PODCAST

Dea Dean: Intolerance for Negative Emotion in Other People

In today’s show, Matt and Craig sit down with one of our favorite local mental health providers, Dea Dean. Dea is insightful and full of life and energy. The conversation swings from perception of one’s own backstory, involving “naming” an experience without blaming families of origin, to a discussion about the parentification of children whose parents, for whatever reason, are unavailable to meet their children’s needs. Craig shares a few thoughts about his own life experience, and Dea gives respectful feedback about his journey, as great therapists do, without sitting on a throne of judgment.

The Birkman Method with Trey Carroll

Graduation Season is a great time to consider new beginnings, so Craig and Matt had a conversation with Trey Carroll, the founder and a coach at The NexTest Advantage. Trey changed majors 5 times in college, worked 8 different jobs and lived in 12 countries before suffering a stroke at the age of 28. Searching for direction, he took several personality and career assessments, but the Birkman Method changed his life. In this fast-paced show, we discuss how the the Birkman Method helps people of all ages discover how they are wired and how it is revealed in both personal and professional relationships.

Big Livin’ with Bill Blair and Dr. Branden Henry

Rocks to Rivers is an adventure based coaching organization founded by pastor, life coach and climbing instructor, Bill Blair.  Craig sits down with Bill and his Rocks to Rivers co-leader Dr. Branden Henry to not only talk about the work of the organization, but also the struggle men have to find adventure, play and camaraderie as adults navigating the modern world.  If you feel stuck and are looking to find deeper meaning in life and your true self, you will not want to miss this conversation.

Craig Robertson was a guest on The All Things Sexual Wellness Podcast with R+E sponsor Kelly Engelmann.  Self-care has become a buzzword in this modern day. But men rarely talk about their self-care practices.  Listen as Craig walks us through his radical day of extreme self-care. The host also talked with Craig about some of his discoveries throughout the day as he cared for his mind, body, soul, and spirit and how it impacted how he approaches self-care today.

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Avery’s Story:  A Relationship with a Stranger

Avery is an introvert who worked hard and excelled in school. She was the first-chair clarinet who loved to read. Being in relationships did not come naturally for her, so she cherished them greatly when they happened. After she and her fiance ended their long-term engagement, her study partner in graduate school suggested they should be more than friends. Although she had never given the idea any thought, it became all she could think about. When school was over, they decided to make a life together, but when she was three months pregnant with their first child, he gave her a letter that changed everything.

Lea’s Story: This Messy Life

Lea is a doer. Although her family and community gave her a solid foundation, her parents were secretly unhappy, divorcing her senior year of high school. Lea felt deceived but guilty, because they stayed together for the sake of her and her brother, who remains her best friend. A two-sport athlete in college, she charged into a nursing career and marriage with the same energy you will hear in this episode. Unfortunately, her husband’s alcohol addiction derailed the life she originally planned, leaving her to pick up the pieces with humility, gratitude and a new perspective for simple pleasures.

A Double Dose of the Holy Ghost: Barry’s Recovery Story

Barry was a college athlete. After three kids and life began to move faster, he began to medicate uncomfortable moments with alcohol. Casual drinking snowballed into full-blown addiction, and Barry lost his marriage and career. Things got worse post-divorce, and he turned his back on key relationships, finding himself alone on Christmas Day with a half-gallon of vodka as his only companion. Listen to find out how a double dose of the Holy Ghost at Mission at the Cross saved Barry’s life.

Date the Rate, Marry the House and Divorce the Rent with Adam Black, Mortgage Specialist

“Should I Stay or Should I Go” is not just a classic song by The Clash, it is the internal dialogue of our clients, especially in the early stages of the divorce process which entails both the physical structure of the home and the more intangible relational dynamic. In this show, Craig and Matt sit down with Adam Black, a real estate collaboration specialist with a focus on divorce mortgage management, to break down the challenges of the post-COVID housing market, featuring low inventory, high prices and both inflation and interest rates on the rise. This fast-paced show will highlight the importance of working with a mortgage professional early in the process and familiarize the listener about the current real estate market.

Brave: Eric and Laura’s Adoption Story

Bravery is showing the mental or moral strength to face danger, fear or difficulty –it is the state of being brave.  In this episode featuring Eric and Laura’s adoption story, you will hear the couple’s journey from their chance meeting on a church softball field, to their marriage, fertility challenges and then the highs and lows of an adoption journey which is illustrative of the difficulties associated with domestic infant adoption. Their story brings into sharp focus the duality of bravery required by both the couple for stepping into the unknown as well as the birth mother for making the unnatural decision of having another parent in her place.

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Rob’s Story:  Burn

In another life-story-driven episode, Roane and Craig introduce you to Rob Lohman, whose drinking career started in his teens, leading him to dark places in life with the climax being a suicide attempt botched by his dog, Jake. You will grip the steering wheel as you hear about his rap sheet, which includes divorce, gambling addiction, bankruptcies and a prison sentence for arson, before finding wholeness through helping others.

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