206. When Loved Ones Don’t Get the Help They Need
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
Release Date: 09/22/2025
237. When Faith Gets Complicated With Dusty May Taylor
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
What happens when deep trauma, spiritual experiences, and faith collide? In this powerful episode of the Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast, Heidi sits down with Dusty May Taylor to share an honest and courageous story of survival, healing, and spiritual discernment. Dusty opens up about her childhood trauma, dissociation, encounters with the occult, and the path that eventually led her to healing through therapy, faith, and deliverance. She also speaks candidly about her experiences within charismatic church spaces, including concerns about certain spiritual practices and the importance of...
info_outline
236. 5 Skills Emotionally Healthy Christians Practice
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
Why do so many Christians know the right theology—but still struggle emotionally? We learned how to pray, serve, and believe… but not always how to regulate emotions, repair relationships, or set healthy boundaries. In this episode, we explore five emotional skills that mark spiritually mature believers and why emotional maturity is essential for a healthy Christian life. You’ll learn how to: • Recognize and process emotions without shame • Stay rooted in Christ instead of hijacked by cultural noise • Disagree with others without losing connection • Set healthy boundaries...
info_outline
235. From Charismatic to Orthodox: A Psychologist’s Journey of Faith and Discernment With Dr. Anita Marchesani
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
What if true healing isn’t found in chasing spiritual experiences—but in deeply knowing Christ? In this episode, Heidi sits down with Psychologist Dr. Anita Marchesani to explore her journey from charismatic Protestant spaces into the historic faith of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Together, they unpack spiritual discernment in a time when supernatural experiences are increasing—and often misunderstood. This conversation brings clarity to what’s truly from God, and how humility, suffering, and surrender shape real transformation. This conversation opens the door to important...
info_outline
234. Discernment & Mental Health: When Spirituality Overlooks Pain
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
What if spiritual maturity isn’t measured by how powerful an encounter feels… but by how we love the person right in front of us? In this episode, Heidi shares a personal reflection on her faith being refined—learning to hold both the gifts of the Spirit and a deeper commitment to Scripture, discernment, and emotional health. As conversations around revival, deliverance, and spiritual experiences continue to grow, there is an important question we must ask: Are we missing the person right in front of us? Are we overlooking the hurting in pursuit of the miraculous? Through both a...
info_outline
233. Counterfeit vs. Holy Spirit: How to Discern What’s Real with Riaan Swiegelaar
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
What happens when someone deeply embedded in darkness encounters the real Jesus? In this powerful episode, Heidi sits down with Riaan Swiegelaar, former co-founder and leader of the South African Satanic Church, who shares his radical transformation after encountering the love and truth of Christ. Together, they unpack the difference between true discernment and a critical spirit, the dangers of counterfeit spiritual practices, and why many believers are missing the power of a genuine relationship with the Holy Spirit. This conversation will challenge, stretch, and strengthen your...
info_outline
232. Release What Isn’t Yours to Carry
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
Are you carrying emotional or spiritual weight that may not actually belong to you? In this episode, Heidi shares how to recognize and release burdens God never asked you to hold. If you're feeling overwhelmed by others’ expectations, ministry pressures, or leadership responsibilities, this conversation will help you return to peace and clarity. In this episode you’ll learn: • How to recognize the difference between compassion and responsibility • Why your nervous system signals when you're carrying too much • A biblical framework for releasing anxiety and emotional burdens •...
info_outline
231. Discerning God’s Voice With Pamela Mertz
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
How do you actually know when God is speaking? Pam shares her personal story of walking with God through family dysfunction, deep loss, and healing, and how those experiences taught her to depend on the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Together Heidi and Pam explore four levels of listening—listening to, listening for, listening with, and listening in—and how these help believers grow in discerning God’s voice in everyday life. In this conversation you’ll learn: • How to recognize God’s voice vs. your own thoughts • How to identify the enemy’s accusations and lies • Why slowing...
info_outline
230. When Ministry Hurts: Healing Without Losing Faith with Jeremy Butrous
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
What happens when deep faith collides with deep hurt? In this powerful and nuanced conversation, Heidi Mortenson sits down with Jeremy Butros to explore his journey through church hurt, ministry trauma, and personal healing. Jeremy openly shares his experiences of childhood verbal abuse and the trauma he says he endured while working in ministry contexts connected to Bob Hartley and Shawn Bolz. Rather than offering sensationalism or blame, this episode dives into the complexity of navigating spiritual leadership, boundary violations, forgiveness, and personal responsibility. Jeremy reflects on...
info_outline
229. Healing After Ministry Trauma: Protecting the Sheep
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
What do you do when the Church feels unstable? When ministries you respected face exposure… When leadership disappoints you… When questions shake what once felt certain… In this honest and pastoral episode, Heidi Mortenson speaks directly to the sheep — not just about leaders, but about how to stay rooted in God when confusion rises. This conversation explores how to discern without becoming cynical, how to separate Jesus from human systems, and how to mature spiritually without losing tenderness. Heidi reflects on governance gaps and leadership responsibility, but the deeper focus...
info_outline
228. From Addiction to Deliverance and Freedom with Michael DeJung
Strong Tower Mental Health with Heidi Mortenson
What happens when God interrupts a life headed for destruction? What happens when addiction, depression, identity confusion, and trauma collide with the power of Jesus? In this raw and powerful episode of the Strong Tower Mental Health Podcast, Heidi sits down with Pastor Michael to talk about deliverance, healing, spiritual warfare, and what real freedom actually looks like. Michael shares his testimony — from growing up in church to addiction, pornography, depression, and medication dependence — and how an encounter with Jesus rewrote his story. Together, they explore: • How God...
info_outlineDo you feel discouraged from certain relationships in your life? Do you have loved ones who aren’t getting the help you believe that they need? In this episode, you will hear some practical applications and encouragement when relationships can feel so deflating. You will hear how we can walk in our identity in Christ no matter what is around us, and ways we can navigate God’s truth when we bump into difficult issues with others. We are called to walk in God’s love, but it’s hard when we don’t feel His love due to relationships around us. God has better plans even with difficult relationships. We can walk with quiet humility knowing who we are in Christ and love others because we see them the way God does.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” ~2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (ESV)
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. ~Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
Find more about Heidi: www.heidimortensonlmft.com
Join my mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/t5u2y5
If you are in crisis, help is available by call or text 1-800-273-8255 24/7. You can also visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You are loved!