Episode 168 :: Travis Thompson :: Stories of Mental Health, Addiction, Faith and Healing

Travis Thompson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who practices in Middle Tennessee. He is a PhD candidate who works with clients from many backgrounds to find the deeper meaning of their struggles and embrace long-term recovery from the pains that they experienced. His work is focused on being healed from past hurt and toward future success. During our conversation, Travis shares his journey of wrestling with his own mental health as a teenager, his recovery and healing journey, and entering the world of becoming a mental health professional serving and helping others like those who served and helped him. We’ll talk today about the stigmas around mental health, counseling, and medication, particularly in Christian circles, and how to care for people struggling with addiction AND those walking through it with them. Travis has actually written a book specifically around that topic of understanding addiction and how it impacts those around an addict and it is called To Those Left Behind: Helping Partners and Families Understand and Heal from Addiction. He’ll unpack many of the themes from his book, the effect and aftermath on mental health and addiction from the pandemic, where we see mental health in the Bible and he offers hope to those who may be suffering in the cycle of addiction as well as encouragement for those in the residual waves of it with someone they love. Modern mental health issues and recovery can seem overwhelming and confusing. I hope this conversation can serve you wherever you are in your journey, and perhaps Travis’ book might as well! No matter whether this journey is a part of your story, or someone you love, we are all wrestling with real issues bound up in these broken bodies. There is hope for all of us. As long as you’re breathing, God is not finished with you. You matter, and your story matters. Connecting with Travis: Book Twitter (X) Website Episode Sponsor: Tony Crabtree of Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty Facebook Instagram Tik Tok Website YouTube Please consider joining our Patreon community. If you have enjoyed what you have heard on the podcast today or from other episodes, we would so appreciate your support to keep the Simply Stories Podcast going. You can sign up for as little as $3 a month and each tier offers gifts that I hope will bless you in return. If you feel you cannot financially commit at this time, would you please consider leaving us a star rating and/or review on Apple Podcasts? My family and I are so grateful for each of you and how you are part of our story. Scripture References: Romans 8:28- God works all things together for good Psalm 107:2- Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story Psalm 142 (an example)King David struggling with mental health Ephesians 4:17-32- Paul talks about putting off the old self, drunkenness for one Job 16:2- Job’s friends and their bad advice Gensis 3- Eve misquotes God’s word Galatians 5:24-Paul talks about gnostic dualism Matthew 17:20- Mustard seed Psalm 19:1- The Heavens are declaring the glory of God Psalm 112:1-9 Psalm 37:4-, God made us to know delight Hebrews 4:12- The word of God is alive and active Genesis 19:30-38- Forgive me Noah!! It was LOT getting drunk off the boat and having sex with his kids. Whoops! Genesis 6:1-8- Nephelim… so weird 1 Samuel 17 (51-54) David cuts Goliath’s head off and keeps it as a trophy (ew) Ecclesiastes 3:1-8- To everything there is a season Philippians 1:6- This isn’t how the story ends References: -Little Free Library -Foster Care in TN -Recidivism -”Bluey” -Vanderbilt Mental Health facility -OnSite -My conversation with Irene Rollins, her book Reframe Your Shame -gnostic dualism -Witchcraft in scripture Job’s unhelpful friends -Book of Job from Bible Project (so insightful) -Impact 360 Institute -Kathryn Maack talks about integrating your head and your heart -”All truth is God’s truth”- Saint Augustine “Every story whispers his name”- Sally Lloyd Jones Louie Giglio’s testimony (and love for science) Louie’s Devotionals for kids about science (there’s also a podcast)