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Mormon Mental Health Podcast

Supporting mental health within the Mormon community.
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Now displaying: March, 2017
Mar 28, 2017

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Daniel Parkinson, a psychiatrist who was raised Mormon and left the church partly due to being gay, and Thomas Montgomery, Mormon father of a gay son and husband to Wendy Montgomery who helped found the Mama Dragons. Both men recently collaborated on some articles they decided to publish on the same day, Utah’s Escalating Suicide Crisis and LDS LGBTQ Despair on Rational Faiths and Rejection and the Family on No More Strangers. They discuss the alarming increase in suicide rates in Utah — a trend that has been apparent since the Church’s involvement in Prop 8, increased focus on anti-gay rhetoric in talks over the pulpit and the “November 5th policy” which specifically calls out homosexual marriage as a sin worthy of excommunication going as far as disallowing children who reside in such marriages to participate in Mormon ordinances. Many from within church activity dismiss this type of “anecdotal evidence” stating that one can not blame the Church or any one reason for something as complicated as suicide. Both interviewer and interviewees challenge this type of thinking and call on leaders and members alike to take note and be alarmed at the harm that is being done to LGBT+ members across the age spectrum. With the April 2017 Ensign having yet another anti-LBGT article being published just this coming month… these types of podcasts sharing valuable information can be life-saving to many within our midst. Please listen.

Mar 21, 2017

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Dr. Daniel Parkinson, a psychiatrist who was raised Mormon and left the church partly due to being gay, and Thomas Montgomery, Mormon father of a gay son and husband to Wendy Montgomery who helped found the Mama Dragons. Both men recently collaborated on some articles they decided to publish on the same day, Utah's Escalating Suicide Crisis and LDS LGBTQ Despair on Rational Faiths and Rejection and the Family on No More Strangers. They discuss the alarming increase in suicide rates in Utah -- a trend that has been apparent since the Church's involvement in Prop 8, increased focus on anti-gay rhetoric in talks over the pulpit and the "November 5th policy" which specifically calls out homosexual marriage as a sin worthy of excommunication going as far as disallowing children who reside in such marriages to participate in Mormon ordinances. Many from within dismiss this type of "anecdotal evidence" stating that one can't blame the church or any one reason for something as complicated as suicide. Both interviewer and interviewees challenge this type of thinking and call on leaders and members alike to take note and be alarmed at the harm that is being done to LGBT+ members across the age spectrum. With the April 2017 Ensign having yet another anti-LBGT article being published just this coming month... these types of podcasts sharing valuable information can be life-saving to many within our midst. Please listen. 

Mar 9, 2017

Natasha Helfer Parker interviews Kelly and Kendra in regards to the effects they felt as a result to ecclesiastical counsel that was not helpful within the context of their experiences. Kelly talks about being in an abusive relationship with her ex-husband and the resistance she encountered as she began to pursue divorce proceedings. Kendra discusses her experience as a sexual assault victim and how she was directed towards a repentance process instead of the help she needed to address trauma treatment. Both women share specific details of their stories that some may find difficult to listen to and that may trigger difficult emotional responses. 

The hope of this podcast is to draw attention to the limitations that LDS ecclesiastical leaders, who are not trained theological nor mental health professionals, have when dealing with particularly difficult and complicated family, marital and trauma situations. Leaders are often very well-intentioned and care deeply for the members of their congregations. At the same time, they carry a role within the religious context of representing God's will for those they minister over. And so when counsel or advice is inappropriate to the situation at hand, the damage can leave a lasting impact that affects the spiritual and emotional health of the parties involved for years to come. Therefore it is imperative that leaders gain a better understanding when to refer to capable professionals, and when the issues at hand are even beyond the scope of what LDS Family Services can offer. 

Mar 3, 2017

Natasha Helfer Parker and Lisa Butterworth, both mental health professionals, have a rich discussion about the role of both emotion and logic when it comes to how we think through positions we take, beliefs we have and communication styles we engage with others on. This is particularly relevant in understanding dynamics relating to faith transitions, political differences, racial and other types of discrimination and differing moral priorities. We tend to make assumptions that we think and behave from a place of critical thought and self-awareness. Not so much. Emotion and subconscious factors play huge roles in motivation for movement towards anything we lean into. Natasha and Lisa delve into how understanding that both of these human traits are pivotal towards individual and relational growth helps us have more empathy for self and others.  

Lisa Butterworth, LPC, NCC has a masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Idaho State University, primarily working with issues of relational health, faith transitions and journeys, women's issues and sexuality. ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Â¹She is the founder of the popular Feminist Mormon Housewives website and support group.

The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt

The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt

Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

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