263. Shauna Stobbs-Bultema // Processing Pain, Stewarding Emotions, Choosing Healing

Do you ever feel like your emotions are running your life? In this episode, licensed mental health counselor and Moms in the Making leader, Shauna, shares her story of walking through miscarriage, infertility, and ultimately seeing God redeem her journey as she now parents three children. She opens up about encountering the Holy Spirit, the importance of coming back to the truth of who God is, and how to process pain and emotions in a healthy way. Shauna also offers practical wisdom on mental health, therapy, and inner healing, reminding us that emotions are real but not always truth, and that freedom comes when we invest in our healing and return to hope. This conversation will encourage you to press in, break free from lies, and remember that the joy of the Lord truly is your strength.

About Shauna: Shauna is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida. She owns her own practice called, Bispham Psychotherapy and in 2023 released her first book, “Overcome- Seeking God Through Motherhood’s Blessings and Battles.” After walking through 3 miscarriages, she and her husband now walk in God’s redemption of 3 vivacious children on earth. They love traveling, cooking, and hosting gatherings. Shauna is adamant about bringing hope to those around her and encouraging them to step into God’s truth.

Bible Verses:

Nehemiah 8:10 “Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Topics Discussed:

Introduction

Shauna lives in Florida.
Shauna is a licensed mental health counselor, and she has her own private practice.
Shauna got connected with Caroline through Moms in the Making.
Shauna had 3 miscarriages and was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. She now has 3 children ages 6, 4, and 2.
She led the first Moms Made virtual group for Moms in the Making.
Shauna grew up in church and was very involved in church. Shauna first encountered the Holy Spirit at the Moms in the Making conference.

Encouragement for Those Still Contending

Come back to the truth of who you know the Lord to be.
God is good.
God loves you and wants good things for you.
If you don’t have hope, recognize that something is not right because Jesus is hope!
Come back to what it says in the Word.
Don’t ignore the hard circumstances. Spend time processing it but lament it to the Lord and He will truly heal your heart.

Mental Health

God gave us emotions.
We need people to help us steward those emotions.
We need to experience the emotion but not allow those emotions to overtake.
We are called to live from a sound mind.
Emotions are there and they are real, but that doesn’t mean that they are facts and truth.
Emotions are not right or wrong. It’s what we do with those emotions that are either healthy or unhealthy.
It is important to get to the root of the emotion so you can break from that.
Emotions will either come out by an explosion of attacking other people or come out in an implosion where we’re attacking ourselves.
We have to get emotions out, so how do we get them out in a healthy way?

Inner Healing and Therapy

Inner healing and therapy can be similar because they both bring you back to a place of truth.
We were born good but there are experiences that happen along the way that has made us partner with lies.
Inner healing and therapy both work to address the hurt and pain, they are just different processes in how you get to the healing.
You don’t have to have something wrong with you to go to therapy. You just need to have the desire to be better, grow and live from a place of freedom.
The more you attend inner healing or therapy and the more you practice it, the better you get at it so you can catch it and not let it consume you.

Pressing In

Get curious about what you’re dealing with (anxiety, fear, anger, etc.)
There’s a reason for that emotion (that protector) is there.
Get curious about what is getting in the way of you seeking help through inner healing or therapy. What is blocking you?
The enemy loves us to live in shame or fear. The enemy loves us to be stuck.
The lies we start believing will block us from freedom.
When we get curious, it opens us up to getting freedom.

Investing in Yourself

The process of healing is an investment.
What are you making priority in your life?
Therapy is like dating – you have to find the right person for you. You might have to try a few therapists before you find the right fit for you and that’s okay.
The cost comes back to you because when you find freedom, your life improves.
You are worth investing in.

Powerful Quotes:

“We can get so stuck in our story or our circumstances that it really limits the fruit that comes from it.” – Shauna Stobbs-Bultema

“God has so much more for us.” – Shauna

“We can talk our way into or out of things, but it’s not sustainable or lasting because it’s not a heart transformation.” – Shauna

“Hunger looks like something.” – Caroline

“Your hunger for the Lord doesn’t go away unless we let it go away.” – Shauna

“You deserve to live a life of hope!” – Shauna

“If you’re still breathing, there’s room to grow.” – Shauna

“We’re products of the patterns that have been passed down from generation to generation.” – Shauna

“Emotions are good indicators; they are not good dictators.” – Caroline

“Emotions will either come out by an explosion of attacking other people or come out in an implosion where we’re attacking ourselves.” – Shauna

“The process of healing is an investment.” – Caroline