Being Human

Welcome to Episode 86 of the Being Human Podcast: How Catholic is Your Spirituality? (Certification Series: Part 3 of 12) This week, Dr. Greg introduces the first course on spirituality in our new Certification, breaking open the topic of integration and its importance in the work of accompaniment.  Discussed in this episode: How can this Certification help someone to become a spiritual director? ...

Welcome to Episode 85 of the Being Human Podcast: The New Psych 101 w/ Dr. Bryan Violette and Amy Grace Miller (Certification Series: Part 2 of 12) The second episode of our new 12-part series introducing each course of our certification! This week Dr. Greg changes it up by welcoming past podcast guests Dr. Bryan Violette and Amy Grace Miller back to the show for a roundtable conversation about ps...

Welcome to Episode 84 of the Being Human Podcast: What Does Catholic Anthropology Even Mean? w/ Dr. Bryan Violette (Certification Series: Part 1 of 12) Dr. Greg frequently refers to the importance of grounding our understanding of psychology in a Catholic anthropology. But what exactly does that term mean? And why is it a necessary foundation for the study of psychology? In this episode - the firs...

Welcome to Episode 83 of the Being Human Podcast: Ask Dr. Greg! (Q&A, w/ Amy Grace Miller) In this episode, Dr. Greg is joined by the CatholicPsych content and community manager, Amy Grace Miller, to field questions from the community! How do I overcome sloth? Is it okay that my therapist is using CBT to treat my OCD/scrupulosity? Should Catholics abandon the field of psychology altogether? How do...

Welcome to Episode 82 of the Being Human Podcast: Changing the Rules: Creating a Catholic Standard for Mental Health In this episode, Dr. Greg officially introduces the brand new CatholicPsych certification program! He breaks open what it is, what it isn't, who it's for, and how it will provide a more effective way to help others carry their mental health burdens.  Discussed in this episode: Overv...

Welcome to Episode 81 of the Being Human Podcast: The Lies of the American Psychological Association In this episode, Dr. Greg tackles the problematic stance taken by the American Psychological Association (APA) on abortion; he also breaks open why it's important for Catholic mental health professionals to practice from a place of integration, why most psychology programs cannot provide that kind...

Welcome to Episode 80 of the Being Human Podcast: Gender Fluidity or Complementarity? (Part Four) One last episode to wrap up our series on gender and complementarity! This week, Dr. Greg addresses some of the questions and feedback received from earlier episodes in the series, and dives deeper into how we can understand "gender fluidity" from a Catholic perspective. Discussed in this episode: Add...

Welcome to Episode 79 of the Being Human Podcast: The Weight of Grief, w/ Brianne Edwards Dr. Greg welcomes author Brianne Edwards to the podcast this week to discuss her brand new book and the most recent publication of CatholicPsych Press: ' A Thousand Pounds: Finding the Strength to Live and Love under the Weight of Unbearable Loss. '  Discussed in this episode: Background on the author and her...

Welcome to Episode 78 of the Being Human Podcast: Dating Well, w/ Dr. Mario Sacasa This week, Dr. Greg welcomes friend and colleague Dr. Mario Sacasa to the show for a conversation centered around the challenges of dating in our modern day! Topics of discussion include discernment in dating, developmental stages of a relationship, healthy boundaries, learning from rejection, and red flags to watch...

Welcome to Episode 77 of the Being Human Podcast: Gender Fluidity or Complementarity? (Part Three) This week, Dr. Greg begins to wrap up his series on gender and the complementarity of men and women. In this episode, he proposes a definition of "genius" (of a masculine or feminine type) and then breaks open the specific brain differences between men and women that lay a foundation for the particul...

Welcome to Episode 76 of the Being Human Podcast: Gender Fluidity or Complementarity? (Part Two) This week, Dr. Greg continues the conversation from Episode #75 on our purpose in being created as male and female, exploring a Catholic vision of complementarity as ordered towards unity between men and women, and breaking open why we need the opposite sex to attain holiness. (Note: Mature Content) Di...

Welcome to Episode 75 of the Being Human Podcast: Gender Fluidity or Complementarity? In this week's episode, Dr. Greg opens up a new series focused on fleshing out a convincing Catholic response to the gender confusion in our culture today; he proposes an answer to an important question about the purpose of being created as male and female. (Note: Mature Content) Discussed in this episode: The im...

Welcome to Episode 74 of the Being Human Podcast: Merciless Mental Health vs. the Radical Compassion of the Catholic Proposal In this week's episode, Dr. Greg proposes that a Catholic response to our culture's gender and sexual confusion is more compassionate than anything the secular world of mental health care is offering, and fleshes out how a Catholic understanding of the body can offer clarit...

Welcome to Episode 73 of the Being Human Podcast: The DSM Disease (Part Two) In this second episode of our two-part series, Dr. Greg highlights problematic new updates to the DSM, and reads from the text itself as he breaks open the dangers of separating an objective understanding of the human person from the practice of psychology. He ends with a reminder of our role and responsibility as Catholi...

Welcome to Episode 72 of the Being Human Podcast: The DSM Disease (Part One) In this first episode of a two-part series, Dr. Greg begins to break open major flaws of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).  He highlights problems in how mental disorders and diseases are defined and gives a glimpse into how it will become harder for Catholic mental health professionals to a...

Welcome to Episode 71 of the Being Human Podcast: The Feminine Genius: A Conversation  w/ Lisa Cotter This week on the podcast, Dr. Greg welcomes Lisa Cotter, Catholic speaker and author of a new book, Reveal the Gift: Living the Feminine Genius. He and Lisa discuss how her new book helps illuminate the meaning of what Pope St. John Paul II termed the "feminine genius," and how an understanding of...

Welcome to Episode 70 of the Being Human Podcast: Mercy as the Antidote to Anxiety, w/ Colin Nykaza This week, Dr. Greg welcomes to the podcast the director of young adult outreach for the Archdiocese of New York (and a close friend of his), Colin Nykaza! Their discussion focuses on Divine Mercy: what it is, why it's important, and how it can help us connect the dots between our spiritual and emot...

Welcome to Episode 69 of the Being Human Podcast: Something Strange is Happening (A Holy Saturday Reflection) For this episode during Holy Week, we're doing something different! On this week's episode, Dr. Greg reads aloud from the "ancient homily for Holy Saturday" and offers his reflections on Christ's presence in the midst of our sufferin g. Want to add a reminder to listen on Holy Saturday? Cl...

This week on the podcast, Dr. Greg digs deeper into the topic of narcissism as he answers a listener's question about how to best approach conversation with a family member who has narcissistic tendencies. He breaks open the fear that lies at the core of narcissism, the difference between narcissistic traits and narcissistic personality disorder, and gives steps in how to best love the narcissists...

Discussed in this episode: What is narcissism, and what makes us vulnerable to it?  A listener's letter regarding how to balance being independent and relational;   A three-step paradigm to counteracting narcissism: self-awareness, self-ownership, self-gift; The false dichotomy between isolation and dependency;  Using objective moral criteria to determine how to be a gift of self; God as the ultim...

Discussed in this episode:  What self-ownership means in relationship to abandonment to Divine Providence;  Extreme self-ownership and our capacity for greatness; The Catholic "both/and" as key;  The problem with "quietism"; Our call to be stewards of our individual path and the path of our community, while simultaneously being totally surrendered to God's will.   Resources mentioned or relevant:...

Discussed in this episode:  "Become who you are." - Pope St. John Paul II; How to make sense of our call to both take care of ourselves and enter into Christ's suffering through self-denial; Rooting our penance, mortification and sacrifice in our immense dignity as sons and daughters of God; The beauty of the Catholic mystery in the "both/and"; Your truest version of yourself is the saint version...

Discussed in this episode:  What is psychologically and spiritually relevant about praying a novena?  Dr. Greg and Jennifer's experience of writing Consecration to Jesus through Saint Joseph ;  The healing fatherhood of St. Joseph and how he leads us to God the Father; Three practical takeaways one receives from praying a novena to St. Joseph; The importance of intentionality in a novena;  Why is...

Discussed in this episode:  What is attachment theory? The difference between attachment theory and attachment parenting;  Defining the four attachment styles: secure, anxious, avoidant and disorganized; How these styles can manifest themselves in adult relationships; Ways to heal from unhealthy attachments as an adult; Grounding ourselves in the deepest and most secure attachment relationship - o...

Discussed in this episode:  The second episode in our three-part series on relationships; What it's like to be a therapist couple;  How to offer fraternal correction in marriage while balancing your spouse's privacy and ability to help themselves;  The dynamic-ness of intimacy and the importance of allowing yourself to be loved;  How to ask for something without manipulating or forcing; Being auth...