How can churches become places of healing for people navigating trauma and mental health challenges? And how can those who care for others avoid compassion fatigue and burnout?

Laura Howe is a mental health clinician and community development strategist who equips churches to care well for their communities without burning out. Through her work with Hope Made Strong, she helps ministry leaders build sustainable care ministries, prevent burnout, and cultivate churches that become beacons of hope for people who are hurting.

In this episode, Davey sits down with Laura to talk about how churches can become healing spaces for those navigating trauma and mental health challenges, how to recognize and prevent compassion fatigue in ministry, and what it looks like to create a sustainable culture of care that brings hope to both caregivers and those they serve.

If you've ever felt the weight of caring for others, wrestled with ministry burnout, or wondered how your church can better support people in pain, this episode is for you.

Warning: This episode discusses pornography addiction and may not be suitable for all listeners.

How do we break the stronghold of addiction when it becomes deeply attached to our lives? What do we do when the pain of our past resurfaces through patterns of addiction?

Drew Boa didn’t fully realize how much pain he was carrying beneath the surface until his struggle with pornography began to threaten the relationships he valued most. As he started to uncover and process that pain, he recognized how often he had looked for healing and identity in places other than God.

It was through surrendering both his pain and identity to God that the grip of pornography on his life began to loosen. Over time, he experienced genuine freedom. His book, Outgrow Porn: Find Lasting Freedom Without Fighting an Exhausting Battle—A Man’s Guide to Healing, offers men a pathway toward that same kind of lasting transformation.

In this episode, Davey and Drew explore the deeper roots of sexual addiction, the vital role of compassion and self-awareness in the healing process, and why authentic community is so powerful in breaking cycles of addiction.

If you or someone you love has struggled to find freedom from pornography, this conversation offers hope—reminding us that lasting freedom begins by understanding our identity in Jesus.

How do you break free from an abusive cycle when it feels like there’s nowhere else to turn? How can God take the pain of the past and transform it into purpose as you rebuild your life after trauma?

For former public official, TV show host, and speaker Carolene Mays, imagining the life and leadership she would one day have seemed impossible while trapped in an abusive marriage. Escaping that relationship wasn’t easy—but on the other side, God took her pain and transformed it into a story of resilience and influence. Today, Carolene has served in politics, built successful businesses, hosted a television show, and mentored countless women and minority leaders to thrive. Throughout it all, she shares the struggles she endured and how God used every hardship to shape her path—truly showing that He wastes nothing.

In this episode, Davey and Carolene explore how to overcome the trauma of abuse, why noticing who needs encouragement matters, and how leadership in any context is ultimately an overflow of what God is doing within us.

If you’ve ever wondered how God might be connecting your past to the work He has for you now, this conversation will inspire you as you see how God takes our pain and uses it to transform us into leaders who uplift and empower others with purpose.

How can the Church move from constantly referring people in pain elsewhere to becoming the first place people turn for healing? What would it look like to create spaces where everyday believers are equipped with the tools to step into the hurt of those they encounter?

Social researcher Shaunti Feldhahn and psychologist Dr. James Sells recognized that the mental health crisis in our country was at an all-time high, and they wanted to understand how churches were responding to those who are hurting. As they dove deep into the research, they discovered a striking contrast: some churches were effectively equipping lay people to care for and minister to those in need, while many church leaders felt overwhelmed, unsure of where to even begin. Through their research, they identified key principles that helped churches succeed in caring for hurting people, which they captured in their book, When Hurting People Come to Church: How People of Faith Can Help Solve the Mental Health Crisis.

In this episode, Davey, Shaunti, and Dr. Sells discuss why it is critical for the Church to be on the frontlines of healing, how to cast a vision for the Church as a place of help and hope, and what it truly means to be present with people in their pain.

If you are a church leader or part of a church community, this conversation will encourage you to take meaningful next steps toward building communities that bring hope and healing to those who need it most—and to see how this kind of care can become one of the most powerful ways to share the good news of the gospel with those around us.

How do you find hope when life unexpectedly thrusts you into the valley of loss? How do you navigate the rugged terrain of pain?

For Nothing is Wasted’s Podcast Producer and Content Director, Catherine Fitzgerald, the heartbreak and trauma of losing her brother, Zac, plunged her into a valley unlike anything she had ever experienced. In the aftermath came secondary losses of community and identity and a spiritual desolation that felt like a dark night of the soul. She found herself wondering how she would ever find her way back to faith.

And yet, God met her there—through the book of Psalms and through the stories of others, like Davey Blackburn—offering a glimmer of light to guide her toward hope.

Now, in Nothing is Wasted’s latest project, Catherine has gathered and edited a collection of stories from past podcast guests, Nothing is Wasted Coaches, and team members. Each story weaves together personal journeys through pain, loss, and trauma with reflections on the Psalms, forming a powerful new devotional—Hope in the Valley: 42 Days of Healing Through the Psalms After Loss, Grief, and Tragedy.

In this episode, Davey and Catherine look back on their own stories and their shared journey through Nothing is Wasted. Together, they explore how loss reshapes every part of our lives, the often messy wrestle for hope, and why stories are such a vital part of nurturing faith in the valley of pain.

If you’ve ever believed that hope simply means “looking on the bright side,” this conversation will remind you that true hope is far more complex—gritty, raw, and worth fighting for. And often, it’s the stories of others that become our most powerful weapon in that fight.

What do you do when you find yourself reacting as a leader? How can the wounds of your past impact who you are becoming?

Former pastor turned leadership coach and podcaster Tony Miltenberger began noticing a powerful pattern in his conversations with leaders: the emotional reactions that were surfacing and influencing their leadership were often rooted in unresolved wounds from the past. As he dug deeper, Tony discovered something even more profound—those very wounds often pointed to the unique gifts a person was meant to offer the world.

Drawing from his own personal journey and the experiences of those he has coached, Tony came to see the redemptive potential in our pain. That insight became the foundation of his book, Wisdom in the Wound: How God Uses Your Past to Shape Who You’re Becoming.

In this episode, Davey and Tony explore the significant impact of "little 't'" traumas in our lives and leadership, why it's crucial to trace our emotional responses back to their origins, and practical steps to begin healing the wounds that shape us.

If you lead in any capacity—whether in business, ministry, your workplace, or your home—this conversation will challenge and encourage you to look beneath the surface, confront your story, and discover the wisdom God wants to draw from your wounds so you can fully step into your calling.