Perimeter Counseling Podcast
Perimeter Counseling Podcast exists to equip you as we walk alongside you in your journey. Follow along as our host, Caleb Martin, engages with our counselors and special guests to discuss different topics regarding mental, emotional, and spiritual health applicable to people in all seasons of life.
Episode 3: How Do I Go to God with My Negative or Unwanted Emotions?
In this episode, Kathy, Karen, and Caleb continue their conversation on unwanted or negative emotions, offering a thoughtful framework to help process them. Emotions are a vital part of our humanity—purposefully designed by God. Even Jesus, who had perfect faith, experienced negative emotions. So, can we obey in the midst of them? And what does that look like in real life?
God’s call to obedience in difficult seasons is not that of a taskmaster, but of a loving Father who desires to draw us closer to Him.
Our prayer for you, as you listen to this episode, is that you may gain the confidence to believe that God is with you in the sadness, suffering, and grief you may be walking through.
Additional Resources:
Read Karen Benater’s blog on Understanding Negative Emotions
Read (or gift) Paul’s books, A Praying Life and A Loving Life
Read Michael Emlet’s book, Saints, Sufferers, and Sinners: Loving Others as God Loves Us
Read more about God’s heart for you in Dane Ortlund’s books Gentle and Lowly and The Heart of Jesus: How Jesus Really Feels About You
Watch or listen to Dr. Crawford Loritt’s sermon from Perimeter Church entitled Christ Our Courage
Episode 2: The Heart and Engaging with Your Emotions
In this episode of the Perimeter Counseling Podcast, Kathy, Karen, and Caleb come together to discuss the heart—or as the Bible describes it, the inner heart—and the emotions that come with it. Many Christians struggle with feelings of shame, failure, or guilt when experiencing negative emotions, fearing it reflects a lack of strong or mature faith.
However, as the counselors point out, emotions are not something to deny or suppress. In fact, we see these emotions throughout the pages of Scripture. The counselors offer insights on healthy ways to engage with and explore what lies behind these difficult feelings. Emotions are a gift from God, designed with purpose. As Christians, we can learn to navigate challenging emotions without falling into the false belief that they signify spiritual weakness.
We pray this episode encourages you and serves as a valuable resource. If you'd like to connect with a counselor, you can do so here.
Additional Resources:
Learn more about the emotions from the Psalms in Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament, by Mark Vroegop
Read more from Untangling Emotions by Alsdair Groves
Episode 1: Who Is Perimeter Counseling?
In this episode, Cathy Chang, Karen Benater, and Caleb Martin discuss what distinguishes Perimeter Counseling as biblical counseling. The counselors discuss a different approach, emphasizing that the difficulties we face often stem from within us, not just from external circumstances. They share how we navigate these challenges and the support we receive as believers from the One who created us.
At Perimeter Counseling, our goal is not just heart change but lasting, God-glorifying transformation. We pray this episode encourages you as you discern the right time to seek counseling.
Additional Resources:
Read about the four perspectives of counseling proposed by Tim Keller in his article Four Models Of Counseling In Pastoral Ministry
Check out Perimeter Counseling’s highlight in our church’s Winter 2025 Forward in Faith magazine article for additional information (pages 12-13).