Authentically Amber: Navigating Life's Anxious Moments & Everything In-Between

Amber Ginter Johnson
  • 5.0 (11)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Hi, friends! Welcome to Authentically Amber, a podcast for anyone navigating the rollercoaster of adulting and living out their faith in a messy world. Join me, Amber Ginter Johnson, for raw, honest conversations on life’s challenges—from mental health and faith to practical wisdom for everyday living—all designed to help you grow, heal, and thrive. Whether you're facing change, struggling with anxiety, or just need someone who gets it, you're not alone. Get comfortable as we dive into the messiness of life—and everything in between—together. This is Authentically Amber.

  1. Generations Deep — Healing From Inherited Trauma Through Faith and Therapy— Interview with Gina Birkemeier

    APR 15

    Generations Deep — Healing From Inherited Trauma Through Faith and Therapy— Interview with Gina Birkemeier

    Season 2, Episode 8: Generations Deep — Healing From Inherited Trauma Through Faith and Therapy— Interview with Gina Birkemeier Description: Do you ever feel stuck in patterns you didn’t choose—habits, reactions, or beliefs that seem to run in your family? In this powerful episode of Authentically Amber, I sit down with Gina Birkemeier, licensed professional counselor, trauma therapist, and award-winning author of Generations Deep, to talk about breaking free from generational trauma. Gina’s unique blend of faith, therapy, and science (including the study of epigenetics) helps people understand what’s been passed down—and how to rewrite their stories with God’s help. Together, we explore how to stop repeating cycles of dysfunction and start living out a new legacy of healing, hope, and purpose. What You’ll Hear in This Episode:✨ Gina’s personal story of growing up in generational dysfunction and finding her calling in trauma therapy.✨ What generational trauma really is—and how it shows up emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.✨ How faith and therapy work together to help us break family cycles and reclaim our identity in Christ.✨ The science of epigenetics and how trauma can be passed down through generations.✨ Practical tools to begin healing your family story today.✨ Encouragement for anyone wondering if God can redeem their past (spoiler: He can—and does). Takeaways:✨ You can’t heal what you won’t acknowledge—awareness is the first step to freedom.✨ Faith and therapy are partners in healing, not competitors.✨ God doesn’t just want to redeem your story; He wants to redeem your family line.✨ The past explains you, but it doesn’t have to define you. Resources Mentioned:📚Generations Deep: Unmasking Inherited Dysfunction and Trauma to Rewrite Our Stories Through Faith and Therapy by Gina Birkemeier📚 The Choice by Edith Eger📚 Same Kind of Different As Me by Ron Hall & Denver Moore💻 Website: www.GinaBirkemeier.com📨 Substack: https://ginabirkemeierlpc.substack.com/📸 Instagram: @ginabirkemeier Let’s Connect:💻 Website: AmberGinter.com📸 Instagram: @amberginterauthor Reminder: You don’t have to repeat the story you were born into—with faith and healing, you can write a new one.

    1 hr
  2. Managing Emotions with Science and Scripture: Finding Peace with Alicia Michelle

    APR 1

    Managing Emotions with Science and Scripture: Finding Peace with Alicia Michelle

    Season 2, Episode 7: Managing Emotions with Science and Scripture: Finding Peace with Alicia Michelle Description: What if emotional control wasn’t about suppressing feelings—but understanding them through both faith and neuroscience? In this practical and hope-filled episode of Authentically Amber, I sit down with Alicia Michelle (pronounced Alesha), certified NeuroCoach, author, and host of The Christian Mindset Coach Podcast, to talk about how Christian women can build emotional confidence using science and Scripture. Alicia’s newest book with Baker Publishing helps readers uncover biblical and brain-based tools to manage emotions, transform thought patterns, and experience peace in every area of life. Through her ADD Method (Acknowledge, Discern, Decide), she shares a powerful, grace-filled process that integrates brain science and God’s truth for real emotional freedom. What You’ll Hear in This Episode:🧠 The ADD Method and how to process emotions biblically and practically.🧠 Managing emotions in relationships, work, and family life.🧠 How faith and neuroscience work together to handle emotional triggers.🧠 Tools for staying grounded during seasons of stress or transition.🧠 The difference between emotional suppression and Spirit-led regulation.🧠 Why managing emotions is actually a form of worship and discipleship. Takeaways:✨ Emotions aren’t enemies—they’re indicators pointing to deeper needs and truths.✨ God designed your brain and body to work with your faith, not against it.✨ True peace comes when we align our thoughts, emotions, and spirit with Him. Resources Mentioned:📚 Alicia’s new book with Baker Publishing- Emotional Confidence🎧 The Christian Mindset Coach Podcast💻 Website: aliciamichelle.com📸 Instagram: @aliciamichellecoach Let’s Connect:💻 Website: AmberGinter.com📸 Instagram: @amberginterauthor Reminder: Your emotions aren’t meant to control you—they’re meant to draw you closer to the God who created you.

    42 min
  3. Trauma, Faith, and Finding Hope in Christ—Interview with Esther Smith

    MAR 18

    Trauma, Faith, and Finding Hope in Christ—Interview with Esther Smith

    Season 2, Episode 6: Holy and Healing — Trauma, Faith, and Finding Hope in Christ (Interview with Esther Smith) Description: What does it look like to walk with Jesus while carrying the wounds of trauma? In this deeply honest episode, I sit down with Esther Smith—licensed therapist, trauma-informed counselor, and Christian author—to talk about how faith and therapy work together in the process of healing. We’ll unpack stigma, shame, and what it truly means to bring our whole selves—body, mind, and spirit—before God. If you’ve ever felt conflicted about needing therapy while following Jesus, this conversation will remind you that faith and healing are not opposites—they’re beautifully intertwined. What You’ll Hear in This Episode: ✨ What trauma really is—and why both “big T” and “little t” traumas matter. ✨ How Christians can better understand trauma without minimizing or spiritualizing it. ✨ The theology of healing: why Scripture supports honesty, lament, and practical recovery. ✨ What trauma-informed counseling actually looks like for believers. ✨ How to find the right therapist and begin your healing journey with grace. ✨ Encouragement for Gen Z and young adults learning to live authentically through pain and faith. Takeaways: ✨ Faith and therapy are teammates, not opposites. ✨ Healing isn’t about perfection—it’s about honesty and surrender. ✨ You can hold both trauma and trust in God at the same time. ✨ Jesus meets you in your wounds, not beyond them. Resources Mentioned: 📚 A Still and Quiet Mind and Chronic Illness: Walking by Faith by Esther Smith 💻 Visit ChristianTraumaCounseling.com to learn more about Esther’s work Let’s Connect: 💻 Website: AmberGinter.com 📸 Instagram: @amberginterauthor Reminder: You don’t have to be perfect to be loved by God—you just have to be willing to heal with Him.

    57 min
  4. From Silent Struggles to Speaking Hope – Interview with Felicia Caid Smith

    MAR 4

    From Silent Struggles to Speaking Hope – Interview with Felicia Caid Smith

    Season 2: Episode 5: From Silent Struggles to Speaking Hope – Interview with Felicia Caid Smith Description: What if your mental health struggles didn’t disqualify you—but actually became the place where God does His greatest work? In this powerful and deeply personal episode, I sit down with Felicia Caid Smith, wife, mom, and First 5 writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries, to talk about her journey through anxiety, depression, and spiritual doubt—and how God met her in the middle of her pain. Together, we explore how faith and vulnerability can lead to healing, freedom, and hope. What You’ll Hear in This Episode:✨ Felicia’s early experiences with anxiety, panic attacks, and depression.✨ The silence and shame she faced as a Christian woman struggling mentally.✨ What led her to finally seek help—and why taking medication doesn’t make you less faithful.✨ How God redeemed her story and grew her faith through brokenness.✨ Why the Church must do better in supporting mental health.✨ Encouragement for Gen Z and young adults who feel pressure to “be okay.” Takeaways:✨ Your struggle doesn’t disqualify you—it may be where God meets you most deeply.✨ Healing is not one-size-fits-all; sometimes God’s miracles include medicine and community.✨ You don’t have to hide your pain to be holy—God can use it for His glory. Resources Mentioned:📚 Felicia’s Devotions on the First 5 App by Proverbs 31 Ministries📚 Connect with Felicia: feliciacaidsmith.com📸 Follow Felicia on Instagram: @feliciacaidsmith Let’s Connect:💻 Website: AmberGinter.com 💻 Retreat: AmberGinter.com/mentalreset 📸 Instagram: @amberginterauthor Reminder: Your struggles don’t make you less faithful—they make you beautifully human, and God’s grace is big enough to meet you there. 💛

    52 min
  5. Flourish Anyway: Faith, Friendship, and Building Sacred Spaces – Interview with Rachel Earp

    FEB 18

    Flourish Anyway: Faith, Friendship, and Building Sacred Spaces – Interview with Rachel Earp

    Season 2: Episode 4: Flourish Anyway: Faith, Friendship, and Building Sacred Spaces – Interview with Rachel Earp Description: What does it look like to keep growing when life doesn’t go as planned? In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with my sweet friend Rachel Earp—author, podcaster, business leader, and founder of the upcoming Flourish community—to talk about how faith, friendship, and sacred spaces help us flourish even in unexpected seasons. What You’ll Hear in This Episode:✨ Rachel’s story of faith, motherhood, and building a national business with her husband.✨ How her son’s Down Syndrome diagnosis became a story of fear, faith, and growth.✨ Moving from isolation to community and rediscovering belonging.✨ The heart behind her Flourish community and new podcast, You Can Grow Anyway.✨ Encouragement for women who feel behind, overlooked, or unsure where they fit. Takeaways:✨ You can flourish even when life looks different than you expected.✨ God’s love makes every season fruitful, even the messy ones.✨ You’re not too late, too small, or too unseen to grow. Resources Mentioned:📚 You Can Grow Anyway Podcast by Rachel Earp📚 Join the Flourish Waitlist: rachelearp.com📚 Follow Rachel on Instagram: @rachellearp Let’s Connect:💻 Website: AmberGinter.com📸 Instagram: @amberginterauthor Reminder: You’re not too late, too small, or too overlooked to grow—with God, you can flourish anyway.

    1 hr
  6. Rewiring Your Mind: Faith, Neuroscience, and the Art of Self-Brain Surgery— Interview with Dr. W. Lee Warren

    FEB 4

    Rewiring Your Mind: Faith, Neuroscience, and the Art of Self-Brain Surgery— Interview with Dr. W. Lee Warren

    Season 2, Episode 3: Rewiring Your Mind: Faith, Neuroscience, and the Art of Self-Brain Surgery with Dr. W. Lee Warren Description: What if you could literally rewire your brain — not with surgery, but through the power of your mind? In this transformative episode of Authentically Amber, I sit down with Dr. W. Lee Warren — neurosurgeon, Iraq War veteran, trauma survivor, and award-winning author — to talk about how neuroscience and faith intersect to heal the mind and heart. After surviving the horrors of war, an unwanted divorce, and the tragic death of his teenage son, Dr. Warren hit rock bottom. But instead of giving up, he applied what he knew as a brain surgeon to his own mental and spiritual recovery — a process he calls Self-Brain Surgery. His upcoming book, The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery (Tyndale Refresh, February 2026), invites readers to discover how changing your mind can truly change your life. What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 🧠 How Dr. Warren’s early faith and calling shaped his view of God and identity. 🧠 The collision of faith, science, and trauma during his time as a combat surgeon in Iraq. 🧠 The heartbreaking loss of his son and how tragedy transformed his faith. 🧠 What Self-Brain Surgery really means — and how to apply it to your own thought life. 🧠 How neuroscience supports biblical truth about renewing your mind. 🧠 Practical tools to rewire your thoughts and find hope again. Takeaways: ✨ Faith and science aren’t opposites—they’re partners in the healing process. ✨ You have more power over your thoughts and your brain than you realize. ✨ Healing begins when you stop being a passive patient in your mind and become the surgeon God equipped you to be. Resources Mentioned: 📚 The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery (Tyndale, February 2026) 🎧 The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast 💻 Website: wleewarrenmd.com 📸 Instagram: @drleewarren Let’s Connect: 💻 Website: AmberGinter.com 📸 Instagram: @amberginterauthor Reminder: You are not your trauma, your diagnosis, or your despair. You are a child of God—capable of rewiring your mind toward healing, hope, and wholeness.

    1h 9m
  7. Breaking Stigma, Finding Grace – A Conversation with Tabitha Yates

    JAN 21

    Breaking Stigma, Finding Grace – A Conversation with Tabitha Yates

    Season 2: Episode 2: Breaking Stigma, Finding Grace – A Conversation with Tabitha Yates Description: What if mental health struggles weren’t a mark of weak faith but an invitation to experience God’s love in deeper ways? In this heartfelt episode of Authentically Amber, I sit down with Tabitha Yates — mental health advocate, speaker, writer, and best-selling author of Jesus and Therapy. Known as The Redeemed Mama online, Tabitha shares her story of church hurt, surviving a suicide attempt, and discovering that Jesus and therapy can work together to bring healing. Together, we unpack the stigma surrounding mental illness in the church, talk about what true healing looks like, and explore how faith and therapy can coexist beautifully in a Christ-centered life. What You’ll Hear in This Episode:✨ How church hurt and stigma shaped Tabitha’s faith and mental health journey.✨ The powerful story of her suicide attempt and what led to her healing.✨ The heart behind Jesus and Therapy and why the church needs this message.✨ Practical steps for building boundaries and grace-filled communities.✨ Encouragement for Gen Z navigating faith, anxiety, and healing. Takeaways:✨ God’s grace meets you in your most vulnerable moments.✨ Therapy and faith aren’t opposites—they can work hand in hand for healing.✨ You’re not disqualified by your struggle; you’re deeply loved right where you are. Resources Mentioned:📚 Jesus and Therapy by Tabitha Yates📲 Follow Tabitha on Instagram: @tabitha_yates_author💻 Learn more about her work: The Redeemed Mama Let’s Connect:💻 Website: AmberGinter.com📸 Instagram: @amberginterauthor Reminder: You are not your stigma, your struggle, or your story. Healing is holy—and Jesus meets you right where you are.

    1h 15m
  8. Living Beyond Your Label: Finding Wholeness in Mind, Body, and Spirit – Interview with Erin Kerry

    JAN 7

    Living Beyond Your Label: Finding Wholeness in Mind, Body, and Spirit – Interview with Erin Kerry

    Season 2: Episode 1: Living Beyond Your Label: Finding Wholeness in Mind, Body, and Spirit – Interview with Erin Kerry Description: What if the labels you’ve been given—whether from a diagnosis, circumstance, or even yourself—weren’t the final word on your identity? In this episode of Authentically Amber, I sit down with @sparkingwholeness — integrative health coach, podcast host, and author of Live Beyond Your Label. Erin shares her powerful story of walking through PTSD, depression, and bipolar disorder, and how faith, nutrition, and movement helped her find healing and wholeness. Together, we talk about breaking free from the boxes that hold us back and embracing the full life God designed for us—mind, body, and spirit. What You’ll Hear in This Episode:✨ Erin’s journey of finding freedom from mental illness through faith and holistic healing.✨ The danger of labels—and how to redefine or release them.✨ Practical ways to calm your nervous system and manage stress.✨ The connection between food, mood, and mental wellness.✨ How to live rooted in your true identity in Christ. Takeaways:✨ You are not your diagnosis or your past—you are deeply loved and made whole in Christ.✨ Healing is possible when faith meets intentional care for your body and mind.✨ Freedom begins when you stop letting labels define your worth. Resources Mentioned:📚 Live Beyond Your Label by Erin Kerry🎧 Erin’s podcast: Sparking Wholeness📲 Follow Erin on Instagram: @sparkingwholeness Let’s Connect:💻 Website: AmberGinter.com📸 Instagram: @amberginterauthor Reminder: You are more than a label. Wholeness is possible—and it starts with saying yes to healing with God.

    1h 8m
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About

Hi, friends! Welcome to Authentically Amber, a podcast for anyone navigating the rollercoaster of adulting and living out their faith in a messy world. Join me, Amber Ginter Johnson, for raw, honest conversations on life’s challenges—from mental health and faith to practical wisdom for everyday living—all designed to help you grow, heal, and thrive. Whether you're facing change, struggling with anxiety, or just need someone who gets it, you're not alone. Get comfortable as we dive into the messiness of life—and everything in between—together. This is Authentically Amber.

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