Broken Arrow Ok, April, 5 (The Oklahoma Post) –
Many people are searching for answers as they come out of their post covid bunkers. Upon first glance through the peephole, it is evident that personal struggles with depression, anxiety, confusion, and grief are on the rise in Oklahoma. In fact, a great many Oklahomans are now in need of a therapist to help with mental fatigue or coping with the tragic events that have occurred over the past two years; events and outcomes that were out of their control.
So let’s focus on what we can control. We can try to control our reactions to 2021. Not managing these feelings and negative thoughts in a healthy way can often interfere with us successfully performing normal daily activities; such as parenting, making it to work, or having healthy interactions with our fellow Okies. Unfortunately, many Oklahomans don’t know who to trust or where to even start looking for help with mental health topics.
Thankfully, in 2022 there are excellent mental health professionals that are being proactive in their outreach to those in need. This morning, a friend of mine shared a great new podcast with me that shares messages of Hope in difficult circumstances. I immediately opened the podcast while I began my morning chores and was pleasantly surprised at the entertaining but serious topics. The show’s host leads us through a series of punchy, energetic, and sometimes sad interviews, and helps us to understand the struggles and victories of his guests.
Steve Hudgins, MA, LPC, NCC is the host of Coached Soul and a Broken Arrow Oklahoma-based Licensed Professional Counselor. The United States Army Veteran is offering hope to those struggling. As a cancer survivor, Steve has been there. Through sharing his own personal experiences and faith he’s been able to connect with Oklahomans personally to help his clients find positive outcomes. Steve has overcome great odds and isn’t shy about sharing his wisdom. He went from a 34% chance of surviving to 2021 to a 95% chance of living a long life.
Early in 2022, Steve began to reach outside the walls of his office to offer hope with a new medium. Steve’s new Podcast, Coached Soul, was started in order to bring hope to those that want to get better. The podcast offers a series of short interviews with guests that have had real-life trauma and overcome adversity. Through the new podcast, Steve brings his experience and education to the table as he guides us through a more complex story of human nature that involves conversations about mental health, work, family, and spirituality. The tone of the series is laidback and conversational, never shying away from weighty topics, but not taking itself too seriously.
Coached Soul asks us the hard questions and brings us relatable stories of spiritual victory: like in this week’s episode with Keith Brown, a retired U.S. Marine and now a Minister who speaks with Steve about overcoming PTSD and major health struggles to stand on the victor’s podium.
Due to Steve’s own past personal experiences of overcoming life’s unexpected hardships, he has been blessed with wisdom and knowledge to provide listeners a quality interview with and it is evident in his interview with Keith. It’s obvious, he’s been there, done that, or knows someone who has. Now, more than ever, Oklahomans need professionals like Steve.
More information on Coached Soul can be found on their website CoachSoul.com and the podcasts can be streamed to Apple, Spotify, and now Podbeen. The intro music is great too.
Have you struggled with life lately? Whether your issue is big or small, Resources can be found on the Coached Soul website for you, or a family member in mental health in need of support.
What life hacks do you use for better mental health? Let us know in the comments below.
(Writing by Rachel Meyer; editing by Robbie Robertson)
Copyright 2022 The Oklahoma Post
