Category Archives: Faith

Jesus, Therapy, & Prozac: Pastors Need Help Too

August 29, 2018 0 comments Faith, Mental Health Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Faith, harvesting hope, health, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist, special education Dr. Leesha

I had never heard his name until just a few days ago, but I now I can’t get his name or his heartbreaking story out of my head. I am overwhelmed by grief at the loss of this man’s life and at the unbearable pain that I imagine his wife, his 3 boys, and his church family now find themselves swallowed within. At the tender age of 30, Andrew Stoecklein, lead pastor at Inland Hills Church in Chino, California, died by suicide. Multiple news outlets report that he had struggled with depression and anxiety for the past several months and […]

Back to School Prayer

August 5, 2018 0 comments Faith, Parenting, Schools Birmingham, children, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, education, Faith, Psychiatrist, schools Dr. Leesha

As many of you know, I have 3 children. My son is 7 and my daughters will be 4 and 11 in just a few days. A new school year is rapidly upon us and always rouses mixed feelings in the Cox house and heralds beginnings and endings simultaneously – the end of summer and fall’s arrival; late nights become the morning rush; we swap summer vacation in eager anticipation of winter’s holidays; and the crack of the baseball bat and homeruns turn into quarterback sacks and touchdowns. In preparation for the new academic year, I want to share my […]

This Valentine’s Day …

February 13, 2018 1 comment Faith, Healthy Living Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Cultivating healthy minds, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Faith, harvesting hope, love Dr. Leesha

February is the month of love. No one can escape the commercialism that is Valentine’s Day as images of pink and red hearts, bouquets of lush red roses, and delicious chocolates flood every media outlet and our social media newsfeed. But love – real, unadulterated love, has nothing to do with any of that valentine stuff.

My 3 New Year Wishes for All Moms

January 14, 2018 0 comments Faith, Healthy Living, Mental Health, Parenting Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Parenting Dr. Leesha

A new year often ignites a desire for change, a fresh approach. For the last several years, I have had the same goals – to get my “fine on,” incorporate more healthy parenting strategies, and to improve my financial position. And, every year I start off strong and then fizzle out by the spring. This year I still have those same goals, and I will continue to plow and toil to meet those goals; but, I also wanted to share my wishes for this new year in 2018 for all the moms.

Depression and the Believer

March 16, 2017 1 comment Faith, Mental Health Birmingham Alabama, Cultivating healthy minds, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist Dr. Leesha

Formidable, disabling, destructive. The word depression conjures up such negative descriptors; but, depression is also very common both in the United States and globally. According to the World Health Organization, 350 million suffer from depression; and, this mental disorder is the leading cause of disability. The statistics are equally staggering for the United State where 9% of American adults have depression, depression is the leading cause of disability for individuals ages 15 to 43, and suicide is the leading cause of death among individuals age 15 to 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Stated differently, 15 million American […]

A Fresh Start in 2017

January 15, 2017 1 comment Faith, Healthy Living Birmingham, Birmingham Alabama, Cultivating healthy minds, Dr. Leesha, Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox, Mental Health, Mental Illness Education, Psychiatrist, Scripture calendar Dr. Leesha

2017 has arrived – we are just over 2 weeks in!. A new year is an exciting time for it ushers in hope, promise, and new beginnings. We leave behind the old and begin anew. Galvanized by a collective fresh start in 2017, I have compiled 12 scriptures, 1 for each month of the year, to motivate, inspire, and encourage us as we embark upon a new, and prayerfully transformative, journey in 2017. January – II Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life […]

Dr. Leesha | Psychiatrist, Therapist, and Parenting Expert