With over 2.5 million downloads on her popular podcast Talk To Me, as well as with her wide-reaching blog, Debra Fileta, the author of several bestsellers—including Reset—ur
Relationship counselor Fileta (Reset) offers an energetic invitation for Christians to adopt “rhythms and practices that fuel and feed and strengthen…the deepest parts of who we are.” Fileta persuasively reassures readers that caring for one’s body and mind can be holy…Christians will find plenty of inspiration here. –Publishers Weekly
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — A recent poll by the American Psychiatric Association reports that anxiety levels are rising year after year, and that 3 in 4 adults in 2024 are dealing with anxiety about the economy or the upcoming presidential election. Not only that, but according to the 2024 Global Talent Trends report, 80 percent of employees are at risk of burnout, and 40 percent blame exhaustion as a contributing factor; yet less than 50 percent of employers integrate well-being into their approach to work. And Christians are not exempt. America’s productivity-obsessed culture – even within the church and ministry environments – is wearing people down.
Enter renowned psychotherapist Debra Fileta with her latest book, Soul Care: Find Life-Giving Rhythms, Live Restored, Avoid Burnout, and Discover Unspeakable Joy (9/3/24, Harvest House). This biblically oriented title is a salve for stressed-out readers that focuses on acknowledging physical and emotional needs and tending to our overall well-being for a wiser and better-balanced way of life.
Fileta, a licensed professional counselor and author of four previous bestselling books, is a sought-after voice on mental and emotional health, relationships, identity, and personal development. Concerned with the pace at which people are living, she explains, “No matter what kind of person you are, we all have an emotional tank that needs filling. We all have an emotional capacity that we need to be acutely aware of in order to avoid burnout, depression, anxiety, and significant emotional crisis. We all have a responsibility to stay filled in order to live a peace-filled, thriving, joyful life.” She adds, “We’ve come to live in a place of emptiness rather than fullness. Or maybe, just maybe, we’ve never actually learned how to fill up. We’ve never learned how to truly care for our souls.”
Within the pages of this book, Fileta discusses six highly applicable, life-giving rhythms reflected in the life of Jesus that readers can integrate into their daily routines to reinvigorate their physical and spiritual health:
- Nourish
- Rest
- Connect
- Protect
- Savor
- Tune In
Along the way, she helps those who are running on empty to stop, observe, and adjust their actions, their motivations, and their mindset.
Combining her clinical and relational expertise with personal anecdotes, Fileta compassionately guides readers in filling up at soul level and regaining the balance they’ve lost. Her application of scriptural principles and examples establishes the tried-and-true value of these actions. And her ability to both translate powerful concepts and her knowledge into practical action steps gives her readers a strong handhold for understanding their internal world and taking wiser steps to care for themselves from the inside out.
In one chapter titled “It Might Not Be a Demon,” she recalls waking up one morning with an unexplained, elevated heart rate while out of town on a ministry trip. Some Christians would automatically attribute this to a spiritual attack; however, Fileta realized that part of the issue was simply that she was dehydrated. “I believe in spiritual warfare.” she says “But sometimes we overspiritualize our situation instead of seeing our role and responsibility in it…We can protect our spirits by putting on the full armor of God, and we can also protect our bodies by being alert and taking care of ourselves in the best ways we can.”
Soul Care will find an audience among the many who have experienced (or are experiencing) emptiness, exhaustion, or who feel off-balance due to the unforgiving pace of modern life—but it’s especially pertinent for people in service roles such as pastors, parents, ministry leaders, youth workers, caregivers, and medical professionals who may find it difficult to carve out time to tend to their own needs. “Jesus understood and honored the limitations of His body. He knew His human body had limits…He was acutely aware of how His body felt,” writes Fileta. “John 4:6 tells us Jesus was wearied by His journey.” This book provides a roadmap for similarly checking in on oneself and making space for one’s soul to thrive.
“Soul Care isn’t just another self-help book,” writes renowned speaker, author, and pastor Tim Timberlake. “It’s a lifeline, an invitation to rediscover the rhythms that make you whole and connected to your most authentic self. It’s a call to embrace the wisdom of the ages and integrate it into your modern, fast-paced life. It explores the delicate balance between the spiritual and the physical, the profound and the practical, and the eternal and the everyday.”
Readers who are overstimulated, overwhelmed, and overscheduled will find practical guidance for restoring their well-being, backed by clinical psychology and timeless wisdom. They will walk away with:
- Six biblically based, life-giving rhythms to integrate into their daily routines
- A multi-page self-assessment for determining their level of “soul health”
- A sense of hope as they learn to observe their internal world and make positive changes
- A roadmap for recognizing limits and preventing burnout
- A path to follow for discovering an authentic, abundant life
“In a world that often emphasizes ‘more’ and ‘faster,’ this book invites you to consider the counterintuitive power of ‘less’ and ‘slower,’” says Timberlake. “It’s a call to reconnect with your true self, embrace the rhythms that nurture your soul, and ultimately experience the peace and fulfillment that come from aligning your physical and spiritual well-being.”
Soul Care: Find Life-Giving Rhythms, Live Restored, Avoid Burnout, and Discover Unspeakable Joy will be available everywhere books are sold on September 3, 2024. Learn more at www.DebraFileta.com. Follow Debra Fileta on social media at @debrafileta on Instagram, on Facebook at True Love Dates, and @debrafileta on Threads, and Talk to Me: The Debra Fileta Podcast.
DEBRA FILETA (MA, LPC) is a licensed professional counselor, national speaker, and the founder of the Debra Fileta Counselors Network. She is also the author of numerous bestselling books including Are You Really OK? and Reset. Through her popular blog (TrueLoveDates.com) and her hotline-style podcast, she shares the message that healthy people make healthy relationships. Debra and her husband, John, have been happily married for 17 years and have four amazing children.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER:
Harvest House Publishers, a Christian publishing company based in Eugene, Oregon, publishes more than 100 books per year and carries a strong backlist offering more than 1,500 titles. Over 145 million Harvest House books have been sold worldwide through diverse distribution channels, and additional millions have sold in more than 75 languages.
