This is a special Christmas edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health. 

In this edition, Pastor Brad talks with Perry Root, Sr. about experiencing grief or depression during Christmastime.  Perry is an M.S.W. student doing his practicum with Fresh Hope and is also a fulltime member of the Community of Grace staff.  He shares some insights as to experiencing grief or depression at this time of the year.

We encourage you to share this podcast with those that you believe might benefit from it.   Even posting it on your social media may reach someone who is very lonely, sad and depressed during this what many call “the most wonderful time of the year.”… Read More

In this edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health, Pastor Brad interviews Ms. Candace Hoyt-Gregory, C.E.O. of the Open Door Mission in Omaha, Nebraska.  Candice gives helpful insight into mental health issues that the homeless face as well as just the compassion and mercy that is needed when ministering to hurting, hopeless and homeless people.

This interview is very insightful for the Church at large and caregivers regarding hopelessness.  But, there’s a LOT of encouragement also for those who are hurting and feeling hopeless.  No matter where you are “at” today, you’ll get a lot from this interview.

Candace Gregory is President/CEO of Open Door Mission in Omaha, Nebraska.… Read More

 with guest Dr. Warren Kinghorn

You won’t want to miss this is an excellent podcast! Pastor Brad interviews Dr. Warren Kinghorn, who is both a psychiatrist and a theologian. He presents a unique perspective on mental health, both as a Christian and as a professional in psychiatry.

Dr. Kinghorn also addresses how we can help people in the church with a mental health diagnosis, both for pastors and laypersons. He shares a lot of insights for pastors regarding their own mental health. 

Dr. Kinghorn is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pastoral and Moral Theology, Duke University Medical Center and Duke Divinity School, Staff Psychiatrist, Durham VA Medical Center.… Read More

This edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health is for anyone who is going through a difficult time in their life whether they have a mental health issue or not.  So, this is one podcast that you are going to want to share with any of your friends or family who are in a valley of challenges right now.

In this edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health Pastor Brad shares four songs that have been extremely helpful to him as he has faced some of his darkest difficulties. 

After listening to this podcast, we encourage you to email us at info@FreshHope.us with… Read More

Sometimes in life, we find ourselves in desperate situations.  Situations where if the Lord does not rescue us we won’t survive. There are those times where we feel as though the arm of the Lord just isn’t long enough to reach us to pluck us out of the sear of troubles that we are drowning in. Then you will not want to miss this podcast!

In this edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health, Pastor Brad interviews Dave Anderson who is one of only seven known survivors from a plane crash in the Bering Sea.  Their rescue that day is nothing less than a miracle. … Read More

Are you unsatisfied? If so, then you are blessed! In this edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health Pastor Brad interviews author, Amy Simpson regarding her new book entitled Blessed Are the Unsatisfied: Finding Spiritual Freedom in an Imperfect World

“We know that our material comforts and temporal accomplishments are not enough to fully satisfy us. Momentary pleasures, whether of pure or darker motivations, are fleeting at best. But Christians often hear the idea that following Jesus means that we should be living a life of full satisfaction. How many of us actually experience that kind of life? Amy Simpson wants to debunk this satisfaction myth in the church.… Read More

We offer this special podcast as a point of hope and healing for pastors and those who serve in full-time ministry. Serving the Lord full-time in ministry can be challenging.

 

In this special edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health for October, Pastor Appreciation Month, Pastor Brad interviews Mr. David Anderson who is the Founder and President of Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat.

Shepherd’s Canyon Retreat offers week-long counseling retreats for men and women in full-time ministry who are in the midst of various stages of burnout, stress, depression, and conflicts of all kinds. Each retreat can accommodate up to eight individuals.… Read More

In this edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health Pastor Brad looks at eight different ways to “fix” your cognitive distortions (which were covered in Part 1: 15 Cognitive Distortions).  These are eight different ways to change your “thinking default settings” in order to get rid of your stikin’ thinkin’.  

Aaron Beck first purposed the theory behind cognitive distortions, and it was David Burns who was responsible for popularizing them with common names and examples of these distortions.

Here are the 15 cognitive distortions that Pastor Brad discusses in this podcast:

1. Filtering
2. Polarized thinking/black or white thinking
3. Overgeneralization
4. Jumping to conclusions
5. Catastrophizing
6. Personalization
7. Control fallacies
8. Fallacy of fairness
9. Blaming
10. Shoulds
11. Emotional reasoning
12. Fallacy of change
13. Global labeling
14. Always being right
15. Heaven’s reward fallacy

After listening to this podcast, we encourage you to email us at info@FreshHope.us with… Read More

This podcast for everyone and anyone!  Why?  Because everyone needs to be able to identify the 15 common cognitive distortions that they may be struggling with or others are struggling with in their lives. 

The topic of cognitive distortions is for everyone.  Pastor Brad identifies 15 common cogitative distortions. These distortions are widespread.  These distortions are not necessarily connected to mental illness or mental disorders, but certainly, these distortions can easily exasperate a mental illness or mental disorder. 

Aaron Beck first purposed the theory behind cognitive distortions, and it was David Burns who was responsible for popularizing them with common names and examples of these distortions which is what Brad covers in this Part 1 of a two part edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health: “Cogitative Distortions and How to Overcome Them.”… Read More

In this edition of Fresh Hope for Mental Health, Pastor Brad interviews Chaplain Joy Stevens.  Joy is a Master Facilitator for the Trauma Healing Institute of the American Bible Society.

Joy and Brad discuss what trauma is and the trauma healing classes that the Trauma Healing institute is sponsoring in both churches and jails.  They also talk about the healing and hope that is coming from the classes and what is necessary in order for trauma, which is a wound of the heart, to heal.  

Please know, if you have experienced hope in your life, what happened to you matters.… Read More