Summer Meyers joins Natasha on this episode of Mormon Mental Health. Summer is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. As an Art Therapist she focuses on creativity as healing. Summer shares her story with Natasha about her experience with Mormonism and why she was led to be an Art Therapist as well as her experience as an Art Therapist with a particular project with clients. To view the drawings, please go here: goo.gl/g4PWs2
Summer can be reached at summer@pacificmft.com or at 424-254-9188. She has a web presence at pacificmft.com/summer-myers and a soon to be completed website at summermyers.com. Her full research project can be found at https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/etd/321/
Please consider donating to Mormon Mental Health to keep the podcast going past 2018. To donate, please visit mormonmentalhealth.org.
In light of a statement on LDS.org declaring, “An inability to feel the spirit … is often a symptom of poor mental health,” Natasha Helfer Parker, MFT CST and John Dehlin, Ph.D. are joined by our guest Matt to speak about his experiences with Mormon faith crisis, depression, and suicidality—issues he has dealt with for 20 years.
According to Matt, it makes him angry to read that his struggles were a trial, test, or blessing from God, or that he could have been healed if he had more faith, prayed, or hadn’t “sinned.” Matt believes that religious observance is not a cure for mental health illness, and in these episodes, Natasha and John discuss how Mormonism, and in particular a faith transition in the context of Mormonism, can exacerbate the symptoms of depression.
Part 1: Natasha and John discuss depression and then introduce our guest, Matt
Part 2: Matt shares his faith transition and how it affected his mental health
Part 3: Natasha, John, and Matt discuss the LDS Church’s statement regarding mental health and the ability to feel the “Spirit”
Natasha will be in Houston the beginning of July and will be attending the Sunstone Symposium at the end of July where she will be presenting multiple sessions as well as have a booth that she encourages all to stop by. For more information, please visit her website: natashaparker.org
OR
https://www.mormonstories.org/houston/
https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/2018-salt-lake-summer-symposium/
Thank you to all that have donated to Mormon Mental Health. To donate, please go here and consider becoming a monthly supporter: www.mormonmentalhealth.org
In light of a statement on LDS.org declaring, “An inability to feel the spirit … is often a symptom of poor mental health,” Natasha Helfer Parker, MFT CSTand John Dehlin, Ph.D. are joined by our guest Matt to speak about his experiences with Mormon faith crisis, depression, and suicidality—issues he has dealt with for 20 years.
According to Matt, it makes him angry to read that his struggles were a trial, test, or blessing from God, or that he could have been healed if he had more faith, prayed, or hadn’t “sinned.” Matt believes that religious observance is not a cure for mental health illness, and in these episodes, Natasha and John discuss how Mormonism, and in particular a faith transition in the context of Mormonism, can exacerbate the symptoms of depression.
Part 1: Natasha and John discuss depression and then introduce our guest, Matt
Part 2: Matt shares his faith transition and how it affected his mental health
Part 3: Natasha, John, and Matt discuss the LDS Church’s statement regarding mental health and the ability to feel the “Spirit”
Natasha will be in Houston the beginning of July and will be attending the Sunstone Symposium at the end of July where she will be presenting multiple sessions as well as have a booth that she encourages all to stop by. For more information, please visit her website: natashaparker.org
OR
https://www.mormonstories.org/houston/
https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/2018-salt-lake-summer-symposium/
Thank you to all that have donated to Mormon Mental Health. To donate, please go here and consider becoming a monthly supporter: www.mormonmentalhealth.org
Kristyn Decker joins Natasha on this episode of Mormon Mental Health. Having been the child of polygamous prophet, Kristyn shares her journey of being part of a polygamous group and also her post-fundamentalist life. She shares her experience with sexuality as a fundamentalist, her experience going on the show “Sister Wives” and then Natasha and Kristyn dive into the doctrines used to keep people dedicated to the group.
Kristyn is the author of “Fifty Years in Polygamy: Big Secrets and Little White Lies”:
https://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Years-Polygamy-Secrets-Little/dp/145255000X
Other references referred to in the episode include:
Lindsay Hansen Park’s “Year of Polygamy” Podcast which you can find at yearofpolygamy.com
You can find out more about “Sister Wives” by going to tlc.com/tv-shows/sister-wives/
As always, please consider donating to Mormon Mental Health by going to mormonmentalhealth.org
On this episode of Mormon Mental Health, Natasha is joined by Karin Franklin Peter who is a Community of Christ minister and serves on the Council of Presidents of Seventy. Natasha and Karin discuss Karin's personal spiritual journey in the church, the reaction by members in the church and current changes taking place.
Natasha sums up the episode by mentioning some of the mental health practices that Karin and the Community of Christ employ that both Mormons and non-Mormons alike can learn from.
For more information on the Community of Christ, please visit their website:www.cofchrist.org
Karin also hosts a Community of Christ podcast, Project Zion Podcast. To find out more, please visit: projectzionpodcast.org/tag/community-of-christ/
Thank you to all that have donated to Mormon Mental Health. To donate, please go here and consider becoming a monthly supporter: www.mormonmentalhealth.org
Natasha Helfer Parker runs an online practice, Symmetry Solutions and writes at The Mormon Therapist for Patheos: Hosting the Conversation of Faith. She also hosts the popular podcasts, Mormon Mental Health & Mormon Sex Info and creates the sex educational resource, Sex Talk with Natasha.
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. ​She is the founder of the popular Feminist Mormon Housewives website and support group.
The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
This week the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has once again been in the news in regards to the excommunication of one of their own: this time it’s John Dehlin of Mormon Stories – only months after the excommunication of Kate Kelly of Ordain Women. There have been lesser, yet still painful ramifications (losing callings, not being able to attain temple recommends, disfellowshipment, etc.) for members of the church on a global level as we struggle with both historical, doctrinal and social issues we may not all agree on. This is having a significant impact in many stake, ward and family systems – with frustration, anger and relationship struggles becoming unfortunate, yet common happenings.
On the evening of the news that John Dehlin was excommunicated, Natasha Helfer Parker, Jennifer Finlayson-Fife, Joanna Brooks, Dan Wotherspoon, and Brian Dillman got together via Skype audio chat to discuss various ways they personally cope with the kinds of distress such things cause, and perspectives that help heal them in times of difficulty. Their sharing is this podcast episode, which is being co-released by Mormon Matters, Rational Faiths podcast, and Mormon Mental Health podcasts. How might we experience and understand our anger in healthy ways? How do we not let our emotions get the better of us and block out wider perspectives that likely would serve us better for the long haul? Can historical and sociological frameworks help us see these recent events in greater context, help us understand ways to move forward rather than repeat negative cycles? Are there larger spiritual or existential framings that can help us make peace with the tensions life and the many things we care about seem to constantly call upon us to bear?
In a section led by Joanna Brooks, she refers to and describes this chart:
Violence Cycle
A poem for my brothers and sisters
Please listen and then share your thoughts in the comments section below!
Many thanks to The Lower Lights for the beautiful bumper music and to Brian Dillman for audio production of this podcast.