When Gathering Light

Matt and Victoria are joined in Akron Recording Studio with Jeff Gray, LPCC and licensed minister. Jeff has decades of experience working with marriages, families and ministers. He is passionate about educating ministers and other groups in self-care, emotional health, and the effects of spiritual abuse. Jeff loves to see an individual have a true revelation of their identity in Christ, aside from what they can accomplish, and apply this revelation throughout their daily life.In these next 2 episodes Matt, Victoria and Jeff discuss the impacts of spiritual abuse by leaders in the church, ministry, communities and families. This is an important topic for many to explore, and we are thankful for Jeff's willingness to share both his professional and personal experiences with us. 

Matt and Victoria are joined in Akron Recording Studio with Jeff Gray, LPCC and licensed minister. Jeff has decades of experience working with marriages, families and ministers. He is passionate about educating ministers and other groups in self-care, emotional health, and the effects of spiritual abuse. Jeff loves to see an individual have a true revelation of their identity in Christ, aside from what they can accomplish, and apply this revelation throughout their daily life.In these next 2 episodes Matt, Victoria and Jeff discuss the impacts of spiritual abuse by leaders in the church, ministry, communities and families. This is an important topic for many to explore, and we are thankful for Jeff's willingness to share both his professional and personal experiences with us. 

Thanks for stopping by for a new episode of When Gathering Light. Victoria and I are joined in the studio today by our good friend Rob Lavy. We will be talking about Rob's healing journey which includes reconstructing his faith and finding new purpose in his career because he serves a loving God. We will discuss the new product that he has created with some encouragement from his wife Christie and Victoria. The new product is the Bilater-Roll. It is a beautifully carved piece of yellow pine, and you simply roll a marble or in the larger version a pinball back and forth and soothe your anxious brain. I have been using it and many in the therapy world are using it in their practices. We will get into more detail in this episode but if you want to get a sneak peek go to Etsy and look up: Bilater-Roll and you will find photos and some videos, pricing and more. Thanks for listening to When Gathering Light's newest episode. We really appreciate your ongoing support. We love you all. Peace! 

Join Victoria and Matt as they settle back into Akron Recording Studio for their 2026 season. They recap what has been going on for them and discuss Matt’s new book “Prodigal Daughter”. Matt shares what it has been like for him to create his first book of fiction about a woman who navigates the complex dynamics of alcohol addiction and her hard-fought battle for sobriety. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of “Prodigal Daughter” email him at [email protected]. 

Join Matt, Victoria and their guest, Laurie Bohrer, as they discuss interpersonal dynamics between siblings throughout one's lifespan. We are born into our unique family systems, and we can be defined by birth order in our formative years.  Matt, Victoria and Laurie explore what it looks like to move beyond birth order in our family systems to foster healthier adult relationships with siblings. Additionally, not all family systems can adapt to a sibling initiating a desired change in adulthood. This often leads to the need to create distance/separation from sibling dynamics in order to continue the path towards healing and maturing. Regardless of your dynamic, we hope that you find this episode a conversation starter within your own homes, friendships and family dynamics. Thanks again for listening, Matt and Victoria

Join Matt and Victoria as they discuss what it means to foster post-traumatic growth and resiliency in your healing journey. As we navigate trauma-informed therapeutic interventions in our recovery, we often focus on what happened and can lose sight of what can be gained on the other side truth.  Victoria and Matt discuss what it means to move beyond maladaptive ways of coping with our histories to a divine encounter with Christ.  As we invite Jesus into our stories, we move from survival from the truth of our experiences to an encounter with wisdom, mercy, compassion, mindfulness and humility.  As always, we hope this episode opens up conversations with those that are walking alongside you in your journey of healing. 

Many of us have heard about the inner wounded child, but what about the inner wounded teenager within us?Victoria and Matt welcome back Laurie Bohrer, a licensed therapist, to explore the many facets of the inner wounded teenager.  We explore how this part of us can show up in our adult life and how we react to this often-unannounced broken part of us. We befriend our own rebellious inner teens and bear witness to their struggles with identity and role confusion. As we reflect on better understanding who we were back then we are led to find new ways to love our inner young person. We discuss the reality that back then our coping skills were limited by a young brain. Therefore, as we change the lens on the camera, with our adult hearts and minds, we find an abundance of love and mercy for these parts of ourselves. We hope this inspires you to befriend your own inner wounded teenager to bring forth a deeper sense of compassion and curiosity for this often-neglected part of one’s healing journey.  Thanks for your continued support.  Shout out to the skater girl who has returned to the ice.  Peace and love!Victoria and Matt

As we begin Season 3 of "When Gathering Light" we return to a topic that often has a resounding effect in our relationships with significant others, spouses, family and friends and that's our trauma histories.We are all survivors of something. Whether we have survived smaller difficult events or larger woundings, we aren't always cognizant of how they will reveal themselves in our relationships. We agree that Satan will use these injuries to try to separate us from God. It's essential that we find the resources to begin the healing process either with a loved one or on our own. Victoria and I offer our own humility as we have gone back to therapy to work through some difficult stressful issues in our marriage. We of course try to find some humor in these struggles but as is so often the case we find communicating with love and inviting the Holy Spirit into the hard places brings forth the most fruit.  As is always the case with this podcast, we hope to create dialogs amongst loved ones. Fear is mitigated by love when we talk things out and listen with open hearts. We thank you for all of your support over the last two years. If you have a topic that you would like us to consider or a guest who would offer new light, you can send Matt an email: [email protected] and Love,Victoria and Matt

Join Matt and Victoria as they explore some of the anxiety inducing aspects of our twenty-first century world and how we can potentially create self-care micro-adjustments to reduce the effects on us. Do we go online to have our voice heard, sometimes to our detriment? Do we join groups on-line to feel a part of something even though we can find ourselves struggling with the messaging? What if our community fosters fear and mistrust?  Where is God in this plethora of digital noise and fear induced social connections? Our aim is to create a dialog amongst our listeners and their loved ones so that they can foster social interactions grounded in the fruits of the spirit and not a spirit of fear.  Thanks for joining us in this dialog as we navigate our own personal and professional lives and strive to stay connected in this modern digital world. Peace!  

Many of us are being called to be caregivers for our parents, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings and friends. Victoria and Matt talk about some of the challenges, frustrations and the potential for God's grace in the middle of this often-affirming journey. Is it our job as a Christian? Can we tap into a new understanding and a deeper relationship with our loved ones? Can we have meaningful conversations with other family members as we define rolls and plans for caregiving? We ultimately serve the most amazing Caregiver of all, a loving God. Can we emulate Christ in our efforts? Join us in this important dialog. Shalom!

Join Victoria and Sharon Tittl as they discuss the importance of attending to the mental health of athletes. The 2024 Summer Olympics increased awareness of the mental health of athletes, such as Simone Biles. Many of us will never be elite athletes, yet the importance of attending to our mental health in sport is still important. Additionally, Victoria and Sharon explore life after competitive sport and the pursuit of physical activity for wellness throughout our lifespan. Sharon Tittl, M.Ed, LPCC: Sharon is naturally drawn to helping the emerging adulthood age group because of experiencing counseling for the first time in college herself.  It was a time of growth and healing that led her to study Clinical Counseling.  She graduated from Malone University in 2014 and pursued training in treating eating disorders, in both individual and group settings. Throughout her career she has also provided educational trainings on eating disorder awareness and treatment. She combines clinical experience working with athletes and her own passion for gymnastics, running and yoga. Sharon utilizes visualization, meditation, challenging perfectionism, creating positive body image and increasing one’s individual identity outside of sport. Along with these specialties in therapy, she uses evidence-based trauma modalities to attend to traumatic experiences in athletes’ lives to help them excel both in and out of their sport. 

Victoria and Matt discuss the complexities of codependent relationships and behavior. Victoria talks about Melody Beatties' powerful book "Codependent No More" as an excellent resource for dealing with these often-unhealthy relationships in our lives. Whether we are unhealthily supporting an addict or our need to control another's behavior is destroying relationships, there is a way out. "When Gathering Light" has one core goal and that is to help people start a dialog in their family or elsewhere that leads to God's healing powers. Join us as we discuss this essential topic for renewed healing and fulfillment in our walk with Christ. Peace!

Hi Everyone! In this episode Victoria and I talk about the Holy Spirit. I grew up in the Catholic Church where the 3rd part of the Trinity was referred to as "The Holy Ghost". That was a wild concept for a child to grasp. A ghost that was Holy...oh my! Our goal today is to start a dialog about what we have discovered about the Holy Spirit to hopefully start a conversation in your home and with your loved ones. Thanks for always tuning into "When Gathering Light". Victoria and I want to thank each of you for your love and prayers over these last two seasons. Enjoy this episode, may Holy Spirit bring you delight and gifts and may God's love be with you today. 

Join Matt and Victoria as they invite Laurie Bohrer into the studio to discuss what it means to be the scapegoat in family systems theory. Scapegoat originates from the Bible’s reference to a goat upon which Aaron cast all the sins of Israel and then banished to the wilderness. The goat, though presumably blameless, was essentially punished for the sins of the people of Israel. Christ became a scapegoat for the Jewish religious leaders, because the truth he spoke threatened their authority and power in the system.In family systems theory, scapegoat refers to the identified member(s) that pay the price for the immorality of others, as well as are a target of blame when outcomes are not what one hoped for. Family members will project their own unresolved issues, shame, guilt and fear onto the scapegoat as a means to deflect attention away from their actions/behaviors. 

Join Matt as he opens up a brave and honest conversation with First Responder, Jeff Goodlet, about his journey in healing with Jesus. The world is a stressful place. You can see this stress boiling up in our relationships and on our streets and highways. Mental health has never been more important than it is today. But what if your job is filled with peril and calamity on a daily basis? I have invited my friend, Jeff Goodlet into the studio today. Jeff is a Fireman and has seen his share of horrors over the years. Jeff is a man on a mission to speak out about the power of Jesus in his life, as well as other vulnerable issues that he has encountered. Most importantly, he will share some of the support systems he has found on his journey of healing. I hope you enjoy our conversation and thanks for being a part of When Gathering Light. Peace,Matt

Are we in need of change within our family system?Victoria and Matt discuss change, the risks, the rewards, but mostly open a dialog about the often-vital need for change within our family systems. Every family system has some degree of dysfunction! How do we navigate our own healthy ways of coping and growing within these systems. Is God moving us towards change? Does the life of Jesus offer us a wonderful example of change? Come get curious with us as we discuss this important topic. 

*Trigger Warning Episode about dissociation and complex PTSD Join Matt and Victoria as they dive into Matt's story of how dissociation protected him as a child and throughout his life.  Matt models the importance of story work as he unfolds for the listener his personal relationship with detaching from self so he could survive early trauma.  This protective barrier became second nature to him in adulthood, thus, negatively impacting our marriage and other aspects of his daily life.  Matt shares his journey of recovery and offers hope for anyone that has a personal relationship with dissociation.  Victoria walks alongside Matt in this episode as a spouse of a survivor and leans into the hard spaces they navigated in marriage.  Together, they desire to destigmatize the dissociative spectrum and how it's counter-parts amnesia, depersonalization, detachment, and derealization are parts that can be more known for healing of the soul-self.  Victoria and Matt incorporate their faith and personal relationship with Christ into the healing of their marriage.  Below are a few websites and resources for those wanting more information. There are many opinions and approaches when treating and understanding C-PTSD.  We encourage you to seek resources, counseling and support if you are personally impacted from trauma or are supporting a loved one with complex PTSD that is right for you.  Dr. Bessel van der Kolk "The Body Keeps the Score"Dr. Gabor Mate "When the Body Says No"Dr. Mike Lloyd  CTAD VIDEOS - Cheshire Psychology & The CTAD ClinicDr Jamie Marich "Dissociation Made Simple"

Join Victoria and Matt, with their guest Jaime as they explore the sacred nature of grief. Jaime talks of her suffering and the wonders of God’s love during the many in-betweens she endured with the loss of her father. We explore the choices we can make when faced with despair, loss, and grief. Jaime walks us through the grace-filled process she allowed God to take her into and out of in that difficult season. Jaime Blair is the CEO of RAHAB Ministries where she leads others in their mission to serve women and youth who have been trafficked in the sex industry.   Jaime has devoted her legal career to advocating for others.  She represented survivors in court who were impacted by domestic violence and sexual assault. In addition, she is a former Magistrate of Summit County Juvenile Court's Restore docket, a certified specialized program for juvenile victims of sex trafficking in the justice system. Jaime is not only a fierce advocate of those in need, most importantly, she is a child of God. Jaime loves to share Christ with others, and to come alongside those who desire to know more about an intimate life with The Savior. 

Hi!  This is Victoria and Matt and this is the second season of When Gathering Light. We want to thank everyone who tuned in during our first season. We certainly enjoyed our many guests, and hopefully we brought some light to our listeners.  We now turn the page to season two. Today we are going to get a little personal and reflect on 2023, specifically the second half of the year when Matt struggled with a health issue, and we fell into and came out of the pit known as a home improvement. As the tribal elder said "we cried, we laughed, we shared." We have some wonderful guests planned in this second season, but first, we feel compelled to share our lives and honor the Lord.  Jesus brought us through these circumstances, offered us some wisdom in those moments and absolutely provided us with new light. Shalom,Matt and Victoria 

Join Matt and Victoria as they sit down with Dan McGown to discuss multiple 12-step programs that support addicts and their loved ones. We continue to try to bring the most topical mental health issues to "When Gathering Light". We have discussed addiction in different forms. However, we have not talked about what it’s like to love someone battling addiction. We have invited our friend Dan to talk about the power of a 12-step program built to help find positive skills when dealing with the addicts in our lives. Dan has been sober for 20-plus years and is also involved in a support group for loved ones. Dan’s insights and extensive experience in the addiction world makes him a most valued resource. 

Join Matt and Victoria as they explore the impact of unresolved anger and frustration in relationships.  They open up about their own personal journeys of growth in the art of fighting with dignity and respect of one another.  They often wonder how long Jesus held on to his anger before flipping the tables in the temple.  Healthy expressions of anger can be cleansing in a relationship and serve as an impetus of healing as well as growth.  

Join Matt and Victoria as they talk with Dr. Rob Miller about his recent experiences in suffering and the personal value he has gained from this deeper union with Jesus. Dr. Rob is a licensed psychologist, clinical counselor-supervisor, and social worker who brings over twenty-five years of experience providing vast administrative and clinical services. His dedication is continually demonstrated through helping hurting people. Dr. Rob has provided many hours of service to families, individuals and pastoral leaders by guiding them to effective solutions and life-changing paths as a humble servant of Christ. In his personal life, he has recently battled cancer twice and cared for his wife as she recovered from a life-threatening motor vehicle accident. He is a father to 4 adult children, and grandfather to many beautiful grandchildren. He is a retired pastor and is in a season of "slowing-down" in his clinical practice as he begins to follow the call of Jesus into a new season of his life. 

Join Matt and Victoria as they navigate each other's systems (internal and external) in marriage.  They encourage the listener to begin a fundamental discovery of their own parts to benefit relationships with self and others.   This episode continues the conversation about systems theory and the application of it to our own personal healing journey.  

Join Matt and Victoria as they explore with Nick Angelis, the owner of Ascend Health Center, newer mental health medications such as  Spravato and Ketamine infusions as well as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as options for treatment resistant depression and anxiety.  Nick Angelis CRNA, Owner of Ascend Health Center Nick Angelis graduated from Youngstown State in 2004 and worked in multiple specialties ranging from the cardiothoracic ICU to inpatient psychiatric units. Nick completed his anesthesia degree in 2010 at the University of Akron, because the only mascot more random than a YSU penguin is a kangaroo. As a nurse anesthetist skilled in the pharmacology and administration of ketamine, Nick has worked in trauma hospitals with an interest in pain management and as the co-founder of a complementary alternative medicine practice. He combines the holistic, inclusive philosophy that some of our deepest wounds may be emotional or spiritual with the cutting-edge research and medical technology that Ascend offers. This approach allows him to target the specific chronic pain, addiction, and mental health needs of Akron and surrounding communities while emphasizing our innate strengths and resiliency.For more information about Ascend and the above-mentioned treatment modalities, visit https://ascendhealthcenter.com.

Join Matt and Victoria in a conversation with Sharon Dobbins Alberson as they explore how God meets people where they are at in their search for a personal relationship with Him. We ask, is it possible to find and trust a God of our own understanding as we explore what aspects from our family of origin brought us closer to God and what pushed us away? Sharon is an accomplished musician with multiple compositions of musicals and songs to her credit.  She studied law at University of Akron and Oxford University, in addition to completing her Master of Theology from Harvard. She is retired from her multi-dimensional career, so she can care for her grandson in this season of her life. 

Join Matt and Victoria as they continue the conversation with Tish and Nell about how families navigate the complexities of intergenerational stories and secrets. Tish Granville is a licensed clinical counselor in the State of Ohio and specializes in Trauma, PTSD, family of origin issues and the integration of faith with psychological interventions. She is co-owner of Twinpowerment, LLC,. which is an online platform that educates the public on trauma and mental health issues. She resides in Northeast Ohio with her husband and two sons.Lanelle Jackson is a licensed clinical counselor in the State of Ohio. She is most passionate about the treatment of trauma and inner child wounds. She is co-owner of Twinpowerment, LLC,. She lives in Northeast Ohio with her daughter.

Join Matt and Victoria as they interview Tish Granville and Lanelle Jackson about their new book "Daddy Hunger".  Tish Granville is a licensed clinical counselor in the State of Ohio and specializes in Trauma, PTSD, family of origin issues and the integration of faith with psychological interventions. She is co-owner of Twinpowerment, LLC,. which is an online platform that educates the public on trauma and mental health issues. She resides in Northeast Ohio with her husband and two sons.Lanelle Jackson is a licensed clinical counselor in the State of Ohio. She is most passionate about the treatment of trauma and inner child wounds. She is co-owner of Twinpowerment, LLC,. She lives in Northeast Ohio with her daughter.

Join Matt and Victoria as they explore the importance of moving from a choice of sobriety into a life of recovery.  They will draw on their own personal and professional experiences to inspire others in their journey of physical, emotional and spiritual recovery. 

Join Matt and Victoria in an interview with Laurie Bohrer as they explore the concept of our wounded inner-child. They will share how to discover, approach and develop a relationship with this part of us.  When we invite God into the places where our wounded child is held captive we can move forward with a deeper sense of healing. Laurie Bohrer, MA, LPCC:  Laurie has vast counseling experience in prison and grief ministry, as well as work with at-risk women through Rahab Ministries. She is passionate about the brokenhearted and is committed to serving the local community through her work at Renew Counseling Ministries. 

Join Matt and Victoria as they interview Greg Colbeck about divine creativity. Greg is the artist on "Up Ahead" the intro and outtake song for When Gathering Light. 

Join Victoria and Matt as they discuss addiction and recovery.

Join Matt and Victoria as they interview Jessica Smith LPCC-S about Family Systems Theory.

Join Victoria and Matt as they discuss the multiple systems related to the mind, body and spirt. 

Meet Podcasters, Victoria and Matt as they introduce the podcast "When Gathering Light"