On this episode of Sunburnt Souls, Pastor Dave Quak talks to makeup artist and new Christian, Emma Moffatt, about her journey through trauma, depression, and PTSD, and the powerful transformation she has experienced since she began walking with Jesus.
Emma’s story is deeply personal and raw. “I’m not a GP or a psychologist,” she says, “but I’ve walked through some very dark seasons. What I’ve learned might help someone who is coming out the other side of trauma and just wants to feel whole again.”
Walking with Jesus
Emma shares how a high-risk twin pregnancy in 2017 set off a series of life-altering events. Her babies were born at 30 weeks and spent months in intensive care. Shortly after, a storm destroyed their home while they were inside. Then came the impact of COVID lockdowns and eventually the breakdown of her marriage.
“It was four years of constant stress and trauma. I was medicated about three weeks after the boys were born. It helped, but I was just surviving.”
Emma was on antidepressants for six years. After giving her life to Christ, she felt a gentle prompting from the Holy Spirit. “It was like a tap on the shoulder from the Lord. He said, ‘Do you still need those?’ And when I looked at my life, everything had changed.”
But Emma cautions against coming off medication without medical guidance. “I stopped abruptly. I do not recommend it. Always speak to your doctor.”
Taking Manual Steps to Care for Mental Health
Emma now uses a combination of spiritual and practical strategies to manage her mental health. “Reading the Bible is my lifeline,” she says. “I read it every day. It centres me, grounds me, and reminds me who I am in Christ.”
She also exercises regularly, eats high-fibre, nutrient-rich foods, cuts back on alcohol, and practises grounding by standing barefoot on the grass and focusing on gratitude.
Another key is recognising the power of language. “Words matter. Saying ‘I am depressed’ isn’t just language, it becomes our identity. But God didn’t design us to be depressed. He calls us loved, chosen, redeemed.”
Practical Communication Tools
In her second marriage, Emma and her husband use a “battery percentage” system to express how much energy they have left. “If I say I’m at 10 percent, it’s my way of saying I need help and time to process.”
She also uses a “traffic light” method to identify emotional states: green for calm, orange for elevated, and red for overwhelmed. “When I say I’m red, it means I’m stepping away to pray and calm down before I say something I’ll regret.”
Walking in the Spirit, Not the Flesh
Emma describes how learning to walk in the Spirit has helped her regulate emotions. “My flesh wants to lie in bed and drink wine. But that’s not who I am in Christ. I ask God daily, ‘How do You see me?’ and He reminds me I’m His daughter, not a victim of my feelings.”
She memorises and speaks Scripture out loud, especially Psalm 91 and Psalm 23, to reinforce truth. “It’s not about just reading the Bible. It’s declaring it over your life. I’m not depression. I’m someone who sometimes feels low, but I belong to the Most High God.”
A New Life of Peace
Twelve months into her new life with Jesus, Emma says the biggest change is peace. “Even when things are still hard, I’m not overwhelmed like I used to be. I’ve got tools. I’ve got truth. And I’ve got Jesus.”
She encourages listeners to find their own “mental health tool belt” and to lean into Scripture and prayer. “Whatever you’re walking through, Jesus wants to walk with you.”
Listen to Emma’s full story on Sunburnt Souls below:
