Shop Talk

Shop Talk Podcast

Brandi and James explore the "shop talk" of those engaging in cross cultural living and work. Having lived and worked cross culturally they will draw from their own experiences and interview others along the way.. You can find "Shop Talk with Brandi and James" on Apple or Spotify (also amazon and google play).

Meet the Hosts

Specific Training and Publications

PhD Candidate in Psychological Studies from Regent University
Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling, Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor (Texas, USA).
Bachelors: Psychology (Texas, USA).
Crisis Debriefing Trainer (Crisis Response Training)
Master Clinician in Cognitive Behavior Therapy with Children
EMDR level 1 & 2
CISM crisis debriefing
Master Facilitator for the Trauma Healing Institute in adults and children,
Co-author Healing Teens’ Wounds of Trauma (Facilitator Guide and Teen Journal)
Co-author Unstuck: A Teen Guide to Living in Uncertain Times
Author, Trauma Informed Staff Care in the edited work The Essentials for People Care and Development. By Geoff Whiteman and Heather Pubols.

James Covey, MA, LPC-S

Counselor / Eurasia Staff Care Coordinator for SIL

Before becoming a counselor, I worked as an EMT, firefighter, Emergency room technician, youth pastor, High School Athletic Trainer, and teacher. I attended Austin College for my BA in Psychology and Southwestern Seminary for my Marriage and Family Counseling MA. I am currently working on my Ph.D. in Psychological Studies at Regent University.

As a counselor, I worked in Texas for a few years as an Elementary School Behavioral Interventionist and a counselor at Catholic Charities. In 2011, I joined Wycliffe and its global partner SIL training in the USA for a year. I then went to Kenya, where I worked for five years at Tumaini Counseling Center. While in Kenya, I met my wife, Ellie, and we continued to work in separate organizations. After leaving Kenya, we joined the SIL Eurasia region. We lived in North Africa and are now based in Malaga, Spain, where we partner with Sentwell.org. I have extensive experience working with children, teens, and families living cross-culturally.

My counseling background is based in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Systems Therapy, and Trauma using EMDR and CBT, all from a Christian perspective. My Counseling includes providing individual, marital, family, and group counseling and debriefings with people from all nationalities serving in many organizations. These sessions range from ongoing counseling, short-term intensive counseling care, and debriefings of critical incidents. My counseling expertise includes, but is not limited to; trauma and PTSD, anxiety/OCD, depression, children and adolescents issues, addiction, stress/burnout, marriage and family, and any aspect of cross-cultural life and work. I also offer administrators support and consultation about staff-related issues.

I enjoy writing, developing workshops, and speaking on subjects related to mental health and cross-cultural issues. You can see the workshops I have developed Here. These topics include The Integration of Spiritual Formation with the Traumatized CLient, Emotional Intelligence, Trauma Informed Staff Care, Boundaries, Stress, Parenting in the Digital Age, Teens and Trauma, Addiction, The Porn Problem, Resilience and more.

Brandi Welterlen, MA

Before working in Staff Care, I worked as a speech-language pathologist in the Fort Worth area working mainly with stroke victims and dysphagia (swallowing disorders). After meeting my (future) husband Tracy at our church in Fort Worth, I thought he was cool (he drove a '72 Buick Skylark) and I thought that his interest in Bible translation was also pretty cool. We joined Wycliffe/SIL in 2001 and in 2003 moved to St Petersburg, Russia with our almost 2 yr old to begin orientation to our area of SIL. In 2004, we moved wiour then 3-year-th old (yes, we were crazy) to Central Asia where we lived for 7 years. While in Central Asia, I developed an interest in supporting and encouraging cross cultural workers. After many classes and much weeping and gnashing of teeth I was awarded an MA in Professional Counseling from LIberty University 2016. In 2012 our family moved to Kandern, Germany where we lived for 10 years before spending our final year in Germany living in Berlin. I also worked part-time while in Kandern at Black Forest Academy for 5 years as a counselor, working mostly with teenagers. My husband and I moved back to the States in August of 2023 where I continue to work remotely with Eurasia Area. Since 2016 I have worked in Eurasia Area on our Staff Care Team to help support mental health and wellness among our members. In my down time I love hiking, gardening, and meddling in the lives of my young adult kids.