Friends For Life — LCMS Life, Health and Family Ministries: S5Ep.3 Building Resilient Minds | Dr. Belinda Karge & Dr. Kara Bratton

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Dr. Karge and Dr. Bratton join Steph to talk about building mental resiliency in ourselves and in our young people.

Bio:

Dr. Belinda Karge devotes her career to ensuring that all students have successful opportunities and leaders are equipped with tools to transform education environments. She is a Professor in the School of Education Doctoral Program at Concordia University Irvine. She has taught and served in administrative roles in elementary and secondary schools globally. An expert in research based instructional strategies, she helps educators teach students how to use brain executive functions to navigate mental wellness. She has authored over 140 articles and ten books. She is Lutheran and served in the mission field. Her goal is to share God’s light with those around her in whatever way HE directs her.

Dr. Kara Bratton serves as an Assistant Professor in the School of Education in the doctoral programs at Concordia University Irvine, teaching special education and research classes and working as a dissertation chair. Previously, she was the special education director for Lutheran Special Education Ministries (LSEM) for 11 years and spent 11 years teaching K-8 special education in Lutheran Schools in Fort Wayne, IN at the beginning of her career. Kara also serves on the board of directors for the Indiana Non-public Education Association and as an Educator in Residence for the Progress Center. Along with two other professors, Kara is co-author of Resilient Minds: Christ-centered Mental Health Curriculum, which is available from Concordia Publishing House for middle school levels.

Resources in this episode:

Email us at friendsforlife@lcms.org

LCMS Life, Health and Family Ministries: lcmslife.org

For resources on the family: lcmslife.org/family

Find Resilient Minds at https://teachthefaith.cph.org/resilient-minds

Download the booklet Restoring Hope: Care for Mental Health at https://resources.lcms.org/general/restoring-hope-care-for-mental-health-spiritual-care-companion/

If you are in an emergency situation, please call 911. If you are depressed or thinking about harming yourself or someone else, or if this is the case for someone you know, please call or text 988 from a smartphone to reach the National 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Not all the views expressed are necessarily those of the LCMS; please discuss any questions with your pastor.

We believe that God is the author and sustainer of all life. We also know it can be hard to speak about the intrinsic value of life, health and the family when it feels like the world is trying to drown us out.

We’re right here beside you. In this podcast of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Life, Health and Family Ministries, we’re coming alongside one another as a community of Christ’s redeemed people. Together we’ll explore life, health and family issues in a way that honors our heavenly Father’s value of human life, serves our neighbor, shares the faith and connects us to others who are doing the same. Join us, so that together we can be friends for life.