Episodes

Many years ago, when I begin considering serving the Lord as a Christian writer and speaker, he gave me a mission to focus my efforts. My full mission statement reads as follows: I will offer encouragement for life in a complicated world by inspiring people to choose hope, experience transformation, and recognize victory in our Lord, Jesus Christ. Today’s episode is in preparation for a new weekly blog and monthly newsletter titled Encouragement for Life. What else would I name it? My first atte...

This episode is a presentation that was given at a virtual workshop for the Faith+Mental Health conference in May 2025. Caroline has nearly 20 years of experience as a leader for a Christ-centered mental health support group where she emphasizes hope, transformation, and victory. This approach is based on the Spirit-led process God revealed to Caroline in reflecting on her own recovery journey. This unique perspective will challenge leaders of support groups, small groups, Sunday School classes,...

Laurie Hammer is a functional nutritional therapist. She is also a survivor of an eating disorder with accompanying anxiety and depression. God brought Laurie through this adversity to place of healing. She now has a passion for helping others through her Calm Mom program, Take Back My Brain podcast, coaching, and amino acid therapy. Laurie is hosting a virtual faith-based mental health back-to-school summit on August 15-16, 2025. Information at this link. https://www.lauriehammer.com/mental-hea...

THE RESPECT INSTITUTE "The Missouri Mental Health Foundation (MMHF) is proud to offer certified speakers through the RESPECT Institute of Missouri. Our speakers bravely share their lived experiences with mental illness and substance use disorders, providing powerful insights and inspiration." As a RESPECT speaker, Caroline knows firsthand the importance of sharing your story to provide hope, encouragement, and insights to others. RESPECT Speakers share in a variety of setting such as schools a...

Today's topic revolves around trauma and how it impacts a person's life. The good news is, with the guidance and healing power of Jesus, recovery is possible! Life can be purposeful, impactful, and joyful. Here Caroline's guest, Beth Jones, share her story of trauma, sin, recovery, and restoration. Beth Jones is an international speaker and author. Beth's mission is encouraging women to use their spiritual gifts for God's glory, fulfilling their great purpose, and living a life they love. Beth ...

Caroline closes out her four-part series on wellness by discussion spiritual wellness. Two key activities for spiritual growth are prayer and Bible study. Prayer The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Neibuhr (1892-1971, German theologian) https://www.prayerfoundation.org/dailyoffice/serenity_prayer_full_version.htm God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other....

Affirmations & Journaling In this third of four episodes on wellness, Caroline shares information on how to use affirmations and journaling to improve mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Affirmations Using affirmations and accompanying Scriptures, a person can retrain their thoughts to line up with the truth of God's Word. They will begin to accept their identity as a beloved child of God and heir with Christ while hiding Scripture in their hearts. Journaling Journaling gives individua...

Christian meditation In part 2 of the Wellness Tools series, Caroline presents eight types of Christian Meditation based on an article called "What is the best type of meditation?" from Medical News Today. Find out how you can experience presence and peace of God through Loving-kindness meditation Progressive muscle relaxation Mindfulness meditation Breath awareness meditation Repetition (mantra-based) meditation Meditating on our heavenly home (an alternative to transcendental meditation...

wellness and wellness tools What is wellness? In this episode Caroline will define "wellness" and discuss the importance of using wellness tools to find peace and calmness in the midst of chaos. The episode includes scripture and other suggestions for pursuing wellness from a Christian perspective. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! Join the conversation by leaving your comments or emailing Caroline at caroline@carolinescooper.com. Caroline S. Cooper is a writer, speaker, podcast/YouTube host, and ment...

Facing The Giant: Bipolar Disorder Jessyln McCutcheon spent twenty years battling a giant in her life. A diagnosis of bipolar I revealed the giant's name, and then the real work began. Hear Jesslyn's story of how finding the right treatment plan brought her relief from symptoms. The more powerful story is how God transformed Jesslyn by revealing his purpose for her life resulting in the establishment of Fighting Goliath for Mental Illness, Jesslyn's ministry. This episode will include Jesslyn's...

SELECTIVE MUTISM - social anxiety Nanette Holloway shares her experience with selective mutism, a condition typically found in childhood and occasionally continuing into adulthood. The Cleveland Clinic describes selective mutism (SM) as "a mental health condition where you can’t talk in certain situations because of fear or anxiety. It usually affects young children, but it can also affect adolescents and adults. This condition is more than being shy, bashful or timid. SM is an anxiety disorder...

"Imagine" Brant Winn was so impressed with a workshop he attended by Dianne Mahoney that he has now become an active proponent of The Imagine Project, an approach to mental wellness through "imagining" the possibilities in a seven step approach to healing. The imagine project was created by Dianne Mahoney. This nonprofit organization provides free resources to gives kids, teens, and adults the opportunity to work through difficult life circumstances through expressive writing. Find out more at...

The importance of breathing Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7, NASB) Dentistry involves so much more than cleaning teeth. Dentist Timothy Doolin, DMD shares incredible insights on how the development of our tongue and facial structure can affect our ability to breathe, sleep, and develop our minds and bodies in a healthy way. He provides biblical support as well as many references...

Judith Vander Wege has been a Christian freelance writer for 44 years. On today's episode, she shares about the heartache she's endured over her life and how God has walked with her through the pain and grief. Judith shared insights about grief from her book, Annalisa's Journey through Grief. See the book on Amazon. suggestions for Coping with Grief What are the things that helped Annalisa cope with her grief? 1. It helped that a kind, concerned and respected friend was the one who brought he...

WAYFARING: A CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH Warren Kinghorn is a psychiatrist, theological ethicist, and author. But more than anything, he is a man of God who desires to keep faith at the forefront in all his endeavors. In this interview, Dr. Kinghorn shares personal thoughts and insights from his book, Wayfaring: A Christian Approach to Mental Health Care. Dr. Kinghorn’s book is published by Eerdman’s Publishing and is currently available. Here is a link to the Amazon page: "Wayfaring" a...

Caroline’s guest, Chris Morris, has a story to tell. In episode 48, he shares important tips for finding a therapist based on his challenging experience. Additionally, Chris talks about the importance of having a support network for accountability. Episode 49 goes deeper into Chris’s story as he shares about his suicide attempt. This important episode offers hope and encouragement in recognition of September as Suicide Prevention Awareness month. Chris’s book and contact information Website: h...

Caroline’s guest, Chris Morris, has a story to tell. In episode 48, he shares important tips for finding a therapist based on his challenging experience. Additionally, Chris talks about the importance of having a support network for accountability. Episode 49 goes deeper into Chris’s story as he shares about his suicide attempt. This important episode offers hope and encouragement in recognition of September as Suicide Prevention Awareness month. Chris’s book and contact information Website: h...

Here are the September-October episode topics and guests for Mental Health & Faith: A Closer Look. 9/3/24 – Resilient & Redeemed: Therapy with Chris Morris 9/10/24 – Resilient & Redeemed: Suicide with Chris Morris 9/17/24 – Wayfaring with Dr. Warren Kinghorn 9/24/24 – Overcoming Grief with Judy Vander Wege 10/1/24 – The Mouth and Mental Health with Dr. Tim Doolin (dentist) 10/8/24 – The Imagine Project with Brant Winn 10/15/24 – Selective Mutism with Nanette Holloway 10/22/24 – Fighting ...

Roxanne Pendleton shares information about trauma and trauma informed care (TIC) from a professional and personal perspective. She has lived through trauma and turned that experience into an opportunity to help others. Roxanne works as a trauma consultant at the Center for Trauma Informed Innovation at University Health-Behavioral Health (formerly Truman Behavioral Health). Roxanne is also a pastor, writer, speaker, and friend. You can find her book, Laughing Again: A Survivor's Guide to Healing...

Jane Alexander bravely shares her experience with mental illness and trauma in a podcast originally posted in March of 2020. As she shares you will gain insight into what it's like to live with a mental illness. You'll be comforted that you are not alone in your mental health challenges. And, you'll be reminded that our identity never comes from a diagnosis, but from the truth that God created us, loves us, and is always with us. Please join the conversation on mental health and faith by posting...

Today's episode is a replay of Caroline's first episode on the Mental Health & Faith podcast. The information shared is still relevant and you will enjoy listening to insights related to mental health, faith, and recovery. Caroline's guest is her sister, Terri Cooley-Bennett, a licensed clinical social worker who has worked in the field for almost 40 years. This episode has been listened to more than 150 times with listeners tuning in from all around the globe. Please join the conversation on me...

The Mental Health and Faith: A Closer Look program presents a series of episodes on Writing Your Way to Recovery. Throughout June 2024, Caroline shares content originally created for presentations at two different mental health conferences in Missouri. Today's episode explores how journaling can be beneficial in working your way to healing. Write Your StorY Resources mentioned in the episode The RESPECT Institute (https://dmh.mo.gov/constituent-services/respect-institute) is coordinated by th...

The Mental Health and Faith: A Closer Look program presents a series of episodes on Writing Your Way to Recovery. Throughout June 2024, Caroline shares content originally created for presentations at two different mental health conferences in Missouri. Today's episode explores how journaling can be beneficial in working your way to healing. Journaling Thanks to my fellow author and poet, Sharon Shoemaker, for the 8 Tips for Effective Journaling that are presented in this episode. (No cheating,...

The Mental Health and Faith: A Closer Look program presents a series of episodes on Writing Your Way to Recovery. Throughout June 2024, Caroline shares content originally created for presentations at two different mental health conferences in Missouri. Today’s episode explores how poetry can be beneficial in exploring emotions and how to express those feelings in a healthy way. Links to info on Emotion (Feeling) Wheels https://feelingswheel.com/ https://positivepsychology.com/emotion-wheel/ ht...