This Whole Life

Pat & Kenna Millea
  • 5.0 (145)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

How does our mental health relate to our faith? How can we become whole while living in a broken world? Every day, we all strive to encounter God amidst the challenges of balancing faith and family, work and leisure, our sense of self and complicated relationships. Pat & Kenna Millea bring joy, hope, and wisdom to those who believe there *is* a connection between holiness and happiness. Kenna is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist; Pat served for 15 years as a youth minister; together they have 7 children and a perfectly imperfect marriage. From their education and experience, they share tools, resources, interviews, and stories that point the way to sanity and sanctity. (Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.)

  1. 2d ago

    Ep107 How Physical Health Impacts Your Mental and Spiritual Health with Chase Crouse

    "If I can't say no to the Big Mac, or if I can't get my body to move intentionally, there's an element of self-mastery I don't possess. And so therefore I cannot give." ~ Chase Crouse What does John Paul II's Theology of the Body actually have to do with skipping the gym or ordering the Big Mac?Why might chasing your old "glory days" workout be the exact thing keeping you from getting healthier now?What's the real difference between comparing yourself to a fitness influencer and imitating a saint?In episode 107 of This Whole Life, Pat and Kenna Millea sit down with Chase Crouse, founder of Hypuro Fit, a Catholic fitness and nutrition coaching platform built to help people grow in strength, discipline, and virtue. Chase served as a missionary with Net Ministries before earning degrees in biblical theology, and he shares the exact moment reading John Paul II's Theology of the Body that changed how he saw exercise entirely: the realization that self-donation is impossible without self-mastery, and that gift of self to God and others requires a body and will that are actually trained to give. From there, the conversation moves into the practical side of that theology. Chase breaks down why so many people fail to build a fitness habit, either chasing an all-or-nothing intensity from their athlete days or never having built any tolerance for discomfort at all, and introduces the idea of minimal effective dosing, doing the least amount necessary to get real results rather than burning out on unsustainable extremes. Kenna and Chase also dig into the difference between comparison and imitation, why social media makes fitness advice feel like hard science when it's actually full of nuance, and how the Catholic tradition has always framed imitation, of Christ and the saints, as the true goal rather than something to feel shamed by. Chase closes with the one piece of practical wisdom he gives every client trying to build a healthier morning routine. This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered if caring about their physical health is a distraction from their spiritual life, or anyone looking for permission to start smaller than they think they need to. Chapters: (00:00) - Cold Open(00:30) - Welcome and Meet Chase Crouse(02:42) - High and Hard: Postpartum Health and a New Book Launch(17:08) - From Personal Training to Founding Hypuro Fit(18:36) - The Theology of the Body Lightbulb Moment(28:17) - Why Habits Are Hard and the Power of Minimal Effective Dosing(39:35) - Filtering Fitness Advice: Comparison vs Imitation on Social Media(53:33) - Sleep, Prayer, and a Final Challenge by ChoiceLinks and Resources: Chase Crouse and Hypuro Fit - https://www.hypurofit.org/Sanctify Your Day: A Structure to Live an Intentional, Healthy, and Holy Life - https://sophiainstitute.com/product/sanctify-your-day/The God of Endurance: A Practical Guide for Incorporating Exercise and Nutrition into Your Spiritual Journey - https://sophiainstitute.com/product/the-god-of-endurance/Support the show Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters! Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

  2. Aug 10

    The Halloween I Didn't Get Kidnapped: Storytellers #20

    What does Captain Jack Sparrow do when he thinks he's dealing with the cartel? Support the show Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters! Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

  3. Aug 3

    Ep106 How to Forgive Someone Who Never Apologizes

    "Someone owes you something, is indebted to you, and you let go of that debt. It's like it's written on an IOU, and you're tearing it up and throwing it to the wind." ~ Kenna Millea What does real forgiveness actually require, and why isn't "forgive and forget" a Christian idea at all?Why does it bother you so much more when your spouse or your kid does the exact thing you secretly do too?Is it even possible to forgive someone who never asks for it, or who's no longer in your life to ask?In episode 106 of This Whole Life, Pat and Kenna Millea break down forgiveness, starting with a surprising fact: nowhere in the Gospels does anyone ever ask Jesus for forgiveness point-blank, and yet he forgives constantly. That single detail unlocks the idea at the center of this episode, unilateral forgiveness, the practice of forgiving before someone asks, apologizes, or even realizes they hurt you. They start with a simple, clarifying definition of forgiveness as canceling a debt, not forgetting it ever happened, then work through what scripture and C.S. Lewis have to say about why forgiveness might be the most disobeyed commandment in Christianity. Kenna introduces a concept from her spiritual director called empathetic repentance, the idea that what actually costs you your peace isn't what the other person did, it's the seed of that same thing already in you. They close with a real answer to one of the hardest versions of this question: how do you forgive someone who's died, or someone you're no longer in contact with, when you'll never get to tell them? This episode is for anyone still waiting on an apology that may never come, or anyone who's realized that holding out for one is quietly costing them their own peace. Episode 106 Show Notes Reflection Questions Larry Christensen's sermon on Unilateral Forgiveness Chapters: (00:00) - Cold Open(00:43) - Welcome and What's Harder to Forgive: A Game(13:09) - Highs and Hards: A Notre Dame Anniversary Trip(18:19) - Defining Forgiveness: The IOU You Tear Up(23:36) - What Scripture and C.S. Lewis Say About Forgiveness(40:41) - Empathetic Repentance: Why Their Sin Bothers You So Much(49:38) - Unilateral Forgiveness: What Jesus Actually Modeled(57:22) - Challenge by Choice and Closing Prayer Support the show Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters! Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

  4. Jul 27

    Lost in Guatemala, Or A Youth Minister's Nightmare: Storytellers #19

    Sometimes it's important to take the road MORE traveled. But Will Johnson lived to tell the tale. Support the show Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters! Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

  5. Jul 20

    Ep105 How to Survive (and Actually Thrive) in the Early Years of Parenthood

    "Day after day after day, you and I would just wake up and feel like we were underwater. Could not get our head above water, could barely breathe." ~ Pat Millea What does it actually take to survive the "fog of war" years of early parenthood without losing yourself or your marriage?Why might letting go of your own standards, like a spotless house or a specific parenting method, be the healthiest thing you can do for your family?What's the one practice Pat and Kenna almost let slip that ended up holding their marriage together?In episode 105 of This Whole Life, Pat and Kenna Millea open up their playbook for surviving, and even thriving, in the trenches of early parenthood. Drawing on their own experience raising seven kids, they talk honestly about the season a friend once called "the fog of war," the disorienting, sleep deprived stretch where you can't seem to get your head above water. From there, they walk through seven hard won practicals: holding firm to your values when everything feels chaotic, finding your own family's "clean spectrum," knowing when to take advice and when to let it roll off your back, outsourcing what you can without guilt, and protecting the handful of moments each day that actually shape your family's culture. They close with the two habits that quietly hold their marriage together in the middle of it all: going on dates, and praying together daily, even when it's just a Hail Mary before falling asleep. This episode is for anyone in the thick of parenting little kids who has wondered if they're doing it right, or anyone who remembers that season and wants to look back on it with a little more grace. Episode 105 Show Notes Reflection Questions Chapters: (00:00) - Cold Open(00:38) - Welcome, Lightning Round, and Highs and Hards(17:39) - The Fog of War: Why Early Parenthood Feels Like Survival(21:05) - Practical 1: Clarify and Hold Your Values(25:30) - Practicals 2 and 3: Finding Your Clean Spectrum and Filtering Advice(38:39) - Practicals 4 and 5: Outsourcing and Protecting High-Impact Moments(47:10) - Practicals 6 and 7: Dates, Prayer, and Staying Connected(53:12) - Challenge by Choice and Closing PrayerSupport the show Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters! Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

  6. Jul 13

    The Sex Talk That Wasn't: Storytellers #18

    Talking to your teen about sex is so good and important, but it can be vulnerable and uncomfortable. Trust us... Kenna knows. 😂 Support the show Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters! Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

  7. Jul 6

    Ep104 You Are Good: Even When You Don't Feel Like It

    "You, friend, listening to this, watching this right now, you are good. Period." ~ Pat Millea What's the real difference between failing at something and believing you are a failure?Why does the world have a vested interest in convincing you your worth is something you have to go earn?What happens when you build your identity on your mission instead of on your relationship with God?In episode 104 of This Whole Life, Pat and Kenna Millea sit with a truth most of us know in our heads but rarely trust in our hearts: you are good, not because of what you do, but because of who made you. Kenna opens up about a moment in spiritual direction that cracked something open for her, realizing that failing has to do with her actions, but shame goes deeper, straight to her sense of being. They walk through a simple framework from their own spiritual direction called RIM: relationship, identity, and mission, moving clockwise like the rim of a bowl. Relationship with God comes first, identity flows from that relationship, and mission flows from identity. Most of us live it backwards, chasing our mission first and letting our performance tell us who we are, which is exactly how one bad meeting, one lost client, or one hard parenting moment convinces us we're worthless. Pat shares a story from his years in youth ministry about a student whose entire identity was wrapped up in sports, and what happened to that identity the moment a torn ACL took the sport away. They also get into the difference between true humility and the "fishing for compliments" version so many Christians default to, and close with two of their favorite lines on identity, one from Aslan in Prince Caspian, and one from a fifth century doctor of the church named Peter Chrysologus. Episode 104 Show Notes Reflection Questions Chapters: (00:00) - Cold Open(00:47) - Welcome Back and Today's Topic(01:20) - The Good or Bad Game(07:01) - Highs and Hards(13:09) - Failing vs. Feeling Shame(15:26) - The World's Vested Interest in Your Insecurity(19:02) - The Athlete Who Lost His Identity(25:00) - Introducing the RIM Framework(28:05) - Living It Backwards(34:57) - Why We'd Rather Hustle Than Rest(41:15) - Holding Sin and Goodness Together(45:13) - Two Closing Quotes on Identity(48:38) - Closing PrayerLinks and Resources: Prince Caspian by C.S. LewisSt. Peter Chrysologus (Catholic Encyclopedia)Catholic Heart Work CampSupport the show Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters! Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

  8. Jun 29

    How I Met Your Mother: Storytellers #17

    The Millea family's origin story. How were Pat & Kenna struck by the lightning bolt of romance? It all started with a subpar early 2000s rom com... Support the show Thank you for listening, and a very special thank you to our community of supporters! Join our email list and never miss an episode or an event Visit us online at thiswholelifepodcast.com, and send us an email with your thoughts, questions, or ideas. Follow us on Instagram & Facebook Interested in more faith-filled mental health resources? Check out the Martin Center for Integration Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.

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5
out of 5
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About

How does our mental health relate to our faith? How can we become whole while living in a broken world? Every day, we all strive to encounter God amidst the challenges of balancing faith and family, work and leisure, our sense of self and complicated relationships. Pat & Kenna Millea bring joy, hope, and wisdom to those who believe there *is* a connection between holiness and happiness. Kenna is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist; Pat served for 15 years as a youth minister; together they have 7 children and a perfectly imperfect marriage. From their education and experience, they share tools, resources, interviews, and stories that point the way to sanity and sanctity. (Music: "You're Not Alone" by Marie Miller. Used with permission.)

Information

  • Creator
    Pat & Kenna Millea
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    104
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Martin Center for Integration
  • Show Website
    This Whole Life

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