Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast
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© 2025 Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast
Description
Searching for real conversations about Christian mental health — faith, anxiety, depression, and emotional resilience — shared with raw honesty and biblical hope? You’ve found it.
Sunburnt Souls is a Christian mental health podcast where faith and mental health meet real life. Each episode offers faith-based coping strategies, spiritual encouragement, and raw stories of hope.
I’m Pastor Dave Quak — an Aussie pastor living with bipolar disorder — and I know what it’s like to follow Jesus through the highs, lows, and everything in between.
You’ll hear 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 just trying to make sense of it all, you’re not alone. Sunburnt Souls is a safe, unfiltered space for faith-filled conversations and honest connection.
🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube. 🌐 Learn more at sunburntsouls.com
86 Episodes
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In this solo episode, host Dave Quak opens up about faith, mental illness, and what it means to live a life that’s “unideal” yet deeply loved by God. From a story about Tony with Tourette’s in church to reflections on his own bipolar journey, Dave explores how God meets us in our brokenness—not despite it. This episode tackles the stigma around mental health in the church, the reality of unanswered prayers, and why God’s power is often made perfect in weakness. Whether you live with anx...
At just 18 years old, Indigo Rogers has already published her first book The Indigo Psalms: Volume One—a raw and beautiful collection of personal psalms written since she was 14. In this episode of Sunburnt Souls, host Dave Quak sits down with Indigo to talk about faith, mental health, worship, and what it means to bring your whole self before God. We explore: How writing psalms became Indigo’s way of processing emotions and worshipping GodWhy lament and honesty matter just as much as joy in ...
This is Sunburnt Souls, the Christian Mental Health Podcast. Host Dave Quak welcomes back Tomas Heligr-Pyke...Tom gets real about navigating hallucinations at work, recognising what’s real, and how prayer and gratitude ground his mental health and faith. We unpack why films like Shutter Island and A Beautiful Mind resonate, how to handle paranoia and “hypothetical catastrophes,” the rhythm of running a business while carrying a serious mental illness, and the choice to stay open about diagnos...
What’s it really like to navigate Christian singleness in your 20s and 30s—while guarding your mental health and staying true to your faith? In this candid conversation, Dom and Sara join Dave to talk dating with purpose, resisting the pressure to “settle,” building real community, and cultivating what Dom calls “mental stamina” for the waiting seasons. They unpack awkward church moments, red flags on dating apps, the temptation to fix things in your own strength (hello, Abraham and Hagar), a...
This is Sunburnt Souls, the Christian Mental Health Podcast. In Part 2, Jess and Dave Quak continue their discussion... They explore living out a ministry calling, navigating gender-based expectations, and the joys of pastoral work, emphasising authentic leadership and empowering the next generation. Key Moments Introduction and Recap (00:00:00 - 00:01:47): Dave recaps Part 1, focusing on women’s callings and mental health, and asks what it’s like to live out one’s calling post-hurdles.Living...
In the first of a two-part series on SUNBURNT SOULS, Jess and Dave Quak are joined by Maddy Mandall to discuss the unique challenges and rewards of women in church leadership. Following last week's episode on women in leadership, Maddy shares her journey as a female pastor, her experiences with burnout, and her role in mentoring emerging leaders. The conversation explores the intersection of faith, mental health, and navigating structural barriers in ministry. Key Moments Introduction (00:00:...
In this episode of Sunburnt Souls, the Christian mental health podcast founded by pastor Dave Quak (who lives with bipolar disorder), Dave sits down with his wife Pastor Jess Quak, to talk candidly about the realities of being a woman in church leadership — and the unique mental health challenges that come with it. From their early ministry years juggling Bible college, youth ministry, and financial strain, to navigating decades of denominational debates over women in ministry, Jess shares he...
In this episode of Sunburnt Souls, the Christian mental health podcast founded by pastor Dave Quak (who lives with bipolar disorder), Dave welcomes Joel A'Bell, former Hillsong Global Director and current Oceania Regional Leader for Convoy of Hope. They dive into the mental and emotional toll of high-capacity Christian leadership and how to maintain integrity and spiritual wellbeing through major life and ministry transitions. What happens when you transition from leading thousands at Hillson...
In this vital episode of Sunburnt Souls, founder Dave Quak (pastor living with bipolar disorder) sits down with pastor, church planter, and creative Ralph Mayhew to explore the raw realities of depression, anxiety, and ministry burnout in the Christian world. Ralph shares his deeply personal journey—struggling with mental health while attending Bible college and serving as a lead pastor—and how he found true joy and identity in Jesus through it all. You'll hear honest, practical discussion on...
In this second part of Ash Morrison’s story on Sunburnt Souls, host Dave Quak explores Ash’s journey of rebuilding her life as a Christian woman after divorce. Ash shares the challenges of navigating divorce, parenting three young children (including one with disabilities), and unexpectedly meeting and marrying Zac, a non-Christian at the time. She discusses wrestling with guilt, biblical interpretations of divorce, and the transformative power of God’s grace in her unconventional path to re...
In this powerful episode of the Sunburnt Souls Christian Mental Health Podcast, host Pastor Dave Quak sits down with Monica Cook, a Sydney-based Christian sexologist from Life to the Full, to talk about faith, intimacy, and healing in a world still bound by stigma and silence. Together they explore how Christian mental health and sexuality intertwine—why guilt, anxiety, and depression so often hide in the shadows of church life—and how God calls every believer to wholeness in both body and so...
Host: Dave Quak Overview: In this solo episode of Sunburnt Souls, Dave Quak explores the role of AI chatbots, like Wysa, in supporting mental wellbeing, particularly from a Christian perspective. He examines their benefits, limitations, and ethical considerations, drawing on Christian thinkers to provide a balanced view on integrating AI into faith and mental health practices. Key Points: Introduction to AI Chatbots:AI chatbots mimic conversations with therapists or friends, using cognitive b...
It's a powerful lie: that a mental health diagnosis means you can only receive support. On Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast, Dave and Jess Quak flip the script! They share honest, real-life insights into how individuals, including those with depression or anxiety, can actively contribute to their family's healing and well-being. Tune in as they unpack five key areas of reciprocal support: Spiritual Leadership: Showing up authentically, regardless of your mental state.Househol...
📝 Podcast Show Notes Episode Summary: In this powerful episode, we follow one woman’s raw and redemptive journey through decades of mental illness, childhood trauma, sexual abuse, postpartum depression, stage 3 brain cancer, epilepsy, and a massive stroke. From the depths of despair to the heights of hope, she shares how Jesus carried her through the darkest valleys—and how a 75-mile bike ride became a lifeline of purpose and faith. What You’ll Hear: Growing up in a chaotic, abusive home as ...
This week on Sunburnt Souls, Dave Quak is back with another raw, real, and at times ridiculous episode—recorded while on family holiday, but packed with depth. He reflects on how short radio soundbites have unexpectedly spread across 14+ stations in Australia, sharing stories that connect faith and mental health in bite-sized doses. In this episode, Dave takes us on a journey that includes: Singing the Home and Away theme in Thailand—and what it taught him about embarrassment and boldnessBipo...
Dave Quak shares five real-life stories pulled from our one-minute soundbites airing on 14 Christian radio stations around Australia. From impulsively buying a house during a manic episode to watching a pelican steal a puppy, these moments are strange, hilarious, painful, and deeply human. Topics we cover: 🏠 Mental illness & impulse control (bipolar mania and regret)🐭 Carrying invisible burdens (the mouse on Mum’s shoulder)🧠 Responding to criticism and trolls with God’s truth🐦 Coping with...
Postpartum Psychosis is one of the most frightening mental health crises a new mother can face. In this raw and powerful episode of Sunburnt Souls: A Christian Mental Health Podcast, Lydia Farbach opens up about her journey through postpartum psychosis and the deep-seated fear of inheriting schizoaffective disorder from her mother. Lydia shares the chaos of losing grip on reality, the spiritual confusion in the mania, and the immense power of holding onto Jesus through a mental breakdown. Thi...
Dave Quak sits down with Christian sexologist Monica Cook for a raw and refreshing conversation about faith, sex, and the sacred wisdom of the Song of Songs. They unpack how theology and sexology can work together, challenge the silence around Christian intimacy, and explore how God’s design for desire is both holy and healing. Whether you’re married, single, or somewhere in between, this episode brings grace, wisdom, and real talk to the table. Contact Monica for more info or a consultation&...
This week Dave Quak sits down with Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton, the woman at the centre of one of Australia’s most infamous miscarriages of justice. Wrongfully convicted of her baby daughter’s murder, Lindy endured prison, public hatred, and unimaginable grief—but never let go of her faith. Hear her powerful reflections on: – Trusting God through pain and injustice – Finding peace in prison – The choice to forgive – Rebuilding life after devastation 🎧 A story of faith under ...
In this powerful episode, Dave sits down with Pastor Noriko Reid, one of the senior pastors at Hope Church on the Gold Coast, to share her raw and redemptive journey through anxiety, depression, and into freedom through Jesus. Through God’s faithfulness, the power of His Word, and the support of faith-filled community, Noriko experienced healing. Today, she leads with compassion, offering hope to those still in the fight. Her story is not just about survival—it’s about God’s power to redeem, ...
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