The Shepherd and the Shrink Podcast

Why is everyone so angry? There are many answers to this question, but the best is offered by the apostle James. Today, we talk about self control. We define it and share why it’s important. We note that, if you’re 95% in control, the other 5% will rule you. We talk about the different types of psychology, explaining the problem with materialism. We share why you should never give unsolicited advice, note that people change their minds, and urge you to ask yourself what’s fighting you for control. We note the relative unimportance of control of others and discuss the proper role of feelings. “There is no good thing that comes from my lack of self-control.” DMH - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● The problem with materialistic psychology ● What is phenomenology? ● Why you shouldn’t give unsolicited advice ● The meaning of self-control ● Why you shouldn’t let your feelings rule you Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness. Find us on Patreon too, where you can talk to us personally, get cool merchandise and exclusive video content, and more! You can get involved for as little as $1 a month.

Love is easy to talk about, but it’s much harder to live. In this episode, we talk about what it means to love your enemy and how to lay down your life for someone else on this side of death. Today, we talk about marriage. We discuss why marriage is so hard, note the importance of communication, and explain why relationships shouldn’t be competitive. We talk about why the key to a successful marriage is striving to outdo each other in acts of love and service, instead of focusing on what you get out of the relationship. We talk about what it means to lay down your life for others in a world where it’s rare to need to do so literally. We note the power of just being there for someone, and we talk about what it means to say, “Love never fails.” “If your love’s gonna be complete, it can’t be just for the people who adore you.” - Dr. Marty Fletcher This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● Why marriage is hard ● The importance of communication ● Why relationships aren’t a power struggle ● What it means to lay your life down for someone ● The meaning of acedia Resources mentioned ● Overcome Anxiety and Defeat Your Loneliness ● Shepherd and the Shrink Patreon Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness.

As human beings, we lose all the time. The fact is, we can’t rely on ourselves to succeed. That’s why we need to surrender to the only one who won’t let us down: God. But what does this mean? Today, we talk about surrender. We explore the idea that life is loss, and that learning to live is learning to lose well. We note Jesus’ statement that you can only find your life through losing it, and we explain why we can look to Jesus for an example of surrender. We also share some Old Testament examples, noting that real faith is not fully based on whether or not it will work out for us. “We’re so afraid of our surrender. We run away and do our own thing. But that’s exactly what Jesus never did.” - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● What does it mean to surrender to God? ● Learning how to lose well ● What is winning? ● FInding your life through losing it ● Why didn’t Jesus run away? ● Why it’s okay to be devastated ● Surrendering the small things ● Examples of surrender Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness. Find us on Patreon too, where you can talk to us personally, get cool merchandise and exclusive video content, and more! You can get involved for as little as $1 a month.

Underreacting, overreacting - people think that these reactions are merely circumstantial. And when you’re on the receiving end of these underreactions and overreactions from others, it can be hard not to take those reactions personally. It can be difficult to realize – these people aren’t out to get you. Instead, they’re likely reacting based on an old childhood habit, a childhood pattern, or a childhood wound. Today, I discuss how people often operate from woundedness and how they can break free from this manner of response. I share what the “child in survival mode” looks like and how it manifests in people as adults. I also dive into the “Love Chapter” from the Bible and share what love is, what it’s not, and how God’s call to His people to love others plays a crucial role in responding compassionately to others who are operating from their childhood wounds. “God showed me when people are underreacting and blowing me off, or they’re overreacting to me or to other people, they’re not out to get me. They are simply operating out of their woundedness.” - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● The personal impact of understanding the root cause for why others overreact ● The worst time to tell someone they are operating from their woundedness ● What it means to“put away childish things” ● Understanding the phrase “ the child is the father of the man” ● How to put away childish things ● How to be free to grow into the person God created you to be ● How to recognize it’s the “little child” in you that’s acting up ● Why marriage is a union of four people, not two ● The One who can help heal the wounded inner child ● What the sixth sense is and why you should ask for it Resources Mentioned: ● Putting Away Childish Things by David A. Seamands Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast episode with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness. Find us on Patreon too, where you can talk to us personally, get cool merchandise and exclusive video content, and more! You can get involved for as little as $1 a month.

Despondency is hard to identify, but it’s everywhere. Between the values pushed in our society and the pressures caused by things like Covid 19, it’s not easy to find joy, even if you have faith. Today, we talk about how to combat despondency. We define it, noting that we can think of it as the reverse of joy. We talk about how it manifests and impacts the different parts of our lives. We explain the problem with self-centeredness, noting that it combats love--even when disguised with terms such as “self-love”. We share David Seamands’ 6-step Biblical approach to defeating despondency, noting the power of forgiveness. We talk about how to get to the root of a perceived problem with the help of the Holy Spirit, and we note the power of playing. “Our society’s response to all of these problems is to look within yourself. ‘Just follow your heart,’ which means you’re completely staring at yourself. You’re constantly are taking your own pulse of, ‘How do I feel about this? How do I feel about that? What’s my identity in this? What’s my identity in that? How do I relate to this?’ And it’s all me, me, my, my, mine, mine. And we get sick of ourselves. And if we don’t know that there’s something greater out there for us to be a part of, we completely miss out.” - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● Defining and defeating despondency ● The impact of despondency ● The 6-step Biblical approach to defeating despondency ● The importance of facing your responsibility ● Why not everyone wants to be healed ● Facing fears and the power of forgiveness ● Why God is proud of you when you’re working to defeat despondency ● The importance of playing Resources mentioned ● Healing for Damaged Emotions by David Seamands ● Healing for Damaged Emotions - Workbook ● The Shepherd and the Shrink - Episode 32: World Methodist Evangelism with Kim Reisman ● Overcome Anxiety and Defeat Your Loneliness ● Shepherd and the Shrink Patreon Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness. Find us on Patreon too, where you can talk to us personally, get cool merchandise and exclusive video content, and more! You can get involved for as little as $1 a month.

In what seems to be a chaotic and out-of-control world, it seems irresponsible and heartless not to be caught up in the feelings that come with focusing on all of the problems. But the truth is, for the most part, things are okay. And most of the things that aren’t okay are the things of this world. God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Today, we talk about doing just that. Mindfulness might have the connotation of flaky spirituality for some Christians, but today we discuss why that’s not the case. We define it, note its long history, and discuss its many benefits. We talk about our negativity bias, which prompts us to focus on one bad thing over many good things. We talk about the role of the media in playing up our negativity bias, and we discuss the dangers of being led by your emotions. We look to Paul for an example of mindfulness in the middle of chaos and discuss why angry emotions aren’t productive. We mention gratitude's role and discuss why mindfulness is the most proactive approach you can take. “God is more real, past, present, and future, than anything that’s floating across my screen.” Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● Mindfulness vs. mindlessness ● The benefits of mindfulness ● Overcoming your negativity bias ● The role of gratitude in mindfulness ● The importance of loving kindness Resources mentioned ● Overcome Anxiety and Defeat Your Loneliness Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast episode with your hosts, Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness.

Traffic jams. Squeaking doors. Interruptions. Long lines. Flat tires. What do these all have in common? They’re all triggers of impatience. When was the last time you thought about the link between patience and peace? Questioned your sense of entitlement? Examined your gratitude for the things you have? Patience is easy to talk about, but the real thing is no Disney movie. Today, we explore patience and talk about its link with peace. We talk about how patience involves an acceptance of reality and how it can help us to escape our addiction to consistency and a sense of entitlement. We explore the link between patience and gratitude and give personal testimonies about the effect of patience on our lives. We end by sharing several practices that help to cultivate patience, as well as a reflection on the price of a pearl. “Patience is a reminder that our faith is to be lived out in real life.” -Dr. Matt Hook “Impatience interferes with the contemplative life.” -Dr. Martin Fletcher “When there is a huge problem with today, I say, ‘God, you’ve got a huge problem. I’m going to bed.’” -Dr. Matt Hook “Patience is optimistic because it means I am not a slave to my current circumstances.” -Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● What is patience ● Keeping the bigger picture in sight ● Patience as acceptance of reality ● The importance of listening ● Slowness to anger ● Giving up control ● The role of humor Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast episode with your hosts, Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness.

Everybody wants to know the secret: What’s the secret to prayer? Jesus himself said that the secret to prayer is ‘secret prayer.’ The power of prayer is far-reaching and can benefit your life in many ways. But, when many people pray, they often feel like it's not working, or they need to do it differently to be effective. Prayer is a very personal thing; it's between you and God. How do you make sure you are praying the right way, and what does that even mean? Today, we discuss how prayer can help us through these challenging times and look at the statistics of those who choose to pray. Martin shares how prayer is assisting him through a busy schedule, and we explore some of the preconceptions many people have about prayer. We explore the importance of privacy in prayer, how some people experience emotions that others don't, and why it's OK either way. We also share how you can get started with bringing prayer into your life - even if you don't have the words - and why where you pray is important. "Globally, in every culture, people pray.” - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● How prayer can impact our experience of current events ● Statistics on prayer and the people that choose to pray ● How prayer is helping Martin through his hectic schedule ● The preconceived notions many people have about prayer ● Observations from recent protests ● What is prayer and how to do it according to God's will ● How loss can bring you closer to God ● Why the privacy of prayer matters ● How what we do in public is shaped by what we do in private ● The physiological effects of prayer ● How secret prayer safeguards you from pride ● How prayer deepens with practice ● Why you don't need to worry about your motivations for prayer ● Why many people experience a raw emotional response when they pray ● How Science and Faith are not in opposition to each other ● Why the self-conscious emotions, such as shame, are painful ● What prayer has done for Matt's life ● Why it's ok if you pray and don't have emotions ● How you can pray even when you don't have the words ● How you can get started in prayer with confidence ● Why where you pray is important ● How Jesus taught us to worship and what the prayer He gave us means Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast episode with your hosts, Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people, like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness.

Everyone looks for hope, purpose, and peace, and many seek help from a therapist to find them. While this is an important and incredibly helpful step, many people don’t know about the mental health benefits of a relationship with Jesus. Today, Pastor John Reed joins us to talk about the hope, purpose, and peace that come from following Jesus. We discuss mental health in the Church and note the importance of fellowship and community. We talk about the importance of recognizing that flaws are nearly universal to humans--even St. Paul. We discuss the most effective way to evangelize and why kindness to others doesn’t need to mean that you condone their decisions and beliefs. We also offer three pillars of evangelization. “Understand where you were and who you were, and what He did for you anyway.” Pastor John Reed This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● Why we know ourselves best through others ● Mental health in the Church ● The importance of community ● Accepting who God says He is instead of who we want Him to be ● The three pillars of evangelization Resources mentioned ● Overcome Anxiety and Defeat Your Loneliness ● Shepherd and the Shrink Patreon Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast episode with your hosts, Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness. Find us on Patreon too, where you can talk to us personally, get cool merchandise and exclusive video content, and more! You can get involved for as little as $1 a month.

Possession may conjure up the many images from movies and cartoon-like visages of the devil. There are many references in the Bible, and it can be a struggle to relate concepts in the scriptures to today. Even though these are ancient teachings, they are still very much relevant today. So, what is possession? Does it still happen in this day and age? How do you recognize the signs, and what can you do to guard yourself against evil in the world? Today, we discuss how outside influences can become part of us and how we can often feel bound by them. We explore the differences between ideological and demonic possession and how it is not always the instant process we may think. We discuss how a healthy sense of sin is helpful and why we should not hate ‘evil’ people. We share how spiritual problems are not correctable with human solutions and why the Bible's teachings are still relevant today. We also discuss the power of belief, how you can deal with the feelings of being bound, and your best weapons against the modern world's evils. "There's always something that you can't see, controlling something that you can." - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● Do outside influences truly possess us ● How all belief has a metaphysical element ● How symbolism helps to reflect the true meaning of faith ● How we can feel bound by outside things ● The difference between demonic and ideological possession ● Why possession is not the quick or instant process we may think it is ● How healthy guilt or a sense of personal sin can stop things from getting out of hand ● Why an unsubmitted will can allow evil in ● Why evil people are not to be hated ● How we can follow scripture to mock the devil in the world today ● The story of possession in Mark 5:1 and how it relates to modern times ● How we entomb ourselves with things that are not life-giving ● How spiritual problems can't be reconciled with human solutions ● Why the teachings and actions in the Bible can help with the modern conditions we see in others ● How we can change our view to look above what the world shows us ● The power of belief and how it shapes our world ● How you can deal with the feeling of being bound ● What are demons, demonic possession, and your best weapon against it Resources Mentioned: ● The People of the Lie - by M. Scott Peck ● The Road Less Traveled - by M. Scott Peck ● The Screwtape Letters - by C. S. Lewis Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people, like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness.

People are finding it harder and harder to trust, and this leads to isolation, loneliness, and even affects our relationship with God. How can we fix the trust epidemic? Today, we talk about trust. We define it, share some statistics on it, and explain why some people find it harder to trust than others. We discuss why trust is needed, and we note that there’s no fear in love. We explain why our weaknesses are actually opportunities for trust. We point out the link between trust, humility, and admiration, and we note that you can be a trusting person without being naive. We explore the danger of isolation, cautioning that it makes you vulnerable to the devil’s temptations. We distinguish between solitude and loneliness, we share Henri Nouwen’s story of a trapeze artist he once met, and we point out that you need to trust God to trust others. “You shouldn’t be willing to trust everyone. That doesn’t mean you should trust no one.” - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● The definition of trust ● Why you should trust ● Why lack of knowledge is an opportunity to trust ● The link between trust, humility, and admiration ● Believing that most people are doing the best they can ● The dangers of isolation ● Solitude vs loneliness ● Henri Nouwen on trust ● The power of acknowledging the presence of God Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness. Find us on Patreon too, where you can talk to us personally, get cool merchandise and exclusive video content, and more! You can get involved for as little as $1 a month.

A common misconception of Christians everywhere is that to love is to take on others’ problems. Actually, though, it’s destructive both to others and to ourselves when we try to do that, as well as when we try to get others to take on our problems. Boundaries are what help us to determine which responsibilities are whose, and today I (Dr. Matt Hook) talk about why that’s important. I do it in the context of the book Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Cloud and Townsend. In this episode I discuss virtue signaling, how to square saying no with being a loving person, and the dangers of being nice out of fear. I talk about why a lack of boundaries is unhealthy and why refusing to take on others’ problems is actually the more loving option. I talk about distinguishing God’s voice from Satan’s in the context of guilt, and the difference between responsibility to and responsibility for. I note that boundaries keep the good things in and the bad things out, and I finish with a note on how it’s okay that sometimes people won’t understand. “There are some people here who have taken on way more than God ever wanted you to.” “Boundaries are where I end and someone else begins.” “Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded to have other-control. Only self-control.” “We are responsible to other people, and we are responsible for ourselves.” This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● When to say no and when to say yes ● Being nice out of fear ● The call to be a servant ● Why you shouldn’t take on other people’s problems ● Guarding your heart ● Why you shouldn’t keep the good things out and the bad things in because of feelings of unworthiness Resources mentioned ● Overcome Anxiety and Defeat Your Loneliness ● Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people, like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness.

The power of our words is something that may not always be at the forefront of our minds. Many people speak or react without genuinely thinking about what they are saying and its effect on others. Speech is all around us, and the power within our tongues can rule our household. The words you use determines how you influence the world around you. So, how can you make sure what you are saying is received in the right way? How can you be more mindful of the way you build relationships through your language? In today's episode, we discuss how words can take on a whole life of their own and why we should be careful about the language we choose. We explore how the terms we use can affect other people's feelings and why we need to think about the spirit in which something is said rather than the exact words used. We discuss negative language, cursing, and how withholding words can be an act of aggression. We share the lessons we can take from the Book of James and how our words are gifts from God. We also examine how our timing is crucial, why silence can be beneficial, and the things you can do to be more considerate in your comments. "There is a direct connection between our heart and our words." - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● How our words can take on a life of their own ● How we can take hold of our words to explain what's going on ● Why we have to be very careful with our speech ● Why what’s behind the speech is a crucial part and how what we say influences how other people feel ● Why it's not always the message that matters but the spirit in which it is given ● How speech is often used to manipulate ● Withholding words as an act of aggression ● How you can learn to change the negativity in your language ● How the stories we read online are made to create a response ● How words can change the course of someone's life ● Why you need to pay attention to your words to guide your life ● The lessons we can take from the Book of James and how God has given us an incredible gift to use our words ● Why your spiritual attitude affects your words ● How the timing of your comments can be just as significant as the words themselves ● Questions you can ask yourself before speaking ● The benefits of silence ● What is gossip and why it's harmful ● The practice we can do to improve our words and how we use them Resources Mentioned: ● Be Still and Know by Jenny Ho-Huan Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people, like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness.

Underreacting, overreacting - people think that these reactions are merely circumstantial. And when you’re on the receiving end of these underreactions and overreactions from others, it can be hard not to take those reactions personally. It can be difficulty to realize – these people aren’t out to get you. Instead, they’re likely reacting based on an old childhood habit, a childhood pattern, or a childhood wound. Today, I discuss how people often operate from woundedness and how they can...

Stress, loss of peace, family challenges, and relationships - or the lack of them have plagued the lives of many now more than ever. These times when you feel alone, isolated, and lonely could be seasons of spiritual dry spells that are inevitable parts of everyone’s journey. But are you aware that you can be the one preventing God from helping you? In today’s episode, we discuss what a spiritual dry spell is, the signs to identify that you are going through one, and what God could be telling you during this season. We discuss what ‘spiritual warfare’ is and the type of circumstances that lead people to take action toward change. We discuss why happiness isn’t always a great teacher. We also discuss what you can do when it feels like God is leaving you hanging and share examples of healthy ways to start dealing with spiritual dry spells. “Each time God brings along a dry spell, there is something that He wants to work out in your life. It could almost be a message of hope even though you feel abandoned for the moment.” - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● Where in the Bible you can see people going through spiritual dry spells ● How people cope with spiritual dry spells and why they cope the way they do ● The most impactful thing we could say to someone ● What spiritual warfare looks like ● How to identify what your message is and how it impacts others ● The circumstance that makes people act to make a change ● Why happiness is not a very good teacher ● Behavior vs. Feeling - where is a good start to overcome dry spells ● The parallelism and representations between the prophet Ezekiel’s story in the Valley of Dry Bones to modern-day dry spells Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness. Find us on Patreon too, where you can talk to us personally, get cool merchandise and exclusive video content, and more! You can get involved for as little as $1 a month.

Life can be exhausting and overwhelming, and we often make it worse by trying to push ourselves past our limit. This isn’t healthy and it isn’t what Christ wants for us. Instead, He commands us to set aside a full day every week for Him. Your first thought might be, Who has time for that? Join us today as we talk about why YOU do, and why it’ll actually help you to be more productive in the long run, not to mention more healthy, more at peace, and closer to God. That’s right, today we tackle the Sabbath. Join us as we talk about the importance of resting, the ways in which the Sabbath strengthens our relationship with God and others, why it stems from God’s love for us, and why even the busiest person needs it. We discuss the purpose of the Sabbath, diving into how God’s creation is a gift for us and how the Sabbath is our time to stop everything to enjoy it and partake in it. We discuss the effects of keeping the Sabbath holy, including the feeling of safety we so often crave, the rhythm it instills in our life, the rejuvenation, and the improved spiritual and mental states. “God’s not coming to take time away from us. He’s coming to give us time.” Dr. Martin Fletcher “We think that God doesn’t understand the 24/7 world that we live in, but it wasn’t easier back then.” Dr. Matt Hook “Your real issue is not with the Sabbath. It’s over the authority of Christ in your life.” Dr. Matt Hook “God rested to delight in his creation and enjoy it.” Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● The holiness of the Sabbath as set apart for God ● Enjoying the product of our work ● The lightness of Christ’s yoke ● Christianity as a relationship. ● God’s sovereignty over time ● Learning to put yourself to bed Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people, like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness.

Throughout our lives, there will be challenging times, and maintaining calmness can be difficult. Today, it is more challenging than ever to find peace and have a calm state of mind. The chaos around us has a profound effect on our wellbeing, and finding serenity is not easy. So, how do you navigate your way through tough times and remain in a calm state? How do you find a sense of peace... and what does that even mean? In today's episode, we explore the meaning of calmness and how it differentiates from peace. We share how many people look for peace in the wrong places and how you can bring yourself into the moment to promote calmness. We discuss how the way we wait for what we want affects our peace and sense of calmness and why it's essential to help others. We also share how the story of the Prophet of Elijah is relatable to all of us today and the things we do each morning to promote calmness that we can take with us throughout the day. "There is a strength in the midst of chaos; you can still be calm." - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● What is calmness and how is it different from peace ● Phenomenology and the exploration of experience ● The scripture that changed Martin's life ● Why peace through hedonism is fleeting ● How we look for peace in the wrong places through judgment and division ● Why we need to understand that all people have to go through the same difficult path to God ● How being in the moment and seeing the truth helps to bring calmness ● What is the value of peace ● How the attitude we take while we wait affects our peace ● How to help someone find a sense of calm ● How we can all relate to the Prophet Elijah ● How getting outside of yourself and helping others is beneficial ● Why confidence, peace, calm, and faith are all interlinked ● How Matt starts his day to create calmness ● How daily disciplines can train your peace Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people, like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness.

Humility can come in many forms. We know humility and the ability to be humble is a good trait to have and in some cases, it’s easy to identify a humble person. But in other situations, humility and humbleness can often be a little tricker to spot. Today’s episode is all about the character virtue – humility. I discuss why it’s often hard to stay humble and maintain your humility when serving people – especially when those people don’t appreciate what you do. I discuss why, for some people, being right seems to be more important than being humble. I discuss why genuinely humble people don’t actually think of themselves as being a humble person. I also discuss how the Bible says you can cultivate humility, the discipline required to cultivate it, and the importance of considering your uniqueness as a gift from God. “Humility doesn’t come from a place of weakness. Humility comes from a place of strength and inner security.” - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● Why humility is a good character trait to have ● The connection between humility and continuing to serve people who do not appreciate what you do ● Being humble versus being ‘right’ ● How focusing on yourself draws you away from God and other people ● How to cultivate humility ● The discipline required to cultivate humility ● Thinking of your uniqueness as gifts from God instead of flaws ● The difference between selfish suffering and selfless suffering ● Asking yourself: Are you ready to follow God into and with humility Resources Mentioned: ● The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? by Rick Warren Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness. Find us on Patreon too, where you can talk to us personally, get cool merchandise and exclusive video content, and more! You can get involved for as little as $1 a month.

Why don’t people get the help they need? There are many reasons, ranging from stigma to sex to fear of weakness. But the truth is, none of these reasons are good enough. Today, we talk about why you should seek help. We note that people tend to view therapy as a last resort, and that they’re often afraid to expose their weakness. We point out that seeking help requires strength, and we discuss the biblical idea that our strength lies in our weakness. We explain why self-care is closely linked to other-care, and we talk about what Ruth and Naomi have to teach us about healing well. We discuss the different levels of fear, and we note that people tend to prefer the hell of a predictable situation to the heaven of an unpredictable one. “We were not wired to be as alone and as isolated as all of us have been.” - Dr. Matt Hook “People confuse familiarity with safety.” - Dr. Marty Fletcher This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● Overcoming stigma about seeking help ● Why people view therapy as a last resort (and why they shouldn’t) ● Why seeking help shows strength ● The link between self-help and other-help ● What Ruth and Naomi can teach us about healing ● The different levels of fear ● Stepping into the unknown Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness. Find us on Patreon too, where you can talk to us personally, get cool merchandise and exclusive video content, and more! You can get involved for as little as $1 a month.

What is our response to the insane level of critique, suspicion, judgmentalism, and confusion in our world? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but an underrated and overlooked solution is gentleness. Today, we talk about gentleness. We discuss why it’s a fruit of the Holy Spirit and why it’s directly connected with strength. We talk about the link between gentleness and meekness, and we emphasize the importance of being gentle with yourself. We note that engaging in anger makes you smaller, not bigger, and we talk about why gentleness is effective. We define the purpose of gentleness and note that it’s a lens through which to see everything else. “Until you’ve been treated gently when you probably didn’t deserve it, you might not understand the strength and the power and the goodness that is available in gentleness. But sometimes we have to be the recipient of something before our eyes are opened to it.” - Dr. Matt Hook This week on Shepherd & the Shrink: ● The meaning of gentleness ● Why gentleness isn’t weak ● The link between gentleness and meekness ● Being gentle on yourself ● Why engaging in anger makes you smaller, not bigger ● Why it’s so much easier to act like a Christian than to react like one ● The strength of self-control ● Gentleness as a way of keeping God in the middle of our lives ● Sadness vs anger ● Gentleness as a lens through which to see everything else Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. Apple Podcasts | TuneIn | GooglePlay | Stitcher | Spotify Be sure to share your favorite episodes on social media to help us reach more amazing people like you. Join us on Facebook and Twitter, and for more exclusive content and information, visit our website and grab your free guide with 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety & Defeat Your Loneliness. Find us on Patreon too, where you can talk to us personally, get cool merchandise and exclusive video content, and more! You can get involved for as little as $1 a month.