With You in the Weeds: Where Faith Meets Mental Health

Have you ever experienced a “complete and total loss” only to have it be flipped into a “complete and total life transformation”?  In this powerful episode of our “Surviving and Thriving After Trauma” series, Lynn Roush, LPC interviews her colleague and friend, Jules Lundberg, (trauma-informed PLPC & PhD student) who shares the compelling story of her journey as a trauma survivor and how she has w...

Are you facing a baffling, frustrating and emotionally intense struggle with your child?  Do you question everything you’re doing as a parent because your best efforts don’t seem to be working to change your child’s misbehavior? In this episode of our "Surviving and Thriving After Trauma" series, we tackle an increasingly important question: What do parents need to know about trauma?  Austin is jo...

In today’s episode, Lynn Roush, LPC, sits down with Lori Ann Wood, an inspiring author, speaker, and survivor of medical trauma. As part of our series on “Surviving and Thriving After Trauma,” we are delving into the challenges and lessons that come from facing health crises, and the shift that needs to occur from being a “fixer” to accepting that not everything in life can or will be solved. When...

The million dollar question our clients ask when it comes to trauma is: “How do I heal?”  In this episode, Austin, Lynn, and John continue their series, Surviving and Thriving After Trauma, with a deep dive into the key elements needed for healing. Trauma is any experience that overwhelms your ability to cope on your own and can stem from events like divorce, abuse, sexual assault, domestic violen...

In this foundational episode, we kick off our series, Surviving and Thriving After Trauma, by exploring what trauma truly is—and isn’t. As the term “trauma” becomes more prevalent in everyday culture, it’s essential to clarify its meaning, dispel myths, and offer tools for understanding and growth. Throughout this series, we want to bring clarity, validation, and encouragement to those navigating...

What is Christmas really about? Is Jesus like the “elf on a shelf” toy that we play with once a year? Or is he like Santa, punishing those who are naughty and rewarding those who are nice? It’s easy to get caught up in cultural traditions and forget that the true meaning of Christmas is that God became flesh to dwell among us. Jesus entered into a world of darkness and declared: “I am the light of...

Have you heard of doom spending? It’s when you spend money you don’t have in order to cope with stress. Without considering the cost, you splurge on a shopping spree to find a little bit of happiness. We know that it’s tempting to do a little doom spending over the holidays, but what will happen when the credit card bills come around?  We want to help you think wisely and purposefully about your f...

The most beloved Christmas songs boast that it's the most wonderful time of the year, but is it really true?  As counselors, we know that what you see on the outside of people’s lives never tells the full story. Even the beautiful family Christmas card isn’t an accurate picture of reality. The truth is that there’s a lot of sadness and brokenness in this world, and it’s easy to push it away and no...

Picture the scene: you’re sitting in front of the fireplace sipping hot cocoa while chatting quietly with family, reminiscing about the joys of your upbringing and your favorite family moments. Meanwhile, your children sit cross legged on the ground together, silently and peacefully listening with rapt attention.  That’s how your holidays go as a family right? HA! If you’re like most people, the h...

Are you looking forward to being with your family over the holidays? Or are you dreading the next family get together?  Family drama can not only ruin the holiday spirit, it can create unnecessary hurt and division in a family that’s felt for years to come. John and Lynn designed this episode to help you identify the pain points that lead to family drama: Unrealistic expectations “Hot topic” conve...

When relationships don’t work, there is often a sense of loss and heartache. Being single and longing for connection may mean you’re willing to compromise your standards in order to deal with loneliness or fulfill your need for intimacy. Our hookup culture promotes a consumer mindset, detached from emotion, that encourages you to get your needs met without considering spiritual, intellectual or em...

Are you concerned that you’re on the road to divorce? Maybe you and your spouse have fallen into unhealthy, frustrating, and toxic patterns that leave you wondering if your marriage can work. Now what?  In this episode, Lynn, John, and Austin discuss the following patterns you can practice on your own and as a couple that can change the dynamic of your relationship: On your own: Have a funeral for...

Unfortunately, you can’t talk about how to make marriage work without acknowledging divorce. The prevalence of divorce means that everyone has some experience with it and has been negatively impacted when a marriage doesn’t work out.   Because divorce is so common, we think it’s worth slowing down to ask: What happened to the marriage? Why didn’t things work out? What were the steps that led to di...

Did you ever get “the talk?” Do you remember feeling encouraged and hopeful, or were you left feeling awkward, ashamed, confused and with more questions than answers?  Whatever you might have learned about sex when you were growing up, your view of sex has likely been shaped by our sexualized culture that reduces sex to body parts. At the same time, you also may have been influenced by a church cu...

This episode might make you blush, it might make you cringe, and it might make you laugh! But if you want to make your marriage work, you’re going to have to address your sex life. Intrigued yet? In this episode Austin and his wife Polly - yes Polly! - discuss: 3 things you NEED to know about sex 4 WRONG messages the enemy, the world, and your desires tell you about sex Specific takeaways for husb...

Do you know which habits will make the most positive and lasting impact on your marriage? Although ideas about what makes marriage work change from one generation to another, there are evidence-based habits that characterize a healthy marriage. In this episode, Shay and Lynn explore what toxic behaviors erode your relationships including criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling and contempt. Using G...

Kids might be the best, and worst, thing for a marriage! On the one hand, they’re a “blessing from the Lord” (Ps. 127:3) and Jesus himself said “let the little children come to me” (Mt. 19:14). But on the other hand, they’re loud, messy, needy, don’t listen, and can (unintentionally) create barriers between spouses.  Being aware of both the joys and hardships of parenting as well as the impact you...

Trust is not secured or defined by the vows you make on your wedding day. Those are serious and important commitments, but they will be empty words if your behavior isn’t trustworthy over a long period of time. Boundaries are so foundational to making marriage work, but they’re often associated with being mean or unloving. This conversation with John and Lynn highlights that without boundaries in...

Have you considered that the recent argument you had with your spouse began long before you ever got married? Walking down the aisle on your wedding day, you see the person that you love and are attracted to, but you may not realize that in that moment, two histories are colliding.  In effect, you are marrying your partner’s brain. This means that all of your (and their) previous experiences with...

When you’re hungry and ordering a hamburger at the drive thru, do you expect to have a deep, personal conversation with the person at the window? Probably not. More likely, you’re hoping to find that deeper emotional connection in your marriage with your spouse. But that can be harder to do than you think! In this episode, John and Austin explain that communication in marriage ranges from very sha...

Do you believe that all of your needs, longings and desires will be met when you get married? What might happen when your marriage falls short of your expectations?  While it’s normal to want the ideal marriage, living in a world that’s been infected by sin makes that impossible. If you’re not prepared for what marriage will be like with two flawed people, you may be disillusioned, disappointed an...

A commonly asked question is: “How do I know if I’m marrying the “right” person?”  As counselors, we’ve learned that the best way to help someone make the decision of who to marry is what we call: Informed Consent. If you’ve ever bought a car, or had surgery, or signed a lease to an apartment, it’s likely that you only moved ahead with that decision after signing an agreement of “Informed Consent”...

As a high school counselor, Laura Verkamp’s job is anything but boring. Between helping her students fill out college applications, checking in with students who are struggling, or challenging kids to come out of their comfort zone, Laura's invested in equipping them to move forward in life. Listen as Austin interviews Laura and asks about a “typical” day in the life of a school counselor (if ther...

The state of men in our culture is worse than ever in terms of loneliness, shame, and “purpose void”. How did we get here? And why do so many men avoid church?  In this enlightening conversation, Shay Roush and Kermit Summerall, Pastors of Crossing Men, discuss what men are longing for: the good, the bad and the ugly. Shay and Kermit explain how many men feel trapped and defeated by the demands an...

Women are wearing more hats than ever: student, professional, friend, sister, mother, daughter, and everything in between. Slowing down long enough to consider what it is you really long for is an opportunity to connect with parts of your soul that need attention. This conversation with Crossing Women director Jeannette Cover and counselor Lynn Roush is a chance to acknowledge that your longings f...