Stories in the Weeds
What's your story?
One of the most beneficial aspects of counseling is taking the time to reflect on the story of your life. Your unique and complex story holds powerful insights waiting to be explored. Counseling can be an effective tool to explore your story, heal from past wounds, and experience substantial transformation.
Life is messy, but having someone with you in the mess can make all the difference in the world! As you listen to these Stories in the Weeds, you may be inspired to seek professional help to bring hope and relief when the pressures of life are overwhelming.
“Helping Students Move Forward”: Listen
Listen in as Austin talks to Laura Verkamp, a high school counselor at a public school in Missouri and a married mom of three kids. As she shares about the daunting prospect of helping high schoolers with the challenges of friendships, academic stress, and anxiety, we hope you can see that navigating the trials of life is easier with a patient, wise, encouraging counselor or therapist in your corner.
“It’s OK to Fall Apart”: Listen
Childhood cancer forced Samantha Miller to face reality at an early age, but working through the myriad of emotions that come with hardship has been an ongoing process in her life. Giving herself permission to fall apart and “not be ok” was just one thing she learned through counseling.
Battling cancer, infertility, infant loss and the journey of adoption are just a few elements of Samantha’s story that will open your heart. In this special episode with Austin, she vulnerably shares her struggle with resting in Jesus when she’s tempted to control everything around her.
“I Didn’t Know How to Grieve”: Listen
Guest James Bachman shares with Austin how he initially believed that grieving was only necessary after a huge loss in life, like the death of his father. But what James came to understand as he worked through his story is that both big and small losses need to be grieved, or you will stay stuck. James found that counseling gave him a new perspective on life, helped him grow as a person, and gave him the courage to break old patterns.
“It’s Hard to Say Scary Things”: Listen
Hiring a financial advisor to help you make good investments is praiseworthy and encouraged. So when your relationship is in trouble, why is seeking advice often looked down upon?
Daniel and Alex Moore knew their marriage was in trouble when they were arguing at 3:00 am about "whose life is harder". Knowing that they were stuck in a bad pattern pushed them to take the plunge into marriage counseling.
What they found was that being honest about their struggles and learning to say scary things out loud was actually the first step to building a relationship that would last the test of time.
“I Was Lying to Myself”: Listen or Read
Every addiction revolves around the same lie: "I am in control."
Scotty Cox is part of an award-winning broadcasting team with trophies from the Academy of Country Music, but his life was on hold until he faced the painful reality that he needed help to stop drinking.
As difficult as it was, his personal journey to sobriety is something he would go through all over again because of the lessons he has learned. Through community, honesty, and humility, Scotty has learned that sobriety is his most rewarding accomplishment.
“Let’s Reject Shame Together”: Listen
After working as a therapist in an inpatient treatment center for eating disorders, Travis Steward realized that helping his clients to reject shame was the way to break the pattern of a compulsive behavior.
In this episode, Austin and Travis discuss what it takes to surrender self-destructive patterns and give up your personal strategies for making life work apart from God. Loosening your grip on habits that make you feel powerful and comfortable may seem impossible, but safe and trusting relationships are the pathway to finding freedom.
This interview with seasoned therapist Travis Steward will have you rethinking the ways you've learned to feel accomplished and valuable, and challenge you with a question: "How will you get better without trusting God or others?"