Guided is a podcast about healing, growth, and the many creative paths we walk toward mental wellness. Each episode invites a different voice—therapists, musicians, people in recovery, spiritual leaders, artists, and more—to share their unique perspectives on what it means to heal and be human. We explore the messy, beautiful, and often unexpected ways we find balance, connection, and meaning in our lives. Whether through therapy, faith, creativity, or lived experience, Guided is a space for real conversations about the journey inward—and the wisdom we gather along the way.
Intimacy From the Inside Out: Internal Family Systems and Healing Relationships
In this episode of Guided, we sit down with therapist Gray Manis to explore what it means to
heal from the inside out.
Gray specializes in Internal Family Systems (IFS), a powerful model of therapy that helps people
understand and relate differently to the "parts" of themselves—protectors, critics, wounded
places—and access the calm, compassionate core that IFS calls the Self. He also works with
couples using Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO), helping partners understand how their
internal worlds shape conflict, connection, and vulnerability.
We talk about trauma, attachment, reactivity, and how EMDR can help reprocess painful
memories that keep individuals and couples stuck. This conversation is both deeply practical and
profoundly hopeful: healing is not about eliminating parts of ourselves—it's about leading them
well.
Whether you're a therapist, a couple wanting deeper intimacy, or someone trying to understand
your own internal struggles, this episode will give you language and tools for real change.
1 May 2026
When Words Aren't Enough: The Power of Creative Therapies
In this episode of Guided, Dr. Jones sits down with Chelsea Gibbs, LCSW, founder of Central
Kentucky Creative Therapies, to explore the healing power of creativity, connection, and
experiential work. Chelsea shares how she built a practice that extends beyond the traditional
therapy room — integrating equine-assisted therapy, music therapy, art therapy, and other
expressive modalities to help clients access healing in ways that words alone sometimes cannot.
We discuss what actually happens in the nervous system when clients engage with horses, music,
and art, and why these embodied approaches can be especially powerful for trauma, attachment
wounds, and emotional regulation. Chelsea also offers insight into the clinical foundations
behind creative therapies and how she integrates them with traditional psychotherapy.
For therapists and helping professionals, this conversation also explores the entrepreneurial side
of building a nontraditional practice — navigating community education, scope of practice, and
the courage it takes to create something innovative.
This episode invites us to consider: What if healing is not only something we talk about, but
something we experience?
Whether you are a clinician, creative, or simply someone curious about new pathways to growth,
this conversation offers a fresh perspective on what it means to be guided toward wholeness.
1 Apr 2026
More Than a Menu: Caring for the People Who Feed Us with Chef Ouita Michel
In this episode of Guided, we sit down with award-winning chef and restaurateur Ouita Michel
for a powerful conversation about mental health in the culinary industry.
Behind the beauty of a plated dish and the energy of a full dining room lies an intense, high-
pressure culture—long hours, razor-thin margins, performance demands, and often unspoken
struggles with anxiety, depression, substance use, and burnout.
Ouita shares her passion for changing that culture. We talk about suicide prevention in the
hospitality world, the realities of substance use in restaurant environments, and what it looks like
to lead with compassion while still maintaining excellence. She reflects on how restaurant
owners can create spaces where staff feel seen, supported, and safe enough to ask for help.
This is a conversation about leadership, vulnerability, and the responsibility we carry for the
people we guide—whether in kitchens, counseling offices, churches, or businesses.
If you care about mental health, workplace culture, or the people who feed and serve our
communities, this episode will move you.
1 Feb 2026
Harnessing Hope: From Addiction to Advocacy
In this powerful episode of Guided, Dr. Jones sits down with Christian Countzler for an honest conversation about addiction, recovery, and hope. Christian shares his personal journey through addiction, the hard-earned path to sobriety, and how that experience led him to found Stable Recovery—an innovative program that helps people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction find meaningful, stable employment in the horse industry. Together, they explore how purpose, structure, and connection can support long-term sobriety, and how work with horses can become a pathway to healing, dignity, and lasting change.
1 Jan 2026
Faith, Loss, and the Path to Healing: A Conversation with Dr. Melinda Moore
In this episode of Guided, host Dr. Jones speaks with Dr. Melinda Moore, a psychologist, suicide loss survivor, and national expert on suicide prevention and postvention. Together, they explore how faith communities can play a crucial role in supporting those affected by suicide, building resilience, and fostering hope in the aftermath of tragedy.
Dr. Moore shares her personal journey of loss, the insights that have guided her professional work, and the importance of compassion, connection, and conversation in healing. This powerful discussion bridges science and spirituality—offering both practical wisdom and emotional depth for listeners who seek to better understand how faith and psychology can work together to prevent suicide and support survivors.
16 Dec 2025
Work, Wellness, and Worth: Mental Health in the Disability Community
In this episode of Guided, Dr. Jones sits down with Rachael Hudson Lanter, LCSW, Executive Director of Build Inclusion, an organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities find meaningful, sustainable employment. Rachael shares how Build Inclusion is reshaping workplaces, empowering individuals with diverse abilities, and breaking down barriers that have traditionally limited access to opportunity.
We explore the connection between employment, identity, and mental health — and why supportive, inclusive work environments matter not just for the individuals served, but for communities and employers as well. Rachael also offers insight into trauma-informed care, the unique mental health concerns within the disability community, and what it really means to create a culture of belonging.
Whether you're a mental health professional, educator, leader, or simply someone who wants to build a more inclusive world, this conversation will challenge and inspire you.
7 Nov 2025
The Art of Listening: Rob Durham and the Intersections of Faith and Psychotherapy
In this episode of The Guided Podcast, host Blake Jones sits down with Rob Durham, a counselor with 50 years of experience walking alongside individuals and families through their most challenging seasons. Rob reflects on the lessons learned over five decades in the field, exploring the deep intersections of spirituality and psychotherapy, and how a holistic approach to healing has shaped his work. The conversation also takes a personal turn as Rob shares his love of music—especially the songs of Bruce Cockburn—and how art and melody have informed both his worldview and his therapeutic practice.
This episode is both a look back at a remarkable career and an invitation to consider how faith, creativity, and presence can help guide us toward healing.
31 Oct 2025
Duty and Deliverance: Letting Go to Be Made Whole
In this powerful episode of Guided, we visit with Anthony Delimpo—a former police officer whose journey took him from the front lines of law enforcement to the depths of addiction. After hitting rock bottom, Anthony began the long road of recovery, not only from alcohol but from the pain and anger that had taken root in his soul.
When his child became seriously ill, Anthony's faith was shaken to its core. He opens up about the raw, honest struggle he faced—his deep anger toward God, the feeling of betrayal, and the silence that followed. But through recovery, community, and time, Anthony found a way to begin healing—not just physically and emotionally, but spiritually.
This is a conversation about grief, surrender, and the quiet, persistent grace that can meet us in our darkest places. Anthony's story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit—and the mysterious ways healing can come, even when we least expect it.
25 Oct 2025
Wounded Witness: The Attorney Who Lived to Tell
In this powerful and deeply honest episode of Guided, we sit down with T. Bruce Simpson—an attorney whose decades-long struggle with depression came to a tragic turning point in 2023 when he attempted to take his own life. Miraculously, he survived.
Bruce shares his story with raw vulnerability, offering a rare glimpse into the hidden mental health crisis in the legal profession. He speaks candidly about the pressures of being an attorney, the silence surrounding emotional pain, and the path that led him to that darkest moment. But his story doesn't end there. In the aftermath of his survival, Bruce experienced a profound spiritual awakening and has since become an outspoken advocate for suicide prevention, mental wellness, and faith.
This is a conversation about pain, hope, and the unexpected grace that can follow even our most desperate moments. Whether you're in the legal field or simply navigating your own challenges, Bruce's journey will leave you feeling seen, inspired, and guided.
23 Jun 2025
"REM Realities: What Dreams Say About Our Inner World"
In this episode of Guided, we sit down with Jan Cottrell—a minister, therapist, and compassionate guide through the inner life—to explore the mysterious and meaningful world of dreams. With wisdom rooted in both spiritual tradition and therapeutic insight, Jan shares how our dreams can offer more than strange stories—they can reveal unspoken truths, buried emotions, and even glimpses of divine guidance.
We discuss the role dreams play in our mental health, how to interpret them through a spiritual lens, and why paying attention to our "night messages" might be one of the most healing things we can do. Whether you're someone who remembers every detail or someone who wakes with only a feeling, this conversation invites you to listen more deeply to what your soul may be trying to say.
23 May 2025
Episode One. "From Chaos to Calling: Paige Walker's Path to Healing and Helping Others"
In this episode of Guided, we get to know Paige Walker, LCSW—a licensed therapist whose journey into healing began behind the bar of a busy restaurant. Before becoming a clinician, Paige was a general manager in the hospitality industry, expertly running the show on the outside while privately battling a growing dependence on alcohol.
Paige shares her story of high-functioning addiction, the turning point that led her to sobriety, and how her experience in the service industry uniquely shaped her approach to therapy. Today, she brings deep empathy and insight to her clinical work, helping others navigate their own paths to healing.
This is a conversation about second chances, finding purpose through pain, and the quiet strength it takes to rewrite your story. Whether you're in recovery, in the restaurant world, or somewhere in between, Paige's story offers hope that transformation is not only possible—it's guided by grace.
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