It’s been about 5 months since my last podcast episode, as I was needing to take a break for a while why I focused on some other goals. But it’s time for a new podcast season, and in this episode I talk about some new topics I am going to explore this season, as well […]

I have written extensively on various ways to work with people who are struggling with anxiety, but I find that working with people who are struggling with depression, to be quite different, and more difficult. The main factor that I have experienced is in the level of energy that one emanates, and, therefore, what the […]

Discerning Depression I have written extensively on anxiety, especially on my own anxiety, focusing on the roots of it and how Restoration Therapy has really helped me transform it into a life-giving force. But when it comes to depression I have not written as much on the topic because it is something that I am […]

The Depression Equation I am a big believer in the equation that insight + practice = transformation. In fact, in an earlier post on anxiety I shared the same equation, highlighting Angela Duckworth’s work on the concept of deliberate practice in her work. In her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, she writes […]

Reframing Depression “What if this depression you are experiencing is helping inform you about your life? What if we listen to it together, it may give us some clues about what is going on with your life. Maybe it will give us some direction about what kind of changes we need to make.” If you […]

What Is Underneath Depression Like anxiety, one of the most difficult aspects of depression is trying to figure out what are the underlying roots of it. But without properly identifying its underlying roots it’s possible that one may see depression simply as a feeling, rather than as a symptom of some deeper feeling. And if […]

When serving in ministry there are many opportunities to come in to contact with people who are depressed. I say this, because churches are often what I refer to as the “gatekeepers” in mental health, therefore, those employed or volunteering in ministry are often on the front lines. All of this assumes of course that […]

“Are you depressed?” I asked him in session. “Depressed? What…..depression? No, I’m not depressed.” he said to me as if that was a crazy question to ask. There was some silence between us for what seemed like a few minutes, and then he said. “Well…I mean, I may have a bad day now and then, […]

One of the things that happens at the beginning of every year, or at the start of a major transition, is that you see people setting goals. If you were like me you probably thought about all the goals you wanted to achieve in the New Year, and you might have even taken the time […]

As many of you know, I love to run. And over the last 3-4 years I have been getting more and more into trail running, as well into ultrarunning (which is technically anything over 26.2 miles). And about a month ago I finished my second ever 50K race, and my second race ever at the […]

Wow! I can’t believe I am already at Episode 100. I published my first episode back on March 24, 2015, with the goal of trying to get at least one episode published per week. With that in mind I was hoping to hit 100 episodes right around the two year mark, if not before. But, […]

I read a lot of books, but I don’t consider myself the best book reviewer. Even though I read with pen in hand and underline and take notes throughout my books, I’m not great at writing about the details. But what sticks out to me are those big ideas in a book…the ones that you […]

One of the things that I hear as a counselor a lot, typically near the end of an intake session with a client, is the question, “How is this going to look?” The question can be asked in a variety of ways, but what is implicit is usually either some form of anxiety over the […]

I have been wanting to talk on the topic of grief and loss for quite a while. I was going to wait to do an episode with my father since that has been a big part of his professional life as a pastor and hospice chaplain. But in light of some recent events in our […]