Episodes

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant start exploring Scott’s book, “Journey to Freedom: Your Start to a Lifetime of Hope, Health, and Healing,” that they used for their flagship eight-week process. Each week, they discuss what you can expect from the eight-week process in a Small Group and what’s at the heart of Journey to Freedom. This week, they start with how to step out of contemplating change of who you want to become and move into real action by taking an honest look at your life.

    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

    Scott Reall’s Books:

    Journey to Freedom: Your Start to a Lifetime of Hope, Health, and Healing

    Journey to a New Beginning after Loss: Freedom from the Pain of Grief and Disappointment

    Journey to Living with Courage: Freedom from Fear

    Journey to Healthy Living: Freedom from Body Image and Food Issues

    Journey to a Life of Significance: Freedom from Low Self-Esteem

  • Today, we celebrate a monumental milestone: our hundredth episode of Searching Inward! This achievement reflects the dedication and consistency of our team and the unwavering support of our listeners over the years. Thank you for being part of this journey with us as we look forward to many more episodes to come!

    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • Episodes manquant?

    Cliquez ici pour raffraichir la page manuellement.

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Karen Lopez about her journey with Restore Small Groups. Karen shares how joining a small group helped her navigate a transitional point in life with a new job, a new career in a new city.

    “I really resonated and what you were saying, I felt emotional listening to you, because it was really beautiful. You said you were committed to being honest, and you absolutely were.” -Seth [14:03]

    “You’re articulating so beautifully, I feel like, just the magic and the miracle of what happens in Small Group. There’s obviously a huge shift between when you walk in first night and when you walk out Week Eight.” -Anna [17:23]

    “I still think of myself as ill-equipped and underprepared and unable, and at a certain point, if I’m going to make an impact in the places that I am and I want to be in, that doesn’t serve me going forward, like those feelings of doubt and insecurity.” -Karen [20:17]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [01:05] This week's guest

    [05:25] A transitional point in life

    [09:46] The experience in a small group

    [17:21] Getting past the invisible wall

    [22:53] Examples of newfound confidence

    [27:33] A communal experience of growth and healing

    [30:02] Dealing with pandora’s box

    [34:35] Rapid fire questions

    [38:37] Outro


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant talk about the concept of radical hospitality and how this idea of creating a safe and non-judgemental space plays out in Restore Small Groups.

    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Dori Gorman, a chaplain for the YMCA in Nashville, about mental health and spirituality. Dori discusses her proactive approach to educate and destigmatize mental health through her role. She also shares her path towards becoming a chaplain and the people who influenced her along the way. Content warnings: Mentions of death and suicide

    “As the chaplain ministry has grown, it has been what if we really that clean the inside of the cup first and we provide really intentional, thoughtful care for the 2,000 staff. And if they’re healthy and growing in spirit, mind and body, then they’re going to be better equip to care for that 180,000 members.” -Dori [13:24]

    “I love just listening to you talk about how proactive the Y is being in really serving their people
 but recognizing that people coming through your doors are complex humans with needs that are not just physical, but they are spiritual and emotional as well.” -Anna [20:50]

    “I’m also really grateful that a lot of the work you’re doing is educating and destigmatizing, it sounds, which is so, so needed, especially as mental health became–I would say, not that it maybe even rose–we became more aware of it coming out of the pandemic.” -Seth [21:42]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:06] Intro

    [01:22] About this week’s guest

    [05:13] Being a chaplain for the YMCA

    [11:03] Spiritual and mental health

    [14:53] A typical day of a YMCA chaplain

    [22:15] Dori’s influences

    [31:49] Challenges in her role as chaplain

    [37:10] The role of inclusivity

    [41:34] The role of spirituality and mental health

    [45:01] A takeaway from Dori

    [47:31] Outro


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Jeremy Jennings about his experience with Restore Small Groups. Jeremy shares how the communal experience helped him during his mental health journey and how training vs trying helped him shift his perspective from trying something out to training to be better every day.

    “And that is what we strive for is to create that environment, that space, where people feel safe to share their story and to be heard and to connect with others.”-Anna [07:46]

    “Built in that idea too is like mistakes are allowed then. It’s part of the process.” -Seth [09:37]

    “I think people need a place where they can just truly be their authentic self, to truly be them and not be judged, and I think people will be surprised about what they’ll find or what they will discover about themselves.” -Jeremy [14:08]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:06] Intro

    [01:24] Discovering Restore Small Groups

    [05:05] Jeremy’s experience

    [12:52] It feels good to be seen and heard

    [14:42] Rapid fire questions

    [19:08] Outro


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant continue their discussions on Scott’s book, “Journey to a New Beginning after Loss: Freedom from the Pain of Grief and Disappointment.” They talk about Chapter 6 which is on the grief stage of acceptance, when a person comes to terms with the reality of their loss.

    “It’s not that the issue gets resolved as much as it gets dissolved.” -Seth [06:10]

    “Grief helps us grow.”-Anna [14:52]

    “Recognizing that we are powerless over these areas of our lives and naming them, I believe, is the beginning of comfort and healing.” -Scott [25:07]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [01:35] Defining acceptance

    [06:41] Examples of reaching acceptance

    [15:24] Lack of acceptance keeps us from growing

    [22:35] The concept of powerlessness

    [27:52] The next steps towards acceptance

    [33:20] Acceptance is not a linear process

    [36:19] Outro


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org


    Scott Reall’s Books:

    Journey to Freedom: Your Start to a Lifetime of Hope, Health, and Healing

    Journey to a New Beginning after Loss: Freedom from the Pain of Grief and Disappointment

    Journey to Living with Courage: Freedom from Fear

    Journey to Healthy Living: Freedom from Body Image and Food Issues

    Journey to a Life of Significance: Freedom from Low Self-Esteem


  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Adam Buzard, Director of United4Pastors, which brings pastors together in the Greater Nashville community. Adam talks about his listening tour where he sat down with over 200 pastors in Nashville to discuss how they’re doing and the two major themes that emerged from those discussions. He also shares what he learned through The State of Nashville study and its impact in helping the organization's understanding of the world.

    “I think one of the challenges and opportunities we have is–again–listen. Listen first.” -Adam [14:51]

    “I really believe that a part of being a healthy, well-rounded leader is to provide safe spaces for vulnerability and healing.” -Seth [29:01]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [01:13] About this week’s guest

    [03:21] His work with United4Pastors

    [08:11] The State of Nashville

    [14:11] Addressing the challenges

    [18:24] Strategies to build trust

    [28:59] The impact in Nashville

    [34:16] Advice for Pastors

    [36:54] How to contact Andrew

    [38:26] Outro


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org


    Operation Andrew Group: operationandrew.org

    The State of Nashville: stateofnashville.com

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Marcel Patillo about his experience with Restore Small Group. Initially joining to strengthen himself on an emotional level, Marcel shares how the eight-week program with an initial group of strangers helped him gain a new perspective and a new clarity of who he is and why he is the way he is.

    “One of our primary things for going through our groups is you cultivate self-awareness. You can’t really travel a map without locating where you are on the map.” -Seth [06:52]

    “I love the articulation of like eight weeks is not going to change your life. You’re not going to walk out completely different in circumstantially your life looks brand new, but it’s like the start.”-Anna [07:25]

    “By identifying where you’ve been and why you might have the feelings that you have, it can unlock new paths to process in your life that you may have never imagined really.” -Marcel [19:00]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [00:47] This week’s guest, Marcel

    [01:38] What drew Marcel to Restore Small Groups

    [02:47] Marcel’s experience with Restore Small Groups

    [07:25] Putting tools in your tool chest

    [10:28] Identifying who he is

    [12:35] The collaborative effort

    [18:33] Why recommend Restore Small Groups

    [21:07] Rapid fire questions

    [24:30] Outro


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant talk about cultivating life-giving practices, which are healthy habits that nurtures your mental, emotional or spiritual well being. They share examples of practices to integrate into your daily life as well as what practices have shaped them personally to stir some ideas to cultivate well being.

    “We need life-giving practices because we need to attend to our well-being, and that doesn’t just happen naturally, right? It requires intentionality.” -Seth [05:18]

    “Cultivating relationships with people that are also emotionally available in your life, so whether that’s friendships or family or whatever kind of relationships that you find yourself in. They’re not all going to be your best friends, but finding safe places where you can really be your real self and connect deeply and authenticity with others is crucial in maintaining emotional well-being.” -Anna [16:16]

    “I believe that God—is my understanding–is my friend, and so I look at spending time with my friend, and building my friendship with God is a very spiritual process for me.” -Scott [17:49]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:04] Intro

    [02:02] What is a life-giving practice & why we need them

    [05:49] Defining well being

    [08:43] What life-giving practices are not

    [09:51] Mental practices

    [13:30] Cultivating for emotional well being

    [16:41] Spiritual well being practices

    [19:50] What practices shape the hosts personally

    [25:43] How to integrate these practices into daily life

    [27:45] Helpful tips to manage obstacle and setbacks


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant discuss Chapter Six in Scott’s book, Journey to a New Beginning after Loss, which is about forgiveness. They draw from personal experiences to discuss three stages around forgiveness–the forgiveness of others, the forgiveness of God and the forgiveness of ourselves–as well as debunk the misconceptions around this process.

    “You can forgive someone without reestablishing a relationship. Forgiveness does not mean that you are obliterating your boundaries.” -Anna [07:43]

    “I think forgiveness is just so, so powerful in that it’s for me. It’s for me. It has nothing to do with the other person. It doesn’t have anything to do with the events. It’s for me.” -Scott [10:52]

    “What moves us to acceptance and peace ultimately is forgiveness, because it is feeling the emotion so that we can move through it and process it and metabolize it so that it can stop being stuck and we can keep moving as the process that we are.” -Seth [29:08]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:27] Intro

    [01:56] Definition of forgiveness

    [05:20] Misconceptions around forgiveness

    [19:50] Hard to forgive

    [25:31] The value of forgiveness

    [29:29] The practice of forgiveness

    [37:35] Forgiving God

    [46:26] Forgiving yourself


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org


    Scott Reall’s Books:

    Journey to Freedom: Your Start to a Lifetime of Hope, Health, and Healing

    Journey to a New Beginning after Loss: Freedom from the Pain of Grief and Disappointment

    Journey to Living with Courage: Freedom from Fear

    Journey to Healthy Living: Freedom from Body Image and Food Issues

    Journey to a Life of Significance: Freedom from Low Self-Esteem


  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Sarah Ruccio Huffman, the Healing Arts Coordinator at Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center. Sarah has worked as a clinical chaplain and an expressive therapist in a variety of environments, and she discusses the value of therapy. She shares the pivotal moment that inspired her to help other people learn how to live fully in an ordinary life. She also talks about her experience with Restore Small Groups and the direct correlation between her expressive therapy groups and Restore Small Groups.

    “It’s so impressive that you are able to get to that point to realize like I do need help. I do need to talk about these things. And then when you do normalize helping yourself, how that in turn helps others that are watching your story unfold.” -Anna [10:04]

    “The underlying message there is that asking for help is a sign of weakness, and so I have learned along the way that asking for help is a sign of strength.” -Sarah [10:42]

    “Spirituality assists and supports an expansion of our identity.” -Seth [20:59]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [00:50] This week’s guest, Sarah

    [01:52] Becoming an expressive therapist

    [06:16] A pivotal moment

    [11:06] The value of art therapy

    [13:51] Current therapy trends

    [21:33] Helping military veterans

    [27:30] Her experience with Restore Small Groups

    [32:12] Primary issues in therapy community

    [35:45] The Journey to Freedom process

    [41:24] Listen to yourself and respond


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Tamara Lankford about her experience with Restore Small Groups. Tamara shares what inspired her to sign up, how she overcame her shyness that led her to open up and be vulnerable and why she would recommend others to join a small group.

    “Being in a group, it’s like working out with friends instead of trying to convince yourself to work out on your own everyday. It’s something that pushed me. It committed me to being there once a week. But the people, the environment, everything definitely allowed me to relax and open up.” -Tamara [05:32]

    “We need more people that are growing and healthy and willing to be made uncomfortable so that they can become the fullest versions of themselves.” -Anna [07:58]

    “Man, I love that analogy of helping you move on down the river, because I do think, continually that, like we tend to get stuck on either side of the river, and we’re not flowing in our life.” -Seth [09:59]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [00:42] This week’s guest, Tamara

    [02:13] How she came to Restore Small Groups

    [04:10] Week 1 vs Week 8

    [08:09] Moving though the river

    [10:15] The communal experience

    [13:03] Rapid fire questions


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant talk about the concept of authenticity. Through their personal experiences, they discuss the practice of letting go who we think we’re supposed to be so that we can embrace who we are. To do this, they explore the key components of authenticity: self-awareness, honesty, consistency, vulnerability, self-acceptance and autonomy.

    “To me, authenticity is the heart of self-awareness.” -Scott [02:06]

    “I think that you understand your limitations and you embrace that, but you also understand your strengths. You understand what you bring to the table.” -Anna [19:03]

    “It can be so, so difficult to be authentic when we’re afraid of what other people think, when we’re afraid of what can happen if we were to actually disclose parts of ourselves.” -Seth [53:12]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:00] Intro

    [01:09] Defining authenticity & why it’s important

    [07:12] Being who I am, not who I’m supposed to be

    [13:05] Feeling free to be myself

    [16:05] Self-awareness and honesty

    [21:36] Consistency and vulnerability

    [27:06] Self-acceptance and autonomy

    [30:05] Personal examples of authenticity

    [40:39] Values of authenticity

    [43:15] Inauthenticity & struggling to be authentic

    [56:22] Ways to practice authenticity


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant discuss the fourth chapter in Scott’s book, Journey to a New Beginning after Loss: Freedom from the Pain of Grief and Disappointment, about depression and sadness. They discuss the grief stages through personal examples and how to distinguish between feeling depressed from feeling sad.

    “But you’re not going to get from depression to acceptance unless you really start to feel and process those sad feelings.” -Anna [06:56]

    “What I have found that’s really profound for me is that there’s a shame attached to our depression, which makes us even more isolated with what we’re struggling with.” -Scott [28:56]

    “There were just so many moments of uncontrollable emotion that was kind of having its way with me, and so, I just remember realizing I had to let it have its way with me.” -Seth [42:07]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [00:27] Last live music experience

    [02:20] Depression and sadness

    [08:49] More specific definitions

    [12:12] Depression as a form of self-suppression

    [16:55] Feeling depressed vs living with depression

    [19:15] Characteristics of depression

    [22:21] Defining sadness

    [30:01] Living from a false self

    [32:17] More personal examples

    [43:56] Practical thoughts to move through sadness


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org


    Scott Reall’s Books:

    Journey to Freedom: Your Start to a Lifetime of Hope, Health, and Healing

    Journey to a New Beginning after Loss: Freedom from the Pain of Grief and Disappointment

    Journey to Living with Courage: Freedom from Fear

    Journey to Healthy Living: Freedom from Body Image and Food Issues

    Journey to a Life of Significance: Freedom from Low Self-Esteem

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Beth Joseph about her experience with Restore Small Groups. Beth shares how her first small group made her feel seen, which allowed her to be the fullest version of herself. She also discusses how this inspires her to return and participate in multiple groups.

    “From week one to week eight, I feel like those people, even to this day–I don’t know, a year and a half later since we had that first group–like they know me better than people who have known me for 10 years.” -Beth [10:08]

    “I remember you walking in that first day and just being a little frazzled and late and being brave to just walk into a room of people, and then to come back again, just slowly let your story unfold with these people. Man, what a gift. What a gift.” -Anna [10:49]

    “That is some of the magic of the process. We create this safe environment where you can name the painful parts of your life, the struggles, the issues, and you’re still accepted like you’re alluded to earlier. You’re still ok in the eyes of everyone. There’s non-judgement that fills the room.” -Seth [19:16]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [00:54] This week’s guest, Beth

    [04:28] What drew Beth to join a Restore Small Group

    [06:05] Her experience with Restore

    [11:10] The contrast between Week 1 and Week 8

    [21:28] What Beth uncovered about herself

    [26:27] A pitch for Restore Small Group

    [28:00] Rapid fire questions


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Rianne McCulloch about her experience with Restore Small Groups. Rianne shares how small groups taught her to be vulnerable to help her move forward in her process as well as help a group of strangers become friends during the eight week program.

    “And I think that’s one of the big things that I learned from Week 1 to Week 8 was you get out of it what you put into it.” -Rianne [04:06]

    “There’s a lot of different things that happen within those eight weeks. You go from–like you mentioned–stranger to an interesting community real quick, because of the vulnerability that the experience lends itself to.” -Seth [05:09]

    “There’s something about that year nine at the end of the decade that really propels you into a new direction.” -Anna [07:11]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [00:55] This week’s guest, Rianne

    [01:53] Why join a Restore Small Group

    [03:12] Her experience in a small group

    [09:09] Why she recommends Restore

    [11:18] Rapid fire questions


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant have a conversation about intrinsic hope. Hope is dynamic and a powerful force that is essential in the human experience. The three hosts discuss this feeling as it relates to growth and change and how it can help keep us forward. They share what hope means to them and how to practical ways to cultivate it.

    “One of the ways that I think I view hope is it’s the ground that I stand on that is unchanging, no matter what the weather is.” -Seth [12:51]

    “We can’t obviously control what is happening externally, but the ways that we experience what is happening externally has everything to do with our mental framework, whether we are looking at it from a growth mindset or a fixed mindset.” -Anna [25:29]

    “To me, the greatest motivator in all of life is hope.” -Scott [38:11]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [00:21] How hopeful are you feeling?

    [04:21] What does hope mean to you?

    [13:04] How threatening it can be to hope

    [19:00] Qualities of hope

    [25:59] Link between hope and trust

    [32:03] Hope and identity

    [39:16] Growth and transformation

    [43:45] How to cultivate hope

    [56:17] The Welcoming Prayer


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant speak with Janele Nelson, Mission Director at YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Scott and Janele have known each other for almost 20 years after her job sent her to Restore Small Groups in Nashville. Janele discusses her work at the YMCA and how the organization continues to provide a great place to help people reach their full potential during this time of divisiveness. She also talks about her experience with Small Groups and its impact.

    “Staff development isn’t just professional. I mean, staff in the Y, you can’t give away what you don’t have. So if you’re there to actually help people in spirit, mind, body and you’re suffering,  and no one’s paying attention to yours, that’s not good. It doesn’t work.” -Janele [09:21]

    “I think everybody does struggle with a human condition and it looks different and unique for all of us.” -Anna [12:50]

    “‘Cause I see you as a worldwide leader. Always have.” -Scott [22:55]

    “We like to say, ‘What we do is solitaire work that can’t be done alone,’ and we do need to transcend moving from me to we.” -Seth [26:25]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [00:23] This week’s guest, Janele

    [04:31] YMCA’s current work worldwide

    [08:13] Janele’s role as Mission Director

    [13:18] Primary issues in her community

    [18:11] The value of Restore Small Groups

    [22:27] Janele’s mission and purpose in life

    [27:02] Restore’s impact in non-Christian environment

    [30:53] What’s on Janele’s heart to share


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org

  • In this episode of the Searching Inward Podcast, Scott Reall, Seth Abram and Anna Bryant talk about the bargaining stage of grief. This stage is a refusal to accept a reality from a loss, but goes beyond denial as it’s trying to create an alternative reality mentally. The three hosts discuss how this stage can show up and give practical tips on how to work through it.

    “It’s like I can’t heal an emotional wound with knowledge.” -Scott [07:13]

    “I think that’s one of the hardest reasons why loss is so difficult because there’s not a way to make sense of it.” -Seth [10:48]

    “Seth, I think that’s such a beautiful reminder just that people don’t need answers so much as they need presence.” -Anna [20:03]

    TIMESTAMPS

    [00:05] Intro

    [01:07] Reflect on a loss in your life

    [02:30] Writing the chapter on bargaining

    [07:22] Unresolved grief

    [09:25] What is bargaining

    [13:10] How religion can interfere with grief

    [17:54] People don’t always need answers, just presence

    [21:43] Complete the grief

    [27:56] Blaming ourselves

    [30:53] Working through the bargaining stage


    Follow and Contact

    Facebook: Restore Small Groups

    Instagram: @restoresmallgroups

    YouTube: Searching Inward Podcast

    Website: restoresmallgroups.org


    Scott Reall’s Books:

    Journey to Freedom: Your Start to a Lifetime of Hope, Health, and Healing

    Journey to a New Beginning after Loss: Freedom from the Pain of Grief and Disappointment

    Journey to Living with Courage: Freedom from Fear

    Journey to Healthy Living: Freedom from Body Image and Food Issues

    Journey to a Life of Significance: Freedom from Low Self-Esteem