Being Human

Discussed in this episode:  First episode of a three-part series on relationships;  How to patiently wait for a spouse while feeling constantly drawn to have a family;  How to overcome bitterness about being single; How to develop yourself as a gift; The tension between actively seeking a partner and trusting in God's providence; Keeping the means and the end in their proper places; Healing while...

Discussed in this episode:   A sneak peek inside the daily communication that happens in Mentorship;  The role our emotions play in decision-making and discernment; Finding the middle ground between stoicism and letting our passions take the lead;  The goodness of our passions and the necessity of boundaries around them; An analogy for integrating our emotions and passions with the appropriate lim...

Discussed in this episode:  A real response to a client in IDDM (Mentorship)!  Connecting the dots between a wound of abandonment and painful inner narratives; How different narratives and parts come into play; A sneaky way addictive behaviors can present themselves as good for us;  How the subconscious can affect the decisions we make on a daily basis.  Resources mentioned or relevant: Get more i...

Discussed in this episode:  Meet Maureen Shepherd, a client who has experience being in IDDM (or Mentorship), our new program;  Maureen's journey to discovering IDDM after her husband's tragic death; Hesitations she experienced due to the novelty of the model, and what motivated her to try it out;   The impact of daily interactions with a Mentor; Surprising benefits of using this new model.  Resou...

Discussed in this episode:  The power and importance of relationships in life and in mental health work; How the security of relationships creates a safe space for different parts of ourselves to emerge;  How early relationships shape our attachment, and the possibility of redeeming wounded attachments;  The richness of the Catholic tradition and how it points to truth; God's patient love for us;...

Discussed in this episode:  The responsibility of mental health clinicians to talk about God; Being co-authors of our story with God; The meaning, beauty and redemption that can come from suffering; Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning , and Logotherapy; Frankl's three core values on the pathway to meaning; Parallels between Viktor Frankl and Pope St. John Paul II;  The necessity of spiritualit...

Discussed in this episode: Meet Dr. Emily Dowdell; Our relationship with ourselves, and how it impacts our relationship with God and others;  The effects of negative self-talk; Where our real value and satisfaction lies; The dangers of self-criticism and ways in which we sabotage ourselves; How our perception of ourselves impacts our happiness; How Mentorship can help heal inner brokenness; The lo...

Discussed in this episode:  Reasons why New Year's resolutions fail;  Solutions to the roadblocks to your New Year's resolution; The five stages of making a successful change: Stage 1: Precontemplation- When the reality of harmful behavior is present, but we don't recognize it Stage 2: Contemplation - When we start thinking about what making a change would look like Stage 3: Preparation - Starting...

Discussed in this episode: Distinctions between spiritual direction and psychological help; Working on behalf of Christ vs. trying to be Christ; The complementarity of the members of the Body of Christ; The wisdom of the Church in giving limits; Recognizing your limits and the freedom that comes from doing this; Using all the resources God has given to you Resources mentioned or relevant: Donate t...

Discussed in this episode:   The importance of self-stewardship; Human beings as made in the image and likeness of God; The difference between self-care and self-indulgence; The temptation to self-sufficiency; The goodness of self-help resources and their limitations; Every person's need for help; Teaching, witness, and application as the three levels of mentorship Resources mentioned or relevant:...

Discussed in this episode: The different types of addictions; Limitations of the medical model in treating addictions; Strengths and weaknesses of 12-step programs; The influences of Protestant theology in addictions work and how this differs from a Catholic anthropology; The importance of recognizing our core identity as a son or daughter of God; Human beings as body-soul composites; Resources me...

Discussed in this episode: The different types of anxiety;  Unhealthy coping mechanisms we use to deal with feeling overwhelmed; Examples of overwhelm from Dr. Greg's life; Presenting issues vs. underlying issues; The present moment as the best antidote to overwhelm;  Using Catholic Mindfulness to tap into the present moment Resources mentioned or relevant: Download The Integrated App to access fr...

In this episode, we talk about: Applying internal family systems to your external family and relationships; The roots of internal family systems theory and "parts work"; How Catholic Mindfulness makes space for internal family systems; Learning to "sit with discomfort" and why it's important for relationships; Listening first to ourselves and then to others; The importance of curiosity and compass...

In this episode, I discuss: The struggle to stop negative behaviors and start doing what you actually want to do; The inner difficulties experienced by St. Paul; The psychological intuitiveness of St. Thérèse of Lisieux; How our brain and psyche are ordered towards self-protection; The importance of self-compassion, love and mercy; Approaching this conflict within us in a radically new way; Follow...

In this episode, we talk about: How to befriend the negative voices in your head; Following Jesus' example in learning how to encounter our negative parts; The downfalls of pop psychology;  How Mindfulness helps us become more aware of our interior life; The moral neutrality of Mindfulness; The importance of having an accurate anthropology; Using your imagination to encounter your unconscious Reso...

In this episode, we talk about: Difficulties students are facing as a result of Covid; The effects of the pandemic on mental health; Adjustment Disorder vs. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Post traumatic growth; The psychological consequences of not having faith; How peace is possible; The importance of having a worldview in which we are not responsible for everything;  Abandonment to Divine Provi...

In this episode, we talk about: The reality of spiritual warfare; How to support Fr. Louis' parish and community in Haiti; The authority given by Christ to the Church; The authority of exorcists and the authority given to all Christians at baptism; Who the enemy is;  What exorcisms are;  The difference between exorcism and prayers of liberation/deliverance Resources mentioned or relevant: Fr. Loui...

In this episode, we talk about: Authentic community;  The pseudo-connectedness of social media;  Gauging how much time is "ok" on social media;  The definition of "rest" and true recharging/replenishing behavior;  The biological implications of interacting vs. being "fed";  Finding who you can trust with your mental health;  The origins of the Integrated Life Membership;  New! Groups in the Integr...

In this episode, we talk about: Introducing Dr. Bryan Violette;     How Fr. Benedict influenced Dr. Bryan;     The value of joy in the spiritual life;     What Fr. Benedict's life teaches us about evangelization;    The individuality of holiness;    Holiness as a process and an ongoing journey;    Resources mentioned or relevant: Download The Integrated App for access to audio exercises, the Catho...

In this episode, we talk about: Fr. Agustino's vocation story with the CFR friars;  The blessing of Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR, on our lives;  Lessons from Fr. Benedict about the power of personal encounter;  Fr. Benedict's gift for "trouble";  Finding opportunities for people to do good;  Bridging the gap between the secular and religious;   Fr. Benedict as an example of true integration;  Resou...

In this episode, we talk about: Integration as bringing together the different pieces that make us human;   Why we should care about holiness;  St. Thomas Aquinas and the ultimate end: happiness;  How seeking holiness is seeking true happiness;  How God makes himself vulnerable to us;  What God's law reveals about His heart;  Resources mentioned or relevant: Download The Integrated App ; Learn abo...

In this episode, we talk about: Dr. Greg's new mobile app! The significance of St. John Paul II making St. Thérèse a Doctor of the Church as a woman, a contemplative, and a young person;  How different people can be drawn to different saints;  The universal vocation to holiness;  The call to freedom through Jesus Christ;  What it means to have hope to become a saint;  Resources mentioned or releva...

In this episode, we talk about: Dr. Greg's experience at World Youth Day Paris in 1997;  His encounters with St. John Paul II and St. Thérèse of Lisieux;  What it means that she is a Doctor of the Church;  What we can learn about our own spiritual growth from a cloistered nun;  Resources mentioned or relevant: Access the Novena to St. Thérèse through the Integrated App St. John Paul II's proclamat...

In this episode, we talk about: The patron saints of the CatholicPsych Institute;  Why we need saints like St. Thérèse of Lisieux;   What's upcoming from CatholicPsych;  Resources mentioned or relevant: Download The Integrated App ; Learn about IDDM (Mentorship) - our new model of daily accompaniment; The Catholic Mindfulness Virtual Retreat ;  Consecration to Jesus through St. Joseph ;  Sign up f...

In this episode, we talk about: Devin's background and his work for spreading devotion to St. Joseph How Devin came to learn what Fatherhood looks like The role of St. Joseph in his life Practical moments of God speaking to his heart  Insights learned from fathering a child with special needs The power of forgiveness   Resources mentioned or relevant: Custos: Total Consecration through St. Joseph...