With You in the Weeds: Where Faith Meets Mental Health

Have you ever been in a construction zone? It's messy and chaotic, and you can't wait for the project to be finished. Building your blended family is a bit like being in an ongoing construction zone. The timeline is longer than you had predicted, and the progress you had hoped for seems to be at a standstill. This episode covers the territory of the challenges that a blended family may face. If yo...

The story of the prodigal son is the emotional journey of a child who has gone away, reached the bottom, and eventually returned to his father's loving embrace. Yet many prodigal stories do not seem to carry the hope of reunification. If you love someone who has gone away but not yet returned, then the pain of loss that you feel is very real and runs very deep. This episode explores a topic that m...

Before we dive into sibling relationships, we want to invite you to an Open House on Friday, March 1st for a fun evening with John, Lynn, Shay & Austin. We'd love to meet you! Now here's a look at today's episode: Difficult, strained or broken relationships among siblings are more common than you think. The root of these conflicts can seem elusive, but it's actually not a mystery. If you've ever w...

Have you ever spoken honestly about your mom, only to wonder if she heard what you said, and worry what the consequences might be? Over the years in counseling, we've noticed that your mom takes up a significant amount of real estate in your head. Whether it's things she has said or done, you may notice that your relationship with your mom has left a lasting impression on you for good or bad. In t...

What role has your father played in shaping who you are today? It's an important question to ask yourself, especially if you have grown up with a difficult father. This episodes explores "the good, the bad and the ugly" when it comes to fathering. There are dads with good intentions who aren't perfect, but there are also bad fathers whose actions hurt and wound their children in powerful ways. In...

You're ready to break free from hurtful patterns in your family, but where do you begin? John, Lynn & Austin talk through 5 practical steps you can take to forge new patterns in your family: F igure out what’s going on O wn your own stuff R ealistic expectations G et help E stablish healthy boundaries Listen as they provide examples of each step and how these might look in your everyday experience...

Do you feel frustrated, hurt or misunderstood in your family? Do you have family relationships that are strained or broken? There may be some underlying forces at work in your family that you didn't even know were there. The 3 rules that guide the interactions of a dysfunctional family are: - Don't Talk - Don't Trust - Don't Feel These rules may not be posted on the refrigerator for all to see, bu...

Happy New Year! We know that emotions tend to run high around the holidays, so we decided to recast our most popular episode, "Your Emotional Dashboard" because we've heard first hand how much this information has helped our listeners. This episode contains the foundational principles for Managing Your Emotions, which is something that requires a lot of practice and needs to be rehearsed over and...

Hiring a financial advisor to help you make good investments for your future is praiseworthy and encouraged. So when your relationship is in trouble, why is seeking advice often looked down upon? Daniel & Alex Moore knew their marriage was in trouble when they were arguing at 3:00am about "whose life is harder". Knowing that they were stuck in a bad pattern pushed them to take the plunge into marr...

This episode is about answering your questions on the topic of parenting! The "Becoming a Whole Person" series addressed many aspects of parenting and child development, but these listener questions will go deeper in the weeds on the following topics: 1) Logical Consequences: What are they? How do I implement them? Ideas for teens? 2) Sibling Rivalry: What's normal? How do I manage it? Ideas to mi...

Many parents are imprisoned by the pressure to be perfect, and have all the right answers and responses.  But the reality is that every parent and caregiver makes mistakes and fails their kids.  John and Austin discuss the 4 biggest mistakes they see from parents: 1) Trying to control your kids 2) Ignoring your kids needs 3) Avoiding vulnerability & ownership 4) Inconsistency & unpredictability Ea...

Parenting can feel like walking blindfolded on a greased tightrope over a frightening chasm. Having firm anchoring points along the way can ease your fears and help you know how to take the next step. Many parents fall off the tightrope by either "under" or "over" disciplining, which can strain relationships or cause future pain. This "true confessions" episode with Austin, Shay and Lynn will enco...

You can ignore, dismiss, punish or try to fix emotions, but the reality is that they aren't going away. Until you can become emotionally intelligent yourself, it will be difficult for you to give your child the one thing they need from you the most: your heart. Relationships are built on emotional connection, but without modeling or instruction on how to identify and work with emotions, you may th...

It's easy to think that childhood fears are silly and irrational, but have you considered that there is a fear that drives both children and adults to behave or respond in extreme ways? Maybe you get angry and react irrationally at an innocent comment.  Or you notice a child throw themselves to the floor when asked to do a simple task. Or you have a co-worker sabotage your team project when they d...

The 2 core questions that you are asking in every stage of development are: Am I loved? Can I be free? This episode explores the 2nd question: "Can I be free?"  The heart behind this question is wondering if you can be your own person, be independent, and be your own authority. When you begin to notice how this question presents itself, you'll have a better understanding of what drives you as an a...

Everyone is looking for the answer to these two questions: Am I loved? Can I be free? It may sound simple, but these two core questions are a driving force in every child's psychological and emotional development. So what does a child need from a parent to know the answer to the question: "Am I loved?"  John, Shay and Lynn will get specific about how parents can help their child build a strong int...

This episode launches our new series: Becoming a Whole Person.  You are on a growth journey towards becoming a whole person, no matter how old you are. In fact, you never stop growing! All children need basic ingredients to grow, and these are actually the same ingredients that you need to keep growing as an adult. In this episode, John, Lynn and Austin discuss two key ingredients for growth: Love...

One of the most beneficial aspects of counseling is taking the time to reflect on the story of your life. In this new pop-up series called "Stories in the Weeds", Austin Conner interviews James Bachman as he recalls how he initially believed that grieving was only necessary after a huge loss in life, like the death of his father. But what James came to understand as he worked through his story, is...

We enjoy answering questions submitted by our listeners, and these 2 questions have John and Austin jumping in the deep end as they address questions about marriage and pornography.  1. Marriage: "At the heart of most of our marital conflicts it seems as though my spouse expects me to meet their needs that I cannot meet. How do I handle that?" 2. Pornography: "What advice would you give to someone...

What happens after you die? Where will heaven be? What will you do in heaven? Whether you know it or not, your beliefs about heaven impact your current perspective. And without a biblically informed understanding of heaven, you may be prone to adopting a narrative about what happens after death that is inaccurate. What Shay & Austin explain in this episode is that ultimately, heaven is relational....

If this title hits a nerve, you’re in good company because everyone has some sort of internal emotional response when they think of their father, good or bad. But we’re talking about it because we’re all children with a built-in longing to connect with our father. And given that no one has had a perfect human father, it's hard for us to imagine God as our Heavenly Father being as good as the Bible...

Does it ever feel like you’re calling God and he’s just not picking up? Have you ever believed God loves you in your head, but not in your heart?  Has this head/heart gap lasted a long time, felt hopeless, or caused feelings of guilt and despair? If so, you might actually be right where God wants you. In this episode John, Shay, and Austin discuss the specifics of what the “silence of God” is, rel...

As counselors, we are often asked by clients these perplexing questions: "Why do I do what I don't want to do? Why am I not further along in my spiritual growth? Will I ever be free from this besetting sin?"  These questions immediately get to the heart of the internal battle we all face when it comes to the topic of indwelling sin and what growth looks like in the life of a Christian. John, Lynn,...

Have you noticed that we live in a world where you are judged by your performance?  Your sense of purpose, identity and value seems to hang on the balance of how well you perform in school, at work, as a parent and even as a Christian. But what happens when you realize you can’t measure up, no matter how hard you try?  Pastor Erwin Lutzer joins Lynn Roush & Shay Roush on this second episode in our...

This episode kicks off a new series called Grounded in Grace where we will explore several key theological truths that we need to understand and cling to in the weeds of life. We kick things off with the most foundational truth of all - The Gospel. But what does that even mean? And what implications will it have in your life?  John, Shay and Austin discuss the heart of the gospel message: that God...