Therapy + Theology with Carley Marcouillier

This episode is all about addressing the hot topics of mental health. We’ll reframe our thoughts and perspectives about mental health by looking through the lens of God’s Word to see the heart of God.In this episode, we will unpack:1. What mental illness is (and how it is different than mental health).2. What labels can be dangerous3. Differentiating between symptoms and disorders4. The challenges that come with specific diagnoses (including depression, psychosis, bipolar, anxiety disorders and suicidality)5. Treatment options and the stigma around treatment6. The heart of God toward those who are struggling with mental illness symptoms and disorders.***How do we know if someone is at risk or deeply struggling with suicidality?Evidence of emotional distress (depression, anxiety, hopelessness, fear, anger, sudden mood shifts, isolation/withdrawal, recklessness, etc.)Intrusive thoughts and/or statements of suicidal intention or ideation (“I don’t have a reason to live” or “I keep thinking people would be better off without me”)Seeking access to means or having access to items such as firearms, pills, sharp objects.Having a plan or contemplating a plan for attempting suicide.If you are personally struggling, I want to be the one to tell you, I am in it with you. Please reach out to those in your circle and/or call the Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for support.Resources & References:My Mental Health: Do I Need Help? (via nimh.nih.gov) https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/my-mental-health-do-i-need-helphttps://suicidepreventionlifeline.orghttps://www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/https://www.anthemofhope.comhttps://www.nami.orghttp://www.suicidology.org.www.christiancounselor.network Follow Carley:Website | Instagram | FacebookTo access more content and join my monthly email list for the latest episodes and info, visit my website at carleymarcouillier.comEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Ponomariova_Maria Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Hey everyone! Today is a special episode because you won't just be hearing from me. My special guest today is my clinical mentor, colleague and friend, Jen Robinson Guerin.Jen is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Director of Blackwater Counseling in Lynchburg, VA and specializes in Perinatal Mood/Anxiety Disorders (PMAD), Adoption-Competent Therapist, Mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Informed Care, Certification in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT).Today we are going to dive into the top 10 reasons to go to therapy, mainly because I believe there is still such a stigma with seeking support and especially in the Christian community. The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. - Proverbs 20:5Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. - Proverbs 11:14“If I must boast I will boast of things that show my weakness.“ - 2 Corinthians 11:30We were not meant to walk through life in isolation. Scripture tells us to seek counsel, to confess sin to others, and to carry the burdens of our brothers and sisters. Here Are the Top 10 Reasons for Exploring Therapy:1. Gain self-awareness2. Evaluate emotional health needs3. Explore relational dynamics/patterns - “Jesus may be in your heart but grampa is in your bones” 4. Improve emotional awareness “I react but I want to learn how to respond"5. Address distress related to transitions, trauma, tough seasons 6. Receive support from an unbiased perspective7. Gain insight into problematic behaviors/ habits/ addictions 8. Decrease stress9. Increase coping strategies10. Identify the root cause of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, etc.Next Steps:So, maybe you are feeling a little more open to the idea of therapy. When it comes to acknowledging our need for support, we can feel guilt, shame, fear, etc. but having sat on both sides of the counselling room I cannot tell you how powerful the process of practicing vulnerability and honesty is. As a therapist I am changed and challenged by each brave soul that sits across from me because I am on this journey right alongside you. So what's the next step: • Looking for a good fit • Asking questions • Embrace the suckWebsites: https://www.psychologytoday.com/usFollow Carley:Website | Instagram | FacebookTo access more content and join my monthly email list for the latest episodes and info, visit my website at carleymarcouillier.comEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Elenabs Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

I am so excited to jump back into important conversations that influence our perspectives. Over the next several episodes I want to dive into several topics surrounding mental health and its impact on our perspectives of ourselves, others, and God. Over the years, within both my ministry and clinical experience, I have heard far too many stories that reflect the significant disconnect between our Christian living and emotional well-being. Maybe you too have experienced the distortions of religious culture and have been left with questions about how your theology informs your emotional experiences through life. In today’s episode, I want to look at 4 myths you may still believe about mental health, and offer an integrative perspective that may help us to advance both the gospel and our emotional stewardship.Myth 1: Christians Should Not Struggle with Emotional DistressMyth 2: Mental Health Is Not Mentioned in ScriptureMyth 3: Feelings Don’t Matter to GodMyth 4: Distress Is a Form of Spiritual ImmaturityHere is what we know: Our feelings matter to God; we can have faith despite fears and; support is available to us through God’s work in and through the lives of helping professionals and our Church community. My hope is that we, as a generation of believers, can step out and start talking about how we actually feel, without fear of rejection or judgment. I pray that we will continue to dispute the lies our culture has adopted, learn to listen well, acknowledging the pain experienced by those around us, and press on, heavenward. Join me next week with a special guest, Jen Robinson Gueren, LPC, we will be discussing the top 10 reasons to go to therapy! If You Know Someone in CrisisCall the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential. Follow Carley:Website | Instagram | FacebookTo access more content and join my monthly email list for the latest episodes and info, visit my website at carleymarcouillier.comEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Dumitru Ochievschi Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How do we apply God’s truth – this divine knowledge of God’s power, through Scripture, to our daily lives?Tools to Access the Power of God’s Truth to Our Lives:1. Capture the Thought. Just because we think it, doesn’t mean it’s true. Just because we feel it, doesn’t mean it’s true. 2. Bring the Thought to Truth – What Does God’s Word Say about My Current Thoughts?3. Pause with God’s perspective through prayers, praise music, medications, or affirmations.4. Claim victory in what God has done. We do not live to earn God’s grace and love but with it!Other Principles that Carley unpacks in this episode:1. Exploring the truth of our God-given purpose over popular perspectives2. Remember 3 Practices: belong, abide, bring glory3. 3 Steps to Reframing our faith4. Addressing Relational Conflict with the Wisdom of God’s Word5. Rules for Relationships: If we don't repair it, we will repeat it.6. CALM : connect, Assess, Listen, and maintain7. Naming and holding space for our painFollow Carley:Website | Instagram | FacebookTo access more content and join my monthly email list for the latest episodes and info, visit my website at carleymarcouillier.comEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Benjavisa Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The impact of pain is a lot like that wave!We have all been wounded by this world and the scars we carry tell a story- one which can powerfully influence our perspective.It takes our breath away and leaves us with questions that reach beyond psychological explanations. It is in these dark times, we are forced to face our feelings rather than reframe them. We are called to cultivate courage, rest upon resilience, and make meaning out of lost memories.How we each choose to do this work differs from one another yet our process is most often aligned in seeking to find the answers to the question “Why?”We call this distress, the friction of loss which propels us into the process of grieving.Through my own grieving, I have been brought to the humbling reality that pain is a part of my story that cannot be avoided or undone.It must be heard. It must be felt.Pain left unfelt will surely strangle our souls, steal our joy, and suffocate our spirits. It is here, with the choice to press in or push away, our perspectives of pain are formed.Let's choose to widen our lens and broaden our focus of faith.As author John Green so poetically stated, “The good times and the bad times both will pass. It will pass. It will get easier. But the fact that it will get easier does not mean that it doesn’t hurt now. And when people try to minimize your pain they are doing you a disservice. And when you try to minimize your pain you’re doing yourself a disservice. Don’t do that. The truth is that it hurts because it’s real. It hurts because it mattered. And that’s an important thing to acknowledge to yourself. But that doesn’t mean that it won’t end, that it won’t get better. Because it will.”There are four primary sources of suffering found in scripture. 1.Pain resulting from our sinfulness 2.The pain we experience from the sinfulness of others 3.Pain resulting from the fallenness of the world 4.The pain we experience for the sake of the gospel There are also four steps in a pathway to make meaning of our experiences.1. Hold space for your pain.2. Name your pain.3. Pursue prayer.4. Press into the “and” – where we experience both pain and God’s promise.Episode References Concepts from Theology for Better Counseling by Virginia Todd HolemanFollow Carley:Website | Instagram | FacebookEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Ponomariova_Maria Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

If there is one thing I know we all have in common, it is that we have all experienced relational conflict. Regardless of age, race, gender, religion, our common frame of interpersonal conflict connects us. We are all people who have problems. In most cases, our interpersonal patterns have roots in our family of origin. Our upbringing largely and early experiences significantly impact how we perceive and pursue all other relationships. One way we can begin to explore these patterns is by identifying the roles and rules assigned to us within our families and how they impact our relational and emotional functioning. Within our family system framework, we learn how to communicate, handle stress, cope with strong emotions, and solve conflicts.Reflection Questions that I unpack in this episode:1. Rules: What were the unspoken rules you lived by in your family of origin?2. Roles: What was the role(s) you took on in your family of origin?There are 3 overarching areas of our interpersonal relationships that are impacted by our family of origin or our experiences. Carley breaks each of these down:CommunicationEmotionsConflict… and explains how we can reframe these, using skills and practices found in Scripture, and can begin repairing our relational hurts and renew our outlook on the people around us.Follow Carley:Website | Instagram | FacebookEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Ponomariova_Maria Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever felt like God has broken his promises to you? Me too! So how do we trust God when the reality of our experiences makes it hard?Growing up, I had learned about the many promises of God. Yet without even realizing it, I had somehow replaced God’s truth with my faulty perspective. Consequently, the expectations I held lacked substance when my reality seemed to reflect the absence of God’s presence rather than the abundance of His promises.We believe God promises comfort, yet we mourn.We believe God promises peace, yet we worry.We believe God promises hope, yet we feel hopeless.We believe God promises love, yet we experience loss.What have we missed? Where have our perspectives gone wrong?Looking back to God’s Word, we can begin to reframe our shattered views and build a firm foundation for a faith that regulates our feelings while boldly believing in God’s unchanging nature.It’s important that we deconstruct the abstract concept of “God’s promises.”Here is the simple reality: We are promised, Christ. Nothing more, nothing less.ALL of God’s promises throughout Scripture point to the sufficiency and supremacy of the Triune God.Follow Carley:Website | Instagram | FacebookEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Nuthawut Somsuk Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Have you ever asked yourself, “What is my purpose?” Whether or not you’ve asked that specific question to yourself, all of us seek to figure out that for which we are made.As much as we crave intention and purpose, many of us feel like we lack it or can’t grasp it. And in the Christian culture, sometimes that purpose gets distorted. With those thoughts in mind, Carley starts today’s episode with this question: What motivates you? From there, she uses this question as a roadmap to find purpose and fulfillment.Places We (Wrongly) Find Purpose:1. The World’s “Do It All” Mentality - While this can feel empowering, it is totally unrealistic. So we’re constantly repeating a pattern of failing and beating ourselves up for it.2. Christian Works Culture - Also pressures our purpose, emphasizing our works over worship, our service over Christ’s sufficiency. In this context, self-improvement becomes our motivation. This runs contrary to the gospel, which clearly tells us our sanctification is found in and through Christ. The impact is clear: we work on mission and vision without internal transformation.3. Our Unique Personality - Our unique personalities can pressure our perspectives. Carley discusses the three main types of personality - perfectionism, performance, or passiveness - and how these personalities can warp our purpose.Truth’s Perspective on Purpose:1. Belonging to Christ2. Abiding in Christ3. Bringing Christ gloryYou can find more on the topic of Purpose on Carley's site.Follow Carley:Website | Instagram | FacebookEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Nuthawut Somsuk Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A.W. Tozer once stated, “What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” This is the Power of Perspective. Each of us has a unique outlook that shapes our view of God, ourselves, and the world. A perspective is simply a specific viewpoint. Much like a camera, a perspective is built upon a unique frame, focus, and filter. The most powerful aspect of one’s perspective is that it directly orients their thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors. The 3 Parts of Our Perspective:1. A Frame - Much like the frame of the camera, our perspective works within the limitations of the knowledge available to us. It’s within this frame we see only what is within our perception, unaware of what is right outside the border.2. A Filter - This is our internal bias. This is made up of our past experiences or our personal values, which greatly influence how we see the world, ourselves, others and God. Filters significantly impact our perspective, what is seen or not seen.3. A Focus - This is the most important aspect of forming our perspective. It is largely influenced by the messages we have received in the past, our formative experiences. Unfortunately, our perspectives are not always grounded in truth and often fueled by distortion, irrational beliefs and distortions.In this first episode of the podcast, Carley shares her own personal journey of faith and her passion for creating connections between biblical theology and the practical steps found in the themes of therapy.If know our perspectives are often distorted, what do we do? How do we realign our faith and our feelings? This is where reframing our thoughts is so vitally important. Carley unpacks how can we begin to do this in our daily lives.Follow Carley:Website | Instagram | FacebookEpisode Image Credit: Getty/Iland19 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.