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With You in the Weeds: Where Faith Meets Mental Health — Health & Fitness
With You in the Weeds: Where Faith Meets Mental Health

Are you struggling with anxiety, depression, difficult relationships, or wondering how your faith connects to your mental health? With You in the Weeds is a faith-based mental health podcast hosted by a team of licensed counselors and pastors who weekly help real people navigate the hardships of life.

Co-hosts John Tinnin (MDiv, MFT), Lynn Roush (LPC), Shay Roush (MDiv), and Austin Conner (MDiv, PLPC) bring both clinical expertise and pastoral wisdom to honest, practical conversations about the issues you’re actually facing: anxiety, trauma, marriage, parenting, forgiveness, grief, singleness, narcissism, addiction, stress, and more.

This isn’t therapy, but it’s the next best thing! If you’ve ever wished you could be a fly on the wall and listen to a team of Christian counselors thoughtfully address what you’re going through, this podcast was made for you.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health care. Please seek independent medical or counseling support for personal health concerns.

New episodes every week. Visit withyouintheweeds.com to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and to access our small group study guides, free downloads, and other mental health resources.

This podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health care. Please seek independent medical or counseling support for personal health concerns.

Copyright: © All Rights Reserved

Latest Episodes:

Breaking the Cycle of Sex Trafficking in Your Community with Julie Meranda & Lauren Gray Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

Are you ready to confront a harsh reality? The state of Missouri is ranked #4 in the number of people being sex trafficked daily in our nation. In this gripping interview, host Austin Conner talks with Julie Meranda and Lauren Gray from Magnolia Ministry, as they walk alongside sex trafficking survivors toward healing and freedom.

Julie and Lauren share the heart-breaking stories of how sex trafficking exists in places where you would least expect it. They also explain the different types of trafficking and how difficult it is to break the bonds that form when a person is exploited and controlled.

Magnolia’s practical steps include prayer, giving small gifts, visiting the environments that house exploited women and providing community education. They rely on God’s redemptive power to truly set captives free and bring women and children out of bondage.

Despite the issue’s complexity, Julie and Lauren believe that everyone can make a difference through prayer, donations, or volunteering. The good news: there is hope for these women thanks to the Magnolia Ministry, which prioritizes walking alongside survivors as they find safety, healing, and freedom.

To get more information about Magnolia Ministry, click here

To reach out to Julie Meranda, email her at jmeranda@themagnoliaministry.org

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Caring For Those Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice with Megan Sievers Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

Is it possible to end homelessness for veterans in your community? Megan Sievers is on a mission to make that vision a reality.

In this episode of our series, Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself, Shay Roush sits down with Megan Sievers, Executive Director of Welcome Home, a Columbia, Missouri-based nonprofit dedicated to serving homeless veterans.

You may not realize that many who have given of themselves to serve our country face challenges that go unnoticed and deserve our attention. This conversation highlights how Welcome Home embodies this mission by supporting veterans in need.

Welcome Home began when Vietnam veterans, heartbroken by seeing their comrades die homeless, established a shelter in 1992 to provide a lifeline for veterans. Since then, this organization has evolved from offering basic shelter to comprehensive services like emergency housing, case management, and homelessness prevention, all rooted in a commitment to honor veterans’ sacrifices.

Megan shares powerful stories of transformed lives as Welcome Home addresses the complex issues veterans face, including PTSD, substance abuse, and isolation. Loving others well means bringing dignity and hope to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice, because those who have served our country deserve our love and support in return.

To learn how you can get involved in ending veteran homelessness, or to attend one of their upcoming events, visit welcomeveterans.org

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Protecting and Choosing Life with Cassidy Teter & Molly Cover Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

What if the key to loving your neighbor lies in meeting them with grace and compassion in their most vulnerable moments, no matter their choices?

In this episode of our ongoing series Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself, host Austin Conner sits down with Cassidy Teter and Molly Cover from My Life Clinic in Columbia, Missouri, to explore a compassionate approach to supporting women facing unexpected or unsupported pregnancies.

No matter what your perception or personal experience with a pregnancy center might be, you will learn how offering evidence-based information, cost-free services like pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, STI testing, and personal counseling can provide dignity and care that women need when they’re facing a difficult decision.

While social media is rife with misinformation about women who have had or are considering an abortion, Cassidy and Molly understand the emotional, physical, and spiritual complexities that women face. My Life Clinic is committed to being a consistent, loving presence, reflecting Jesus’ heart of compassion, regardless of a woman’s past or future choices. They also share incredible stories of how a mother’s decision to protect and choose life can have a lasting impact for generations to come.

In an effort to embody Psalm 147:3 which states that “God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds”, this episode will encourage you to love your neighbor by meeting them with grace, dignity and support, especially in complex and distressing situations like unplanned pregnancies.

To get more information about My Life Clinic, click here.

To learn how to get involved at My Clinic, click here.

To reach out to Cassidy Teter, email her at cassidy@mylifeclinic.org

Transforming Your Neighborhood With Love with Jane Williams and Caroline Roush Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

Could “free prayer” transform your neighborhood?

In this remarkable episode of our “Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself” series, we dive into the transformative work of Love Columbia as host Lynn Roush interviews Jane Williams, Co-Founder and Executive Director, and Caroline Roush, Director of Communications.

It’s true: Love Columbia grew from a simple gesture of offering “free prayer” to neighbors in need to a thriving hub for personal transformation in our community.

Jane Williams has always been passionate about loving others well, but it was the experience of encountering her own limits when she lost her eyesight 13 years ago that deepened her reliance on God and energized her mission to build a ministry that meets both the physical and emotional needs for the most vulnerable in our city. Now a thriving non-profit organization, Love Columbia provides a holistic approach to caring for those who need a helping hand.

In this episode you will learn the secret to loving others well and the key elements needed for transformation: humility to acknowledge one’s need for help, faith in God’s provision, endurance to persevere through challenges, and social connectedness to build supportive relationships. You’ll also hear how Caroline used to underestimate the power of listening, but has since learned that you need to understand a person’s struggles and dreams before offering practical help, like financial coaching or car repairs.

If you want to be a force for good in your community, you’ll be encouraged to know that transforming others with love always starts with one small act of faith, but can change the course of someone’s life and create a legacy of hope that you could have never imagined.

Visit lovecolumbia.org to volunteer or learn how to be part of this life-changing mission or get ideas for starting a hub of transformation in your own community.

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Loving Your Neighbor on Purpose with Chris & Elizabeth McKinney Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Did you know that we are in the midst of the greatest de-churching movement in the history of the world? In the last 25 years, over 40 million people have stopped going to church. While that may be cause for concern, Chris & Elizabeth McKinney see it as an opportunity to impact your neighborhood one small act at a time.

Listen as Austin Conner interviews Chris and Elizabeth McKinney, a perfect fit for our current series Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself. The McKinneys are passionate about intentional neighboring, which began as a small fish fry in 2012. Their desire to create a welcoming community in their Columbia, Missouri neighborhood has since grown into a ministry to equip others to love their neighbors purposefully.

The McKinneys emphasize that being a good neighbor isn’t about perfection but persistence, and have countless stories of how a small effort can create a big impact in people’s lives. They address common apprehensions, such as time constraints for introverts or fear of awkwardness, and stress that small steps like simply waving, saying hello, initiating small conversations or sharing a meal with your neighbor are the key to getting started.

This episode will challenge the cultural norm of leaving neighbors alone, and encourage you to step out of your comfort zone, even just a little bit, so that you can play a part in “going where God is” in your neighborhood right outside your front door.

Check out their books Placed for a Purpose and Neighborhoods Reimagined, or their podcast for more inspiration to see your address as a divine appointment.

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Who is Your Neighbor? with Nathan Tiemeyer Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

Do you feel overwhelmed by the needs of those around you and struggle with guilt that you’re not doing enough to help? In a world filled with suffering, brokenness and heartache, Christians are called to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). But who defines what love is and who qualifies as your neighbor?

We are kicking off a brand new series called Loving Your Neighbor as Yourself as we attempt to answer this culturally relevant and often confusing topic. In this episode, hosts John Tinnin and Shay Roush are joined by their friend and fellow pastor Nathan Tiemeyer, to tackle the question: Who is my neighbor and how am I called to love them?

Through the lens of the Parable of the Good Samaritan, they explore the biblical command to love others, and address who we’re called to love, and how to do so wisely. If you’re feeling cynical, burdened by the needs of others, or are seeking practical ways to love well, this episode - and ultimately this series - will offer hope and clarity so that you can love your neighbor with increasing knowledge, insight and intentionality.

Listen as John, Shay and Nathan discuss:

The radical scope and biblical definition of the term “neighbor”
How our own spiritual bankruptcy puts all of us in a position of needing help and mercy
What God does - and does not - expect from us as finite creatures when it comes to meeting the needs of others
How Augustine’s Ordo Amoris (order of love) provides us with an intentional but discerning perspective on loving others as yourself
A Christian perspective on immigration and loving the immigrant in your community

This discussion will free you up to accept that you can’t love everyone equally, but you can start with one person in front of you. As you consider how to “love your neighbor as yourself”, the simplest place to start is to do for one what you wish you could do for everyone, trusting God to guide your love and multiply your impact.

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Parenting With Hope with Melissa Kruger Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

Are you bogged down by the day-to-day struggles of parenting? Do you question if anything is getting through to your kids? Do you feel powerless to impact your child’s spiritual growth? Parenting can feel like navigating a storm—chaotic, unpredictable, and uncertain.

So the question is, how do you guide your child toward faith and wisdom in a world pulling them in every direction?

If you’re looking for hope while parenting in the weeds of life, then this episode is for you. Austin Conner interviews Melissa Kruger, author of Parenting with Hope: Raising Teens for Christ in a Secular Age. Melissa, a seasoned parent and former high school math teacher, shares insights from her journey, blending biblical wisdom with practical strategies for shepherding teens through this turbulent season of parenting.

In this episode you will learn:

The power of asking questions over dictating answers
The effectiveness of an invitational approach to studying the Bible with your teen
The wisdom of avoiding a fear-based controlling approach to parenting
The only and ultimate place to derive hope when you’re feeling discouraged

Whether you’re parenting a teen, or just looking for some encouragement in the trenches of parenting, this episode will remind you that your hope rests not in perfect parenting, but in Jesus, who never fails.

To find more of Melissa Kruger's resources, check out her website: Melissabkruger.com

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What Parents Need to Know About Teens and Suicide with Gary Maddux, Jr. MA, LPC-A Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

“I don’t want to live anymore” might be the most overwhelming and scary thing to hear as a parent. What should you say? What should you do next?

In this eye-opening episode, Austin Conner interviews counselor Gary Maddux, as he shares his journey from grief to advocacy, in memory of his beautiful daughter Kaylee who died by suicide six years ago. Gary seeks to challenge stigmas and debunk myths around suicide, urging parents to approach suicide with compassion, education and timely intervention.

This conversation offers practical advice for parents, including encouragement to ask direct questions like, “Are you thinking about suicide?” and promotes training like QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) as well as ways to develop a support network around crisis moments with your teen.

Gary’s story is a reminder that Jesus’ presence is constant, even in the worst tragedy, offering hope that God embraces those who are impacted by suicide. You will feel more equipped to navigate this heavy topic after learning from Gary’s extensive professional training regarding suicide prevention and how you can offer care and compassion to your loved ones who are struggling.

Check out the resources below to educate yourself further on this topic:

QPR Training: Question, Persuade, Refer

ASK Suicide Prevention Training

AFSR Support Groups

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

Call or Text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

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Connecting With Your Child When They're Hurting Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

Have you heard it said that “a parent is only as happy as their unhappiest child”? We know that when you have an unhappy or hurting child, life feels heavy and hard and you may not know how to respond. As part of the Parenting in the Weeds series, Lynn Roush and Austin Conner explore a much needed topic: how to connect with your child when they’re hurting.

Parents often want to avoid painful feelings in their kids, hoping that they will go away on their own. Or, they jump in to fix the hurt and bypass the opportunity to connect with their child. We want to equip you to lean into your child’s heart when you sense that they are in emotional pain.

This conversation looks at what hurts kids both inside and outside of the home, how to recognize hurt in your child, how to respond to your child’s pain and the relevant topic of recognizing warning signs for suicide. Austin and Lynn offer practical ways to be present, build resilience, and model God’s love to your children through life’s pain.

You candownload our free Managing Your Emotions guide at withyouintheweeds.com to help you and your child identify their feelings. Make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter where we include more questions to ask your kids to open up the door to meaningful dialogue.

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Setting Boundaries With Your Adult Child Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

Are you learning the delicate dance of parenting adult children? So are we! As part of the Parenting in the Weeds series, John Tinnin and Lynn Roush explore how to set loving, effective boundaries that foster independence while maintaining a healthy relationship. They also discuss why setting boundaries with adult kids is easier said than done.

The key principles they cover are:

Boundaries are loving not controlling
Be a mentor, not a manager
Communicate clearly, consistently, and calmly
Offer grace, not guilt trips
Respect their autonomy

As you watch your adult child make choices, and even mistakes, this episode will help you keep the big picture in mind and model open, honest communication with your kids no matter how old they are.

Book recommendation: Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children by Allison Bottke

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