Apricot Oak: Mental Health, Wellness, & Spirituality with Rachel Votaw Ochoa

About Apricot Oak: Mental Health, Wellness, & Spirituality with Rachel Votaw Ochoa

Struggling with anxiety, spiritual burnout, past trauma, or childhood wounds? Join Rachel Votaw Ochoa to discuss clinical psychology, mental health, various healing modalities, and spirituality. Move beyond cycles of brokenness with trauma-informed tools, nervous system regulation, and somatic healing. We explore neuroplasticity, inner child healing, and spiritual wisdom to help you reconnect authentically with God and yourself. Transition from survival to flourishing with faith-based mental health insights. Discover true breakthrough and grow into your destiny.

Publisher

Rachel Votaw Ochoa

Category

religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Mar 2024

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

35 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026

   How to Move Through Grief When You Can’t Fix the Pain

   Grief rarely follows a neat timeline or an orderly checklist. Sharing straight from the heart following the recent loss of her father, host Allie steps into the raw realities of grief and loss. In a fast-paced world that tells us to “stay busy” and push through discomfort, this episode offers permission to pause, embrace the natural waves of heartache, and meet God in the honest questions and deepest valleys. Whether you are navigating the passing of a loved one, a painful breakup, the loss of a job, or the quiet ache of unmet life dreams, you will find comfort, validation, and practical spiritual perspective for your journey. Key Insights & Takeaways Feel the Feelings: Grief cannot be neatly packaged or rushed. Moving through it requires giving yourself permission to fully experience each emotion as it comes, rather than hiding it behind daily busyness. Make Room for Your Grief: Whether through quiet walks or intentional pauses in your car, setting aside dedicated space allows grief to flow naturally without overwhelming or breaking you. Honest Wrestling with God: Loss often upends our assumptions about faith. Bringing your rawest pain, disappointments, and questions directly to God can transform fragile faith into deeper spiritual intimacy. Featured Quotes & Scriptures "We grieve in a way that is consistent with who we are... There are no set of rules or timetables for resuming a social life, visiting the grave, packing up clothes or toys or changing a room." — Paul D'Arcy, Winter of the Heart "Don't be afraid of lament. You can't sprint through grief, but avoid self-pity like the plague... You won’t stay in this valley, you’re just passing through." — Susie Larson "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." — Psalm 34:18

2. 

   31 Aug 2026

   The Mindset That Gets You Through Crisis: An Elite Athlete’s Battle Against Stage 3 Cancer with Tim Avery

   What does it truly take to keep moving forward when the ground beneath your feet falls away? In this powerful conversation, we sit down with NCAA National Champion runner and music curator Tim Avery to unpack what resilience looks like in the face of life-altering crisis. From the peak of athletic excellence and running DIY music scenes to receiving a devastating Stage 3 testicular cancer diagnosis that had spread to his lungs and liver, Tim shares the mindset, discipline, and faith that carried him through the hardest season of his life. Whether you are navigating a health battle, mental exhaustion, or a personal valley of your own, this episode will remind you how to anchor your thoughts, lean into community, and choose the curative path forward. In This Episode, We Explore: The Mindset of an Athlete in Crisis: How discipline and mental training from cross-country running became essential tools for enduring medical trauma. Separating Emotion from Reality: The power of focusing on the doctor’s curative plan rather than letting panic take the wheel. Reframing the Treatment: Why seeing chemotherapy not as "poison," but as the cure, transformed the recovery process. The Healing Power of Community: How music venues, friends, and fundraisers rallied to bring light and support into the darkest moments. Quiet Faith & Inner Grounding: Leaning into Hebrews 11:1—choosing faith in the unseen when the outcome is uncertain. Redefining Purpose Beyond the Valley: Transitioning from raw intensity into patience, gratitude, family life, and fatherhood. Episode Highlights: Welcome to Apricot Oak: Breaking through the hardest seasons of life Meet Tim Avery: From NCAA National Champion to music community leader The unexpected diagnosis: Facing Stage 3 cancer Emotional discipline: Tuning out panic and listening for the curative path What chemo really feels like: The physical and mental endurance required " Roc4Tim" - When community shows up and outpaces the fear The competitive runner mentality: Why outworking the odds matters Hebrews 11:1 and holding onto faith in what you cannot see Life after cancer: Patience, fertility journeys, and welcoming baby Aurora An ongoing journey: Leaning into the wind and never turning back Connect with Tim: Instagram: @the_timavery (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.instagram.com/the_timavery&authuser=1) Connect with Apricot Oak: Instagram: @apricotoakpodcast (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.instagram.com/apricotoakpodcast&authuser=1) * * * If this episode encouraged you, please leave a rating, share it with a friend, and subscribe! * * * Thank you for listening!

3. 

   17 Aug 2026

   Returning to Your True Self: Seven Strategies for Emotional Healing through Self-Care

   True self-care goes far beyond bubble baths, spa days, or material treats. In this episode of the Apricot Oak podcast, we take a deeper look into the psychological and emotional meaning of self-care: a vital practice for healing past wounds and restoring a healthy, authentic connection with yourself. We explore how early life patterns - like people-pleasing, overachieving, and emotional suppression - create a divide between your true self and the person you present to the world. When you learn to attend to your own needs with compassion, you not only find inner peace but also build the foundation necessary to love and connect well with others. Key Takeaways: Beyond Surface Pampering: Why authentic self-care is about how you relate to your mind, body, emotions, and boundaries. Healing Early Attachment Wounds: Recognizing how survival strategies from childhood can disconnect you from your core identity. The Connection Between Self-Care & Relationships: How loving and attuning to yourself enables healthier connections with those around you. Practical Strategies for Daily Life: Seven actionable steps to bridge the gap back to your true self, from kind self-talk and daily check-ins to body movement and emotional curiosity. Connect with the Show: Instagram: @ApricotOakPodcast (https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.instagram.com/ApricotOakPodcast&authuser=1) Subscribe & Review: If you found value in this episode, please follow, rate, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

11 ratings

Contact Apricot Oak: Mental Health, Wellness, & Spirituality with Rachel Votaw Ochoa

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.