Sunburnt Souls | Faith, Mental Health & Mayhem

Dave Quak
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Weekly

Sunburnt Souls is a Christian mental health podcast exploring faith, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and emotional resilience through honest conversations and biblical hope. Hosted by Pastor Dave Quak, an Aussie pastor living with bipolar disorder, the podcast explores what it really looks like to follow Jesus through the highs, lows, and everything in between. Each episode shares powerful stories, biblical encouragement, and practical tools for navigating anxiety, depression, burnout, and mental wellness as a follower of Christ. Whether you’re battling darkness, searching for joy, or trying to make sense of faith and mental illness, you’re not alone. Sunburnt Souls is a safe, unfiltered space for honest conversations about Christian mental health. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. 🌐 Learn more at sunburntsouls.com

  1. 4d ago

    Sunburnt Souls Unhinged: The Aftermath & Unanswered Questions

    After our first public Sunburnt Souls Unhinged night, we sit down to answer the questions we couldn’t get to live, and we do it the same way the event felt: honest, grounded, and unafraid to laugh while still taking mental health seriously. We start with the stuff most people hide, like those “what is wrong with me?” thoughts that jump into your head on an escalator, in traffic, or in a quiet room at 2 a.m. Then we move into heavier territory: lifelong suicidal thoughts, how to keep someone safe when a moment feels dangerous, and why community can be the difference between spiraling alone and getting through the night. We also talk about practical next steps that matter, including seeing your GP and going to the emergency room when things are urgent, and why seeking medical and psychological care fits inside a Christian view of healing. From there, we wrestle with meaning. Is suffering a worthy trade for existence? We share how faith reframes pain without minimizing it, and why Christianity insists God isn’t cold to what you’re carrying. We also get practical about overthinking and sleep, including how different brains and bodies need different tools, what rumination can look like with bipolar disorder, and skills like “closing the loop” and journaling. Finally, we address the tough question of how mental ill health and the demonic might intersect, aiming for wisdom without extremes and keeping the goal simple: real freedom and wholeness. If this conversation helps you, subscribe to Sunburnt Souls, share it with a friend who needs a steady voice, and leave a review so more people can find it. What question do you want us to tackle next? If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here!  Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: Embrace your identity in JesusBuild life-giving spiritual rhythmsNavigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace👉 Start your 28-day journey today 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. Listen and Rate on ...

  2. Oct 11

    Sunburnt Souls Unhinged: Where It All Started | Faith, Mental Health & Mayhem

    The very first Sunburnt Souls Unhinged event! This is where it all started. Faith, mental health, comedy, storytelling and a whole lot of mayhem, recorded live with the people who supported Sunburnt Souls from the beginning. From a honeymoon sleep terror that nearly turned into a disaster to wild confidence, impulse buys, crushing lows and eventually being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, we get into the real stories behind what it's like when your brain doesn't always play by the rules. We also get into mental health in the church. What happens when anxiety and depression are met with a Bible verse when someone actually needs someone to listen? Can you love Jesus, take medication and see a therapist? Why does the church often know exactly what to do when someone is physically sick, but struggle when the pain is invisible? We talk about bipolar disorder, OCD, ADHD, eating disorders, depression, stigma, faith and what it actually looks like to support someone who is struggling. This was the first ever Sunburnt Souls Unhinged event and the beginning of a new era for the podcast. Raw stories. Real faith. Mental health. Comedy. Mayhem. This is Sunburnt Souls Unhinged. If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here!  Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: Embrace your identity in JesusBuild life-giving spiritual rhythmsNavigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace👉 Start your 28-day journey today 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. Listen and Rate on ...

  3. Oct 4

    All Things New. Omega Levine

    We sit down with New Zealand artist and worship leader Omega Levine and go behind the lyrics of “All Things New,” the song that’s helping people reconnect with Jesus when they feel lonely, numb, or one step from giving up.  We talk honestly about faith and mental health: growing up in a strict Christian home while carrying deep trauma, being bullied for his appearance, and hitting a suicidal breaking point. From there the story moves into life on the road with the Parachute Band, the pressure of public ministry, and the private spiral that turned into a double life of anxiety, alcohol, and drugs. If you’ve ever wondered why “coping” can feel like it works until it ruins you, this conversation puts language to it.  Omega also shares what changed, not through hype but through real life: a timely friendship, a house filled with early morning worship, long walks where he started talking to God again, and the slow work of counseling and healing. We dig into why authenticity matters, why Christian radio and churches shouldn’t be afraid of truthful lyrics, and what he and his wife Talia are praying for as new doors open and new music drops, including his upcoming single “Waiting.”  If this story gives you hope, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a way back, and leave a review so more people can find honest conversations about trauma, addiction recovery, worship music, and real faith. What part of Omega’s journey did you relate to most? If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here!  Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: Embrace your identity in JesusBuild life-giving spiritual rhythmsNavigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace👉 Start your 28-day journey today 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. Listen and Rate on ...

  4. Sep 27

    The Burdens We Carry: When Faith Feels Too Heavy

    Chest pain at your desk is terrifying. Getting rushed to the hospital, spending days in coronary care, and then hearing “your heart is fine” is disorienting. Hearing “it was a panic attack” can feel even worse. Christine Wood joins us to share the moment her body forced an honest conversation about stress, anxiety, and the hidden cost of a life that looks faithful on the outside but is collapsing on the inside. We talk about years in vocational ministry, the pressure to keep everyone happy, and the surprising shame that can come with a mental health diagnosis, especially when you’re the one who usually supports others. From there, Christine tells the story of the circuit breaker she and her husband chose: selling up, resigning, buying a caravan, and taking the long road around Australia. As the pace slows, sleep improves, laughter returns, and the soul starts to breathe again. At the center is Matthew 11:28-30 and Jesus’ promise of rest for the weary and burdened. Christine unpacks the idea behind her book The Burdens We Carried and names several burdens many of us normalize: busyness as virtue, body image pressure, guilt and shame on replay, and the deceitfulness of wealth that crowds out faith. If you care about Christian mental health, faith and anxiety, burnout recovery, Sabbath rest, and practical discipleship, this conversation offers both clarity and hope. Subscribe for more honest conversations, share this with someone carrying too much, and leave a review so more listeners can find it. What burden do you need to hand back today? Get Christines book here  If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here!  Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: Embrace your identity in JesusBuild life-giving spiritual rhythmsNavigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace👉 Start your 28-day journey today 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. Listen and Rate on ...

  5. Sep 20

    Online Hate and Public Criticism in Ministry. Dan Paterson

    We talk with our longtime friend Dan Patterson about what it takes to keep serving God when criticism gets loud and personal online. We share practical boundaries, spiritual habits, and grounding rhythms that protect mental health while staying faithful over decades.  • Dan’s library artifacts as a window into the historical roots of Christian faith  • the slow, faithful work behind “overnight” growth and why evergreen content matters  • why comment sections can distort reality and magnify the loudest critics  • repaying vitriol with love and turning negative prompts into prayer  • keeping a prayer list for repeat offenders and what it does to your heart  • resisting pride and letting the closest voices carry the most weight  • staying anchored through local church, real friendships, Scripture, worship, and unplugging  Mate check out the video content on our YouTube blesses you that’s where we’ve got hundreds of things that speak to so many different topics  Subscribe and Follow Questioning Christianity If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here!  Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: Embrace your identity in JesusBuild life-giving spiritual rhythmsNavigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace👉 Start your 28-day journey today 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. Listen and Rate on ...

  6. Sep 13

    Faith, Neurodivergence and a Life Lived to The Full. Dr Amanda Wilson

    We talk with Dr. Amanda Wilson about learning she’s neurodivergent later in life and how that diagnosis helps her give herself grace while building a career that fits her limits and strengths. We also trace her long road to Jesus and why accessible church community, practical structure, and honest support matter for mental health. • growing up between Deep South Christianity and Bay Area liberal church culture • identifying ADHD and autism traits through orthodontic work and life patterns • leaving high-volume clinical practice to reduce burnout and sensory overload • finding faith through Catholicism, mission work, and years of searching • meeting Jesus through Regeneration Recovery and disciplined journaling and scripture • navigating stress, micro seizures, and relying on prayer and boundaries • making church more accessible with quiet services, online groups, and accommodations • early orthodontics, airway development, nasal breathing, and homeschooling observations Contact and Follow Amanda at her Website , Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, or Linkedin If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here!  Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: Embrace your identity in JesusBuild life-giving spiritual rhythmsNavigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace👉 Start your 28-day journey today 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. Listen and Rate on ...

  7. Sep 6

    A Retired Police Officer On Trauma And Faith

    Warnings-some disturbing circumstances are described  Kurt has just stepped into retirement after 38 years in policing, and he walks us through what prolonged exposure to trauma can do to your mental health, your body, and your faith. If you have ever searched for answers about police PTSD, first responder mental health, anxiety, depression, or trauma triggers, this conversation will feel uncomfortably real and deeply human.  We talk about the “jar of marbles” effect, how critical incidents accumulate until one more pushes you past capacity. Kurt shares how PTSD can show up with a delay, why certain smells and sounds can flip your nervous system in an instant, and how stigma keeps people quiet when they most need support. We also cover what has changed in policing culture, including employee assistance programs, peer support, chaplains, and critical incident leave, plus why mental injury deserves the same care as a physical injury.  Just as important, we dig into what helps. Kurt explains why he refuses to camp inside a diagnosis, how exercise and sunlight can reconnect your physical and mental health, and why small “sleep hygiene” changes can matter more than people think. He also shares a perspective we all need to hear: when someone is struggling, they often need a listener, not another expert with advice. The episode closes with a hope-filled framework that holds both realism and faith: accept the natural, but expect the supernatural every day.  If this helped you, subscribe, share it with a friend who carries a heavy load, and leave a review so more people can find these stories. What part of Kurt’s journey did you relate to most? If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here!  Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: Embrace your identity in JesusBuild life-giving spiritual rhythmsNavigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace👉 Start your 28-day journey today 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. Listen and Rate on ...

  8. Aug 23

    10 Practical Keys for Christian Mental Health Support (with Jess Quak)

    Loving someone who struggles with bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, or any form of mental ill health can be confusing and exhausting, especially when you’re trying to hold faith and reality in the same hands. Jessica Quak joins me to share what surfaced at a women’s conference where conversation after conversation landed on the same need: people want Christian mental health support that’s honest, practical, and rooted in community, not shame or quick fixes. We walk through 10 concrete keys for supporting someone well. We start with the hard truth that caring can’t come at the cost of your own wellbeing. If you don’t “fit your own oxygen mask first,” you can get pulled under too. We also talk about why a diagnosis is not an identity, how to avoid reducing a whole person to symptoms, and what it looks like to be one member of a wider support team that includes doctors, psychologists, and trusted people who can step in when things are beyond your limits. We also get real about the spiritual side: Scripture is a power tool, and using it carelessly can harm people you’re trying to help. We explore grief without bitterness, why some painful moments aren’t actually personal, and how healing can come through miracles, medication, therapy, deliverance, and the long work of learning to live healed. We close with prayer and an invitation to reach out with questions. If this helps, subscribe, share it with someone who needs language for what they’re carrying, and leave a review so more people can find faith-based mental health resources. If Sunburnt Souls has helped or blessed you in any way, can I ask a small favour? Would you consider telling someone about the podcast, reposting an episode link, or bringing it up over dinner with a mate sometime? Word of mouth is how this podcast spreads. We don’t have the budget for advertising, so every share genuinely helps more people discover the conversations we’re having around faith and mental health. Sunburnt Souls Unhinged is here!  Join Dave for a fun night of comedy, stories, raw conversations and much more. Come connect, laugh, and experience life, faith and mental health in a whole new way.  For more info and tickets, click here 🙏 IF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION Help us keep producing Christian mental health podcasts and resources that bring hope to listeners around the world and breaks the stigma in the Church. 👉 Donate to Sunburnt Souls. ALL DONATIONS OVER $2 ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 🧠 NEW ONLINE COURSE: Loving Life with Faith and Mental Health A 28-day, FREE journey to help you: Embrace your identity in JesusBuild life-giving spiritual rhythmsNavigate anxiety, depression, and burnout with honesty and grace👉 Start your 28-day journey today 📩 JOIN OUR COMMUNITY Get weekly encouragement, bonus podcast clips, and faith-informed mental health resources in your inbox. 👉 Subscribe to the newsletter ⭐ LEAVE A REVIEW Love this episode? Your review helps others discover faith-based mental health resources and find hope for their journey. Listen and Rate on ...

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5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Sunburnt Souls is a Christian mental health podcast exploring faith, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and emotional resilience through honest conversations and biblical hope. Hosted by Pastor Dave Quak, an Aussie pastor living with bipolar disorder, the podcast explores what it really looks like to follow Jesus through the highs, lows, and everything in between. Each episode shares powerful stories, biblical encouragement, and practical tools for navigating anxiety, depression, burnout, and mental wellness as a follower of Christ. Whether you’re battling darkness, searching for joy, or trying to make sense of faith and mental illness, you’re not alone. Sunburnt Souls is a safe, unfiltered space for honest conversations about Christian mental health. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. 🌐 Learn more at sunburntsouls.com

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