What I'm Reading (and Listening To)
These are the books and voices shaping how I think about healing right now. As a Christian counselor in Eagle, Idaho, I'm always looking for resources that bring together faith, the science of our brains and nervous systems, and the practical work of growing toward wholeness. Here are a few I keep coming back to.
A quick note: These are personal recommendations, not medical advice, and they're not a substitute for counseling or care from your own providers. Please talk with your prescriber before stopping or changing any medication.
1. The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery by Dr. W. Lee Warren
Connecting Neuroscience and Faith to Radically Transform Your Life · Tyndale Refresh, 2026
As a counselor who blends a Christian worldview with brain and nervous-system science, I loved finding a neurosurgeon who says what I see in session: the way we think and practice can actually reshape the brain. Dr. W. Lee Warren, a practicing neurosurgeon and trauma survivor, pairs neuroscience with faith and offers concrete exercises for worry, discouragement, grief, and stubborn habits. It's hopeful without being glib. It's a great companion to therapy if you'd like something to practice between sessions.
Good for: anxiety · depression · trauma recovery · habits · faith & the brain
2. "Find the fire": Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring on antidepressants
Short video on X · Sept. 24, 2026
Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring is a board-certified psychiatrist and former FDA medical officer who now helps people safely taper off psychiatric medications. In this short video he uses an image I use with clients all the time. An antidepressant can quiet the smoke alarm, but it doesn't put out the fire. He describes how medication can have a place as short-term support, paired with a real plan to work on relationships, health, and meaning, instead of refills that go on indefinitely. I love his reminder that our symptoms are information. They're signals pointing to what needs care. Please don't stop or change any medication without your prescriber.
Good for: depression · anxiety · questions about medication
Watch on X →
Go deeper: Culture Apothecary with Alex Clark: "Step-by-Step Guide to Getting Off Antidepressants" with Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring, MD (Apr. 11, 2025)
3. Pursuit of Play, a podcast by Michael Allison
Podcast + Substack · launched October 2026
"You perform best when you feel safe enough to play. This is a description of your physiology. Most of us learn a different rule: that performance comes from pressure. And the way to get out more out of yourself is to demand more from yourself. Put that game face on. Fight for it. Don't let anything or anyone stand in your way. And it works for a while. You can get good at carrying the pressure."
— Michael Allison, Pursuit of Play
Michael Allison is a performance coach who works where Polyvagal Theory meets performance. He teaches through the Polyvagal Institute and is the author of the forthcoming The Performance Code. His new podcast is a conversation show about what sits beneath achievement, pressure, and the drive to prove. He talks with athletes, performers, researchers, and leaders about what was happening inside them along the way.
So much of what I see in counseling, especially performance anxiety in teens, high achievers, and people who've spent years "white-knuckling" life, comes down to pressure vs. play. Michael describes play as a nervous-system state that is alert and safe at the same time. That fits right alongside the Polyvagal work I do with clients. It's a gentle invitation toward self-compassion, and a reminder that demanding more from yourself isn't the only way to grow, and often isn't the best one.
Good for: performance anxiety · perfectionism · teens & athletes · self-compassion · nervous system regulation
Listen: Apple Podcasts · Spotify · Trailer on YouTube · Substack
4. Live in Grace, Walk in Love by Bob Goff
A 365-Day Journey · Thomas Nelson (Nelson Books), 2019
Bob Goff's daily devotional pairs a short story and a key Scripture with a reflection question for each day of the year. The questions include things like "Who do you feel most comfortable being yourself with?" and "Are you focusing too much on what others think of you?"
I often recommend this one to clients who are hard on themselves. Bob's warm, funny stories make grace feel less like an idea and more like something you can actually receive. In faith-based counseling we talk a lot about self-compassion: learning to treat yourself the way God already sees you. A few minutes a day with this book is a gentle way to practice that. The daily questions also make great journaling prompts between sessions.
Good for: shame & self-criticism · self-compassion · daily devotional rhythm · journaling
5. Draw the Circle: The 40 Day Prayer Challenge by Mark Batterson
Zondervan, 2012
From the author of The Circle Maker, this is a 40-day guide to a more intentional, persistent prayer life. Each day combines true stories of answered prayer, Scripture, and a prayer prompt.
Prayer is one of the spiritual practices at the center of my own rhythm of regulation. If prayer feels dry, intimidating, or easy to skip, this book offers a simple, structured 40-day path back in. A short daily practice like this can be a real anchor, for your faith and for your nervous system.
Good for: prayer · spiritual disciplines · building a daily faith practice · feeling stuck spiritually
Want to talk about what you're reading?
If something here stirs up questions, hope, or old hurts, I'd love to hear about it. I offer Christian counseling for teens and adults in Eagle, Idaho.
Book a Free 15-Minute Consult · Call 208-996-3871
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