The Free To Be Me Podcast: Recent Episodes
Michelle Croyle
Welcome to the Free to Be Me Podcast, where each weekly episode is geared to help women discover more about themselves and who God created them to be, to overcome the things that hold them back, and to learn how to successfully take the positive steps necessary to live out their unique purposes. From deep conversations and social justice issues to topics like time-management, personality tests, spiritual-growth, and goal-setting, together, we’ll think, laugh, and take action to step into our best lives yet.
Ever wish there were an easy way to feel more sane and less frazzled and overwhelmed? Today's episode will deliver a simple but super effective tool you can use to get more centered and feel more powerful in your life when things feel too heavy.
Could you use some extra connection, emotional support, and mindset help? Consider joining other Mental Health for Christian Women podcast listeners in our SHINE community. Learn more by CLICKING HERE.
Life has enough to be concerned about without having to feel bad for having feelings and trying to figure out if your feelings are a strength or a weakness. Today's episode offers encouragement for when you're feeling or being told that you "should" handle things differently but the reality doesn't support it. Listen in f some Biblical truth and clarity on the matter.
If you could use some coaching and a great group of other listeners to the podcast as new friends and a support system, consider joining us with a SHINE subscription. Learn more at: www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com
Ready to live lighter rather than constantly striving for the next achievement? If you are tired of grinding ahead while trying to get some relief that never seems to come, this episode will offer 2 simple practices that can get you off the hamster wheel of spinning and getting nowhere to appreciating being where you actually are. Listen In.
Ready to make some healthy friendships and get the support and encouragement that will help you make more sense of your next steps in life? Consider joining SHINE the Mental Health for Christian Women online community where you can interact with Michelle and get weekly coaching to apply to your life. To learn more, CLICK HERE.
Thinking glitches can be "normal" and still make us feel pretty cruddy if we let them. In this episode, Michelle helps you to identify the common thinking errors and learn how to reframe them so you can have more peace and power in your life.
For more mental health resources, check out the website: www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com
Ever feel disoriented by life? You're going along trying to do the best you can, and something seems to derail you? Well, today's episode gives a lighthearted look at what to do next.
For more mental health resources, check out the website: www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com
Would you like a supportive community to gather with each week to help you reach your goals and where you can learn to implement amazing mental health hacks? Check out SHINE by CLICKING HERE.
If you've ever wondered why you are still struggling with the same old pain point, this episode will help shine a light on how your body is holding onto survival rather than healing and when and how healing actually takes place. If you're ready to stop blaming and shaming yourself and find out how to move forward with compassion toward yourself and your experience, this episode will explain how it works.
Visit our website for more resources: www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com.
Would you like a supportive community to gather with each week to help you reach your goals and where you can learn to implement amazing mental health hacks? Check out SHINE by CLICKING HERE.
When we live through something hard, there can often be a sense of disbelief that it really was a hard or as bad as we are thinking it is. This leads us to try to see if validation of our experience is out there, as we aren't sure for ourselves due to the trauma of it all. So, we look to others, and comparison creeps in. Who are we to have it hard? Why not just plaster on a pretty smile and keep moving on? Well, it doesn't heal that way. We have to be real to heal. Listen in for some validation of your experience and encouragement that you can find healing from your pain.
Would you like a supportive community to gather with each week to help you reach your goals and where you can learn to implement amazing mental health hacks? Check out SHINE by CLICKING HERE.
Do you feel anxious trying to manage how you come across to other people and what they are thinking about you? Fret no more! Today, Michelle shares a few of the mindset reframes that will help you to break free of the trap just like she did. Listen in!
Would you like find a safe space to get support, encouragement, and make new friends? Consider joining the SHINE Membership, an online community of Mental Health for Christian Women podcast listeners who meet online weekly to grow, reach goals, gain confidence, and pray for one another. You can check it out if you CLICK HERE.
Setting Biblical Boundaries as a Christian Woman can feel very tough and may even seem confusing. In this episode, I hope you will find some clarity and some freedom to be able to let your "yes" be "yes," and your "no" be "no."
Would you like find a safe space to get support, encouragement, and make new friends? Consider joining the SHINE Membership, an online community of Mental Health for Christian Women podcast listeners who meet online weekly to grow, reach goals, gain confidence, and pray for one another. You can check it out if you CLICK HERE.
Have you ever felt like you are doing it wrong, healing too slow, or on the flip side, found yourself with unexpected breakthroughs? Good news...it's all "normal." In this episode, Michelle shares about the drastic difference in two client counseling sessions that were both on the right track. Listen in.
Want Community and Support in a Healthy and Safe Environment? Check-out the SHINE Community at https://mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com/page/my-page.
In today's episode, Michelle shares some uncomfortable situations she encountered as a student working her way through college as a hostess at a hospital coffee shop and what she learned about communication and conflict resolution as a result.
You'll hear 4 Tips with examples to make them more relatable in real life situations:
1) Acknowledge the Other's Message
2) Speak the Same Language
3) Share Your Perspective and Needs
4) Try for the Win-Win or at Least the Both/And
Visit mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com for more helpful resources or to join our SHINE Community for weekly meet-ups and an encouraging environment to get support.
If you've been feeling alone in what you're going through, I want you to know you don't have to do this by yourself. Healing happens in safe community, and that's exactly why I created the Shine Community, the online weekly meetup space where you can connect with other women who truly get it, who are walking a similar journey, and who are ready to support and encourage each other.
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Life is hard enough without trying to live according to other people's opinions, negative self-talk, or societal peer-pressure. In today's episode, Michelle shares how to think differently and challenge the unspoken norms for a healthier mindset, stronger spiritual faith in action, and more personal empowerment.
Want extra support throughout the week or to help keep the podcast growing? Consider joining the SHINE Subscription for new encouragement and resources each week. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Have you ever doubted yourself because someone made you feel like you did something wrong by speaking up, asking for something you need, or sharing how something made you feel? You may have be the victim of the DARVO effect. Listen in to learn what it is, how it hurts, and what to look for to tell safe people from DARVO users.
For counseling or coaching, reach out to Michelle at: michelle@mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com.
Could you use some extra support to live your life from a more empowered foundation? Check out our SHINE Subscription, and get weekly resources at your fingertips. Click Here to Learn More.
The stories we tell ourselves may have some truth to them, but if they are hurtful, unhelpful, or keeping us stuck, it may be time to look at the parts that cause us distress and root out lies, half-truths, and mistaken attributions. In this episode, Michelle offers 7 Steps to help you get unstuck from negative life stories and the impact events have had on you.
Want Big Change through Small Habits? What if you could positively change your life, enhance your spiritual walk, and grow in mental health for just $16/month. Check out the SHINE Subscription: CLICK HERE to learn more.
Do you feel like a victim in your own life? You can rewrite the story by co-authoring it with the Lord. In today's episode, Michelle talks about the mental health topic of the observing ego, so you can observe and think about how you think for enhanced mental effectiveness and power in your life.
Could you use some encouragement, support, and tools to enhance your life, your spiritual walk, and your mental health? If so, check out my SHINE Subscription, and keep the podcast conversations going between episodes. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SHINE
I'm not bragging when I say that I'm on fire today as I talk about overcoming shame, guilt, and perfectionism with ONE big idea.; I literally have a hot story to tell.
Want to extend the podcast topic goodness and get more mental health tips and resources to make your life simpler, easier, and more empowered? Check out the SHINE Subscription, just $16. gets you a whole slew of support, tools, and encouragement to get unstuck and move forward in freedom. You can learn more about it, and check it out by CLICKING HERE.
Have you ever gotten stuck in your thoughts and down on yourself for having more than one thing influencing your choices? Rather than feeling bad about yourself, it can be helpful to acknowledge your humanity and the complexities that result from that when making decisions and dealing sensory input. Today, I share how I made some positive decisions even when some negative thoughts entered my brain and share key therapy and spiritual concepts with you so that you can do the same.
Would you love to think in a different way? When life gets tricky, it can be helpful to have some sayings that can remind us that we get to decide how to think and how to respond. It can also make life less overwhelming when we realize what is ours to do something with and what isn't.
Today, Michelle shares her top 15 sayings from the therapy room with explanations as to how to apply them and why they help.
Visit www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com for some great resources.
Have you had your identity stolen? It's time to get it back. You don't have to chase the latest fads or get someone's approval. You serve the One who made you. Listen in to get some perspective and freedom to be who God made you to be.
Connect with Michelle further at: www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com
We all know that words have power to build up or tear down, but when you pair that with the main take away shared in today's episode, you will be able to dismantle the labels that lie to you about yourself and others.
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What holds you back from following the call on your life? Today, Michelle talks about not settling, not even for the good things, but going for the great things God has for you. Listen in.
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michellecroyle | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
Want to learn how to more effectively manage your intense feelings? When boundaries are crossed or we are misunderstood, it can hurt and even make us angry. However, we get to choose how we will handle our thoughts, feelings, and choices as we respond to the situation. LIsten in for Michelle's experience with this recently.
Visit us here: www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com
Join Michelle for the 2025 Goal Setting Workshop that Keeps your God Given Purpose in Mind for really powerful results! God to www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com to learn more and sign-up.
Have you ever felt yourself getting heated or watched someone else "lose it?" No shame or guilt needed, but this episode will give you options for how to better regulate your nervous system so you can show up at your best.
Glad you're here!
In today's episode, Michelle shares why it is totally OKAY to take a break and rest and 11 reasons why you NEED to do it!
Then, after you do, we've got you covered for a powerful start to 2025...join Michelle on January 11th for a couple of hours of New Year goal setting and refreshment time with your God-given gifts in mind. You can: Register Here
Check out www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com for more resources.
January Virtual Workshop- Purchase Your Spot for Goal Setting with Your God Given Purpose in Mind
A bit of joy at the holiday season can do your heart and mind good. Today, Michelle shares some corny family-friendly jokes to help you enjoy a few chuckles.
To connect with Michelle further, Click Here.
I have great guest and free gift for you in today's episode. We are talking about anxiety management and peace with my friend, author of the book Continuous Peace, Dawn Marasco. Dawn and I recently teamed up to make a few videos on anxiety management, and you can get this mini course for absolutely FREE by going to this link: CLICK HERE
And, if you get them before Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at 7pm Eastern, you can join Dawn and Michelle for a live, group, virtual Q&A discussion on the topic.
To connect with Michelle and Mental Health for Christian Women in other ways, visit: HERE
It can be confusing to know what the alphabet soup after people's names means when you are looking for mental health care. Today, Michelle helps you to understand the right tools for the job you need to have done.
Connect with Michelle Here
Just because you can carry heavy burdens all by yourself doesn't mean that you have to...help is available to make it easier to reach your healing goals and get the support you need in a faster timeframe.
To find out how you can work with Michelle to heal from trauma with a Therapy Intensive, email her at: michelle@abundantfreedomcounseling.com.
To purchase your virtual ticket to the January Workshop Retreat on 2025 Goal Setting with Your God Given Gifts and Purpose in Mind, https://mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com/store/products/january-2025-workshop-retreat
To connect further with Michelle, https://linktr.ee/michellecroyle
Get our Black Friday Special with a discounted admission price to our January Virtual Live Event - For Just $37., you can snag your "ticket" to participate in this combined workshop and refreshing retreat event where I will personally coach you on setting your goals for the new year. You will go from Overwhelmed and Overthinking to Focused, Clear Headed, and Grounded on Who You are in Christ and what He's got personally in store for you in the new year as you learn to listen to His voice. Plus when you purchase by November 30, you will receive a FREE BONUS video Advent Calendar in your emailbox each day through Christmas Day so you can keep your focus on THE REASON for the season. Offer Good through November 30, 2024. Get It Here
This episode shares practical tips for focusing on the Lord this Thanksgiving and into the holiday season by cultivating space for solitude in the midst of the business to help with anxiety management, stress reduction, and staying anchored to what/WHO truly matters.
To connect further with Mental Health for Christian Women: Click Here.
Michelle is taking you "behind the scenes" of the thought processes as God leads Mental Health for Christian Women to be even better for you! Plus, a Black Friday sale you don't want to miss!
Get your January Workshop Retreat discount and join Michelle for a fun and clarity providing live virtual event to help you kick off your New Year focused on your God-given purpose and next steps in living it out with a customized plan! Plus a bonus free virtual advent calendar when you act now through November 30th.
Get your Black Friday steal of a deal HERE.
You get to own your feelings without comparison or shame, but you don't have to let them rule you or take over. This episode shared tips for how to cultivate acceptance.
To connect with us further go to: www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com
Rumination is the mental process of thinking over and over again about something unsolvable and yet not being able to easily move on from it. Today, Michelle gives 5 tips for how to deal with these repetitive thoughts and feel better faster.
To connect with Michelle or join the Mental Health for Christian Women Membership Community, Click Here.
Are you waiting for someone to come along and rescue you, waiting for a permission slip to take action, or waiting for God to show up like a genie to grant your every wish? Today, Michelle has some tough love to tell you how it really works to get the life you want.
To join the Mental Health for Christian Women Membership Community, Ask Michelle your mental health for spiritual question, or get connected with resources, click here.
In this episode, Michelle interviews Barb Proia, of www.youorganizedbybarb.com about the organization tips that she finds helpful for women looking to make their homes more of a haven.
To join the Mental Health for Christian Women Membership Community or to connect further with Michelle, you can go to our website at www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com and check out our resources, or click here.
Do you ever wonder if God really sees you and hears your prayers? Have you been asking, hoping, and waiting for breakthroughs and long to be cared about? You are, more than you know.
Connect with Michelle https://linktr.ee/michellecroyle
Join the Membership Community: www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com
Want to know what to stop doing to so that you can think with more clarity and experience lower stress? Take a listen. After all, anything that can help minimize overload, burnout, stress and anxiety can't hurt.
For ways to connect further with Michelle and Mental Health for Christian Women, CLICK HERE.
Do you do the same things over and over but find that they aren't really serving you? Are the things you do habitually making life harder or costing you more in time, money, or energy than they need to? Evaluating what is working and what isn't is a necessary step. Listen in for Michelle's Dollar Tree debacle.
To Learn More and Join the Mental Health for Christian Women Membership Community, Click Here.
To connect further with Michelle, Click Here.
Do you get in your own way? In this podcast, Michelle will share with you 17 things you can stop doing and what you can do instead to live more empowered, and make better thoughts, choices, and actions that can help you in your life.
To connect with Michelle, book a free 15 minute Your Next Steps to Healing Consult Call, or Join the Membership Community, Click Here.
Communication in relationships can be hard, but it doesn't have to be. You can make new friends and acquaintances relatively easily if you follow a few simple guidelines, and Michelle shares them in this episode.
Life is serious enough that when you get the choice to build in fun, it is worth it to do so. From what we do for work to how we spend our quiet time, to how we interact with others and the things we we do, enjoyment is a gift from God, and it's one we get to choose.
To connect further with Michelle or learn more about/join the Mental Health for Christian Women Membership Community, CLICK HERE
Flexible thinking is something that our rigid ways may not like. We want to be good and do well at what we do as Christian women, of course, but it is okay to have grace and realize that we don't know it all. We don't know it all, and that's okay. We aren't perfect, and that's okay because we know the ONE who is. Take a load off your shoulders and mind today, and listen in for some freedom from the burdens of negative thinking.
To connect with Michelle or join the Membership Community, click here
After experiencing several life altering traumas, Dawn found her way to a closer relationship with the Lord. In today's episode, she shares about her reflections on mental health through the focus on spiritual health tools.
To connect with Dawn, get her free gift to you, or join her community, go to: www.dawnmarasco.com
To buy Dawn's book, "Continuous Peace," go to: www.dawnmarasco.com/store
To join the Mental Health for Christian Women Membership Community or learn more about how it can help you to grow in your spiritual and mental health, go to Click Here
Finding your way into a loving relationship with God is a choice that not everyone makes after experiencing religious abuse and cult affiliation, but today's guest, Liza Lovett, did just that. Listen in to hear how her hurts and traumas shaped her to seek after God when trauma perpetrated in the name of the church and Christianity were used inappropriately.
Guest Liza Lovett, Host of The Warriors Community Podcast exists for survivors of religious and sexual abuse within the church. We provide a safe place to share survivor stories about healing, lessons learned, tools, and resources.
Liza can be reached: @Mrs. Liza Lovett on instagram or by email to: thewarriorscommunity1@gmail.com
Liza's The Warriors Community can be reached through Patreon HERE
Warning: This episode is not for young ears.
To connect with Michelle and the many resources Mental Health for Christian Women has to offer, including the monthly Membership Community,click here: https://linktr.ee/michellecroyle
Finding your way into a loving relationship with God is a choice that not everyone makes after experiencing religious abuse and cult affiliation, but today's guest, Liza Lovett, did just that. Listen in to hear how her hurts and traumas shaped her to seek after God when trauma perpetrated in the name of the church and Christianity were used inappropriately.
Guest Liza Lovett, Host of The Warriors Community Podcast exists for survivors of religious and sexual abuse within the church. We provide a safe place to share survivor stories about healing, lessons learned, tools, and resources.
Liza can be reached: @Mrs. Liza Lovett on instagram or by email to: thewarriorscommunity1@gmail.com
Liza's The Warriors Community can be reached through Patreon HERE
Warning: This episode is not for young ears.
To connect with Michelle and the many resources Mental Health for Christian Women has to offer, including the monthly Membership Community,click here: https://linktr.ee/michellecroyle
Have you ever had a horrible misunderstanding with someone or been misunderstood? It stinks on both sides of the equation. However, taking it to the Lord and taking responsibility for our words and actions is the best we can do as humans. We all have responsibility in living as unto the Lord while being human in human relationships, and fortunately, there is grace.
Connect with Us, and Join the Membership Community Here
Finding ways to connect with others can bring joy and also drawbacks from time to time, but we can learn skills to make it easier to approach. If you want to connect with new friends or work out differences with those you already have, listen in.
To Connect with Michelle, Click Here.
Have you ever wondered if you or someone you know is an empath or a highly sensitive person? It may not be as cut and dry as a label and extra feeling intensity. Trauma and tools may be factors to consider.
To connect with Michelle, click below and follow the links to the Mental Health for Christian Women website, social media channels, and more...
michellecroyle | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
Learning what to do is not the same as applying what you know consistently. One leads to progress, and the other leads to frustration. If you are ready to experience consistent forward moment in your life, you'll want to listen in to this episode to learn the crucial difference that you can start to apply in your life today.
To connect with Michelle and Mental Health for Christian Women, or join the membership community, click here: michellecroyle | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
In this episode, Michelle takes a concept from the business world and shares how you can adapt it to reaching your mental health goals and move forward into the life you want to live. Clue: there is only one thing you can control; the results follow. Today, we're talking about the power of lead behaviors. Listen in.
Connect with Michelle and more Mental Health for Christian Women Resources by clicking here.
Have you ever wondered if you would benefit by taking medication for anxiety or depression symptoms? In today's episode, Michelle discusses her personal and professional take on this topic.
To connect with Michelle further, Click Here.
To join the membership community, learn more by clicking here.
Have you seen the new Pixar movie, Inside Out 2? I think it's even better than the first, but whether or not you've seen it, love it, like it, or hate it, I've got some takeaways that can boost your personal power against the lies of the enemy and encourage you in truth so that you can live mentally and emotionally sound and at peace.
The Mental Health for Christian Women Membership Community is NOW OPEN through June 30, 2024. You can learn more, and join by Clicking Here
For all the ways and links to connect further with Michelle, CLICK HERE
We Christian women can be so hard on ourselves- much harder than anything the Lord would ever feel toward us. Even in our most human moments, practicing some tips for compassionate care can make all the difference; Michelle calls this tool the CCBAA tool, and it's as simple to apply as knowing your ABC's. Listen in :).
Click Here to Connect Further with Michelle
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is more than someone just being emotional or overwhelmed, it is a disorder that can be treated but until it is, it can be very intense in emotions, actions, and mood swings from seemingly "normal" (what is normal, anyway?) to erratic or extreme. Help is available. Listen in.
For more help with Borderline Personality Disorder resources, you may consider those mentioned in today's episode: About Us |Online Mindset Coaching | Skeeters Strength Mindset Coaching, the book Stop Walking on Eggshells by Paul Mason and Randi Kreger, or Michelle's previous interview of Episode 6 with Rose Skeeters
To join the Mental Health for Christian Women Membership Community or further connect with us, Click Here.
Have you ever wondered if someone you know is a narcissist? Today, Michelle talks about narcissistic personality disorder and its characteristics and explains the traits that lead to a diagnosis, such as a grandiose sense of self-importance, lack of empathy, and a need for excessive admiration. It can be a challenge to deal with someone with narcissistic traits in relationships, make communication difficult, and even, serve as a foundation for emotional abuse. Therapy rarely helps the person with the disorder, but seeking therapy can help those they encounter. The episode ends with a mention of the upcoming discussion on borderline personality disorder and an invitation to join a membership community for support and coaching.
Click Here to Connect, Join the Membership Community, or Visit the Mental Health for Christian Women website.
Narcissistic personality disorder, Gaslighting, Cluster B personality disorders, Relationships, Dysfunction, Interpersonal experiences, Traits, Diagnosis, Therapy, Labels, Genetics, Environment, Trauma, Emotional manipulation, Self-importance, Grandiose, Empathy, Entitlement, Manipulation, Mental abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Borderline personality disorder, Histrionic personality disorder, Antisocial personality disorder, Management of emotions, Attention seeking behavior, Hypersensitivity, Impulsivity, Relationship dynamics
Have you ever wondered if you are in a toxic relationship? Do you wonder if you may be in a relationship with a narcissist? Do you feel confused, less than, and disoriented when you leave discussions with certain people? Or, do you feel as though you can't trust your own perceptions? These are common feelings when you are being gaslit. Gaslighting is a form of emotional abuse and mind control, and emotional abuse is never okay. Listen in to learn more about the techniques of a gaslighter.
Click Here to Connect, Join the Membership Community, or Visit the Mental Health for Christian Women website.
Everything that has happened to you is already stored in someway in your nervous system, and your experience today and in the future is shaped by what you acknowledge and do with the impact of the past.
Join the Membership Community, or Connect with Michelle here: Get the links
Today, we're diving deep into taking responsibility and navigating life's unexpected challenges with a blend of faith, humor, and practical wisdom. Hear Michelle's boating mishap, and draw from scriptural insight for working with God, not against Him. Whether it’s decluttering your space or your mind, we’re here to remind you: it’s time to stop waiting for rescue, start swimming, and live the abundant life God has planned for you. Join us and start making waves in your personal journey!
Join the Membership Community waitlist here: Join the Membership Community Waitlist Here
Connect with us further here
Mother's Day can evoke many different emotions and thoughts. This episode acknowledges the mixed feelings you may have towards this day, from joy to grief, to everything in between.
Throughout the episode, the discussions cover the different stages of motherhood and the diverse experiences of women, whether as mothers, daughters, or in other relationships. The theme of emotional validation and support is woven throughout, with references to Christian faith as a source of comfort and strength. Michelle offers practical advice on being present, forgiving, grieving, and celebrating life in all its messiness, advocating for self-care and reliance on divine support. The episode aims to be a source of encouragement and validation for women navigating the complexities of motherhood and familial relationships.
This podcast is Hosted by Michelle Croyle, a licensed professional counselor and trauma specialist, shares her own experiences and insights—emphasizing the potential for healing and the importance of mental health for Christian women.
Connect further with Michelle, or join the community HERE.
Mother's Day, motherhood, Christian women, mental health, therapy, PTSD, anxiety, healing, relationships, grief, estrangement, emotional support, God's word, trauma, encouragement, parenting challenges, emotional well-being, forgiveness, bitterness, loss, mother-child relationship, self-care, grace, celebration, emotions, societal expectations, love, prayer, hope, perseverance.
Have you ever wondered, "Do I need to go to therapy?"
Therapy is a resource for healing and not a sign of weakness. Therapy is a step towards healing, not a weakness.
If you've been struggling for awhile, today's episode might help you to answer the question.
To join the Mental Health for Christian Women Membership Community or connect further,
Click Here.
Feeling disconnected from your role as a wife?
Dive into our latest episode where Michelle offers empowering insights on navigating marriage struggles with grace and finding support through faith. Tune in to 'How to Be a Wife When You Don't Feel Like One' for a blend of professional counseling and spiritual guidance that speaks to the heart of every woman striving to uphold her vows amidst life's challenges. 🎧💍✨ #MichelleCroylePodcast #MarriageSupport #ChristianCounseling
Connect with us further: https://linktr.ee/michellecroyle
Do you ever feel like you are stuck because your thoughts trip you up or catch you in a trap? When we are overwhelmed, anxious, or conflicted, we can react out of core thoughts that aren't completely helpful nor true but that we have learned to rely on for so long because they are familiar and how we think the world works on some level, but now, we know it doesn't quite work like that, and we need new tools to get unstuck from our thinking and behavior patterns. If this sounds like something you would like help with, listen in, share with a friend, and/or click the link below to connect.
To join the Mental Health for Christian Women Membership Community or Connect Further, Click Here
It's easy to feel that your big dreams will never come true because they seem so outrageous and huge. However, God says that He will do more than we can think or imagine! Today, Michelle shares ONE easy step to obtaining BIG THINGS. If you want to reach your goals...listen in.
To Connect with Michelle further, or join the Membership Community Click Here
You are important. Noone can adequately care for others or effect positive external change on a consistent bais without being honest with oneself and addressing personal needs first. Starting with God and your relationship with God and moving to how to practice self-care with your needs in mind is an important part of respecting and maintaining the body and mind God has given us.
Are you struggling to get a good night's sleep? In today's episode, we covered ten simple and effective tips to help you fall asleep more easily and get better rest. From creating a personalized bedtime routine to practicing relaxation techniques, these tips are designed to fit seamlessly into your lifestyle. To get all these valuable tips in a downloadable format, head over to mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com. And don't miss the chance to join our membership community and gain access to more resources and exclusive offers. Take the first step towards better sleep today!
Go to the website for free resources, to join the membership community and get coaching, or to connect further with Michelle: CLICKING HERE
falling asleep, restful night, mental health, christian women, coaching, counseling, bedtime routine, sleep difficulties, anxiety, depression, sleep patterns, sleep deficit, routine customization, sleep consistency, bedtime routine, relaxation, sensory experience, blue light, electronic devices, shower before bedtime, room temperature, tension release, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing, exercise timing, caffeine, sleep hygiene, natural remedies, melatonin, visualization, mental health community
Would you love to be secure in your identify and confident in who God made you to be? When you gain confidence in Christ's view of you, you can overcome feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt. Your thoughts and feelings matter, but they do not always tell you the truth nor do they define your identity. When you realize your worth and power only comes from God alone, you can resist the lies and attacks of the enemy, and step into your purpose.
Connect further
When you feel unseen, and you are hurting, it can make it feel like God isn't showing up for you, but this couldn't be further from the truth. How do you know God is taking care of you? Because...that is who He is. God is faithful, and He cares about you, and He will restore you if you let Him. Just like Hagar, He sees you and has a good purpose for you and your future.
Connect Further with Michelle, or Sign-Up for the Membership Community Here
We often put pressure on ourselves to be "further ahead" than we think we are in life. However, that perspective doesn't take into account that you are always in the right spot for God to see you. Let go of anxiety, regret, pain, insecurity, self-doubt, and overwhelm as you listen in to the one mindset shift that allows all of it to calm down so you can have space to breathe.
In this Bonus episode, Michelle answers a question from listener Crystal: How to Set Boundaries with Well-Meaning People
For tips on boundary setting and effective communication and self-care in meeting your needs and wants, listen in.
Connect further here: Connect with Michelle
Do you get caught up in perfectionism? Worry that you aren't doing things right? Wish you could stop getting stuck in the details rather than just moving forward toward your goals? You can take steps forward by the outlook you have on life and progress
Connect with Us:
michellecroyle | Instagram, Facebook | Linktree
Have you ever had intrusive thoughts or negative feelings that scared you? You might question what you should do when you have intrusive thoughts or how to stop them. You might even wonder if you are going crazy. In today's episode, Michelle offers a new way to look at thoughts and feelings so that you can calm your anxiety about what your brain and emotions are trying to tell you.
Connect with Michelle or Join the Membership Community Through Clicking Here:
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You make thousands of decisions every day, but are they all actually your choices? Have you ever wondered why you do the things you do? Is is peer pressure, expectations of others, fear of trying something different, anxiety, or God's will and your actual choice? Power comes from the freedom to make decisions that you can really stand behind. Listen in.
God's loving kindness and compassion teaches us how to practice the building of the healthy habit of talking with ourselves with self-compassion and grace rather than harsh self-talk and embracing the grace that God offers, ultimately cultivating a more healthy and flexible way of navigating through life.
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habit series, intentional speaking, self-compassion, kindness, loving kindness, compassion towards God, God's nature, Titus 3, psalm 36, psalm 60, illustration, self-talk, critical voice, compassion towards oneself, human condition, human mistakes, entangled, grace, freedom, ridicule, shame, condemnation, self-care, caring adult, flexibility, healthy mindset, salvation, Jesus, Christian faith, personal growth, self-improvement
If you want to live your life well, it is important to know what habits serve you well an what you may need to stop doing. In today's episode, you will learn the one word that can help you take back your personal power like no other so that you can reach your goals in life and stay the course you and God have before you without compromise.
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What can you do to have more power in your life? What can help you to live from a mentally healthy place? Learning to live from a solid home base in your internal life can help you to be healthy and strong in your spiritual, mental, emotional, relational, physical, and aspirational goals. Living your life from a position of power begins with building it on a solid foundation.
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It can creep in without your awareness sometimes, the bleak, doldrums of winter or winter seasons in life, and if you catch it, you can do something about it. To overcome the dark days in life, it takes intentional perseverance and action in a positive direction, but it can be one step at a time until better days arrive.
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God didn"t mess up when He created you, and He made you with a spirit and a body. That body has experienced your whole life and all of the circumstances you have lived; the good and the bad. Gaining traction toward your mental health and wellbeing goals and spiritual calling depends on your ability to be able to notice what's happened to you and the ways you have been impacted. If you would like to learn more or to join the new membership community,
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Have you been wanting to reach your goals but feel like something always seems to get in the way? There are 4 things that can mean the difference between your success or your failure at goal-setting and getting: mindset, habits, perseverance, and supports. Listen in to learn more about these four ways you can better your success and move forward in reaching your goals for your mental health, emotional well-being, parenting, and relationships.
To join the Get Real Results Membership Community, visit: www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com.
Access to the community, live meet-ups, and skills building resources is free when you register, from Monday, January 15, 2024 through Monday, February 19, 2024.
To book a free 15 minute "Your Next Steps to Healing" Discovery Call with Michelle, visit: www.calendly.com/mentalhealthforchristianwomen
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Happy New Year! I am believing this year is going to be great for you, and I am here to help! I have heard you. You are ready for change, and here is the announcement that will literally change your life for the better...join me and other like-minded sisters in the Lord.
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Today's Scripture Meditation is Colossians 3:23- Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, and Michelle shares the ways she is incorporating that into the Mental Health for Christian Women podcast work she does as well as in her personal seeking of what God is calling her to do. Listen in!
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If you want to make some good goals for the new year and resolutions usually fall flat, you'll want to listen to this episode where Michelle shares the typical SMART goal framework but adds in a few tips to amp it up so that it really works to help you reach your goals rather than give them up come February.
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Are you thinking about your new year goals? Don't get there too fast! It can be more helpful to start with this first tip before making your new year resolution goals. Listen in to get empowered for a great goal-setting and getting! new year.
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Merry Christmas! Love came down to Earth for us on Christmas. Enjoy this quick Scripture Meditation to embrace the love of God and His Son for you and all who accept the precious gift of salvation.
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It is time for some mental health through laughter (or groans) today! The Bible says that a merry heart is good like medicine... it brings health to the bones...let's help you get some of that joy in you spirit today - (Proverbs 17:22) with our 2nd Annual Corny Christmas Joke Family Episode.
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Life can be comprised at times of the "both and," concept, where life can present challenges and blessings simultaneously. Michelle shares her personal experiences and encourages listeners to accept the coexistence of positive and negative emotions. Listen in for a Mindset game hack for reframing thoughts and focusing on positivity.
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Did you know that there is a Biblical truth that sounds like an old pop song? We can walk on Sonshine, in the path of sunlight and escape the snares of evil and destruction. Keeping our thoughts on God, our hearts right, our words pure, and our actions focused on wisdom is powerful to keep us safe from evil doers.
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In this podcast episode, Michelle discusses the concept of striving for a "perfect" Christmas as a parent. She challenges the idea of perfection, emphasizing that perfect is unrealistic and takes focus away from what truly matters in the family and the faith.
In this episode, Michelle discusses the complex emotions that can arise during the holiday season, particularly in relation to nostalgia and longing for the past. She draws parallels between the mixed feelings she has towards "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens and the conflicting and complex emotions many people experience during the holidays.
Scripture Meditation can help us to learn how to live in wisdom, and Proverbs is a book of wisdom which tells us that things go better when we do things God's way, listen in. If you want to know how to understand your next steps, Scripture and the Holy Spirit are able to help you live more confidently, peacefully, and well.
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Becoming a widow is hard at any point in life, but when Michelle Bader Ebersole found herself a widow in her early 40s, she worked to heal and now has allowed God to use her to minister to widows and widower through support groups and care and ministry from her podcast. Listen in for tips on how to support those going through grief this holiday season or how to survive and make it through if you are grieving this Christmas whether due to widowhood, divorce, or any other loss.
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In this episode of Mental Health for Christian Women, host Michelle Croyle shares valuable tips for managing holiday stress. She emphasizes the importance of being aware of your body's signals and slowing down to alleviate stress. By prioritizing self-care, setting boundaries, and being mindful of commitments, listeners are encouraged to embrace the true spirit of the season. Join us as we navigate through the holiday season with grace and love.
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holiday stress, mental health, relaxation techniques, stress management, self-care, mindfulness, physical well-being, emotional well-being, holiday expectations, time management, delegation, self-awareness, body tension, breathing exercises, stretching, aromatherapy, essential oils, physical activity, rest and relaxation, sleep quality, nutrition, healthy habits, boundaries, saying no, connection, love, grace, salvation, Jesus, seasonal self-care, stress relief
Bible Meditation and Scripture focus on Proverbs 2 today can help us to focus on what is upright, Godly, and blessed with protection and understanding as we walk intentionally seeking the Lord and His ways.
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Christmas expectations and the holiday season can bring many complications for schedules, to-do lists, awkward interactions with others, anxiety, and stressors, and these can all lead to a tendency to people please! If you need some help to stay true to your needs without coming across as too harsh, listen in!
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Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, but that doesn't mean that the good gift of happiness doesn't also come from God above. Listen in and rate your happy and what you can do to cultivate it with positive change of action and mindset.
If you want to make sure you are going to have good results and that you are walking in God's design for life success, the wisdom of Bible meditation as in Proverbs is a great way to do that! Walk in wisdom, making good decisions, and getting great results. Listen in.
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https://linktr.ee/michellecroyleMusic can have a beautiful way of deeply connecting our inner most experiences with our outward praise. Salvation and God's provision can be reflected back to Him as glory and praise through the way we choose to live our lives as an offering to Him who gave us everything. Happy Thanksgiving!
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Have you ever been anxious about a medical procedure like blood pressure? Listen in as Michelle answers with tips for a listener who asked how to deal with this issue.
Want a quick boost to your mood? There is one thing you can do that can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression through practicing it regularly. It has even been shown to lower blood pressure! Listen in to find out what this powerful tool is!
Want to try SOAP Bible Study? You can meditate on Scripture such as today's meditation on faith and learn how to make it super personal, applicable to everyday life, and grow closer to God through His Word.
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How we look at life and others can make things easier or harder. To be able to understand that grace is good and that each person is on a personal journey can alieviate stress and reduce anxiety because we can look at things with a view more personally aware of our needs as well as more broadly view the journey of others with more compassion and understanding.
It's important to not discount your own experiences and emotions. Today, Michelle shares a personal anecdote about Black Friday shopping as a metaphor for how discounting can affect individuals. She emphasizes the significance of acknowledging and validating one's own reality, especially for those who have experienced emotional abuse or gaslighting. She encourages listeners to seek healing through therapy, setting boundaries, and leaning on their faith. Michelle reminds listeners that their experiences are valid and that they have the right to prioritize their healing without minimizing or discounting their stories. She concludes by inspiring listeners to use their own healing journey to help others and spread positivity in the world.
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Today, we are doing our Bible meditation on a scripture in Hebrews about the rewards of discipline. Listen in!
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In this episode of "Mental Health for Christian Women" with Michelle Croyle, the focus is on taking back power and focusing on what is true. She encourages listeners to identify and let go of beliefs or behaviors that no longer serve them and replace them with healthier alternatives. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing God's gift of love, power, and a sound mind and not allowing fear or guilt to hold us back. The host provides a tool for listeners to write down what they will stop doing and what they will do instead, as a way to intentionally choose actions that align with their values and bring them closer to healing and growth. The episode ends with an invitation to book a free discovery call for further support.
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How can you look at anxiety from a more powerful perspective? What causes anxiety to snowball into something that feels unmanageable? Listen in to learn about the causes and messages that contribute to your anxiety and how to better talk to your nervous system so that it can relax and gain power from noticing feelings but engaging mindset logic.
I'd love to connect with you and help you to identify your next steps to healing in a free 15 minute discovery call, click here to schedule:
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This Bible meditation addresses the topic of fear and how to find healing in God as a Refuge. Feeling afraid is a natural experience in a fallen world full of uncertainties. However, despite fear, we can choose to focus on the fact that God is with us and will take care of us. Michelle discusses biblical verses, such as Isaiah 41:10 and Psalm 46:1-3, for reassurance of God's presence as our refuge, strength, and ever-present help in times of trouble. listeners to put their trust in God and not be afraid. The episode also includes a brief mention of a free 15-minute Next Steps to Healing discovery call offered by Michelle.
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If you want different results, you have to think and do different things. Trying new things opens up perspective and options, providing you with views of possibility rather than lack and stuckness. If you want to get unstuck, become more confident, enjoy life more, and be more impactful in your life and relationships, consider what is working and try something differently or new with what isn't.
What are YOUR next steps to healing? Let me help you find out.
Hop on a free 15 minute call with me, "Your Next Steps to Healing Discovery Call," by jumping on my calendar here: Let's Chat!
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Setting boundaries is hard sometimes, even or especially, when it comes to ourselves. If you want to know how to establish healthy boundaries, how to take responsibility for your own self, and how to have better and healthier relationships with others where each of you can be whole and healthy in communication and interactions, listen in.
We are focusing on Galatians 5 again! Why? Because, it is SO GOOD in leading us in God's truth, wisdom, and power for our freedom from the anxiety, insecurity, and lies that cause us pain when we don't know the Galatians 5 concepts well. Get ready to be empowered with the truth of God's Word from the Bible. Here we go!
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Do you feel like a people-pleaser? Do you find yourself getting stuck between what someone else wants and what you want to do, wondering, "How should I handle this difficult situation or this difficult person?" Today's episode will help you to learn how to have your own voice in a situation that seems overwhelming or unmanageable. When you have these key phrases, you will be ready to conquer the anxiety of the stressors others try to put onto you but staying grounded in your own truth, thoughts, feelings, actions, and decisions.
It's easy to feel responsible for things that aren't our responsibility when we care about others, but people-pleasing, and trying to get approval for others or keep the peace when it isn't your stuff can be a cause of tension, stress, and anxiety. Learning to identify what belongs to you and what belongs to others with thoughts, feelings, and actions is important for taking ownership of what you are stewarding without the burden of those belonging to others.
Today's Bible Scripture meditation can calm anxiety and build peace and trust in God, as we focus on the truths of Psalm 56.
If you are struggling with healing for your self-esteem, confidence, mindset, self-talk, self-worth, value, or truth, this pep talk episode is specifically for you.
How to stay as mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually healthy as possible when the world seems to be falling apart? Today, Michelle shares her tips for this listener's question. Listen in!
Scripture Meditation from the Bible can help to calm your anxiety when you realize how great a Creator our God is. Today's episode focuses on Psalm 8 and God's majesty in what He made humans and the world to include. Trusting in God comes when we focus on who He is and His truth and power rather than our own human understanding.
In this episode, Michelle shares six tips for Christian women to pull back and move forward towards their goals. The first tip is to stop the time sucks, which involves identifying activities or responsibilities that are taking up unnecessary time and removing them from your schedule. The second tip is to take note of your priorities and find ways to incorporate them into your daily life that work best for you. Michelle emphasizes that putting God first does not have to look a certain way and encourages listeners to find the best ways to spend time with the Lord. Other tips include setting boundaries, delegating tasks, and practicing self-care. Overall, the episode aims to help Christian women manage their time and energy effectively to pursue their goals and maintain mental health.
Is it time for you to take notice of how your actions in life line up with your goals and desires? Do you seek to follow God's ways but find yourself a bit off course at times? Today, Michelle shares about her present journey to align her thoughts and actions with the truth of the Bible and how she is taking the next steps to grow into leveling up to the next best stuff God is leading her into. If you could use some encouragement that you are not alone in the battle to stay on track, and run the good race, listen in.
Being still and knowing that God is God can bring peace when we're anxious, Bible Scripture meditation from Psalm 46:10 is the verse for focus today. Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God," emphasizes the freedom and simplicity of just being, existing, and knowing God's presence. In this episode, Michelle shares a technique of repeating and segmenting the verse to focus on its meaning and deepen the connection with God. The episode concludes with the reminder that God is the Creator, and we are His creation, and that understanding brings peace and joy, empowering listeners to face their day with confidence.
In this episode, Michelle discusses the trauma recovery journey and how to think positively when feeling stuck. She explains that trauma is a painful past experience that impacts us beyond our ability to handle it. Often, we develop coping skills to prevent similar situations but they can end up hurting us. Michelle reassures that even if feeling stuck or are facing familiar pain, you are making progress and have already survived.
Join the Empowerment Oasis, 12 Week Coaching Program toward your unstuck goals! Sign-ups now open, and Early Bird Discount and bonuses available through Saturday, October 7, 2023. Click here for more information and to register: Empowerment Oasis Coaching Program (mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com)
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In this episode, Michelle discusses the concept of where individuals are in time based on their trauma and actual chronology. She explains how trauma can cause certain parts of us to get stuck back in time and the importance of time travel in healing trauma. Break free from what holds you back by learning how to think like a therapist but with the practicality of a roadmap toward your goals and healing needs. When you learn how to think about what's happened to your mindset and experience, you learn what you need in order to move forward.
Join the Empowerment Oasis, 12 Week Coaching Program toward your unstuck goals! Sign-ups now open, and Early Bird Discount and bonuses available through Saturday, October 7, 2023. Click here for more information and to register: Empowerment Oasis Coaching Program (mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com)
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Today's Scripture Meditation comes from the Bible verse we can study as found in James 3:13 which speaks about having wisdom in the way we live our lives. Scripture meditation can help us to calm our anxiety, encourage us, and lead us into a closer walk with the Lord and with others in mental health, relationship, and emotional wellness as well as to heal from the traumas of life.
Learn more about the Empowerment Oasis 12-Week Coaching Program that begins soon! Early Bird sign-ups with bonuses are available until the end of the day, Saturday, October 7, 2023. To sign-up or learn more, go to: Empowerment Oasis Coaching Program (mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com)
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In this episode. Michelle discusses the concept of magical thinking and how it can hinder personal growth and healing. She shares personal anecdotes and examples from her clinical experience to highlight the distortions and fallacies that can arise from magical thinking. Throughout the episode, she debunks five common lies associated with magical thinking that Christians may accidentally fall into, such as the belief that feelings equal facts or that one's actions alone can control outcomes. She emphasizes the importance of acknowledging these distortions and finding a balance between faith, prayer, and taking practical actions in order to navigate mental health challenges effectively.
In this episode, Michelle shares a personal experience to illustrate the importance of gaining clarity in our lives. She talks about how sometimes we can think we have everything figured out, only to realize that there is missing information that can change our perspective. She emphasizes the role of therapists, coaches, and mentors in providing the outside perspective and insights that we may not see ourselves. She also introduces her "Empowerment Oasis" program, which offers resources and coaching to help individuals gain clarity, accelerate their goals, and find healing from anxiety, and mental and emotional pain through coping skills and help. She invites listeners to join the program or check out free coaching tools on social media. The episode concludes with an invitation to sign up for the program and take advantage of early bird bonuses.
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In this Scripture meditation, we are focusing on the theme of hope as talked about in several Bible verses, emphasizing the importance of hope in the Christian faith. May this encourage you to focus on God's truth and help you to be encouraged that you will find strength in God, who fills you with joy and peace through the Holy Spirit to overcome hardships with trust and confidence.
This episode also covers details on the Empowerment Oasis coaching program providing inspiration for listeners seeking mental and emotional well-being and healing from anxiety, emotional pain, and mental struggles with thoughts. The program aims to help individuals struggling with anxiety, insecurity, stress, or emotional hurt to move from surviving to thriving. It offers personalized coaching support, video modules, and a journaling workbook using a five-step method called the Empowered Freedom Framework. Listeners are encouraged to visit Mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com to learn more and sign up for the program.
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Your Needs Are Worth Attending To just as you ARE. You don't have to fall into the the common tendency that many Christian women do, of comparing themselves and their situations to those of others or where they wish they were already. You don't need to judge your own needs and experiences. You are unique, and your life journey is unique and valuable, and it is important to recognize and prioritize one's own needs without comparing them to others. Effective coaching meets you where you are, as you are, and pays attention to you, your story, and your needs. To learn more about why Michelle's upcoming 12 Week Coaching program can be a great experience for your and your needs and goals, listen in.
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You are powerful because God is powerful, and His Spirit resides in you as you are a Christian Woman. However, life, hurt, pain, disappointment, insecurity, and other things can get in the way of you feeling and living in that power on a daily basis. If you know that you want to change, improve your life, get unstuck, and break free from the things that hold you back so that you can go from merely surviving to thriving in your personal life, mindset, emotions, self-care, parenting, and spiritual growth and service to God and others, what is stopping you? Today's episode shares 5 Reasons You May Not Be Ready to Take Action Toward Your Goals. Listen in.
Registrations are Open Now! To join the Empowerment Oasis Coaching Program or get a free consult session to see if it is for you, follow the link below.
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Today's Scripture meditation is based on Deuteronomy 31:8, with the message that the Lord Himself goes before you, is with you, and will never leave or forsake you to encourage you to reflect on the areas of life where God's presence and guidance are needed and there to overcome anxiety, fear, and discouragement. , especially in moments of fear or discouragement. God is already ahead, leading the way and working things out for your good. You can have confidence, knowing that God is by your side and ready to help you face the challenges of the day. God is a good God who loves and cares for you, and you can take on the day with His support.
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What are six common indicators that signal the need for change and taking action in order to achieve your desired results? Michelle shares each of them with you in this episode because you can't just wait and pray for your desired results to happen without ever taking any action. You need to actively make good choices and take steps toward achieving the outcome goals you want to experience. When you live differently, you live differently! It's time to live in the empowered freedom that God has designed for you.
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Reach out for a free 15 minute Consult Call to see if the Empowerment Oasis Program and the Empowered Freedom Framework is for you. Email: michelle@mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com
In this episode we discuss the importance of challenging negative self-messages and identifying needs and deficits in order to live life more authentically. It is important to learn to challenge false beliefs and use scripture and sound mental health concepts to combat negative thoughts and emotions, and address practical needs such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, and hydration. Learning to identify your own needs and deficits and then how to take practical steps towards your personal empowerment through effective self-care is so important. It can reduce anxiety, encourage freedom, and enhance your life with a calm foundation. This episode emphasizes the importance of self-care and offers a glimpse into the content that will be covered in the Empowerment Oasis program.
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In this episode titled "Psalm 107:29 - Hushed Waves Stills Storms," we meditate on the power of God to still storms and hush the waves of life. God has the ability to silence the storms in our lives, bringing peace and rest. This meditation encourages listeners to reflect on what storms they may be facing and to trust in God's power to still them. The episode concludes with a reminder to take our burdens to God and trust in Him for peace and calm amidst the waves of life.
Do you want to live a life of "settle for" by default or accepting what happens to you, or do you want to live a life of powerful impact, using all that God has provided for you to make the best difference in your life, be an effective parent, a supportive spouse, a peace-filled warrior for God's plans for your life and the ways He has uniquely created you to make a difference in this world and the lives of others for Him? How you are living currently may be getting by but are you repeating the negative cycles of pain, frustration, and overwhelming thoughts, feelings, and beliefs from what's happened to you? If you'd like to break free from what is holding you back and go from surviving to thriving, overcome anxieties, mental distress, and unhelpful cycles of behavior, you may want to try the Bowling Approach as mentioned here...try something different with a supportive helper to help you live easier and more effectively and with power.
For more information on the Empowerment Oasis Program and Michelle's Empowered Freedom Framework, contact her at: michelle@mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com for a free no-pressure discovery call to see if this program is a good fit for you!
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The stories we tell ourselves aren't always completely accurate, and these inaccuracies can cause us a great deal of distress. Learning to examine your story in light of scripture as well as putting the story of what has happened to you through where you were in your age, development, and circumstances can help to shed light on stuck points and where you might gain power and freedom by changing your mindset, understanding, and incorporation of new to you truths for freedom from painful past experiences, trauma, anxiety, and painful past learning.
Join Michelle in the Empowerment Oasis Program, and Go through her Empowered Freedom Framework. Reach out to her for October's upcoming cohort: michelle@mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com
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This meditation touches on the concept of stillness and the importance of finding quietness and calmness in one's relationship with God, exploring the idea of being content and confident, having already received all that is needed. Choosing to calm and quiet oneself in the presence of God, by knowing that He is the source and provider is something you can cultivate. The episode encourages listeners to rest in God's presence, to be with Him without needing anything from Him, and to find peace and assurance in knowing that they already have all they need. Encouraging listeners to take on the day with this newfound sense of stillness and comfort from the Lord.
God has a beautiful story written for you, His Masterpiece, you the enemy tries to steal from you and interupt your story so that you spend so much time absorbed by the wounds and trying to heal and break free that you don't actually have the healed time to go live the empowered, God-written story! It's a deception. Healing is possible. You can heal from mental and emotional pain, overcome stuck points, and break free from what holds you back.
If you would like to try Michelle's Empowerment Oasis program and her Empowered Freedom Framework to finally gain a strategic view and plan for taking back the power God has already provided for you to step into your best life yet, reach out to Michelle@mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com for a free 15 minute Discovery Call to share what your needs are and see how the program can be helpful for your needs.
You are a creation of a perfect God, and He knows that you are expertly crafted according to His recipe and design. If you feel insecure, uncertain, stuck in old patterns or emotional pain and hurt, mental anguish or doubt, you've been stolen from. Your self-worth and identity are yours for the taking, the claiming, because they were perfectly placed in you by your Creator. You are a unique masterpiece, created on purpose for a purpose. That is the truth about you.
Following Scriptures from the Bible as guidelines for how to live wisely and well is an important practice for peace, stress reduction, and ultimately living a life of purpose and value well for God and others. Listen in to focus your mind on God's Word today.
Are you sick and tired of repeating the same old cycles and wondering if it is even possible to break free from the anxiety, pain, or emotional or mental struggle? It is! Today, Michelle introduces a new series on her Emotional Freedom Framework that will help you to take back your power and break free from the things that hold you back from the life you really want to live and were created by God to live.
God's Truth Will Work for You, too, but so many women feel inadequate and believe they are the exception to God's promises. It's time to reject the lies and embrace the truth that God's love and redemption applies to you. You can use intentional actions to make a positive impact, and your self-worth is because of Who made you and Whose you are, not based on their own efforts being good enough or not. Overall, this episode aims to inspire listeners to embrace their value and trust in God's truth and promises.
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Remembering our special people and experiences can help us to connect with a "felt sense of safety" that can help our mental health and help us cope with anxiety and squelch anxious feelings. It can help us to learn how to shift from a state of fight or flight to a state of rest and digest in the body's nervous system so that we can cope better, be calmer, and feel more joy. Listen in to learn a valuable tool for emotional wellness.
Start your day with God's loving kindness and presence. Embrace God's loving kindness through this mindful devotional centered around Psalm 143:8, which highlights the significance of hearing God's loving kindness in the morning and trusting in Him and feeling into His presence.
This episode offers 10 tips for healthy romantic relationship choices whether before dating or committing to marriage. The choices we make in this area can impact us for years and years. It's important not to settle in relationships or relationship expectations.
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In this episode, we explore the challenges of building relationships, particularly for individuals who have experienced past betrayals or have anxiety, emphasizing the importance of taking things slow, engaging with safe individuals, and becoming a safe and healthy person oneself. Encouragement for open communication, setting boundaries, and assessing the character and circumstances of others before making judgments. Trust, safety, and expressing past hurts and boundaries are highlighted as key factors in building healthy friendships. The episode concludes with practical tips on finding and cultivating genuine friendships while being open to the possibility of ending relationships that are not mutually beneficial or safe.
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What "good" fight are you fighting today with God's direction. How will you show up? Envision yourself taking those steps as you offer up prayer for God's direction for your day.
In this episode, gain valuable insights for managing parenting seasons of transition and times of change. Discover how to navigate your overwhelming feelings, find calm in the chaos, and empower your children to handle life's challenges. Don't miss out on this episode packed with wisdom and encouragement for Christian mothers seeking peace and growth.
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In this episode of the "Mental Health for Christian Women" podcast, host, Michelle Croyle, professional counselor and EMDR trauma specialist, addresses the topic of fear, worry, and existential crises related to time, regret, and transitions. She emphasizes the importance of living in the present and not letting fears control our thoughts and actions. She advises seeking help if these worries persist and impact daily life. Michelle draws on biblical teachings, encouraging listeners to trust in God's plan and take one day at a time. She also introduces a new quiz on her website, mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com, to help identify different anxiety styles and offers free downloadable resources.
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There is a time and time for everything that needs to be accomplished, and today is where we have the power to live.
Lisa was only in her early 50s and lost her husband. She describes the painful journey and how she got through the past year of grief, rebuilding, healing from trauma, pain, and loss, and moving on with her daughters. She was determined not to get stuck in grief and chose to feel into her feelings to heal with God.
When frustration occurs, we can step away and ask ourselves a few questions to help manage the overwhelming feelings, anxiety, and stress so that we can manage the difficult situations with success and greater ease than by simply forcing things that aren't working.
You have the power to build a healthy home or to harm your family. Today, we reflect on stopping what is not working and encouraging the importance of making necessary changes. As, it creates a mentally healthier environment when we choose to speak only God's truth and words that build up instead of tear down. The episode suggests approaching this choice from a grounded, restful, wise, and thoughtful place of a mindset choice and positive action taking.
In this episode, we delve into the importance of making choices for your family and edifying your kids without comparison, guilt, or peer-pressure. Join us as we explore strategies for celebrating uniqueness, prioritizing values, and fostering a nurturing environment for our children. Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tips for navigating the parenting journey. The parenting relationship does not have to be fraught with anxiety or second-guessing, you can make wise choices to benefit your family.
Parenting is so important because it teaches our children how to have strong relationships and when done well, models for children how to live and communicate wisely. The relationship between parents and children is more important than just enforcing rules. Understanding the feelings, needs, and developmental capabilities of children is crucial. Instead of insisting on compliance or using harsh correction, parents should give understanding and provide choices to their children. The episode provides tips for improving relationships with kids and highlights the importance of modeling good choices and self-care. It also discusses the impact of the way parents talk to their children and emphasizes the need for understanding, compassion, and grace in parenting. The episode concludes by emphasizing the importance of modeling, listening, and meeting needs for influencing children's lives positively.
If you wonder how to stop falling to the comparison trap, how to stop wondering what others will think about you or your decisions, and how to break free from fear of judgment, it all starts with getting your focus on the only One who can free you and lead you on a solid foundation of peace over anxiety.
Do you listen to that negative, self-sabotaging voice in your head? It's a voice you would not use with others, but you do with yourself. That voice is not God's truth about you. Let's recognize the thoughts for what they are and find grace. If you are ready for a better mindset, self-care, self-compassion, self-esteem, and some grace and kindness like you give to others, this episode is for you.
Do you ever feel like you can't take one more thing or you will burst? It's like you can tolerate thing after thing, until the accumulation of all the feelings and thoughts and stressors and expectations or anxiety is too heavy a burden, and the next thing you know, you feel like an awful person for exploding? If you would like to better manage your feelings, understand your mindset and body signals, and help yourself cope when things are stressful or you have too much to do and not enough time, this episode is for you.
When you need a Scripture meditation or a Biblical truth, it helps to focus and calm your body, mindset, and anxiety by focusing on a passage of scripture. Jesus is a calmer of storms, peace in the midst of anxiety and pain. Listen in!
How can you face anxiety and panic when all you want to do is stay in your protective bubble? Listener Marie is afraid to date because it may result in her being "stuck" in a marriage, so she bolts and then feels relief from the anxiety. She finds she bolts from therapists, too. Listen in as Michelle coaches her to find her next steps forward toward the life she really wants to live.
When you want to make positive changes to move forward in your life, it is important to stay true to your values, surrounding yourself with the right relationships, and focus on taking action steps toward your goals. There is power in making small, positive changes over time to achieve big transformations.
Today's Scripture meditation has us focusing on the Biblical truth about our freedom in Christ and the fact that out of that God-given freedom we have the opportunity to love and serve others well. If you are ready to break free from the things that hold you back and overcome the lies, focusing on the freedom you have from Jesus is a great place to start living out scripture truth.
Michelle and Anne discuss the difficult situations that Anne and her husband have been through, and touch upon topics such as dealing with addiction, unhealthy or unsupportive relationships, coping with frustration, and codependency. Emphasizing the importance of taking responsibility for one's actions, understanding one's needs, and finding effective ways to handle emotions, seeking out a community who can understand and meet one's needs can be important for self-care. Ultimately, this podcast aims to inspire listeners to take ownership of their lives, identify their needs, and develop healthy coping mechanisms to lead a fulfilling life.
What or Who are you holding onto that no longer is serving you well? What or Who do you need to reach for to get to the goals you and God have set before you? A framework of your Core Values, People, and Tasks can help you to explore the important next steps to get unstuck, thrive, and move forward toward your goals in all areas of life. From relationships, to overcoming anxiety, to trying something new, these three steps can help you to move forward.
Today's Scripture meditation will center you on your focus on living and working and doing all that you do as unto God. Life has purpose and meaning when we live them in all that we do for the Lord.
In this Listener Coaching Call episode, Pam discusses with Michelle her struggle with self-care for anxiety. They acknowledge the challenges of life but emphasize Jesus' power and encourage listeners to take action steps. Together, the concepts of taking every thought captive from a biblical and scientific perspective, and having grace with oneself are addressed. They also aim to dispel the notion of being a "crazy lady" and offer ways to step out of the snare and live in freedom. Tune in to learn strategies for coping with anxiety and approaching struggles with grace.
There are four key road blocks that often get in the way when Christian women are trying to reach their goals, and they can have similar roots from your mindset, to your beliefs, and your traumas. To reach your goals, you need to be aware of each of these four ways you may be accidentally sabotaging yourself so that you can strategically navigate them and get unstuck. These four things, if addressed well, can help you to heal from anxiety, enhance your relationships, improve your finances, and grow closer to God, be a good mom, be a great wife, and live the life of your dreams, or what ever other goals you want to reach. Listen in for the core problems so you can find solutions.
As we focus today's Scripture Meditation of Psalm 103, we can turn our anxiety and trauma, pain, and fear, into praise and greatfulness. As we focus on the blessings God has already provided and who He is, we can speak truth and life into the core of our beings, orienting us in a healthy posture before the Lord who is capable of all good things and the giver of all good gifts.
The Duggars are a well known family for their 19 Kids and Counting Show, but some of the beliefs that the organization they belong to taught were actually man-made and cultivated practices that caused fear and abuse in people under the IBLP organization's authority. Today, we explore part 2 of Michelle's mental health therapist perspective as well as Biblical and Scriptural basis for truth verses abuse and toxic interactions and relationships that are not according to God's design.
A kernel of Biblical truth in the hands of a manipulator who is out for themselves and personal power over the care of their flock or family is evil and dangerous, yet these wolves in sheep's clothing masquerade in our churches and families as undetected toxins because of the gaslighting that they can use to make it seem as if the victims are the problem for having a problem with their behavior. It's toxic, it's not Biblical, and it takes a village of truth speakers and true Christ followers to call evil evil and not allow evil to try to masquerade as good. If you have ever felt abuse, been silenced, or been controlled into submission in the name of God, that is not of God.
Today's Scripture meditation is based on Proverbs 10:9, where Michelle guides listeners to meditate on the things that need to be made right behind the scenes to have integrity in private as well as with others in public in words and actions. Integrity can help reduce anxiety, heal relationships, and help you to grow closer to God.
Michelle coaches listener Amy who is struggling with anxiety from what she hears on the news and how she wants to keep her kids safe but also let them live in freedom. Amy shares about having intrusive thoughts and anxiety, and tips are given for self-care, dealing with intrusive thoughts, and living out healthy Christian parenting, and anxiety management tips and trusting God.
Michelle shares her personal journey in hearing God's voce through the Holy Spirit and wise counsel as she takes steps toward the goals and leading of what God is calling her to do with the Mental Health With Christian Women podcast and the exciting changes that will be coming soon and offerings for listeners from goal-setting, to training your thought life, to self-care tips, to anxiety management tips, to meet-up connection, to a new podcast schedule, and more.
Have you ever just been so flat out exhausted, hot, and miserable that you weren't showing up as the best version of yourself? Have you ever had such great plans that didn't work out that way in real life? If you've been maxed out with no margin in your life, you aren't alone. Michelle shares of a time when she was outside of her window of tolerance and the lessons we can all take from it.
Christian women are sometimes afraid to have strong feelings, concerned that they are sinning or "shouldn't" be that way for some reason. However, strong feelings are not sin. Strong feelings are just letting us know that something isn't right in our environment or within ourselves. If you have strong feelings and feel guilty or wrong about it, Michelle offers some insight for you.
Today's Scripture meditation is based on the fact and embodiment of the fact that you are a new creation in Christ. Let the old go, and step into the truth and freshness of your identity today in Christ.
Michelle coaches listener Tara, an ER nurse and mom of young children, who finds herself angry and with a short fuse at home with her kids and apathy at work with her patients and wonders if she needs counseling or coaching and what steps to take to deal with these concerns that seem to be the result of the stress on the medical community from going through COVID.
Fun and enjoyment are necessary in life but sometimes get overshadowed by all the striving to improve, coping skills, trying to overcome anxiety, depression, fear and the things that hold you back. Today, Michelle shares about an intentional family time of cultivating fun...it involves a claw machine, several debit card swipes, and a lava lamp plushie.
Many tips can help your mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional health, but it's not just listening to them but applying them that makes all the difference. Today, Michelle shares 4 powerful mental health resources to help you move forward toward your goals, overcome anxiety, reframe your thoughts, and practice daily self-care.
We all can be prone to falling into the could have, would have, should have trap, and if only trap.
Dealing wtih regrets can cause sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, and pain and emotional hurt and suffering.
It's time to think of it a more helpful way. Listen in to get freed from your regrets from hindsight bias.
When we consider that our very beings are here to serve the Lord, it stands to reason that His Word in Scripture can tell us how best to posture our minds, hearts, words, and actions for the best results. Today, we are going to do a meditation to ground ourselves for the situations, events, conversations, and opportunities we have going coming up in our day and the week ahead.
As you gain this felt sense of solidness, listen to the following meditation based on the words of Scripture from Psalm 19:14 which says, "May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer," and Ephesians 4:29 which says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
Podcast listener, Stephanie, shares her anxiety and overwhelm with her schedule, experienced in dealing with chronic pain after breaking several bones in a collision with a MAC truck as a teen, she has many medical appointments and not a lot of free time as she works and tries to manage her householf well. Listen in for the advice Michelle provides her in today's episode.
Our thoughts determine our steps, and our steps determine our futures. Goal-setting and self-management with a one thing at a time focus where you can take one action even if you can't take every action presently is important. If you need help getting unstuck and changing your mindset listen in.
Scripture says that God is Emmanuel - Jesus is Emmanuel - God is WITH us.
Listen into this meditation on the truth of scripture that comforts us and strengthens us through whom God is, and His being with us means that we have all that we need with us, peace over anxiety, provision for our needs, strength to face life with Him.
This episode asks some key life coaching questions that can help you to move forward toward your goals. Goal-setting is simple once you know how to reverse engineer your goal back to your basic action steps and can identify the ONE thing you will focus on going after. This relieves anxiety, guilt, and the dreaded "shoulds." Listen in.
Do you feel like you're stuck or even going backwards? Do you wonder, "Where is God in the midst of my suffering?" Or, "Where is God in the midst of my stuggle and pain?" It's not God keeping any good gift from you, but you may need to reach for it. If you want to change your life, reframe your mindset, and take effective actions steps toward your goals, from overcoming anxiety to having healthy relationships, to doing things for better self-care and peace in your life, listen in. The cookie is already yours.
Have you ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you just need clarity and to find a plan for direction so that you can set goals and meet them effectively? Coaching can help you with goal-setting, and can be used as a stand alone service, as an on-going wellness tool, as an adjunct to therapy, or as a next step after therapy or counseling. Life coaching can help you to move forward faster through the power of effective mindset techniques, and with Scriptural truth, Christian life coaching can help you to step into the abundant life that Jesus has given you. Listen in to learn more about how Christian coaching can help you to reach your goals, save time, get off the hamster wheel, and bless your family, relationships, self, and others.
Today, Michelle coaches a listener on how to take control of her career, her focus, and set goals and a plan of action to move forward, including toward having more patience in marriage with her husband, better time management, and consideration about how to focus on an entrepreneurial endeavor and learning curve time.
Coaching and Counseling do have some similarities which overlap, but they serve two different purposes and two different types of client needs and goals. If you've ever wondered the difference between coaching and counseling, listen in.
You can notice the signs that trauma is still causing pain in your nervous system by becoming aware of what traces of trauma "residue" are left behind through observing the ways you react in everyday situations. Once you know what to look for, you can decide your next steps forward in your healing work so that you can have less anxiety, more peace, and overcome trauma wounds.
The Bible is the good news, but so many times, our minds want to go to fear or lack. In today's meditation, Michelle speaks of Jehovah Rohi, the Lord is our Shepherd, who gives us love, peace, joy, kindness, goodness, and mercy, and so much more for abundant life even on this side of Heaven.
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Pam, a listener from Colorado, asks Michelle to share her journey to overcoming PTSD, anxiety, and panic attacks as well as how to meet other women who have experienced traumas, anxiety, and panic, and Michelle shares her answers in today's episode.
Your life story is different from anyone elses, and like most of us, it has had some points of pain. However, we can choose to bury the pain only to have it eventually bubble up and cause more pain, or we can work to gently bring small bits of our pain story to life with safe people, one step at a time as we can tolerate it. Safe and helpful relationships are possible, and healing is possible. If you would like to overcome anxiety, emotional hurt, or mental pain, it starts with getting honest about where you need help and healing and then taking a small brave step to recognize you are worth it. From there, you can bring your pain to light to get hope and help.
Anxiety, despair, self-doubt, or confidence, security, and stability are the results of developmental stages of development. While they can be strengths or drawbacks, the important things is to know that it is never too late to grow and develop new skills, healthier relationship interactions, and to grow into all Jesus has for you to be.
Our attachment styles start off in childhood but continue throughout our relationships as we get older. While they can improve, attachment styles that are not secure attachments cause some difficulties with emotional regulation, anxiety management, relationship communication and connection, and self-care needs in and out of relationship. They can also cause issues with healthy boundary setting, romantic relationships, and friendships because of the instability of attachment desires and avoidance or fear. To learn your attachment style, listen in.
Do you long for peace? In this Scripture meditation, we talk about God being Jehovah Shalom. Whether you are battling anxiety, fear, depression, or struggles, it doesn't change the power and truth of God and who He is and who He is to you today and always.
If you feel stuck in life and want to move forward toward your goals, to heal from anxiety, heal from relationship pain, or overcome mental or emotional pain or obstacles, this episode will help you to identify common stuck points and how to move past the stuck points and into your best life yet. It's a matter of faith, mindset, awareness of emotions, goal setting, and taking action steps. Let's get started.
Emotions and Feelings can feel good or bad, but they are simply messengers that are alerting us to our experience and environment, they can help us to identify our needs and take positive action steps to manage ourselves in ways that move us closer toward our goals as we respond rather than react.
In our Framework of being a human series, we are now on to the topic of feelings and emotions. Often used interchangeably, they are actually two different things. If you want to have more awareness for your mental health, to be able to understand yourself better and use what you know to have better relationships with others, understanding emotions and feelings is a good place to start. When you can observe, identify feelings, and ascribe healthy meaning, you can reduce anxiety, anger, fear, and other uncomfortable feelings by effectively sharing them with others and acknowledging them in yourself for better self-care and self-management.
Anxiety can result when we compromise our inherent values system or fail to set effective boundaries. Awareness of our values and self-care through self-management that can both set and honor our values and boundaries helps our mindset, our mood, emotions, and offers healthy action steps to be aligned with integrity through our parts of self.
As we continue our meditation series on the character traits depicted by the names of God as to WHO God is, we can continue to grow in our understanding of His majesty and love for us. If you want to overcome anxiety, have hope for depression, feel grounded emotionally, and have a solid launch pad for life, Scripture meditation and who God is is a great place to focus.
Our mindset can tell us the truth or lies about our identity, and as believers, our identity is found in Christ. So, if you are believing lies or negative things about yourself, identifying them and replacing them with truth is necessary to take every thought captive and think on what is good, pure, lovely, and true. Break free from the cognitive thought distortions, and exchange them for the truth about you, that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God who doesn't make mistakes.
Our mindsets are either fixed or flexible and growth-oriented, and a lot of our painful experiences can be lightened when we check our assumptions and mental distortions against what is true, possible, and Godly. Learn effective questions to challenge your mindset to see if it is giving you all of the information you need to have an accurate perception of reality. Listen in.
You are a being with many parts, and your mindset, the brain, mind, feelings, soul, spirit, and behavior choices you make are all a part of it. By taking the role of observer of your parts of self, you can gain wisdom and make healthy choices to effectively manage and cope with life in alignment with what you want and what God wants. Explore the CBT triangle, scriptures, and better self-management in this episode.
Today, you get two Michelle's talking about mental health and physical health and the care and ways that they impact each other in mindset, motivation, self-care, and self-advocacy to be our healthiest selves as Christian women. LIsten in!
In the names of God series of meditations, we are focusing today on the ever-present name of I AM who will never leave us and is always our strength. Listen in.
The body is a miraculous creation, and our nervous system is built for survival. Yet, sometimes, our system reacts in ways that over respond to the level of threat, and anxiety, discomfort, rumination, ocd, or ptsd can keep us feeling like the past is still threatening or the future will threaten, and that can make the present pretty uncomfortable. If you want to understand the overwhelming sensations and experiences your body might be providing to you and learn how to better manage anxiety and stress of a heightened nervous system, listen in.
The body and nervous system offer the first clues as to whether we are safe or in danger, and they sometimes send signals of danger, even when we are not in peril. In today's episode are easy tips to calm anxiety in your body and ground yourself to a felt sense of safety.
Continuing the series on the different parts of us that give insight as to where mental health healing and trauma recovery may affect us, Michelle shares about noticing the responses in the body with curiousity and awareness to learn of areas which may need care.
Even though you are a woman of faith, you may have experienced pain from others misrepresenting the name of Christianity, or you may have some areas of struggle in regard to your spiritual life or walk. If you find that you could use some help in knowing God as Good and Loving, listen in for three tips to make His truth of love easier to grasp and reframe your mindset.
Focusing on the names of God, today's meditation is a Scriptural meditation on the mindset that God is Jehovah Rapha, "The Lord who heals."
This is Part 3 of the Spiritual segments of Michelle's framework for conceptualizing the parts of a person which may need attention to heal as she sees it. In this episode, Michelle shares how it isn't helpful for one to be misunderstood and shames, guilted, or minimized by others who want to just slap a Scripture or platitude on something that needs compassionate care and attention. In this series, Michelle provides you with insights from Scripture, psychology, and personal experience which will address the spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational aspects of the whole person and the human experience in a fallen world. Whether you want healing from anxiety, trauma, depression, or something else, there will be many gems to glean from this series on a Framework for Healing.
This is Part 2 of the Spiritual Base segments of Michelle's framework for conceptualizing the parts of a person which may need attention to heal as she sees it. In this episode, Michelle shares her personal spritual struggle from her past as she provides you with insights from Scripture, psychology, and personal experience in this multi-part series which will address the spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational aspects of the whole person and the human experience in a fallen world. Whether you want healing from anxiety, trauma, depression, or something else, there will be many gems to glean from this series on a Framework for Healing.
This is Part 1 of the Spiritual Base segment of Michelle's framework for conceptualizing the parts of a person which may need attention to heal as she sees it. She will provide you with insights from Scripture, psychology, and personal experience in this multi-part series which will address the spiritual, mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational aspects of the whole person and the human experience in a fallen world. Whether you want healing from anxiety, trauma, depression, or something else, there will be many gems to glean from this series on a Framework for Healing.
This episode offers a very brief introduction to a new series of podcast episodes that will begin tomorrow in which Michelle will share her specific thoughts and framework for how to approach people dealing trauma in such as way as to lead people to heal according to how God designed us.
Meditating today on the Name Abba and the Loving Father God is who cares and helps us in our need, bringing peace to anxiety, love to us.
Having needs is not the same as "being needy." Listen in while Michelle tells about the difference and why acknowledging needs isn't bad.
What do first-class airplane rides, kangaroos, and substance abuse have in common? A schema framework that Michelle uses to explain how exploring your thoughts and changing your surroundings can help you to grow and gain new skills toward a healthier mental, emotional, and spiritual life. Listen in!
The present moment is the only place we will ever live. This is where our power of living the life we want to live and intend to live takes place. In a world where so many things are uncertain, if you are alive right now, you can do good in your part of the world and make things better than the things we hear on the news.
When tragedies and traumas happen, we may wonder where God is, but God's ways are higher than ours, and His goodness is still here on earth, but that is not the end of the story. The best is yet to come, and while we grieve for those lost and their loved ones in Nashville tragedy, God has a bigger reality than just what we feel or see on earth. Comfort for trying times.
Whether you are experiencing good thing or bad, pleasant feelings or troublesome ones, you have some powerful scriptural weapons to fight anxiety. Rejoice in God, what is true, and in knowing Jesus is right beside you to feel peace and His power of ultimate truth working through you.
Listener Christine asks if it is okay to block an ex-boyfriend so that she doesn't get sucked back into the toxic relationship. Michelle answers her question about boundary setting in today's episode.
Sometimes, we just need a mental and emotional break, and it can be helpful to have some tools in our backpocket to help us positively shift away from anxiety or depressive symptoms to a more positive mood and mindset. Today, Michelle shares 15 tips for getting better nervous system regulation so that you can feel more grounded and better able to cope with the demands of life.
Sometimes, we think we are stuck when we really have all we need to take action steps toward the future vision that we are trying to obtain. Noticing what is in your hands and using it well may be all you need to stand up and move forward to your goals.
How long has it been since you daydreamed? Imagined the possibilities and what life can look like? Today, Michelle offers a fun and light-hearted exercise to get those creative juices flowing so that effective goal-setting and behavior change can take place in your life. Afterall, we reap what we sow, and when we know what we are trying to achieve, we can add or eliminate things to get closer to our goals.
Being with the Lord is where our serving comes out of, but serving without connection to the Lord can be distraction and effort. Today's scripture meditation can help you guard against anxiety and stress by focusing on the peace and connection that walking with and listening to Jesus provides.
What do you do when you have a history of physical symptoms and emotional anxiety and only recently realized how deeply it has affected your ability to feel your emotions and what to do next to find healing.
Have you ever wondered how to make difficult decisions? It can be overwhelming at times, for sure. To take away some of the anxiety, stress, and tension and be able to have peace and mental health with decisions with which you can live, consider trying one or more of these effective tips for making difficult decisions with success.
In today's episode, Michelle speaks passionately about a comment that misrepresented the podcast intent and content and asks for your help to represent well so others can find the help and healing they need and that God has for them through this Mental Health for Christian Women podcast content.
Don't settle for less than God's best in your relationships. In this episode of our relationship series, Michelle is joined by her husband, Tim, to discuss healthy communication and conflict resolution tips that can help in any type of healthy relationship.
Jesus is a gentle, caring friend, and good, and He will never leave you alone. He is there for you as your friend in all of life. Focus in on this with today's scripture meditation.
In today's episode, a listener shares her concern for how to parent her daughter who is suffering from anxiety, depression, and traumatic grief and loss while also wanting to provide appropriate discipline. Michelle answers her question from a relationship building perspective. Listen in.
It's wise to evaluate those you allow into your inner circle, and the way people behave over time is more accurate than what they only say. Listen in for insights on how to recognize when someone's character is not congruent with what they appear to be.
Being a good Christian does not mean being a doormat or being pulled in or torn down by other peoples' disfunction. Relationships tips are plenty in this, part 2 of the relationship series, on the Mental Health for Christian Women podcast. Learn how to make wise choices, practice self-care, advocate for yourself, have compassion for others, and yet, not enable sin or blame that does not belong to you. Listen in. Boundary setting and self-awareness are important to not enable sin or shame.
Healthy relationship guidelines and beliefs are often hard won and learned too late, after complications or compromises occur. In today's episode of the Mental Health for Christian Women podcast, Michelle offers part 1 in a series of relationship insights that can help you to navigate what is healthy and what is not and how to set boundaries and gain awareness.
While we've covered this verse in the past, today, we are focusing on feeling the strength that is promised to us that is given by God to renew our strength and help us to soar over the problems of this life.
Rachel, a listener to the Mental Health for Christian Women podcast, asks Michelle a question about how to practice self-care and plan for a family when you have a spouse who is struggling with anxiety and depression.
Safe relationships can only happen when the people in relationships are safe people and exhibit safe traits. Toxic relationships are those where each person is not accepted for who they are and how they think and feel without being dismissed, put down, or disrespected. Healthy and safe relationships are those that are respectful, dependable, and mutually validating with understanding and reciprocal communication.
Do you feel responsible when other people behave badly? Do you take on the baggage that other people try to put on you that really belongs to them? Toxic behavior in others does not mean that you are responsible for it. Gain tips for setting boundaries, break out of co-dependency, gain self-empowerment in toxic relationships, and take responsibility for what is yours but not what belongs to others, no matter how much they try to put their stuff on you.
The words should and shouldn't are beneficial when related to matters of sin, such as we should follow God's ways, and we should not sin. However, when it pertains to comparison, expectations for accomplishments by a given point in time, and other such things, should is not your friend. Listen in for a more flexible way to think.
Jesus is a powerful healer and has gentleness and care for you. Today's scripture meditation focuses on this peaceful truth that can help with anxiety, depression, and whatever other burdens you carry.
Have you ever wondered what causes depression? Well, it's like a recipe with a bit of this and and a bit of that, but unique to each person. In this Mental Health for Christian Women podcast episode, Michelle talks about what causes depression and 8 things you don't want to do if you have depression or depressive symptoms. Listen in.
Living through a bout with clinical depression is hard enough. In today's episode, 7 simple tips for making living with depression much more manageable and doable. These tips are great when dealing with depression, anxiety, or even regular every day life. Listen in.
In part 2 of our series on depression, we cover the general areas that go into a plan of care for treating depression and depressive symptoms. There is help to heal from depression and anxiety.
What is the difference between sadness or grief and clinical depression? What are the symptoms of depression? Do I have depression? Is depression sinful? These are some of the questions you may be wondering about, and the answers are in this episode. This is Part 1 of a series on the topic of depression.
Today's Scripture meditation is to bring you peace from anxiety and worry, and to let you know that you have a Creator who is your ever present helper.
Loving others is a Biblical directive, and it blesses others as well as blesses the person who is acting in love. Acts of kindness are good for not only the spiritual soul but also for the mental and emotional benefits. Doing a kind act toward someone can actually help you to feel better. It's a win-win!
We all want to be successful in life but the only way to true success and fullfillment it to live life by God's instruction book. The Bible is the ultimate guide for living and living God's way provides peace.
Are you a harsh driver when it comes to the expectations you place on yourself? Do you try to do more and more to keep it all together but find you feel more and more like it is falling apart? Loving grace and compassion toward yourself can help you to keep your standards high but your anxiety and tension lower. Flexible thinking and intentional choosing of kindness toward yourself can help you to feel and live more in the love God has for you. He's not driving you so hard, why are you doing it to yourself?
How can we love God and others well if we treat ourselves differently and speak to ourselves with our "self-talk" with harsh words? Noticing our words can help us to be more intentional and to be more in line with the love God has for us so we can better love Him and others when we also live that love out towards ourselves with our words and kindness towards ourselves.
It's Love Week on the podcast! Have you really felt in your body what it feels like to be loved by God? How about, have you ever felt what it's like to feel your own loving care toward yourself? Today, you will get your opportunity to practice a "felt sense" of love by focusing on this scripture meditation based on 1 Corinthians 13 and the characteristics of what love is, and therefore, how God feels and acts toward us, and how we can care and act toward ourselves and each other. Listen in!
There are three mistakes that you might not even realize you are making as you try to set goals and change your life. Flipping the script can help you to overcome the stuck points and reach success.
Have you ever wondered if you have something in your past that you just can't remember, or wonder why certain things make you feel so desperate or uncomfortable? Have you noticed yourself being triggered or trying to avoid unpleasant triggers, emotions, or situations? Today, Michelle talks about the symptoms people often have when they have a traumatic background. She also shares about how to seek out appropriate therapy when you are ready even if your possible symptoms of unresolved trauma make even trauma therapy seem scary.
Scripture and Cinderella both play a part in the content on positive mindset and reframing it for optimism to lighten your emotional burden and difficult circumstances. Listen in to hear what they have to say as well as 9 Positive Techniques for Chosing Your Focus toward Positivity, even when you are having a rough time. You can both validate your feelings and not let them rule how you feel. Positive choices can make all the difference.
Do you or someone you know tend to get a bit nasty when you feel like you aren't being respected, heard, or treated fairly? If so, you are likely being aggressive rather than assertive in your communication and action choices. Assertive Communication tips are in today's episode so that you can increase your chances of getting what you need and want while also respecting the needs of others.
It's Monday, and time for our weekly Scripture meditation. Can you imagine what it would feel like to have Jesus tell you he sees you and your burdens and invites you to rest where He will provide a safe, calm space, and His presence to comfort you. Listen in to feel that wonderful peace.
It's Friday, and that means it is time for the first Ask Michelle episode where listener's have their mental health questions answered. Today, Michelle answers questions like, "What resources are available for self EMDR?" "Where can I find a Christian therapist near me who can treat trauma, PTSD, anxiety, and depression?" "What therapy modalities work for trauma when medication and talk therapy haven't done it?" And mentions about EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, IFS, DNMS, Ego State, Brainspotting, HeartSync, and faith-based work.
Counseling resources mentioned in today's episode include:
www.mentalhealthforchristianwomen.com
Home - Christian EMDR Therapists.com
Psychologytoday.com Click the "find a therapist" tab. Filter by "Types of Therapy" and select "Christian Counseling" from the drop down
findacounselor.focusonthefamily.com
Non-Licensed lay counseling for trauma can be found through:
Lay counseling (non-licensed/non-professional trauma care):
Find a Facilitator - HeartSync (heartsyncministries.org),
Life can have battlefield moments, and sometimes we can feel powerful and victorious, and sometimes we may feel wounded to various levels. Yet, we don't have to qualify the wounds in order of severity, as all wounds deserve to be tended and may have different care needs, but all are important to be attended to for healing.
Have you ever wondered why you have thoughts that intrude on your mind like unwelcome guests? If you have, you have likely wondered how to deal with intrusive thoughts and felt anxious and defeated by them, maybe even questioning yourself. Listen in for Michelle's take on a tool for handling intrusive thoughts with the power of prayer, and it's not just praying them away.
Today, Michelle talks about 7 + ways that women typically neglect themselves and their needs, and this is especially found in those caring for young children, dealing with anxiety or depression, and those with a lot of stress and packed schedules they are trying to balance. However, awareness is the first step to taking an action that can make a big difference in your life. Listen in to notice if you are neglecting taking care of yourself in one of these ways, and make a decision to work on improving in that area one step at a time for whole person wellness.
God gave you life and purpose, and today's Monday Scripture Meditation focuses us on both of these. Meditation on Scripture can help with mental health, anxiety management, and bring peace to the soul and mind as well as reduce stress. As we focus on God's truths, we gain clarity and rise above the things that are temporary on this earth for the things that really matter and last.
Today's Scripture meditation is based on the following Bible verses:
John 1:1, 1 Timothy 2:5, Acts 4:12, John 8:12, 1 Corinthians 6:19,1 Corinthians 3:16,Top of Form Revelation 3:20, 1 Corinthians 10:31, John 10:4-5, John 14:15, Isaiah 30:21, John 14:23, and Deuteronomy 28:1-68 .
This episode talks about nine things that are common and yet not actually problems when it comes to mental health and mental health care, and why. Listen in.
Sometimes, we are just too overwhelmed by life circumstances due to stress, depression, overwhelming responsibilities, or other factors to even know where to begin to get on solid footing again. In today's episode, Michelle makes a case for starting with a shower.
In this episode, Michelle talks vulnerability, specifically her own and yet, the step-by-step way in which she is offering it up to God for His purposes through the announcement of a new Mental Health for Christian Women website and amazing free offerings for listeners. Overcome your anxiety about vulnerability, and take a leap as you take a listen to today's episode. It's time for mental health for you, Christian Woman.
We are all fragile vessels of clay, like pottery fashioned by the Master Artist. When you feel weak or hurt mentally or physically, God can mend you and strengthen you to heal and mend even stronger than you can imagine. He makes broken pieces whole and beautiful. So, if you are looking to heal from anxiety or heal from mental illness or hurts, you are in God's capable hands.
As we focus on God as Creator in today's Scripture meditation, may it bring you peace and still any anxiety you have, knowing that there is a greater provider looking out for you. If He created the world, and He did, He can certainly care for you, His beloved creation.
Pop culture feeds us a lot of songs, shows, and beliefs that, if we aren't careful, can become subtle lies that erode our solid Biblical foundation and Christian standards. A healthy mindset and successful life don't come from seeking our own satisfaction, they come for doing things God's way. That is the only way to true life success.
The title of this episode may sound unScriptural, unChristian, or maybe even scary, but listen in to hear how God may have already answered some of your prayers, heard your needs and provided, and how He's already made a way for you to see Him in your life and moving forward. Don't be stuck, change your mindset, and use what God has provided for you already. Then, wisely take action steps until you get to your goals.
Do you know that your mindset can either be helpful or get in your way? When we base our choices on half truths or outright lies without even being aware of the fact that we aren't seeing things clearly but with a bias, we limit ourselves. Learn the tips to turn your thoughts and actions from limitations to possibilities.
Sometimes, we notice feelings that are unpleasant, but that doesn't mean that they are "bad." Feelings are neutral, but what you think about them and how you manage them can lead to clarity or shame. Choosing not to label something that we are made by God to experience can make the journey easier when tough times come.
Today's weekly Scripture focus is on God's Word and Hope. Be encouraged. God is near to you, and His word is true. Anxiety, panic, trauma, pain, and discouragement are no match for our Powerful God.
Have you ever wondered if you would benefit by taking a mental health medication? Whether you are dealing with overwhelming panic, anxiety, lack of focus, sleep difficulties, psychotic thoughts, or mood fluctuations such as depression or mania, medication may just be a viable tool for your toolbox but only under a doctor's care and supervision. Yet, people often fear mental health medications for various reasons such as wondering if it shows a lack of faith for God to do the healing, or fear that it will become a crutch or change a personality. In today's episode, Michelle shares why it doesn't have to be so scary or complicated and what you might notice when you think it may be time to talk with your doctor or psychiatrist.
Disclaimer: This episode is not to be considered therapy or medical care in anyway. If you need professional help, please seek it out.
Did you know that you can go back in time with your nervous system to unburden younger and protective parts that need your help? Acknowledging the younger parts of your personality and their needs and providing them with love, care, compassion, and healthy "parenting" from your attuned adult self can bring healing to your whole being.
Do you ever wonder, "Why do I do the things I do?" "Why can't I just get past this already?" Or, "Why is this so hard?" It could be because you have sub-personalities; we all do. Through ego state and family systems awareness, courtesy of Dr. Richard Schwartz's discovery, today's episode shares more about our internal experience as humans and parts and jobs of our personality. Understanding these concepts can help you to negotiate with your various parts and their needs so that you can identify how to move forward toward your goals.
Have you ever felt conflicted and confused by how you are reacting? Have you noticed that one part of you wants one thing, and another wants something else? This is actually quite normal. We all have internal drives trying to keep us safe and helping us to reach various goals. Sometimes these work for us, and sometimes, they work against other parts. However, they are all trying to provide something of value for us. Listen in for the first part of this series on our internal committe, ego states, and internal family systems concepts to better learn how to manage your life and relationships.
Safety from the troubles of this world can only be found in the refuge of God. Today's Monday Morning Scripture Meditation points our trust to the safe place we have in Him. His safety overcomes our anxiety, our stressors, and the pains of this world.
Is EMDR for me? You may have wondered if EMDR is for you or someone you love, and you may have some questions from, "How long does EMDR take" to "Is EMDR Hypnosis?" The answer to that is the timeline depends, and it is not hypnosis. However, to learn more about these answers and more, listen in.
What actually is EMDR, how does it work, and how is it done? EMDR can treat PTSD, performance, phobias, and addictions. From anxiety to trauma, EMDR is a great protocol for healing.
What is EMDR? Can EMDR help me heal from anxiety and trauma? What does it stand for? How does it work?
A New Year offers hope of positive change, and today's episode offers 23 ideas that you might want to incorporate into your life this year of 2023 for more peace, wholeness, and mental health.
Combat anxiety, and place your faith and pray before the Lord for encouragement because He will never fail you. You can trust God and His Words to be true.
Part 3 of 3 on Goal Setting and Meal Planning with Alisha Sweyd in this throwback episode. Listen in.
Part 2 of 3 on Goal Setting and Meal Planning with Alisha Sweyd in this throwback episode. Listen in.
Today is a throwback episode on Goal Setting, part 1. Listen in as Michelle coaches Alisha Sweyd regarding meal planning.
Have you ever been in a toxic situation that you physically know is not good for you but you stay too long in the dysfunction? God gave you your nervouse system to pay attention to how you feel in situations and circumstance so that you can be aware when they are toxic for you. It's okay to reject toxic and walk away from it. Listen in.
Our thoughts and focus can help us to rise above the fray and onto God, who is our peace. Listen in.
The Bible says that laughter is good medicine, and that includes being good for our mental state, body, and spirit. Today, Michelle welcomes her husband, Tim, as a guest to ask him some silly Christmas groan-worthy "dad jokes" that she found on the internet. Enjoy this Christmas episode.
What do therapists do when life is packed with things to do and lots going on? Use coping skills! Today, Michelle shares some of the coping skills she used as she went about tasks for family, work, and the holidays. Keep your anxiety at bay by practicing these practical skills. Listen in.
Do you shy away from conflict and confrontation? Or, are you more likely to stir the pot and get the brawl started? Either way, there may be more of a middle ground that can be beneficial rather than avoidant or aggressive. That middle ground is God's way. Listen in to learn more about effective conflict resolution for Christians, and it just may lessen your anxiety, increase your peace, and bless your relationships.
Have you ever wondered why you behave, respond, or react the way you do? It may very well have served you as a self-protective mechanism at one point in time, but does it still work for you, or does it cause more problems in your current life? It may be the result of trauma in your past that isn't currently still happening, and so the coping skills may not work as they used to. Listen in.
You believe there is a promised good future for you, but do you know that you have some responsibility in getting there and being there? Be strong and courageous, as God has gone ahead of you, and He is always with you. This can combat anxiety, fear, and overcome insecurity with truth, God's truth. Enjoy this Scripture meditation.
We make many choices that seem to be benficial in life, but some choices actually cost us something else of greater value to us. Our mindset of hidden costs can help us to challenge our decisions and indecision to lead lives of better stewardship.
Any new experience can be nerve-racking, but what about therapy? Therapy is the place you go to learn how to deal with anxiety and stress, and a first appointment is likely to cause those things a bit if you don't know what to expect, so today, Michelle covers four things that you can expect in your first therapy session so that you can know what you might be able to expect.
Do you find yourself doom scrolling on TikTok or watching the news 24/7? If anxiety, fear, and depression are dragging you down while you consume more and more information in an effort to keep safe, it may be time for a radical change!
The Winter Blues and the Holidays can sometimes be a difficult combination to navigate. If depression or anxiety or thoughts of self-harm are present, it may be time to seek out therapy from a professional near you. However, if you could just use a pick-me-up during this time of shorter days and less sunlight, high expectations and stressful things, this list may help boost your mood.
What do you dream about? Those thoughts and feelings that tell you stories in your sleep are fascinating things. If you've ever wondered about why we dream, what we dream, and how we remember what we dream or the affects of anxiety or stress on dreams, this is the episode for you.
Do you hate winter and snow as much as I do? Maybe you love it, but for today's episode, I ask you to suspend your enjoyment of it temporarily and come alongside me for my metaphor on what it's like to work toward healing for mental health. You may feel like you are slogging through mounds or immovable snow or slipping on ice and not gaining any traction, but Spring will come. Listen in.
Have you ever watched the 90's TV show, Friends? Michelle recently read the new book by Matthew Perry, about his life story and striving for sobriety, health, and God. Today, she shares 4 take aways about attachment needs, addiction, faith, and the comparison trap in this episode.
No matter what is going on around you, God is your ever present help. Today's Scripture meditation will help you to focus on this truth.
Have you ever felt like you are getting nowhere with someone or that no matter what they turn things upside down and inside out and make you or others feel like you're losing your sensibilities? You may be interacting with someone with a personality disorder. While they are loved by God, and often by you, and whille they can have many good traits, being able to meet you where you are is not likely to be among those traits. Listen in for tips on how to deal with the toxic traits of difficult personalities in your life.
Do you ever wonder if why you feel so exhausted after being around some people? Does it seem like something is off, but you try to rationalize it away or blame yourself, rather than calling out sin or false accusations someone made toward you? If you feel like your mind is being twisted, like you are never heard but often minimized or dismissed for your thoughts, feelings, or needs, you may be in a relationship with a person who is a narcissist.
When leadership or those in a position of authority do not stop abuse when brought to their attention, they are enabling sin. Jesus is a God of love and peace, not a God wanting victims to suffer but a God who frees captives. Toxicity and Abuse warp true Christian principles, and are not what God intended.
Do you deny your own needs and feelings because you think it's the Godly thing to do? Even if it enables sin? God gave each of us a self that needs saving by Jesus through our choice of Him as our Lord. God did not make us to save other people from their own choices and consequences at our expense. If you think you might be in a codependent relationship, or wonder what codependency traits may be, listen in.
Do you need encouragement? God's ways work, and His Word is there to guide you for your good and His glory. Focusing on His ways is a path to abundance in life...spiritual richness, mental health, peace, and safety.
Have you ever been Black Friday shopping? I went today, and I have some valuable lessons in human nature and self-care management that I've extracted to share with you. Hear the ups and downs of the journey of my Black Friday shopping experiences in this episode.
As we approach the holidays, we can choose where our focus will be. We can focus on the stressors or on the blessings, and the blessings have far more benefits. Listen in for ways a practice of gratitude can be put into action and the benefits it can reap for you in reducing anxiety and producing better mental health and spiritual connection to God.
Do you feel defeated and paralyzed before making positive steps toward change? Do you feel stuck and like giving up before you even start to move toward a goal? The change cycle involves considerations such as pre-contemplation, and you may even feel that it is safer to stay with the dysfunction you feel comfortable with rather than learning how to step outside of your comfort zone and risk failure, discomfort, or stress. LIsten in for 3 tips to help you normalize your experience regarding change and to help get you moving in the right direction.
Do you feel tired, burdened, weary? Today's meditation reminds us that what we perceive as huge and powerful pales in comparison to our God who can hold the oceans in His hands and can count and name each of the stars in the sky. Listen in.
Are you visiting with your family of origin for the holidays? It can be great, and it can bring out the worst parts of you because they can often push your buttons like noone else. Triggers, old memories, stories you would rather avoid hearing again, it can all be part of the mix at times. If you could use some tips for keeping your sanity this time of year, listen in.
Do the upcoming holidays have you stressed out? If you need to take off the guilt of your shoulders, listen in and learn the blessing of helpful self-management and time management tools that can help you manage your energy at the holidays and eliminate holiday anxiety and stressors.
How do you survive the holidays when you don't feel like celebrating? Dealing with grief and loss during the holidays is tough, and pretending that you are okay is not the answer. Honoring your feelings, needs, and season with kindness is much more important than the "shoulds," "shouldn'ts," and comparisons. Listen in for some encouragement.
You want to keep your stress level down but also navigate the holidays with joy. What is most important at the holidays? Listen in.
God fights our battles for us. If you need an extra dose of calmnes and strength, listen in to this Monday Scripture meditation for motivation to rest in God, and let Him be your safe place and protector against anxiety and fear and the worries of this world.
Are you constantly running under a lot of pressure? Do you even know if your head is being kept above water and if you are making any progress? If you can't tell whether you are sinking or swimming, it may be time to ground in the present moment physically and focus your efforts in present time to engage your power in the moment. Listen in.
Are you stifling your preferences or needs for no legitimate reason? Of course, if it's a sin/selfishness thing, that's one thing, but what if it's just habit, thought distortions, or an incomplete story you are telling yourself that keeps you from being your honest and authentic self. You are equally as important as anybody else, and your needs and likes are important, too! God cares about the number of hairs on your head, and He knows you have uniquenesses!
Did you know that thoughts, feelings, and actions are all related? If you change any one of them, you can affect the others. Challenging the words we say to ourselves, the beliefs we accept without question, and the consequent actions we do can lead to good things. With a positive outlook and a reframe of your perspective and actions, you can achieve your goals in life.
Do you wish you could calm your anxiety and stop it from consuming so much of your life?
Whether you choose one or all of today's things to stop doing, you will benefit by taking action to reduce the level of anxiety in your life. Anxiety can be managed, and these helpful tips can make it possible.
Do you ever feel anxious? Like you can't catch your breath? Like your thoughts are racing, and you can't seem to settle your system because it is nervous, worried, or overwhelmed? In this episode, you will learn 10 things that you can give up to better manage your anxiety and tips for what to do instead to better manage your anxiety in today's episode of Mental Health for Christian Women.
While brief, there is a slight mention of a violent act that may be disturbing for listeners or their children. Please use wisdom before listening.
Creation depicts God, and we are created by God with the feelings and emotions to enjoy and embrace it. Today's meditation reminds us we can embrace God's beauty today.
Have you ever felt yourself saying words you didn't mean to say and having a tone you didn't mean to have? Do you ever surprise yourself with your responses and wonder if you even really mean what you are saying? It's easy to go into fight or flight survival mode when triggered, to go into all or nothing thinking and use words like always, never, should, and shouldn't, but there is a better way! If you would like to understand why you sometimes make things worse in relationships, and how you can make your relationship communication better, listen in!
What drives you crazy about communicating with your significant other, family, friends, or co-workers? It often comes down to a lack of clarity on what we each need, want, and are trying to say and a break down about how to go for the "win-win." Listen in for two crucial and essential communication tips in today's podcast of Mental Health for Christian Women. They can change your relationships in a positive way!
Today is Part 2 in our series, "Why Does Communication Have To Be So Hard?" 7 Common Issues that cause negative interactions and hurt in relationships are shared as well as ways to better manage communication to avoid stress and build intimacy in connection.
Communication in relationships can be frustrating and hard, but it is actually pretty simple once you know the ins and outs. Today is part 1 of our series on communication. Listen in to this series to understand where conversations and relationships often go off track.
We hear the words, but do we hear the message? When we meditate on scripture and that Jesus loves each of us....Jesus Loves YOU...we actually listen and hear the true, deep, beautiful message.
Thoughts and Feelings are important for informing us of input from inside ourselves and outside of ourselves, but they can't be the deciding factor of how we live. We need to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and Godly truth from the Bible to protect ourselves from the lies of the enemy.
Have you been wondering if you are in a narcissistic relationship? Are there toxic behaviors that you do to others or that someone is doing to you that you may not even be aware are emotionally abusive? Emotional and mental abuse is sometimes difficult to pinpoint because there can be times where things are great, and in wanting things to get back to great, we might tolerate things we typically wouldn't with other people. If you think you might be being treated toxically by a narcissist, listen in.
Have you noticed a tendency to rescue people from themselves, to help more than you can give, or to avoid a confrontation so you do something you don't have the time, energy, or resources for?
It's time to stop the crazy and tell the truth to yourself, if not others. Listen in!
Do you wonder how to break a habit that you consider unhealthy or unhelpful to you? Today, Michelle is sharing the tips she used to get off of caffeine, and break the daily caffeine habit. Anxiety can cause bad habits, and bad habits can cause anxiety, so if you want to reduce your anxiety, you may want to identify a habit that you would like to change for the better.
We serve a loving God who will always come through for us. When we put our lives, our hopes, our cares, and our days into His hands, He is faithful to protect us and guide us.
If you're struggling with anxiety, overwhelm, frustration, fear, sadness, or confusion, meditation on Scripture and the truths of Scripture meditation can help align your eyes, heart, mind, body, and spirit to the One who will never fail you and loves you most of all.
Wouldn't it be great to hear what therapists say in the therapy room? Today, Michelle shares 10 of her popular sayings in the therapy room that encourage clients to step into their healing with tips for self management. Listen in.
When you have God on your side, you can do great things! You have the power to choose to take wise actions and to really make a positive difference in the world for Christ and others as well as to make improvements in your own life. Choosing to take positive action one step at a time can help you to make a big impact.
Do you know that your thoughts have tremendous power over how you live your life? You can choose your thoughts and by extension choose your experience. Powerful thoughts, like positive affirmations, can improve your mental health, take away anxiety, and empower you to live your best life yet. Listen in.
Do you ever feel stuck? Would you like to find your way out of pain, lies, and thoughts and expectations with which you don't agree? Do you want to change your life and live it well for God? Your choices have power!
Do you feel like you can't do life on your own?
You don't have to! You have God who gives you strength, God can be trusted, and God will give you victory over all that you face today, this week, and always. God provides you with power to rest in Him as you fight anxiety, overcome stress, and deal with whatever comes your way.
Listen to this Scripture meditation from the Psalms for strength and encouragement, knowing God can be trusted.
In this world, comparisons and expectations with and from others can leave us feeling like we have to compete, conform, or lose ourselves. Yet, you are uniquely created by God as a special masterpiece, and He has great plans for you and your life. Listen in for some encouragement about your place in His design.
You are unique and created with great purpose by God for His great purposes. You are special, and it is important to know who you are and where your worth comes from (Him) so that the enemy cannot steal your sense of self and who you are and can't disrupt you from your purpose and calling.
Listen to the revisit of our first ever podcast!
You are feeling sluggish, down, sad, or frustrated.
You want to get out of this feeling already, but it's not been easy!
You've heard about depression and wonder if you have it, but burnout is also a possible reality that often shares some similarities.
Listen in to learn more about depression and burnout and how they are similar and different, in today's episode.
Do you ever wish you could cultivate a life rhythm that isn't so rushed?
Would you love to savor the special moments and times in your day?
Encouragement to focus on the good things in your present circumstances can help you to enjoy life more and to overcome anxiety, stress, and frustration.
Listen in for more on today's Mental Health for Christian Women. No More Crazy, Lady!
Do you worry about what others think about you?
Do you feel like you are missing out on the best things in life?
Do you feel like you aren't good enough or don't fit in?
Your perspective may be based on things that just are simply not truth. Listen in for how to challenge your thoughts and beliefs and positively change your perspective to positively change your life!
What is a self-care tool kit? A self-care tool kit is a container which holds some of your favorite sensory items. From things you enjoy smelling to those you enjoy touching, tasting, seeing, or hearing, we've got you covered today with ideas for grounding resources for you to draw from whenever you feel stressed, overwhelmed, or anxious. You can regulate your nervous system to a more relaxed and safe state rather than the fight, flight, or freeze response. Listen in, and get some great ideas for making a self-care tool kit of your own.
Do you feel like you might want to start therapy but find that fear is getting in your way? Having anxious thoughts about starting therapy is normal. It's hard to know what to expect when you are trying something new or trying out a new therapist. In this episode, I share why you don't need to fear these 4 common concerns about therapy. Will I be put on medication or committed? Will I break the therapist, do therapy wrong, or will the therapist make me do or say something I don't want to do or say? What if I don't connect with the therapist? What do I do if I don't like him or her? Will I be able to afford it?
Today, I am sharing why these fears don't have to hold you back from starting therapy. If you feel you need counseling, there is no time like the present to seek it out. It's time for no more crazy, lady!
When you put the ocean and scripture together, it's got to give some good wisdom for life, right?
God is even bigger than the ocean and has more thoughts about you than the grains of sand in the world.
Cast your cares and anxieties on Him, and listen in to learn some tips for taking back your personal power, recognizing His, and gaining a new perspective on things.
Are you feeling weary, tired, low, or beaten down by the cares of the world right now? Listen in to be encouraged today and set your expectations where hope really is...through faith that God is who He says He is.
Sowing and reaping, resting and replenishing...there are moments for both, and both are important.
Why are relationships so hard?! Why can't we just get along, communicate well, and have peace already?
While we can't do the needed communication skills for others to calm stress, get along better, and force things to work, we can work on our own choices, thoughts, and actions.
You don't have to have relational and communication anxiety about conversations when you know how to respectfully own your stuff and let others own theirs.
Listen in for 4 tips for better communication and relationship connection to get along better with others and have more peace and less anxiety and stress within yourself.
What is the difference between a crisis and a problem?
Hint: A crisis is not a few missed household chores but can be an unhinged mom yelling all the time.
Both crisis points and problems can cause stress, anxiety, and impact our mental health and peace, but there is an easy way to tell the difference and to then reframe your perspective to gain better management of your options, thoughts, choices, and actions.
Listen in.
Are you ready to start your day and your week with a great motivation meditation that takes the stress, worry, anxiety, and overwhelm from your shoulders?
Listen in today, to help your mental and emotional health take a breather as you cast your cares upon Jesus and trust Jesus to sustain you.
What is getting in the way of you living the life of your dreams?
Hint: It isn't what has happened to you or what you don't have.
You have empowerment, but you may not feel like it.
However, it all starts with choosing and taking just one action that you can to realize you have the power to change your life for the better.
Listen in to learn how to change your life now in 5 easy steps!
Why do women overthink and ruminate when men can just make a decision and say what they mean?
Have you noticed that there are definite differences in the ways in which men and women communicate and interact with others and in their lives?
The differences between men and women are not better or worse, but there are differences that each can learn from from the one another.
Today's episode shares how women can gain some tools to appear more confident by considering some lessons observed by Michelle about some of the masculine gender. Listen in!
What can you do to stop a panic attack before it takes over?
How can you put a stop to panic before a full blown panic attack breaks out?
Listen in for three easy but silly sounding tips to stop panic attacks so you can calm your anxiety and experience better mental and emotional and physical health.
Have you heard of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?
It's a standard thing in most psychology textbooks, but there is a Book that is much more knowledgeable...the Bible.
How does this psychological theory of human needs and the Christian worldview mesh? Listen in.
Where can safety and security really be found?
Who is the best counselor?
The answers are found in Scripture. God is the one at your right hand. He will be your strength and guide.
Listen in to this Monday Morning Motivation Meditation to center your soul and body in the peace of His truth.
Can trauma be healed? If so, how can trauma be healed?
There are many facets to healing from trauma, and today's episode offers books with resources to help you learn more about trauma and various tools to help yourself with some skills to help heal some of the symptoms of trauma.
*For education and informational purposes only and not to be considered therapy or professional counseling.
How can I know if I am still affected by my trauma?
When will I be able to be fully healed from trauma, flashbacks, fear, and struggles?
Why am I overthinking, anxious, hurting, and feeling overwhelmed and out of control?
It could be that you are struggling with the subtle after effects of having survived trauma. Whether a one-time large event trauma or a repetitive painful emotional or relational event or circumstance, trauma can leave it's victims with subtle signs, triggers, and effects that can need help. Now that you've survived, it is time to uncover and heal what you need to process in order to thrive! Victory is yours...it's time for no more crazy, lady!
Listen in, identify your lingering coping mechanisms, and get clear on getting help for the things you are trying to manage on your own that really just need healing. Today's episode will share many things that we often take for granted as part of us when it's really just after effects of trauma that we no longer need to be plagues by.
If this is you, help is available, seek it out. You deserve it!
Why do some people have so many difficulties in keeping themselves safe?
How can attachment style from childhood impact an adult negatively today?
Trauma is a wound, and surviving trauma takes resources that may or may not exist in a person's life not just in the present but from long ago.
Am I overreacting?
Why is this bothering me so much?
Why can't I stop thinking about this?
What is wrong with me?
Why am I so upset?
These are common questions we might ask ourselves if we notice that our feelings or responses are heightened compared to what a situation might seem to warrant. However, it makes sense through the lens of trauma. With a trauma lens, we can travel back in time to learn of the hot buttons of the original pain points and simply notice and observe the thread of trauma that might need some help to heal.
If you suffer from anxiety, moodiness, anger, or deep hurt, you might want to listen in to learn how to identify your trauma story as your body remembers it.
Your nervous system remembers what your mind may not even recall in thought.
Where is God when it hurts?
How does God care and love?
Today's motivation speaks to God's love and comfort to you!
You might ask yourself, "How can I know if I have PTSD?"
Am I making more out of things than I need to, or should I seek out mental health therapy or counseling?
What are the signs and symptoms of trauma and PTSD?
In this episode, Michelle gives both the technical diagnostic guidelines and her own personal belief about why it isn't all there is to consider.
Listen in to Mental Health for Christian Women.
What is dissociation?
Why can't I remember parts of my childhood?
Why does my mind go blank in the middle of a conversation?
Do I dissociate because I have been traumatized?
When you zone out, it may not feel so good, but it may just be your friend.
When you have trauma, overwhelming anxiety, and overwhelming input, your system may dissociate to help you survive.
Listen in to learn more about trauma related dissociation.
Have you ever wondered, "Why can't I get past this?"
Have you ever wondered why you can't stop thinking about something, even when you know it's been over for a long time?
Trauma rewires the brain and sends us into fight or flight initially when there is a real danger but sends the chemicals the same after the danger is over, if the trauma is not processed effectively so that it can be stored as memory and not current threat.
Trauma, PTSD, C-PTSD, Anxiety need to know the threat to safety and survival is over.
Is anxiety stressing you out? Is your mental health affected by what's in the news or on social media? Do you think the world is horrible and wish it would be done already? You may be having a trauma response.
God has great purposes for you, and He isn't done yet. Don't let the enemy take you out of making the impact God has for you to make by keeping you bound in unprocessed and unhealed trauma responses.
Listen in for a new perspective.
What does Jesus say about rest?
What is His plan for the way we work and do life?
Hint: It isn't about having 125 open tabs on your iPhone like Michelle did this morning.
Listen in for the first Monday Motivation Meditation: The Unforced Rhythms of Grace...for His yoke is easy, and His burden is light for you.
Wouldn't it be great to be able to feel more present and calm when your mind, body, or emotions start to race?
What would it feel like to be able to relax your nervous system from fight-or-flight and get it into rest and digest mode?
These 7 grounding techniques can empower you to be able to better manage your body and mind when triggered to panic or anxiety, when you experience dissociation, or when you have difficult emotions that overwhelm you.
Anytime that you are ready to do some mindful focus and relaxation, these tools are great skills to have in your mental health toolkit.
As Christian women, being mentally healthy and sound is a benefit for ourselves, our families, and our relationship with God as well as living our the purposes He has created us to fulfill.
It's time for no more crazy, Lady!
Listen in.
What would it be like to be in control of you nervous system, your thoughts, and your body?
Wouldn't it be great to have some tools in your toolbox that can help you stay grounded in the present moment?
Whether you experience trigger, panic, anxiety, or worry, having a set of tools and the practiced skill to use them when needed gives you a sense of empowerment and mastery over your body and experience.
Listen in for these grounding tools to regulate from anxiety and learn more tips for Mental Health for Christian Women.
C-PTSD, PTSD and other experiences can cause dissociation. What is Dissociation? Why Does Dissociation Happen? You may wonder, "Am I Dissociating?"
Mental Health for Christian Women involves knowing how to manage dissociation so that trauma can be processed, as it can't be processed if the client is flooded or overwhelmed.
To learn more about dissociation, derealization, and depersonalization, listen in to Mental Health for Christian Women.
Would it surprise you to know that you have experienced trauma?
What qualifies as trauma? How do you know if you have experienced trauma? How do you know if what you have experienced is bad enough to be considered trauma?
The Signs and Symptoms of Trauma are many, and trauma affects people in different ways.
Listen in for more information on the signs and symptoms that might indicate you have experienced trauma, even if you never thought of your experience that way.
Have you ever been to therapy and felt that the counselor just sat there and expected you to talk without offering real, meaningful solutions?
Do you instinctively know that something deeper than talking is needed to heal what you feel in your system? You may be experiencing the effects of trauma.
Not only is the mind where memory is stored, but it is also stored in the emotions and physical sensations of the body. When trauma happens, memories aren't stored away all neat and easy like everyday things are.
Trauma overwhelms the nervous system and can even change your perception of time.
Trauma triggers can hijack your nervous system to believe that the threat is still happening, as it doesn't get filed away as a "past event."
If you've thought that there must be more to healing, today's episode will get you started on understanding why.
Do you wish your home could look like something on HGTV or in some Magnolia Home magazine?
Would you love if you could stop feeling bad about yourself and make progress that you can live with?
Today, we talk about the lies that get in the way of effective home organization motivation and how they are some of the same that try to lie when it comes to mental health progress to.
Would you like to streamline your to-do list?
Wouldn't it be great to stress less and get more done with more efficiency?
Conserve energy, time, and headspace by trying these four tips from today's episode. Working smarter, not harder gives you extra room in your mind and life for the really important things.
What if you could choose how to structure your day rather than letting your to-do list guilt you for what you didn't get done?
Wouldn't it be great to choose your tasks based on your values and priorities rather than letting whatever screams loudest get you off course?
Today, we're talking about your values and prioritizing tips! Listen in.
What if you could practically guarantee success in reaching your goals?
In this episode, I'll give you 10 Simple Steps to Reach Your Overall Goals for Productivity, Organization, and Life Management
It's Goal Setting In Reverse.
Let's Get Started...
Would you like to know THE number 1 tip for productivity for the Christian woman (and man, too)?
What if you could do one thing that will ease up the stress or your "to-do" list?
Time management, stress reduction, productivity, organization, and all the other things fall into place each day and over a lifetime, when you do this one thing! Listen in!
Would it surprise you to find out just how many thoughts, tasks, and responsibilities are floating around in your mind right now?
It's likely that there are many more than you realize.
The braindump tool described in this episode will help you to clarify your mental chatter and review where you want to put your mindset and strategically plan your next steps.
What negative beliefs and lies about yourself do you have lurking beneath the surface?
Wouldn't it be better if you could reveal the positive truths about yourself instead in a way that you can visually see?
The technique of mind mapping can help you to both identify your the negative beliefs and lies and bring healing, positive beliefs and God's truth to the forefront of your mind.
Listen in to today's episode of Mental Health for Christian Women to Learn How.
Wouldn't it be great to be able to have more flexible thinking?
What if you could train your thoughts to be more helpful to you and feel better as a result?
Today, we are talking about 5 More Thinking Errors, or what counselors call Cognitive Distortions, the glitches that trick us into believing and feeling the worst when we most likely don't have to.
Listen in for how to challenge these distortions with more helpful thinking tips.
What if I told you that your thoughts aren't always telling you the truth?
What if you could identify the thinking errors, the glitches that are unhelpful to you and your life?
Today we talk about 7 Thinking Errors that get in the way of your best life.
Cognitive distortions are these thinking glitches, these thinking errors that cause subtle lies to creep in unnoticed and cause mental pain that can often be avoided if they are recognized.
Have your thoughts ever gotten in your way?
Do you wish you had a way to gain control over them?
Would you like to try strategies for noticing what you are thinking and aligning it with God's truth?
In this episode of Mental Health for Christian Women, you will learn 3 Tips for Capturing Your Thoughts so that you can make sure they are aligned with God's truth and put you on a solid foundation.
In this episode, Phases 6 and 7 of the Hurt to Healing Therapy Journey are discussed, including tips for the final phases of the therapeutic journey and a future of mental health.
Today we cover the 7 Phase Hurt to Healing Therapy Journey on Mental Health for Christian Women, and we are discussing the commitment it takes to keep with therapy as well as tips to keep your mindset and actions moving forward.
Mental Health for Christian Women tips for when the therapy journey includes the honeymoon phase and the feeling of going backward in therapy. Today, we discuss the 7 Phase Hurt to Healing Therapy Journey, Phases 3 and 4.
The second part of the Hurt to Healing Therapy Journey is discussed, with helpful tips and insights for how to have hope that healing is possible while also dealing with the very real unknowns of the process of getting mental health care help. Daring to Hope that Things Can Get Better, is in today's episode of Mental Health for Christian Women.
Mental Health for Christian Women is a podcast for Christian women wanting to learn more about the subject of mental health and a sound mind, life, body, emotions, and relationships. Today's episode is the first in a series of what a woman can expect when she considers going from hurt to healing by seeking out therapy. It is for informational purposes only and not to be considered professional services. Use information at your own risk.
The Free to Be Me Podcast is getting a makeover transformation! Listen in to learn about how we are rebranding to better reach people for Jesus and healing.
Do you ever compare yourself to others or wonder if you have value? Today's episode will give you insights from Scripture about your true identity.
With the news telling us scary things, we may wonder in our everyday lives, "Am I Safe?" Ultimately, for the Christian, the answer is "Yes."
You may feel like your emotions and thoughts will never be understood by anyone else, but reaching out to even one safe person can bring so much healing. Listen in for a word of encouragment for trying times.
Are you living your life's vision? If you've gotten off of that path, today's episode will help you identify possible ways to get back on target.
Spend an hour with God's Word and mindfulness meditation techniques. Be blessed as you decompress.
Michelle shares about the hurdles of her travel day when things didn't completely go as planned. Listen in for some tips for better self-management techniques that can help you keep your witness when the world seems bonkers!
What do you do when you just don't have time to do it all?
Prioritize! Learn more in today's episode.
Have you ever considered skydiving?
What other fear(s) hold you back?
If you knew God had your back no matter what, would you go for it?
In today’s episode, Michelle, her husband, Tim, and daughter, Megan, talk about the lessons they learned as they each took their first sky dive.
Angela endured horrific sexual abuse throughout childhood, and yet, God has redeemed and continues to redeem her and use her story to help others overcome. While substance use almost stole her family and livelihood from her, God brought her out and put her on His solid foundation. Today, she is 3 years clean. Recorded in 2020, this interview is first being released in August 2021.
Danyelle Borish went from 15 years of untreated mental illness, substance abuse, and six suicide attempts into stepping into God's purposes for her life. She now advocates and educates to help others and break mental illness stigma.
You may wonder if you are good enough or if you are doing well enough to serve God or get the approval of others. Stop! God loves you, made you, and is much more gracious to you than you are to yourself. You are accepted because you accepted Him. That's it. He is good enough. You are His.
Michelle and Megan talk about many things that try to do our thinking for us. Listen in today to learn to identify whether your thoughts and motivations belong to you or are coming from somewhere else.
In today's episode, Michelle and Megan discuss their pet peeves and effective skills to deal with the little irritations that can be encountered in life.
In this episode, Michelle talks with her daughter, Megan, about their vacation and the importance of rest and rejuvenation as well as the concept of not apologizing for the taking needed self-care.
Meditating on God's Word is powerful. When we can relax our bodies and our minds and focus on taking in His truths, we can ground ourselves on what truly matters as well as have better mental and emotional health. This episode is the seventh in a 7 day special series of meditations on Scripture.
Meditating on God's Word is powerful. When we can relax our bodies and our minds and focus on taking in His truths, we can ground ourselves on what truly matters as well as have better mental and emotional health. This episode is the sixth in a 7 day special series of meditations on Scripture.
Meditating on God's Word is powerful. When we can relax our bodies and our minds and focus on taking in His truths, we can ground ourselves on what truly matters as well as have better mental and emotional health. This episode is the fifth in a 7 day special series of meditations on Scripture.
Meditating on God's Word is powerful. When we can relax our bodies and our minds and focus on taking in His truths, we can ground ourselves on what truly matters as well as have better mental and emotional health. This episode is the fourth in a 7 day special series of meditations on Scripture.
Meditating on God's Word is powerful. When we can relax our bodies and our minds and focus on taking in His truths, we can ground ourselves on what truly matters as well as have better mental and emotional health. This episode is the third in a 7 day special series of meditations on Scripture.
Meditating on God's Word is powerful. When we can relax our bodies and our minds and focus on taking in His truths, we can ground ourselves on what truly matters as well as have better mental and emotional health. This episode is the second in a 7 day special series of meditations on Scripture.
Meditating on God's Word is powerful. When we can relax our bodies and our minds and focus on taking in His truths, we can ground ourselves on what truly matters as well as have better mental and emotional health. This episode is the first in a 7 day special series of meditations on Scripture.
Today's episode will explain what to look for and what to expect when you are ready to begin therapy.
In today's episode, Michelle shares about anxiety and panic attack, their causes, tips for management, and some of her personal experiences with anxiety and panic.
Today, Michelle talks about how to know when you may benefit by seeking out mental health counseling, what is helpful and not helpful for Christians to consider in choosing a therapist, and why its not a lack of faith if you are struggling.
Is God near when you are struggling mentally? How can you be closer to God in the middle of overwhelming emotions? Can you still make an impact while you're a work in progress?
In this episode, Michelle's daughter Megan jumps on the podcast to talk about what to do when you don't feel God, how to build a closer relationship to Him while managing your mental health, and if you can still walk in your purpose during those times.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Michelle invites listeners to submit their mental health related questions to the podcast!
Send us a message with your questions:
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National Alliance on Mental Illness: https://nami.org
Janice Dietrich, Christ follower, wife, and mom, talks about her experience with miscarriage. Her mission is simple: to make sure other women know they’re not alone in whatever circumstance they find themselves in.
Author Karen Malena shares about her calling to writing, caring for her family, and the faith journey of mental illness and dementia.
Do you ever feel that your past is trying to ruin your future? Would you like to overcome the lies that try to limit you? Would you like to become more of who you were created to be? What could your life be like if you could tear down the walls that keep you in bondage? Even Christians can find themselves feeling stuck, but you can be set free from trauma, pain, and insecurity.
Do you ever feel that your past is trying to ruin your future? Would you like to overcome the lies that try to limit you? Would you like to become more of who you were created to be? What could your life be like if you could tear down the walls that keep you in bondage? Even Christians can find themselves feeling stuck, but you can be set free from trauma, pain, and insecurity.
Wouldn't it be helpful to understand yourself better? Wouldn't it be great to discover more about you and who you authentically are? Who are you REALLY created to be? How can you reflect in the world a piece of who God is to others? How can this tool help you to live a more authentic Christian experience?
Teresa McCloy is sharing in this episode about how you can get to the core of your internal "layers" to your authentic self. God has created you to be who you are; learn about this wonderful tool to better identify more about your unique and needed in this world self.
Do you fall apart when things don't go as planned? What do you do next? How can you move forward when it seems things are falling apart? Christy Pennison shares with us her recent bout with the unexpected and how she turned it around for the positive in her life in today's episode.
As we wrap up our series Get Still to set a solid foundation for the new year, today's episode speaks to Letting Go of Limiting Beliefs. Michelle is joined by her daughter, Megan, to discuss the mindsets and actions it is best to leave behind so that we can follow God who knows best for us as we run our race for Him alone.
Busyness is all around us. As Christian women, our plates are likely more than full, with to-do lists a mile long and pressures and stresses galore. Today, we are talking about identifying God's priorities for your life. His way is easy and light. You no longer need to live up to the expectations of others and live an unmanageable schedule; you simply need to identify with intention what you are called to do in this season of your life. Join us today for an exercise that will make this easier to envision.
In this episode, Michelle will take you through an exercise that will help you to continue to build a solid framework from which to approach your new year's goals.
The chatter in our heads and the "to-do" list a mile long can sometimes get in the way of our peace and make us feel like we are going through life on our own power. Getting alone and still in a quiet time with God can settle our thoughts and our emotions and reconnect us to the only true source of peace and strength for what's ahead. Join us today as we talk about Stillness, Thankfulness, Worship, Meditation on Scripture, and Prayer, even by carving out just five minutes a day to start learning how to begin the shift within yourself.
Each year has good and bad in it, and 2020 was no exception. However, God's presence and mercies are with us, and can help us through the difficulties, sustain us when we need it, and open up amazing things for us that we can't even imagine. Reflect on the lessons learned, grieve the losses, and celebrate the faithfulness and joys of 2020, and get ready to move into 2021 and to embrace the journey.
God isn't some big bully in the sky. He is a loving, caring, gracious God who loves us, forgives us, and blesses us beyond what we deserve. Better than Santa, God isn't putting us on a cosmic naughty list. He is the ultimate gift-giver with the gifts of forgiveness, mercy, and grace in His greatest gift; the gift of His son, Jesus. Filled with scripture references, Michelle is joined by her husband, Tim, for this fourth part of four episodes on these characteristics of God toward us and our ability to live them out as well as accept them. Merry Christmas!
Today, Tim Croyle joins wife Michelle to talk about the concept of Grace in part 3 of 4 parts discussing Forgiveness, Mercy, Grace, and Jesus as we head into the Christmas holidays.
In today's episode, Michelle is joined for part 2 of 4 episodes by her husband, Tim Croyle to discuss Biblical examples of what Mercy means.
In today's episode, Michelle is joined by her husband, Tim to talk about the meaning and importance of forgiveness in our relationships but also to free ourselves and to please God. At Christmastime, this might be one of the best gifts you can give to yourself, others, or the Lord. Listen in for a different take on forgiveness that the world simply doesn't understand.
Tips for how to deal with COVID, self-care, expectations, Thanksgiving, disappointments, possibilities, emotions; it's all touched upon in today's episode. The ups and downs of expectations, what we can control, struggling with things not being "perfect," and how to keep a positive point-of-view while also identifying and feeling our feelings. We discuss a lot today when Michelle's 19-year-old daughter, Megan, joins her for the conversation. We may even share our favorite Starbucks holiday coffee orders.
Human Trafficking is awful, but it isn't only done through outright abduction; it can be accidentally entered into through the deception and lies of the captors. Today, Amber shares her story and how the Lord brought her into freedom.
Amber thought she was on the road to making it big in the music industry through the help of those seemingly connected in the business. She had willingly traveled to Orlando, Florida to further her career with them and was amazed to see the material extravagance of their way of life, but it turns out that these people weren't actually monetarily successful from selling music but rather from selling sex.
- Warning: Today's show has adult conversation and some potential trigger element/explicit themes.
Joe Altieri is a Christian, a husband, a father, and a grandfather, and he is also the inventor of FlexScreen, the new innovation that takes the pain out of putting screens in windows. Starting in his garage, Joe eventually caught the attention of the Shark Tank television show and had multiple offers to invest in his product. Listen in today to hear about his faith and the process of pursuing a dream that's lead to a multi-million dollar company.
Amanda Finnefrock is an advocate for life and law change after her twin sons died soon after birth due to the hospital refusing to treat them with medical care or even an evaluation. #Simonslaw
Mary Catherine is a therapist from the state of Arkansas, and she is really struggling with motivation to meet her exercise goals. Listen in to this Part 2 where Michelle Croyle coaches Mary Catherine to help her gain further clarity as she works on her goal setting with the SMART goal format.
Mary Catherine is a therapist from the state of Arkansas, and she is really struggling with motivation to meet her exercise goals. Listen in to this Part 1 where Michelle Croyle coaches Mary Catherine to help her gain further clarity as she works on her goal setting with the SMART goal format.
Jody's 16-year-old son died by suicide just over a year ago. She talks with us today about what she wants other parents and teens to know.
Tiffany Stone was in her 20s, engaged to a guy from church, and on her way to become a doctor, but life wasn’t all good. The relationship was toxic and emotionally abusive, and calling off the wedding six weeks before the big day did not go over well with her church. Yet, God did not leave her, and her life is a living testimony to the blessings God has for each of us.
Melia shares her experiences with homosexuality, the church, and her ultimate willingness to sacrifice everything for Christ as well as how the church can best minister to those identifying as homosexual.
Warning: This episode is graphic in nature and may not be suitable for children or those who may be triggered by its content.
In Part 2, Dr. Cathy shares about the family alienation that came when she became the truth-teller and disclosed that she was sexually abused by her father. She also shares of God's redemptive work in her own life as well as the powerful ministry He has entrusted to her care.
Warning: Not for Children or those who might be triggered by hearing the following content.
Dr. Cathy lived through something no child should ever have to experience. She was sexually abused by her own father, but God has used what the enemy meant for evil and turned it for good. She now works with other abuse survivors as a counselor in Tennessee.
Alisha Sweyd is back for the 3rd Part Coaching Check-in to see how she has progressed in meeting her meal planning and time management goals.
The COVID pandemic impacted a lot of people in negative ways. Alisha, a therapist from California, found herself falling away from healthy eating habits. In this three-part interview, Michelle will coach Alisha, and listeners will learn how to set SMART goals and to identify ways to think strategically to set goals that will work for their individual needs.
The COVID pandemic impacted a lot of people in negative ways. Alisha, a therapist from California, found herself falling away from healthy eating habits. In this three-part interview, Michelle will coach Alisha, and listeners will learn how to set SMART goals and to identify ways to think strategically to set goals that will work for their individual needs.
William talks of the importance of knowing God in relationship with Him and knowing that God does not discriminate from using people for his purposes due to things such as race and gender. Gender and Race discrimination are learned cultural constructs, and we can learn from the past and change our constructs if they don't line up with Scripture.
Dawn talks about experiencing post-partum anxiety and grief and how she survived through her faith and a relationship with God while also learning about the power of reaching out to others.
Author Heather Creekmore shares about how body image focus and shame can be linked to idolatry. She also shares ways to break free from the stronghold of self.
Therapist Nicole Fryling shares how to become aware of your authentic self, find your core values, be energized in your calling, get past your inner critic, the expectations of others and your own “shoulds,” and guilt, set boundaries for self-care, and use tools such as the enneagram and spiritual gifts inventory which can help.
Our daily choices are important and have power. Each choice we make should lead to loving God and loving our neighbor.
When you have God on your side, you can do great things! You have the power to choose to take wise actions and to really make a positive difference in the world for Christ and others as well as to make improvements in your own life. Choosing to take positive action one step at a time can help you to make a big impact.
The Bible tells us that as we think in our hearts so are we and to think on what is good, pure, lovely, and true. How is your thought life going? Your thoughts are powerful at determining the quality of life you have and the impact you can make.
Do you ever think that you can't make a difference? It's time to get past that stinkin' thinkin' and recognize that you have great power when you intentionally make wise choices!
You have special gifts and influence that only you can offer to the world. Your exact uniqueness is a part of God's plan! When you can learn to identify the wonderful gifts God has created in you, you can be empowered to make a positive difference not only in your life but in the lives of others for God.
You were uniquely created by our Perfect God who alone gets to define you. You are not what others have said about you. You are not what others have done to you. You are not even defined by your past mistakes. You are defined only by your Creator, and He made you for great things!