Award-Winning Column Blends Mental Health and Faith – Deacon Randy Kiel – 07/30/2026

Deacon Randy Kiel — a Thursday regular on the show — stops by to celebrate some big news: his Catholic Mirror column, "Let's Get Psyched," earned an Honorable Mention in the 2026 Catholic Media Association's newspaper awards. Deacon Kiel, a permanent deacon at Christ the King Parish in Des Moines and a licensed mental health counselor who founded Kardia Counseling, explains how the column's title plays on both "getting psyched" and the Greek root of "psychology" — the study of the soul — reflecting his effort to integrate mental health and spirituality for readers. Highlights from the conversation: How Deacon Kiel's writing process unfolds through prayer, and why he says the final message often surprises him The Catholic Mirror's shift from a monthly newspaper to a bi-monthly magazine format A personal story about accidentally walking out of a doctor's office with a magazine, and the twenty-three-minute drive back to return it What Deacon Kiel hopes readers experience: not just interest, but a genuine "aha moment" they can live out Read the column and see the full awards list: dmdiocese.org/catholic-mirror 2026 Catholic Media Association Awards Kardia Counseling Listen to The Catholic Morning Show weekdays at 7 a.m. Central on the Catholic Radio Network — IowaCatholicRadio.com or the Iowa Catholic Radio app. #CatholicPodcast #CatholicMorningShow #CatholicMentalHealth #FaithAndPsychology #CatholicMirror #DioceseOfDesMoines #IowaCatholicRadio   Credits: Produced, Edited, and Mixed by Ayden Pugh, Alexia Baker, and Brady Grimm. ENJOYING THE SHOW? Follow The Catholic Morning Show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode — and if this one was worth your time, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating. It takes ten seconds and it's the single best way to help more people find the show. 🎧 LISTEN LIVE Catch The Catholic Morning Show live, weekday mornings on Iowa Catholic Radio. Listen Live · Program Schedule · Our Stations LINKSYou can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok! More on our website.If you would like to support Iowa Catholic Radio you can donate Here! More from Iowa Catholic Radio:Sunday Dive with Katie PatrizioMan Up! with Joe StopulosCatholic Women Now with Chris Magruder and Julie NelsonThe Uncommon Good with Bo Bonner and Dr. Bud MarrBe Not Afraid with Fr. Fabian Moncada and Fr. Bruce RiebeBe Not Afraid en Español con el P. Fabián MoncadaMaking it Personal with Bishop William JoensenFaith and Family Finance with Gregory WaddleThe Great Men of the Bible with Joe Stopulos Liturgy & DevotionsThe Daily Gospel Reflection with Fr. Nick SmithThe Daily Mass from St. Francis of AssisiThe Daily Mass from St. Pius XThe Daily Mass from St. TheresaSunday Mass from the Basilica of Saint JohnWant to support your favorite show? Click Here Iowa Catholic Radio - Connecting People to Christ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.