ABOUT
In 2018, After Years Of Deep Pain And Suffering, Wesley Towne Launched Better Days Podcast. This Project Was Born Out Of His Personal Experiences With Anxiety, Burnout As A Leader, And Watching His Wife Walk Through Long-Term Pain And Suffering. His Desire Was To Open Up A Conversation About Mental Health And Suffering Within Christianity That Approached These Realities From Compassionate Experience Combined With Theological, Psychological, And Cultural Research. What Started As A Simple Podcast Grew To Listeners All Over The World, Quickly Evolving Into A Nonprofit, Working To Bring Awareness And Hope Into The Hardest Corners Of Life. Take A Look Around. Join The FMLY. It Is Our Hope That Better Days Will Encourage You Along The Way.
OUR TEAM
Wesley Towne
Wesley Towne is the founder of Better Days. With a deep burden for the conversation around mental health in the church he launched Better Days to provide resources for better understanding around the intersection between mental health + following Jesus. Wesley is also the lead pastor of Bayside Davis, and has planted two churches in university cities. In 2014, Outreach Magazine named Wesley the youngest megachurch pastor in America. Wesley holds two Master’s degrees in theology, along with graduate studies in counseling.
Dr. Stephanie Caine
Dr. Stephanie Caine is a contributor at Better Days and holds a doctorate degree in counseling. She has worked in education and counseling with a variety of populations including children, students, families, and adults for over 20 years. Dr. Caine is currently a therapists and a professor of psychology and counseling at William Jessup University.
For more info about Dr. Stephanie’s practice visit her website https://www.renewcc.net.
Dr. Casey Taylor
Dr. Casey Taylor is a contributor at Better Days and holds a PhD in clinical psychology, MA in Psychology and MA in Theology. She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, and currently works as a licensed psychologist supporting youth and young adults on their paths to growth and resilience. Her primary clinical experiences focus on trauma, youth development, caring adult relationships and resilience.
For more info about Dr. Casey’s practice visit her website https://www.drcaseytaylor.com.
Jason Caine
Jason Caine is a contributor at Better Days and holds a Masters degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and a Masters in theology. Jason is the lead pastor of Bayside Blue Oaks. He has a passion to help churches and Christians understand mental health and how it relates to following Jesus. Jason brings practical real life wisdom to complex conversations and keeps us smiling in the process.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sam Larson
If 2020 has shown us anything, it's that mental health as an entire focus has largely been overlooked in our fast-paced, produce-for-status, honor / shame society. Let's take a moment to learn from this. A whole lot of us are suffering right now on an unsustainable course filled with setbacks, anxiety, depression and unrest while God's ultimate plan is (and always has been) to renew, restore, and heal. Suffering is real and it needs to be met and addressed head on by the church as God's Kingdom workers here on earth. To avoid these conversations is to lose relevance in a world desperately in need of a voice of clarity. Better Days is, and has been all along, speaking to these issues of mental health and suffering in a nuanced way that reflects the Kingdom and it's never been more needed than now.
— Sam Larson entrepreneur, founder @loneflag
Benji Horning
As a pastor of a young and growing church, it has become increasingly evident that people’s spiritual well-being and mental health are inseparable. I’m so thankful for how Better Days has come alongside our community to provide hope, resources, and healing for so many people! Wesley Towne and his team are not only intellectually brilliant and theologically robust, but have personally walked through the content they present, which provides a level of profound empathy to all who listen and learn. I am deeply grateful for the gift of Better Days!
— Benji Horning pastor @lightsandiego
Xavier Brasseur
I'm so thankful that Better Days is creating culturally relevant conversations and high quality content around mental health. Better Days is providing our generation with answers to difficult questions, and equipping leaders to navigate the complex situations that arise when trying to help people struggling with mental illness and suffering. Better Days has helped me identify some cliché false ideas I was taught about mental illness and constantly challenges me to look deeper beneath the surface.
— Xavier Brasseur pastor @thestoryashland