For the past several months, we've had the opportunity to hear For the past several months, we've had the opportunity to hear some wisdom from a variety of people in the field of mental health. It has been a joy to introduce you to individuals in my life who are making a difference in the world, pointing people to healing and freedom through faith and therapy.

When these sages have asked me about perimeters for writing their articles, I've tried to leave it loose- asking that they engage you from a personal, professional, and practical perspective. I do this because I believe that vulnerability invites vulnerability and that having their professional voice speaking to us is extremely important. I ask them to leave us with the practical because, after all, what good is the wisdom and the personal story if we don't have a "what now" to help us move into action?

I can tell you that this month, as you hear from my friend and colleague, Dr. Michelle Caulk, you will find all of that and more. Among many other things, she is the co-author of the book Healing Out Loud: How to Embrace God's Love When You Don't Like Yourself, with Sandi Brown, Founder and Director of St. Louis' most listen-ed to Christian music radio station, JOYFM 99.1. “Healing Out Loud” captures many of the insecurities the modern woman faces in her walk with Christ.

Without any further delay, let's dive into Dr. Caulk's graceful and compassionate take on a subject that can be difficult to navigate. Forgiveness.

I know you will find her article valuable, so when you do- please consider passing it on!

Hey Friends! In today's article, I have the honor of introducing you to my friend and colleague, Erin Karandish, MD, LPC. Erin's journey has taken her from tending to people's physical well-being as a medical doctor to nurturing their emotional health, or as I like to say, caring for their “figurative gut”.

While some might argue that the two are intricately intertwined (a point I'm sure Erin would make!), this article delves into how applying a medical philosophy to our emotions can empower us to better reflect God's image. It encourages us to become more candid about our emotions and our responses to them.

Erin possesses a wealth of wisdom and practical insights to share, so without further delay, let's dive into her article. I am confident that you will find her thoughts both thought-provoking and immensely beneficial. Moreover, we invite you to share this piece with someone in your life who could also benefit from Erin's wisdom.

Not so long ago, admitting you were in therapy was equivalent to shouting to the world, “I am really messed up and need big-time help.”

An article in a recent issue of The New York Times Magazine echoed this sentiment and described the perception of therapy in past as, “a rarefied recourse for the irredeemably neurotic.” The article noted that this stigma has lifted and evolved, now seeing therapy as “self-care…normalized as a routine, healthful commitment…”

Intimate relationships can seem like such a mystery, especially if you grew up in a family where connection and communication were neither modeled nor taught. We all sense the deep and rich possibility of meaningful connection and yet the means of attaining and maintaining connection can be elusive. If we only know that which we have seen, we may set our sights too low and keep our strategies too simple. If one-ness is our goal, then we must learn to think differently about our relationships and how we grow them.

Relatively few of us are taught as children the language of our emotions or what to do with them. We often are praised for our mental toughness and abilities to power through when facing difficulties. But our emotions are God-given “indicator lights” on our psychological dashboards, letting us know what we need and providing the drive to go after it. Ignoring our emotions is like ignoring our “low fuel” light. We may be able to run for a while, but we will eventually have trouble.

The journey of becoming more human is a choice that every person has the power to make, but it can be difficult to do so because it requires us to attend to our physical bodies. Many of us prefer to live in our heads, accumulating more and more knowledge and keeping ourselves busy to avoid engaging with our physical body.

The past week has been difficult for my family and me. On March 3rd, we lost the patriarch of the Birkemeier family just 21 days before his 89th birthday.

I have a confession to make. I love superhero movies. I’m a sucker for a good “unassuming, kind and humble person, full of integrity, accidentally gets exposed to toxic or alien material and becomes super-human only to fight for good and abolish evil” kind of story. There’s something about seeing justice served. About someone using their power only for good sans personal gain.

I realize we’re already in the last week of January, but historically, this was the week when I would begin to struggle with resolutions and themes that I had set to govern my next 365 days. Statistically speaking, this is also the week when many people are experiencing that very same struggle. And that’s why I chose to save my “New Year” thoughts and share them this week.

Ok, so I’m not really at the North Pole, but my family would argue our house does looks like a Hallmark Movie is being filmed here. (Sorry, not sorry.)

Have you ever tried to get something created or accomplished, but so many distractions, roadblocks, competing needs and unavoidable circumstances got in the way that you began to believe they’re not mere coincidences?

“Once upon a time…”
Hearing these words can evoke a sense of anticipation in us all. They imply that something important is coming, something worthy of attention.

“It feels like something is missing.” From time to time, I hear this from clients. It evokes a special kind of empathy because there have been seasons in my life when I have asked myself the very same question. Recently, I found myself in a season that caused me to ask this question too, but specifically in one area of my life--my work.

Ever since the release of Generations Deep, there is one question that I am consistently presented with time and time again: “Are generational patterns something that everyone experiences?” The answer isn't as simple as "yes or no." Rather, it lies in deepening our understanding of what we mean by “generational patterns.”

I woke up this morning thinking about what I most wanted to say to you on this second-to-last day of 2021.

Today I started to post another installment of my Unconventional 12 Days of Christmas, when I quickly realized I have more to say on the subject than what an abbreviated caption on social media will allow. This one is important! So, I wanted to give us more space to really tease it out. Today’s topic? Breaking promises. To ourselves.

Anyone who knows me, knows that Christmas time is my favorite time of year.

“You ok over there?” My friend’s question expressed concern despite the laughter in her voice.

“Your experiences sound like they’ve been very healing. But can we really ‘go back in time’?”
The question was a good one. It came from a dear friend on the heels of my sharing of a recent experience I had with my family.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a typical My Out Loud Voice post! Today I want to share something deeply personal and incredibly special to me. Today, a project I have worked on for over 5 years has come to life. Today, Generations Deep is here.