
Counsel for Life
Engaging conversations about mental health and the Christian life
Latest episodes

Jun 4, 2025 • 32min
Ending coercive control in your life, Featuring Tabitha Westbrook
Today's episode features Tabitha Westbrook, therapist and author of Body & Soul, Healed & Whole: An Invitational Guide to Healthy Sexuality after Trauma, Abuse, and Coercive Control. Tabitha talks with us about the toxic effects of sexual trauma, and she shares the importance of healing and reconnecting with God's good design for our bodies. She also gives a practical framework for self-care and growth in healthy relationships. If you or someone you know have experienced sexual trauma, you won't want to miss this episode!Become a friend of the podcast by subscribing! Our subscribers are invited to quarterly zoom calls with the hosts, and they have exclusive access through Patreon messages which allows them to ask questions and make suggestions for episodes. Subscribers are also automatically entered into drawings for free books and resources given away by our sponsors. But most importantly, for just $3 a month you become part of the family of friends that keep the Counsel for Life podcast going! Your small membership fee helps to cover the production costs encountered by hosting a free podcast. Thank you for choosing to become a friend of the podcast we are glad you are here and are grateful for you! (Memberships automatically renew each month and can be cancelled at any time.)To learn more, visit our website: www.counselforlifepodcast.com

May 7, 2025 • 35min
What is biblical ambition? Featuring Jeremy Writebol
In this episode, Eliza talks with Jeremy Writebol, pastor and Executive Director of Gospel Centered Discipleship (gcdiscipleship.com). Jeremy shares with us his passion for helping the next generation create godly ambition in their career aspirations. He talks about seven worthy pursuits for young adults to embody. You can read more in Jeremy's book, Make It Your Ambition: Seven Godly Pursuits for the Next Generation.Become a friend of the podcast by subscribing! Our subscribers are invited to quarterly zoom calls with the hosts, and they have exclusive access through Patreon messages which allows them to ask questions and make suggestions for episodes. Subscribers are also automatically entered into drawings for free books and resources given away by our sponsors. But most importantly, for just $3 a month you become part of the family of friends that keep the Counsel for Life podcast going! Your small membership fee helps to cover the production costs encountered by hosting a free podcast. Thank you for choosing to become a friend of the podcast we are glad you are here and are grateful for you! (Memberships automatically renew each month and can be cancelled at any time.)To learn more, visit our website: www.counselforlifepodcast.com

Apr 30, 2025 • 39min
What causes trauma, and how to I spot it?
In this episode we talk about four signs that show us trauma may have happened to someone, and we unpack the question, Can we know for sure someone has experienced trauma? Eliza offers a free resource to help assess the signs and effects of trauma, so click HERE to access it. Also click HERE to learn how you can be trained through Christian Trauma Healing Network to be a Certified Christian Trauma Care Provider. Become a friend of the podcast by subscribing! Our subscribers are invited to quarterly zoom calls with the hosts, and they have exclusive access through Patreon messages which allows them to ask questions and make suggestions for episodes. Subscribers are also automatically entered into drawings for free books and resources given away by our sponsors. But most importantly, for just $3 a month you become part of the family of friends that keep the Counsel for Life podcast going! Your small membership fee helps to cover the production costs encountered by hosting a free podcast. Thank you for choosing to become a friend of the podcast we are glad you are here and are grateful for you! (Memberships automatically renew each month and can be cancelled at any time.)To learn more, visit our website: www.counselforlifepodcast.com

Apr 16, 2025 • 29min
How do I manage the anxieties of motherhood? Featuring Courtney Devich
In this episode we talk with Courtney Devich, author of Mama's Got Anxiety: But It's Not Going to Steal Her Joy. Courtney shares some of her personal story with us, and she gives us helpful ways to think about the struggle of anxiety that can be unique to moms. She also encourages us with some ways to bring our anxiety to the Lord and seek to regain joy.Become a friend of the podcast by subscribing! Our subscribers are invited to quarterly zoom calls with the hosts, and they have exclusive access through Patreon messages which allows them to ask questions and make suggestions for episodes. Subscribers are also automatically entered into drawings for free books and resources given away by our sponsors. But most importantly, for just $3 a month you become part of the family of friends that keep the Counsel for Life podcast going! Your small membership fee helps to cover the production costs encountered by hosting a free podcast. Thank you for choosing to become a friend of the podcast we are glad you are here and are grateful for you! (Memberships automatically renew each month and can be cancelled at any time.)To learn more, visit our website: www.counselforlifepodcast.com

Apr 2, 2025 • 29min
Guarding Kids from Explicit Content: A Conversation for All Parents with John-Michael Bout
In this episode we talk with John-Michael Bout, Co-Executive Director of Into the Light Ministries. John-Michael shares important information with us about the difficult topic of talking with our children about explicit online content. He encourages us as parents and caregivers that we can have ongoing conversations with our kids, and he gives helpful tools for guarding our technology to keep it as safe as possible. He also shares about the Into the Light documentary. Click HERE to learn more about this valuable and FREE set of resources.Become a friend of the podcast by subscribing! Our subscribers are invited to quarterly zoom calls with the hosts, and they have exclusive access through Patreon messages which allows them to ask questions and make suggestions for episodes. Subscribers are also automatically entered into drawings for free books and resources given away by our sponsors. But most importantly, for just $3 a month you become part of the family of friends that keep the Counsel for Life podcast going! Your small membership fee helps to cover the production costs encountered by hosting a free podcast. Thank you for choosing to become a friend of the podcast we are glad you are here and are grateful for you! (Memberships automatically renew each month and can be cancelled at any time.)To learn more, visit our website: www.counselforlifepodcast.com

Mar 19, 2025 • 29min
Ian Cron on Addiction, Transformation, and the Enneagram
This episode features Ian Cron, therapist and bestselling author of The Road Back to You. Ian has written a new book about the helpfulness of the Twelve Steps called The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation of the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone In Between. He shares with us a bit of his story of recovery from addiction, and he gives us helpful ways to think about the path of transformation through the use of the Twelve Steps. Become a friend of the podcast by subscribing! Our subscribers are invited to quarterly zoom calls with the hosts, and they have exclusive access through Patreon messages which allows them to ask questions and make suggestions for episodes. Subscribers are also automatically entered into drawings for free books and resources given away by our sponsors. But most importantly, for just $3 a month you become part of the family of friends that keep the Counsel for Life podcast going! Your small membership fee helps to cover the production costs encountered by hosting a free podcast. Thank you for choosing to become a friend of the podcast we are glad you are here and are grateful for you! (Memberships automatically renew each month and can be cancelled at any time.)To learn more, visit our website: www.counselforlifepodcast.com

Mar 5, 2025 • 28min
Tools for effective biblical counseling, Featuring Joe Hussung
This episode features Joe Hussung, Director of Ministry Partnerships and Recruitment and a Senior Counselor at Fieldstone Counseling. Joe shares valuable insights about the importance of listening well, a topic he covers in his new book, Learning to Listen: Effective Skills for Every Counselor (New Growth Press). He explains a theology of listening, and he offers encouragement to both counselors and those seeking counsel about the importance of listening well.Become a friend of the podcast by subscribing! Our subscribers are invited to quarterly zoom calls with the hosts, and they have exclusive access through Patreon messages which allows them to ask questions and make suggestions for episodes. Subscribers are also automatically entered into drawings for free books and resources given away by our sponsors. But most importantly, for just $3 a month you become part of the family of friends that keep the Counsel for Life podcast going! Your small membership fee helps to cover the production costs encountered by hosting a free podcast. Thank you for choosing to become a friend of the podcast we are glad you are here and are grateful for you! (Memberships automatically renew each month and can be cancelled at any time.)To learn more, visit our website: www.counselforlifepodcast.com

Feb 26, 2025 • 32min
Understanding nervous system regulation, Featuring Michelle Grosser
In this discussion, Michelle Grosser, a certified master life coach and nervous system fitness expert, unpacks the nuances of nervous system regulation. She talks about identifying signs of dysregulation and shares practical strategies for calming the body and creating a sense of safety. Michelle emphasizes the importance of stillness and how it fosters personal growth. Additionally, she highlights the value of vulnerability in building community support, making her insights both relatable and transformative.

Feb 5, 2025 • 42min
What is the Sympathetic Nervous System?
In this episode we talk about the ways in which the nervous system helps us get to safety when we are in danger. We also talk about what to do when our nervous system is telling us there's danger, but we are actually not in danger. We discuss techniques for calming the nervous system so that we can think clearly and make sound decisions. You won't want to miss this episode!Become a friend of the podcast by subscribing! Our subscribers are invited to quarterly zoom calls with the hosts, and they have exclusive access through Patreon messages which allows them to ask questions and make suggestions for episodes. Subscribers are also automatically entered into drawings for free books and resources given away by our sponsors. But most importantly, for just $3 a month you become part of the family of friends that keep the Counsel for Life podcast going! Your small membership fee helps to cover the production costs encountered by hosting a free podcast. Thank you for choosing to become a friend of the podcast we are glad you are here and are grateful for you! (Memberships automatically renew each month and can be cancelled at any time.)To learn more, visit our website: www.counselforlifepodcast.com

Jan 22, 2025 • 42min
Healing from emotionally destructive relationships, Featuring Leslie Vernick
In this episode we talk with Leslie Vernick, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and leader of Leslie Vernick & Co, an organization that provides resources, coaching, and community for women who are experiencing destructive relationships. Leslie shares with us the signs of an emotionally destructive relationship, and she gives us tools for how to come alongside someone who is suffering in this way. She also shares ways the Church can get involved and support people who are experiencing destructive relationships. Check out Leslie's ministry by clicking HERE.Become a friend of the podcast by subscribing! Our subscribers are invited to quarterly zoom calls with the hosts, and they have exclusive access through Patreon messages which allows them to ask questions and make suggestions for episodes. Subscribers are also automatically entered into drawings for free books and resources given away by our sponsors. But most importantly, for just $3 a month you become part of the family of friends that keep the Counsel for Life podcast going! Your small membership fee helps to cover the production costs encountered by hosting a free podcast. Thank you for choosing to become a friend of the podcast we are glad you are here and are grateful for you! (Memberships automatically renew each month and can be cancelled at any time.)To learn more, visit our website: www.counselforlifepodcast.com