The Christian Psychologist: Mental Health for 21st Century Christ Followers

81 episodes

Episode 81: Savoring
24/05/2026 | 18 mins.
References

Ball, J. (2016). A treatise of divine meditation. Puritan Publications.

Beeke, J., & Jones, M. (2012). A Puritan theology: Doctrine for life. Reformation Heritage Books.

Bryant, F. B. (2021). Current progress and future directions for theory and research on savoring. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 771698.

Chadwick, E. D., Jose, P. E., & Bryant, F. B. (2021). Styles of everyday savoring differentially predict well-being in adolescents over one month. Journal of Happiness Studies, 22(2), 803-824.

Chen, P. H., Tung, H. H., Wu, Y. C., & Sie, J. (2026). Effectiveness of savoring interventions: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being, 18(2), e70134.

Edwards, J. (2013). The religious affections. Dover Publications.

Hurley, D. B., & Kwon, P. (2012). Results of a study to increase savoring the moment: Differential impact on positive and negative outcomes. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(4), 579-588.

Knabb, J. (2021). Christian meditation in clinical practice: A four-step model and workbook for therapists and clients. IVP Academic.

Quoidbach, J., Berry, E. V., Hansenne, M., & Mikolajczak, M. (2010). Positive emotion regulation and well-being: Comparing the impact of eight savoring and dampening strategies. Personality and Individual Differences, 49(5), 368-373.

Wilson, K. A., & MacNamara, A. (2021). Savor the moment: Willful increase in positive emotion and the persistence of this effect across time. Psychophysiology, 58(3), e13754.

Yuille, J. (2008). Puritan spirituality: The fear of God in the affective theology of George Swinnock. Wipf & Stock Publishers.
Episode 80: Failure
04/01/2026 | 37 mins.
References
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). Fear of failure. https://dictionary.apa.org/fear-of-failure
Carlson, R. W., & Fishbach, A. (2024). Learning from failure. Motivation Science, 10(3), 160–170.
Eskreis-Winkler, L., & Fishbach, A. (2022). You think failure is hard? So is learning from it. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(6), 1511-1524.
Holman Bible Dictionary. (2004). Providence. Holman Bible Publishers.
Knabb, J. (2021). Christian meditation in clinical practice: A four-step model and workbook for therapists and clients. IVP Academic.
Protestant Reformed Churches in America. (n.d.). Belgic confession. Retrieved March 26, 2025. http://www.prca.org/about/official-standards/creeds/three-forms-of-unity/belgic-confession
Episode 79: Spiritual Avoidance
23/11/2025 | 28 mins.
References
Aschenbrenner, G. (2007). Examen. British Province of the Society of Jesus.
Cashwell, C. S., Bentley, P. B., & Yarborough, J. P. (2007). The only way out is through: The peril of spiritual bypass. Counseling and Values, 51(2), 139-148.
Colombiere, C. (1980). Trustful surrender to divine providence: The secret of peace and happiness. Tan Books.
Fox, J., Cashwell, C. S., & Picciotto, G. (2017). The opiate of the masses: Measuring spiritual bypass and its relationship to spirituality, religion, mindfulness, psychological distress, and personality. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 4(4), 274.
Ignatian Spirituality. (n.d.). Consolations and desolations. https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/consolation-and-desolation-2/
Ignatian Spirituality. (n.d.). The examen. https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen
Ignatius of Loyola. (n.d.). Suscipe. https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/prayer/traditional-catholic-prayers/saints-prayers/suscipe-prayer-saint-ignatius-of-loyola/
Knabb, J. (2021). Christian meditation in clinical practice: A four-step model and workbook for therapists and clients. IVP Academic.
Knabb, J., Vazquez, V., Pate, R., Garzon, F., & Wang, K. (2019). Christian meditation for trauma-based rumination: A four-week program. Unpublished manual.
Thibodeaux, M. (2015). Reimagining the Ignatian Examen: Fresh ways to pray from your day. Loyola Press.
Welwood, J. (1984). Principles of inner work: Psychological and spiritual. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 16(1), 63-73.
Welwood, J. (n.d.). On spiritual bypassing and relationship. https://scienceandnonduality.com/article/on-spiritual-bypassing-and-relationship/
Episode 78: Stillness
26/10/2025 | 27 mins.
References
Alvarez-Perez, Y., Rivero-Santana, A., Perestelo-Perez, L., Duarte-Diaz, A., Ramos-Garcia, V., Toledo-Chavarri, A., & Serrano-Aguilar, P. (2022). Effectiveness of mantra-based meditation on mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3380.
Knabb, J. (2021). Christian meditation in clinical practice: A four-step model and workbook for therapists and clients. IVP Academic.
Orme-Johnson, D. W., Barnes, V. A., Rees, B., & Tobin, J. (2025). Systematic review and meta-analysis of transcendental meditation for post-traumatic stress disorder. Medicina, 61(4), 659.
Nikodimos. (Ed.). (1782). Philokalia. R.P. Pryne.
Roth, B. (2022). Strength in stillness: The power of transcendental meditation. Simon & Schuster.
Episode 77: Loneliness
28/09/2025 | 29 mins.
References
APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). Loneliness. https://dictionary.apa.org/loneliness
Curtis, A., Luchetti, M., Prendergast, C., Ahern, E., Creaven, A. M., Kirwan, E. M., & O’Súilleabháin, P. S. (2025). Adverse childhood experiences and loneliness: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Social Science & Medicine, 370, 117860.
Jiang, D., Kwok, J. Y. Y., Yeung, D. Y. L., Tang, V. F. Y., Choi, N. G., Ho, R. T. H., & Chou, K. L. (2025). Six-month outcomes of layperson-delivered, telephone-based behavioural activation and mindfulness interventions on loneliness among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: The HEAL-HOA Dual Randomised Controlled Trial. Age and Ageing, 54(8), afaf209.
Knabb, J. (2021). Christian meditation in clinical practice: A four-step model and workbook for therapists and clients. IVP Academic.
Laubach, F. (2007). Letters by a modern mystic [Kindle edition]. Purposeful Design Publications.
Millstein, D. J., Larson, A. G., & Orsillo, S. M. (2025). A kindness-based meditation study for promoting interpersonal functioning in first-year college students. Journal of Psychiatry and Cognitive Behaviour, 9, 197.
Riboldi, I., Crocamo, C., Capogrosso, C. A., Bartoli, F., Armes, J., Taylor, C., & Carrà, G. (2025). Understanding the role of loneliness in the relationships between post-traumatic stress symptoms and both anxiety and depressive symptoms among university students: A mediation analysis. Brain Sciences, 15(8), 787.
Zeas-Sigüenza, A., Voldstad, A., Ruisoto, P., Ganho-Ávila, A., Guiomar, R., Cacho, R., & Benach, J. (2025). Loneliness as a public health challenge: A systematic review and meta-analysis to inform policy and practice. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 15(7), 131.

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About The Christian Psychologist: Mental Health for 21st Century Christ Followers

My name is Dr. Joshua Knabb. I’m a board-certified clinical psychologist and 21st century Christ follower. Early in life, I experienced overwhelming psychological suffering, which led me down a path of wandering away from the Christian faith in my adolescent years, reminiscent of the Lost Son in Luke’s Gospel, returning to my Christian heritage in my early 20s, my own psychotherapy in my mid-20s, and, ultimately, a life committed to understanding and pursuing psychological and spiritual health as I now head into the middle years of my life. Please join me as we devote each week to better understanding secular and Christian perspectives on mental health and the intersection between psychology and Christianity, then engage in a 10-minute practice to conclude each episode, drawing upon Christian meditation, prayer, and contemplation. Above all else, my aim in this podcast is to journey with fellow Christ followers, as well as those who are curious about the rich heritage of Christian psychological and spiritual insights into the human condition, doing so with humility and curiosity as we strive to cultivate Christlikeness in all we do. For more information, please visit me at my website: joshuaknabb.com. The information in this podcast is intended to be educational and in no way a form of, or substitute for, professional counseling or psychotherapy. If you are in crisis or suicidal, please call 9-1-1, go to the local emergency room, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. If you need a Christian mental health professional, referral networks can be found at the American Association of Christian Counselors (connect.aacc.net) or Christian Association for Psychological Studies (caps.net/online-directory) websites. Introduction beat provided by freebeats.io. Show art by Justin Kowalski.

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