by Rhett Smith | Sep 19, 2018 | Intentional Living, Podcast
“Love consists in this, that two solitudes, protect and border and salute each other.” — Rainer Maria Rilke A couple of weeks ago my wife and I returned from a “marriage adventure” on the Inca Trail in Peru. This adventure (through...
by Rhett Smith | Sep 10, 2018 | Podcast
As many of you know from listening to my podcasts, or reading my blog over the years, is I’m pretty obsessed with the novels of Susan Howatch. Particularly her Starbridge Series of which I’m about to finish my 9th reading of the series in the last 15...
by Rhett Smith | May 23, 2018 | Anxiety, Depression, Restoration Therapy
“I want to create a clear roadmap for you for next steps, and how we can go about creating change in our therapeutic work together.” “You don’t need a bunch of tools to practice. You just need one or two that you practice over and over and over...
by Rhett Smith | May 23, 2018 | Anxiety, Restoration Therapy
On the night of October 18, 2015 I was unable to sleep. I tossed and turned all night, my mind filled with anxious thoughts, and an anxiety that I was unable to shake. The reason for all this anxiety was that at 7:00 am on October 19th, I would be running my first 50...
by Rhett Smith | May 20, 2018 | Anxiety, Depression, Restoration Therapy
The Hideaway Experience In October 2010 I was sitting “third chair” at The Hideaway Experience in Amarillo, TX. The Hideaway Experience is a four-day marriage intensive that I had decided to go check out after hearing about it from a colleague of mine. My...
by Rhett Smith | May 19, 2018 | Depression, Restoration Therapy
I have written extensively on various ways to work with people who are struggling with anxiety, but I find that working with people who are struggling with depression, to be quite different, and more difficult. The main factor that I have experienced is in the level...
by Rhett Smith | May 19, 2018 | Depression, Restoration Therapy
Discerning Depression I have written extensively on anxiety, especially on my own anxiety, focusing on the roots of it and how Restoration Therapy has really helped me transform it into a life-giving force. But when it comes to depression I have not written as much on...
by Rhett Smith | May 19, 2018 | Depression, Restoration Therapy
Often, when someone expresses anxiety in the context of the Church or Christian community, more than likely they will hear somebody, at some point, recite the famous words of the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:6. “Do not be anxious….” is the beginning...
by Rhett Smith | Apr 22, 2018 | Depression, Restoration Therapy
The Depression Equation I am a big believer in the equation that insight + practice = transformation. In fact, in an earlier post on anxiety I shared the same equation, highlighting Angela Duckworth’s work on the concept of deliberate practice in her work. In...
by Rhett Smith | Apr 22, 2018 | Depression, Restoration Therapy
Reframing Depression “What if this depression you are experiencing is helping inform you about your life? What if we listen to it together, it may give us some clues about what is going on with your life. Maybe it will give us some direction about what kind of...
by Rhett Smith | Apr 22, 2018 | Depression, Restoration Therapy
What Is Underneath Depression Like anxiety, one of the most difficult aspects of depression is trying to figure out what are the underlying roots of it. But without properly identifying its underlying roots it’s possible that one may see depression simply as a...
by Rhett Smith | Apr 22, 2018 | Depression, Restoration Therapy
When serving in ministry there are many opportunities to come in to contact with people who are depressed. I say this, because churches are often what I refer to as the “gatekeepers” in mental health, therefore, those employed or volunteering in ministry...
by Rhett Smith | Apr 22, 2018 | Depression, Restoration Therapy
“Are you depressed?” I asked him in session. “Depressed? What…..depression? No, I’m not depressed.” he said to me as if that was a crazy question to ask. There was some silence between us for what seemed like a few minutes, and then...
by Rhett Smith | Feb 27, 2018 | Anxiety, Restoration Therapy
When I encourage people to look for opportunities to practice their anxiety, I am often given a blank stare in return. It almost sounds crazy to ask someone to practice something that is already at times, making them feel like they are crazy. But perhaps a better way...
by Rhett Smith | Feb 27, 2018 | Anxiety, Restoration Therapy
“Deliberate practice is a behavior, and flow is an experience.” Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth When I was 21 years old and sitting alone in my college apartment, full of anxiety, but knowing my life needed to change, I had...
by Rhett Smith | Feb 15, 2018 | Anxiety, Restoration Therapy
In October of 2016 I spoke at the first ever Restoration Therapy Summit on the topic of anxiety and fear in the Restoration Therapy model, and more specifically, trying to differentiate between what exactly is anxiety, and what is fear. I even recorded a Part 1 and...
by Rhett Smith | Jan 17, 2018 | Intentional Living, Podcast
One of the things that happens at the beginning of every year, or at the start of a major transition, is that you see people setting goals. If you were like me you probably thought about all the goals you wanted to achieve in the New Year, and you might have even...
by Rhett Smith | Jan 10, 2018 | Anxiety, Podcast
The new near can bring forth a lot of varying emotions from people. In my experience, a large number of people come into the new year very excited about change and all the potential possibilities that await them. It’s often a time to start anew. But there is...
by Rhett Smith | Dec 14, 2017 | Anxiety, Restoration Therapy
Working with Anxious Clients There are a lot of ways that one can work with anxious people, but I have found over the years a very helpful process that I would like to share with you. With any process it’s best that you make it your own and use what is helpful...
by Rhett Smith | Dec 14, 2017 | Anxiety, Restoration Therapy
The Anxiety Equation In an earlier post I wrote about a very powerful and transformative therapy experience I had back in 2010. It was one of those therapy sessions where insight was enough to create change. Or at least I should say, the insight alone was enough to...
