any other chronic illness or issue, Stacee's journey will encourage...

Mental illness is not something you can leave behind, go away for two weeks, and then return to face it refreshed and reenergized. If you go away, it goes with you. In this short, bonus episode, Stacee and Doug tackle this one question of how do you deal with never getting a day off in the struggle with mental illness. Stacee shares from her experience and also ways she has learned to deal wi...

We're back with the first of several episodes focused on anorexia and Stacee and our family's journey of finding hope and recovery in this battle of a lifetime. In this episode, Stacee and Doug talk about the roots of her illness, the impact it's had on Stacee's life, our marriage and family, and how even in the midst of pain and brokenness, hope and life restoration can be found. If you stru...

If you've been struggling with anxiety or love someone who does - you are not alone . Anxiety has exploded across the country and around the globe this last year. In this episode, Stacee and Doug are joined by Phoebe Barron, a LPC specializing in treating anxiety and trauma, to discuss some of anxiety's causes and triggers, what it feels like and how it impacts us in mind, body and spirit. Phoebe...

Mental illness can be tough to talk about - in our families, with our friends, and in the church. Possibly you've felt like you can't be open about struggles with mental health in church or in circles of Christian community.  Silence and isolation, though, only empower mental illness - keeping it in the dark only increases the pain for those who struggle. Jesus came to shine light into the da...

Big Lies need to be combatted with Big Truths! In this episode, Stacee and Doug talk about some of the lies which have screamed in Stacee's head and whispered daily in her heart as she battles mental illness. They also identify Truths which push back on those lies and help us to understand reality more clearly and deeply. Hope is available and is found by overcoming the darkness of mental illness...

This panel discussion with several of Stacee's closest friends looks at the challenges, joys and realities of supporting and loving a friend who struggles with mental illness. Stacee and her friends talk about breaking through what to do when you don't know what to do or say, growing in understanding and compassion for those struggle with mental health, and the role of accountability in friendship...

Culture is often quiet about mental health treatment, or worse, the media and entertainment make fun of treatment and those who seek it. In this episode, Stacee and Doug shed light on Stacee's inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment experiences, discussing its value, its challenges, and the commitment needed to stay the course.  Stacee and Doug recognize that each person's circumstan...

"Depression can feel like you are swimming with all your clothes on- like you are being overwhelmed and drug under and that it's impossible to get back to the surface" (Stacee). In this episode, Stacee and Doug talk candidly about the overwhelming power of depression and its impact on their life, marriage and family. The battle with depression is an ongoing medical challenge, but Stacee and Doug h...

It's no secret the ongoing pandemic is taking a brutal toll on people's mental health around the world. Anxiety and depression are ramping up and being experienced across the globe as isolation, loneliness, fear and worry continue to increase and eat away at our hearts, minds and souls.  In this episode, Stacee and Doug talk about their own experience with continuing in recovery despite this...

Episode 2 continues our story from the pilot episode, picking up with the point where our mental health recovery begins. Recovery is an ongoing journey, but it doesn't have to be completed for your story to matter. God has not abandoned you in your mental health recovery; He is not waiting for you to reach some point of completion before He loves and accepts you. In the struggle, in the fight, God...