The Plunge with Derek Holser

Welcome to Episode Six of The Human Series. Today's conversation features Justin Bryeans, a dear friend and a kindred spirit.     Justin Bryeans is a southern boy at home in the great Pacific Northwest. He spends his days as a pastor and spiritual director, and is graced by the long haul companionship of his wife Hannah (married 29 years) and the joy of bearing witness to his four children as they continue to become themselves - Ethan, Noah, Tait, and Lucy.     Among other things, Justin and I discuss the endlessness of Jesus, the nature of hospitality, and the virtue of learning to be still.      ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y  

Welcome to Episode Five of The Human Series. I continue my conversation with Dr. Donald A. Lichi entitled: "The Soul of Psychology, 2."     Dr. Don is a licensed psychologist in Ohio and is Vice President Emeritus of Emerge Counseling Ministries where he served for over 30 years. Dr. Don is a frequent speaker at both sacred and secular conferences and seminars across the country.      He is a seasoned clinician with years of rich experience in counseling and consulting pastors and leaders. He directs the ministers' enrichment team at Emerge, which is a group of pastor-focused clinicians developing soul care treatments for pastors and their families. He is also the co-author of Broken Windows of the Soul:   https://tinyurl.com/53wvjnpt       Dr. Don's special focus is faith-based counseling, mental health, life skills, overcoming porn addiction, and marriage enrichment.  https://emerge.org/     Dr. Don has taught at universities and seminaries for a number of years and he was on the teaching faculty of Heart-to-Heart Communications and served 12 years on the pastoral ministry team of the Akron Chinese Christian Church.      His ministry has taken him to Australia, Singapore, India, Canada, Brazil, Thailand, Ecuador...quite literally all over the world.      Not only that, but he is a veteran of the Air Force where he served from 1970-77.  Dr. Don is married to Marcy, his wife of 50 years. They have three adult children and eight grandchildren.          ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y    

Welcome to Episode Four of The Human Series. I'm joined by Dr. Donald A. Lichi for "The Soul of Psychology, 1."     Dr. Don is a licensed psychologist in Ohio and is Vice President Emeritus of Emerge Counseling Ministries where he served for over 30 years. Dr. Don is a frequent speaker at both sacred and secular conferences and seminars across the country.      He is a seasoned clinician with years of rich experience in counseling and consulting pastors and leaders. He directs the ministers' enrichment team at Emerge, which is a group of pastor-focused clinicians developing soul care treatments for pastors and their families. He is also the co-author of Broken Windows of the Soul:   https://tinyurl.com/53wvjnpt       Dr. Don's special focus is faith-based counseling, mental health, life skills, overcoming porn addiction, and marriage enrichment.  https://emerge.org/     Dr. Don has taught at universities and seminaries for a number of years and he was on the teaching faculty of Heart-to-Heart Communications and served 12 years on the pastoral ministry team of the Akron Chinese Christian Church.      His ministry has taken him to Australia, Singapore, India, Canada, Brazil, Thailand, Ecuador...quite literally all over the world.      Not only that, but he is a veteran of the Air Force where he served from 1970-77.  Dr. Don is married to Marcy, his wife of 50 years. They have three adult children and eight grandchildren.          ⸻ 📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y    

Welcome to Episode Three of The Human Series: Radical Acceptance.     Today's guest is Dr. Heather Huckett, a psychotherapist with a PhD in Clinical Sexology, a Licensed Couple and Family Therapist, and an AASECT-certified Sex Therapist.      Dr. Huckett specializes in addressing sexual health within the context of identity, relationships, and individual well-being. As co-owner of Kaiun Wellness on Bainbridge Island, she provides integrated care that supports mental, emotional, and sexual wellness. Dr. Huckett's approach centers on whole-person wellness, emphasizing the complexity and richness of the human experience in both personal and relational contexts.      https://www.heatherhuckett.com/         📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y  

Welcome to Episode Two of The Human Series: Lifespan Integration and Restoration.       Today's guest is Sarah Kardelen (she/her), a licensed mental health counselor and founder of Tapestry Therapy. She is passionate about individual and collective liberation, and desires that people experience safety and healing so that they can come to their authentic selves and experience life-giving relationships.      https://www.tapestry-therapy.com       Sarah provides therapy, advocacy and consultation in English and Turkish. She works with teen and adult survivors of complex trauma, specializing in domestic violence, relational issues, childhood trauma, intergenerational trauma, anxiety and depression.        She is certified in Lifespan Integration Therapy and is currently the director of the NWFL Lifespan Integration Initiative. She is also a certified victim advocate and has been the Domestic Violence Advocacy Program Manager of NWFL.    https://northwestfamilylife.org   https://northwestfamilylife.org/sarah-kardelen/           📲 Connect with Derek Holser:   🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser   📱 TikTok:   / derekholser     📸 Instagram:   / theplungewithderekholser     📘 Facebook:   / derekholser     📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y

Welcome to Episode One of The Human Series: Formation, Identity, Intimacy, and Sexuality.        Today's guest is Margaret Fay, a Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor based in St. Louis, Missouri, with a practice rooted in the integration of mind, body, and spirit. Since 2014, she has guided adolescents and adults through anxiety, trauma, and life transitions using approaches like Internal Family Systems, EMDR, and Polyvagal-informed therapy.    Her work invites clients to explore deep self-awareness, healing, and meaning - often at the intersection of psychology and spirituality. Outside of her practice, Margaret finds joy in time with her family, the beauty of the natural world, and the quiet comfort of simple rituals, like a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She joins me today to reflect on inner transformation and the spiritual dimensions of emotional healing.    To learn more about Margaret: https://www.stl-ccc.org/margaret-fay-mac-plpc         Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y

Welcome to the final episode in our series George MacDonald for Every Generation.     Joining me today is Stephanie Staples, a Nashville based singer-songwriter. Stephanie has spent over half of her life writing, recording and sharing her songs all over the world.      She has recorded ten full-length records and multiple EP's. Stephanie's studio albums tell part of her story but it is in her live performances that she truly shines, captivating audiences and fostering a reflective and prayerful atmosphere. She pours the full depth of her life experiences into her music and never shys away from the suffering and dark times but always reflects a light that persists through it all.     Stephanie's music can be found everywhere. Check out the links below to listen!   Https://www.stephaniestaples.com   Https://www.youtube.com/@stephaniestaplesmusic       Connect with Derek Holser: Twitter/X: https://X.com/derekholser TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser   New Book! Lightglider Origins - Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y

Welcome to Episode Seven in our series George MacDonald for Every Generation. Joining me is a father-daughter duo: Erik Ritschard and Jenni Cannariato. We discuss growing up in a MacDonald-enriched household, and the power of the legacy of a healthy an loving image of our heavenly father.      Erik is a lifetime educator who's taught "just about every subject offered." Now Head of Schools at Grace Cascade Christian Schools in Medford, Oregon, Erik and his wife Jani enjoy dogs, goats, working at school, getting out the the coast as often as possible, and of course re-reading some George MacDonald from time to time. Both consider their five children and eight grandchildren among their greatest joys and blessings, and both point to Jesus as their perfect Father and Good Shepherd.      Jenni spends her days raising three rambunctious and creative boys. In the small spare moments, she works as a freelance editor, helping authors of all backgrounds polish and develop their writing. If there's any time remaining, you can find her reading a good book, lingering over a cup of coffee with her husband, or whipping up something tasty in the kitchen.     📲 Connect with Derek Holser: 🐦 Twitter / X: https://X.com/derekholser 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser 📚 New Book! Lightgliders ➡ Grab it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y  

Welcome to Episode 6 in our series George MacDonald for Every Generation, Aging & Death with Kerry Dearborn. This episode is dedicated to my father, Neil Holser, who passed away on June 18, 2025. Kerry Dearborn is the very grateful wife of Tim Dearborn, mother of three amazing daughters, Alison, Andrea, and Bethany, mother-in-law of their wonderful husbands, and grandmother of their 8 delightful children. She completed her PhD at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland on Theology and Imagination, with particular focus on George MacDonald. David Elginbrod: https://tinyurl.com/tuusu8jy Kerry taught theology at Seattle Pacific University, for almost 20 years, as well as teaching at Fuller Seminary and Regent College for shorter stints. She has written numerous articles and authored two books: Baptized Imagination, the Theology of George MacDonald, and Drinking from the Wells of New Creation. Baptized Imagination: The Theology of George MacDonald by Kerry Dearborn: https://tinyurl.com/3ntv3f3z She is now a professor emerita of theology at SPU, and enjoys swimming, hosting gatherings, reading, hiking, biking, gardening, and time with family, friends, and new acquaintances. Most of all, she is deeply grateful she was drawn as a child into the love of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—, and for the gift of God’s immense faithfulness throughout her life. Books on Aging/Dying referenced in this episode: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi https://tinyurl.com/msnf8nxb The Lost Art of Dying: Reviving Forgotten Wisdom by L.S. Dugdale https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Art-Dying-Reviving-Forgotten/dp/0062932640 Being Mortal by Atul Gawande https://tinyurl.com/3nv5a3ta Connect with Derek: X: https://X.com/derekholser TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser New Book! Lightgliders: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y

Welcome to Episode Five in our series George MacDonald for Every Generation.      Today's episode features Dr. Kirstin Jeffrey Johnson, renowned George MacDonald scholar, and in my estimation, the living embodiment of Hospitality, Community, & Ecology.      Kirstin is a Georeg MacDonald scholar who lives on a farm in the Ottawa Valley, Canada. She writes and lectures internationally on MacDonald, The Inklings, the 19th century, and Faith & the Arts.    https://www.kirstinjeffreyjohnson.com/       She is on the Advisory Board of Inklings Journal VII, a founding Borad Member of the C.S. Lewis & Kindreds Society of Eastern & Central Europe, and co-chair of the George MacDonald Society. She directs Windstone Farm Linlathen, a non-profit that seeks to "cultivate community through Theology, Ecology, & the Arts."   https://www.windstonebeckwith.com/     Passionate about (re)integrating ecological care, local community, art, and academia, Kirstin (and WFL) occasionally partners with the environmental network of A Rocha. https://arocha.org/en/ You can find some of her photography on Instagram: #Mythopoeic_Life     Connect with Derek: X: https://X.com/derekholser TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@derekholser Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplungewithderekholser/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/derekholser New Book! Lightgliders: https://a.co/d/bDvRc0Y