Journey On My Mind

Suzie Lind joins therapist Dave Verhaagen and fellow pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart to examine the Enneagram, one of the most popular systems for determining personality types. They share what’s useful about the Enneagram, how it can inform relationships, and also what the limitations of the system are. - - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected]. 

On our last episode, we talked about forgiveness. This time, the focus is on reconciliation and restoration. What’s the difference between all those terms? Do we always need to reconcile when we forgive? What if reconciliation is impossible? And, how do we move towards restored relationships? Special guest  Suzie Lind joins pastor Kevin Dixon and therapist Dave  Verhaagen for the discussion.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected]. 

Why is forgiveness so important for our own health, and how do we get better at it? What’s the difference between forgiving and reconciling? Do we always need both? Therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart share their own experiences and struggles with forgiving those who have wronged them. - - -In this episode, Dave shares Everett Worthington’s REACH model for forgiveness. That acronym stands for:(R)ecall(E)empathize with the offender(A)altruistically offer forgiveness(C)ommit publicly (H)old on to your commitment when doubts resurface- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected]. 

What's the healthy role for doubt in a life of faith? Therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastors Sam Barnhart and Kevin Dixon argue that questioning and doubting are an essential part of believing.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastors Sam Barnhart and Kevin Dixon search for what's behind the need to be liked and what we can do to manage that craving.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

We're all living inside our own private bubbles, certain that we're right and all those other people are wrong. But why? Are convictions learned in families, a product of culture or basic in our personalities? Why does it seem like things are getting worse? And, what can we do about it? There's a chance we could fall apart before too long, so therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart are here to work it out.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Dopamine isn't exactly the "pleasure chemical" it's described as in pop culture. But, it is responsible for ambition, drive, hunger for new experiences. So, is that a problem in an age of mobile phones and social media? Does it affect our spirituality? How can we control our dopamine hits, and does it make sense to just be bored sometimes? Pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart join therapist Dave Verhaagen to explore the topic.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Therapist Dave Verhaagen leads pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart through 10 types of negative thinking--and how to counteract them. Follow along and see yourself in at least some of these negative patterns.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Pastor Kevin Dixon and therapist Dave Verhaagen look at alcohol use disorder, what we commonly call alcoholism. Is it a psychological, bodily or spiritual disorder? Why are some people more susceptible to it? And, is the total sobriety approach of Alcoholics Anonymous the only effective treatment?- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Therapist and eating disorders expert Lauren King returns to the show to share healthy eating strategies for the holidays. In a season when treats are everywhere and families feast together, how can we enjoy the season without spiraling into unhealthy habits? Fellow therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart join the conversation and share their own holiday eating struggles.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart, share their experiences of grief—their own losses and ones they have walked through with others. What's really happening in the brain when we grieve? How can we navigate those times in healthy ways? And how can we best help others who are grieving?- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

In a world where it's hard enough to figure out what's even real, people are increasingly drawn to misinformation, deepfakes and conspiracy theories. How does this work on otherwise rational people? Are some of us more susceptible? And (clutches pearls) what does that mean in the church? Pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart join therapist Dave Verhaagen to look at the newest research.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

In this episode, we're not talking about a step-by-step plan to build a platform. Instead, therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart are looking at the psychological research on fame. How can celebrity warp people? How can public figures maintain mental health? And, does fame have any place in the church?- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

We live in a world of betrayals. So, what does it do to us as individuals or in organizations when our trust is violated? Pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart reflect on the betrayals in their personal and ministry lives with therapist Dave Verhaagen. - - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Paul said it in the Bible: Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. So, where's the balance between freedom self restraint? Pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart join therapist Dave Verhaagen to explore the psychology and theology of keeping ourselves in check. Is our identity wrapped up in our behavior? How does self control relate to sin? And, does it help when we show ourselves grace and forgiveness?- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Cultures have always had violence, but it's different now. What does it do to our psyche and spirit when millions instantly share in graphic violence, like the recent video of Charlie Kirk's assassination? Therapist Dave Verhaagen, and pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart reflect on the power of brutality to desensitize society and amplify its worst tribal behaviors.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Pastors Sam Barnhart and Kevin Dixon join therapist Dave Verhaagen to ask how church discipline can go wrong and to survey the permanent damage that can result.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

The recent, well-publicized freak outs of some generative AI products has our panel wondering what happens when chatbots become so lifelike that we start to trust them. That's an especially interesting question when those same AI models still reflect (or even multiply) the biases of the content used to train them. Pastors Sam Barnhart and Kevin Dixon join therapist Dave Verhaagen to look at the psychological and faith implications of forming trust relationships with non-human chat buddies. - - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

What does true vulnerability look like? How do transparency and vulnerability differ? And how can being part of a trusted community help us be strong in our vulnerability? Hosts Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart share their experiences.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

It's all-pastor day on Journey On My Mind. Sam Barnhart, Kevin Dixon and Suzie Lind discuss living in a world that continuously stokes fear and anxiety. How do we manage all this information and opinion in a healthy way?- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Artificial intelligence has accelerated—at a rate that it now out-thinks us in many ways. What does this mean for faith and mental health? Will ChatGPT become our new therapist and BFF? How will that affect us? And, if AI patterns itself after humans who exist in the image of God, will it, too, become godlike? Therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart try to crack the code.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Continuing our conversation on church conflict, pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart join therapist Dave Verhaagen to share their stories of conflict, analyze the deeper issues behind the disagreement and consider strategies for resolution.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Churches aren't immune to conflict. It's crazy, we know! (Not that we've ever experienced that.) So, what makes a church prone or immune to conflict? How can it be navigated safely? And, how are psychological personality types and their conflict styles reflected in churches? Pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart join therapists Lauren King and Dave Verhaagen for the discussion.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastor Kevin Dixon wrap up our series on resilience with a look at churches. What makes a church able to navigate difficult times (or not)?- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastor Kevin Dixon are still patting themselves on the back for the brilliance of our last episode on resilience. Ah, but how does one actually become more resilient? That's the subject of this week's Short Journey, as we meet again at the intersection of psyche and spirit to share tips for building resilience. - - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

What makes some people better than others at navigating tough times and bouncing back? Is resilience an innate personality trait, or can it be learned? Pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart join therapists Dave Verhaagen and Lauren King to discuss the psychological and spiritual aspects of resilient people.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

In our polarized and isolated world, it can be rough talking to people with whom you don't agree. How can we do a better job with these conversations (or should we avoid them altogether for the sake of relationship)? Pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart join therapist Dave Verhaagen to explore strategies for difficult conversations.- - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Part 3 of our uncertainty series focuses on hope: What do faith and hope look like during uncertain times? And, how is hope different from wishing for an outcome? Pastor Kevin Dixon and therapist Dave Verhaagen explore this week's topic at the intersection of spirit and psyche. - - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Following up on their discussion about living with uncertainty, therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastor Kevin Dixon share psychological and faith-based strategies for dealing with uncertainty. Their suggestions include centering prayer, worry journals and even just the power of silence. - - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Uncertainty is a certainty in any life. But how do we keep that lack of knowledge about the future from turning into uncontrolled anxiety? Therapists Dave Verhaagen and Lauren King join pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart to explore healthy ways to live through uncertainty in life and in faith. - - -Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Journey's youth pastor, Rob Gonzalez, joins Kevin Dixon and therapist Dave Verhaagen to discuss the chronic, overwhelming stress that we know as "burnout." How do you recognize burnout in your life, and how can you deal with that in healthy ways. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Journey On My Mind panelist Sam Barnhart talks about his physical, mental and emotional battle with the back injury called spondylolisthesis. That's the same condition suffered by Luigi Mangione, the alleged killer of United Healthcare's CEO. On this episode, therapists Dave Verhaagen and Lauren King, join Sam and pastor Kevin Dixon to explore the relationship between physical pain, healthcare stress, emotional crisis, mental health and faith. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

According to the song, it's the most magical time of the year. But, Christmas holidays can leave disappointment and letdown in their wake. On this very special holiday edition of Journey On My Mind, Dave Verhaagen, Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart share the challenges and lost meaning amid their Christmas memories. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Has therapy culture created its own set of problems as parents seek to be gentle and therapy terms like "narcissist" and "trauma" saturate social media? Earlier this year, author Abigail Schrier caused a stir when she published Bad Therapy: Why the Kids Aren't Growing Up. Host and therapist Dave Verhaagen, along with pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart, investigate. Turns out, while the book makes some good points, the challenges of growing up and parenting are not that simple. Also recommended from this episode: The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing An Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Host Dave Verhaagen shares how his recent decision to pause social media interactions has improved his mental health. Pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart discuss their own strategies for online news and information. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

As Journey On My Mind returns from its break, therapist Dave Verhaagen interviews pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart about the most prevalent counseling concerns in today's church. The concerns they're most hearing—fear, loneliness and disconnection, anger—help to set our agenda for future episodes. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

There are amazing health benefits of being grateful. Our therapists, Dave Verhaagen and Lauren King, join pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart to share the amazing research and talk about their own practices for thankfulness. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Continuing our discussion of healthy churches, host Dave Verhaagen explores relational health through Journey Church's practice of The Table. Each month, community members gather in each others' homes with no agenda other than getting to know each other and share a good meal. Pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart explain how it works. We also look at behavioral health in the context of relationship. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Therapists Dave Verhaagen and Lauren King meet pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart to dig deeper on what makes a church healthy. This episode, the focus on cognitive and emotional health. If belief is a cognitive process, how do churches like Journey encourage critical thinking? And, how can they build an emotionally supportive environment in their communities? - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Host and therapist Dave Verhaagen and pastors Sam Barnhart and Kevin Dixon examine what it means for a church community to be emotionally, spiritually and cognitively healthy. But, first special guest Suzie Lind brings some inanity and hilarity from our sister podcast, JourneyNOW, to the roundtable. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Journey On My Mind returns from summer hiatus to examine the psychology of wealth. Can it be mentally healthy to be wealthy? And, how does the church manipulate those with wealth? Psychologist Dave Verhaagen joins pastors Sam Barnhart and Kevin Dixon to explore the subject. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Churches should be centered on Jesus, but sometimes instead they revolve around authoritarian leaders. Psychologists Lauren King and Dave Verhaagen join pastor Kevin Dixon to look at the psychology of power and how it can be misused to control faithful. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Pastor Suzie Lind joins psychologists Dave Verhaagen and Lauren King and fellow pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart as we conclude our in-depth conversation on growth mindsets versus fixed mindsets. This week: How the psychology concepts of growth and fixed mindsets apply to faith. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

If you think you can or you think you can't, you're probably right. Turns out there's some psychological truth in that saying, as psychologists Dave Verhaagen and Lauren King join pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart to talk about the concept of "mindset." What's the difference between fixed mindset and growth mindset approaches to life? And, do these ideas apply to our faith, too? - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Self talk, hallucination, mental illness or voice of God? How do we know when the voices we hear come from within and when they're something more? Pastor Kevin Dixon and psychologist Dave Verhaagen explore the voices in our heads and help us learn how to better discern them. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Our brains are amazing time machines. We can return to experiences in the past or imagine different futures based on our current actions. But sometimes our minds get stuck in those places, which is where mindfulness comes in. Science has good evidence that becoming intentionally aware of our present, without judging it, improves our health. So, how do we practice mindfulness? Is it the same thing as meditation? Is there more than one way to be mindful? And, is it anti-Christian? Join psychologists Lauren King and Dave Verhaagen and pastor Sam Barnhart. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Is secular mental health therapy compatible with faith? Pastor Kevin Dixon and psychologist Dave Verhaagen discuss why these two approaches to healing and growth don't have to be mutually exclusive. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Human behavior is filled with rituals in part because the brain is a pattern-seeking machine. So, does that mean they're just mental feedback loops, or can they help bring meaning to our lives? This week's panel of Dave Verhaagen, Kevin Dixon, and Sam Barnhart take a close look at the healthy--and sometimes not-so-healthy roles that rituals play in our spiritual and secular lives. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

Recently, a well-known evangelical figure set the internet on fire when he said there's not such thing as mental illnesses, including ADHD, OCD and post-traumatic stress syndrome. It's all just a noble lie in the service of big pharma. As you might expect, Journey On My Mind's own therapist, Dave Verhaagen, and pastor, Kevin Dixon, have thoughts about the recklessness of those claims. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].

People often look to faith as a refuge of certainty, so questioning and skepticism can feel uncomfortable. Curiosity comes with the possibility that we might be wrong about our beliefs. But, is that so bad? Pastors Kevin Dixon and Sam Barnhart join psychologist Dave Verhaagen to consider the value of open-mindedness. - - - Do you have a comment or question about mental health and spiritual issues? Join the discussion: Text us at (615) 861-9503. If you would like to talk with someone, you can email Journey's care pastor, Sam Barnhart, [email protected].