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.