The StoryField #92: The One with Phil Herndon about Attachment to God, Trauma, and the Eight Core Emotions

What does it really mean to be “attached” to God—and why do so many of us feel disconnected even while doing all the “right” spiritual things?

In this episode, counselor and pastor Phil Herndon shares his journey from “churchianity” in Marietta, Georgia, through addiction, marital struggle, and inner chaos, to sobriety and a deeper experience of attachment to God. He talks about his path into counseling, his work at the Center for Professional Excellence, and his partnership with Tin Man, where he helps leaders and pastors who are burned out, addicted, or emotionally shut down.

Phil explains how the brain is wired for protection, how trauma and unprocessed grief keep us stuck, and why lament—especially as seen in Scripture—is a kind of “cheat code” to attachment. He unpacks the eight core emotions (anger, hurt, lonely, sadness, fear, guilt, shame, and gladness) and shows how they act as a transport system to bring our stories into the light and reconnect us to God and others.

We also explore what real courage looks like: staying present, being vulnerable again, and letting trusted people into the painful parts of our story. If you’ve ever felt spiritually numb, emotionally shut down, or stuck in patterns you can’t explain, this conversation offers language, hope, and a practical path back to connection.

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