Extending Branches is a mental health podcast inspiring hope, healing, and growth for people who know life is more complex than quick answers. Hosted by Dr. Mike Courtney, the show explores anxiety, depression, burnout, boundaries, relationships, grief, trauma, self-care, and the connection between faith and emotional health. Through honest conversation and lived experience, each episode offers practical wisdom and faith-informed insight that respects professional mental health care. If you are struggling, searching, or supporting someone you love, Extending Branches reminds you that healing begins with honesty and showing up.
In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney sits down with his wife, Doris Courtney, for the conversation he has been building toward for 20 years. After a series of affairs cost them their marriage, their finances, and their place in ministry, Doris was left living with her sister with no job and no idea what came next. This episode is not about what happened. It is about how she got through it. Doris talks about becoming desperate, then becoming intentional. She shares the book...
8 Sept 2026
No Small Decisions - Tracey Robison
In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney sits down with Tracey Robison, clinical director at Branches and his friend of more than 20 years, to trace the small decisions that shaped both of their lives. Tracey tells how a ninth-grade home economics assignment pointed her toward counseling, how a woman at her church insisted God wanted her at a conference she could not name, and how a 30-minute phone call with Doris Courtney led her to leave the private practice she thought she ...
11 Aug 2026
When God Does a Full Circle Thing - Brad White
In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney sits down with Brad White, men's minister and associate pastor at New Vision Baptist Church, for a conversation that starts as a reunion between two families who met around a lunch table decades ago. Brad shares how a call to ministry he felt as a teenager gave way to a career in aquatics and leadership with the YMCA, and how God used a wife's honest question, a pastor's phone call, and years of quiet preparation to bring him back to th...
28 Jul 2026
The Perfect Father - Bill Robison
In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney sits down with pastoral counselor and life coach Bill Robison to talk about the father wound: how a father’s presence, absence, words, and example can shape identity, confidence, relationships, and the way we approach fatherhood ourselves. Together, they discuss the impact of unmet needs, the importance of taking responsibility, and how humility, forgiveness, and faithful presence can begin repairing what has been broken. Most important...
14 Jul 2026
The Polyvagal Theory and Jesus - Madison Grissom
In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney sits down with counselor Madison Grissom to talk about polyvagal theory: how our nervous systems respond to safety, stress, connection, and overwhelm. In simple, practical language, they explore why we may overreact, shut down emotionally, or feel anxious even when nothing obvious seems wrong. Together, they discuss nervous system states, fight-or-flight, shutdown, glimmers, and the relief that can come from understanding how God design...
30 Jun 2026
Performance Anxiety and the Search for True Identity - Chandler Coley
In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney sits down with counselor Chandler Coley to talk about performance anxiety: what happens when pressure crosses the line from helpful focus into fear, panic, and self-doubt. Drawing from Chandler’s experience as a former athlete and his work as a counselor, they explore why teens and adults alike can tie their worth to a single moment, whether on the field, on the stage, or in everyday life. Together, they discuss practical tools like dee...
16 Jun 2026
Stop Painting Circles: Goal-Setting That Aligns With God’s Path - Tim Bell
Ever feel busy and productive—yet unsure what you’re actually aiming at? In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney sits down with Christian life coach Tim Bell to talk about why goal setting isn’t just another performance checklist, but a way to ask honest questions: Who am I becoming? What matters right now? Where is God inviting me to grow? Using the classic “Charlie Brown bullseye” illustration, Mike and Tim unpack how goals can bring focus, hope, and forward movement, espe...
2 Jun 2026
Teaching Teens to Face Social Anxiety (Without Avoidance) - Kaci Jacobellis
In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney talks with counselor Kaci Jacobellis, ALPC, about social anxiety in teens and how parents can help. They explain the difference between normal social nervousness and diagnosable social anxiety, why adolescence can intensify fear of judgment or rejection, and how social media can add pressure through comparison. Kaci shares practical tools for parents, including staying curious instead of critical, helping teens challenge harsh sel...
19 May 2026
The Hidden Weight of Trauma - Tracey Robison
In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney sits down with Tracey Robison, Clinical Director at Branches, to talk about the hidden weight of trauma and the hope of healing. Together, they explore what trauma really is, how triggers show up in everyday life, why grief and painful experiences can stay with us, and how compassionate support can help people begin to heal. Tracey also shares practical ways to care for yourself and others after trauma, from staying connected to communi...
5 May 2026
The Only Problem with Pain - Bethany Ratcher
The only problem with pain is that it hurts. In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney is joined by Bethany Bratcher, a pastoral counselor and Director of Training at Branches, to talk about why pain is part of life and how it can shape us for the better. If you are walking through something hard, this conversation will help you find purpose, perspective, and hope in the middle of it. Extending Branches is a biweekly podcast from Branches, a nonprofit dedicated to h...
21 Apr 2026
Healthy Boundaries in a Fast-Paced World - Debi Russell
What if the other rats are faster? In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney and Debi Russell, a trusted counselor at Branches, break down how burnout happens and how boundaries help you take your life back. If you feel overwhelmed, this conversation will help you reset. Extending Branches is a biweekly podcast from Branches, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people recover hope, find healing, and experience growth through Christ-centered mental and emotional c...
7 Apr 2026
Dr Joshua Courtney - Extending Branches 01
Prayer or therapy? Faith or mental health? In this episode of Extending Branches, Dr. Mike Courtney and Joshua Courtney, Executive Director and Psychiatric Physician Assistant at Branches, break down the false divide and show how real healing happens when you embrace both. If you are looking for hope, healing, and growth, this conversation is for you. Extending Branches is a biweekly podcast from Branches, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people recover hope, find healing, and exp...
2 Mar 2026
Extending Branches Trailer
Extending Branches is a podcast about growth, generosity, and the everyday choices that help us build stronger families, deeper faith, and more connected communities. Each episode explores how small acts of service, intentional leadership, and meaningful relationships can extend hope to the people around us, whether that’s in our homes, our churches, or our neighborhoods. Through honest conversations and practical insight, Extending Branches invites you to step into a bigger story, one where ...
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
5 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
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