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God Created Us to Need Each Other
Modern culture seems to no longer see why men and women need each other, especially when it comes to the structure of a family. God designed the family so that both men and women's contributions are needed. You probably already know by now that I have a weekly podcast...
Emotional Pornography
There are two types of pornography: physical and emotional. Let's talk about what emotional pornography is and why it tends to target and hurt women. Sex sells Marketing in our culture is almost exclusively based on sex. We have known this for years, and although we...
The Light That Shines in the Darkness
Though He doesn't always take away our problems, Jesus is the light that dispels our fears and uncertainties. Change can be scary The year 2020 reminded us that it’s really scary to not be in control; to live in time where things can change rapidly from moment to...
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CatholicPsych Is Back in Manhattan!
You can now find CatholicPsych in Manhattan! A new collaboration: CatholicPsych and the Gianna Center We are excited to announce a new collaboration between the CatholicPsych Institute and the Gianna Center in NY. As we are a union of body and spirit, treatment for...
Banana Chips, Motherhood, and Mindfulness
Guest blogger Barbra Bottaro reflects on how both motherhood and mindfulness can exist at the same time, especially when it seems impossible. 10:47am on a Wednesday We were enduring the 4th snowstorm in three weeks, and it was the first day of Spring. We...
The Masculinity of St. Joseph
What does "non-toxic" masculinity looks like in today's culture? Does "non-toxic" masculinity exist? What's the first image that comes to your mind when you think about "masculinity"? The image will most likely differ drastically from person to person, and could range...
A Word on Acceptance and Infertility
Thanks to Amy Sherlock of Healthy Homes Fertility Care for this guest post on acceptance and trust in the face of infertility. Why do we hate acceptance? I started this blog post over two weeks ago. I wrote the title, then placed the cursor into the body of the...
Facing Racial Inequity & Answering the Call to Respect Life
Guest Blogger Dr. Emily Dowdell, CPI Psychologist, shares her thoughts on standing against racial inequity as a committed Catholic. The #BlackLivesMatter socio-political movement is a call to action It is a cry to be seen, to be heard, and for an end to...
5 Lessons for Bishops from a Married Man
I’d like to humbly share five lessons for Bishops from my own marriage and those I have worked with. To the Bishops of the Catholic Church Who Are Not Complicit in Scandalous Crimes: (To the Bishops who did know about the scandals and coverups, I’m not ready to write...
5 Things to Know about the Church Crisis
I offer these observations as a humble attempt to contribute to the conversation that will hopefully move us through this church crisis to the great hope of renewal on the other side. As a Catholic Psychologist, I work very closely with the Church I am, of course,...
5 Things to Do During the Church Crisis
With all the negativity and even the reality that there is little we can do in the face of some of this church crisis evil (read my post here about why this is the case), I want to talk about some things we can do. 1. Stay Catholic The Body of...
Psychology in Star Wars: The Force Awakens – The Male Hero Has Vanished
Have you ever considered the psychology of the Star Wars films? I'd like to talk about the different characters in the new film and how some of the dynamics have shifted with male and female leads. Let’s begin with an “opening crawl” of caveats: FULL SPOILER ALERT I’m...
Answering God’s Call in the Midst of Cultural Chaos
I have been thinking and praying about how God is calling me to be a witness, and as a result, have decided it's time to do something new. A broken culture Most people don't believe me when I say this, but it's true: I don't watch the news. So a couple weeks ago when...
Break Ya Neck or Learn Some Virtue
Objectifying women is a result of men's weakness and lack of virtue. I learned as a young student (and am still learning) how the Holy spirit can change our hearts and fill us with virtue. Beautiful women are NOT the problem Before I transferred to Franciscan...
Our Mom of Guadalupe
Mary is God's mom, and she is also our mom. If we believe this powerful truth, it can fill us with belonging and love. Mary's appearance to Juan Diego Our Lady of Guadalupe is such a fascinating apparition of the Blessed Mother. First of all, she poses a real problem...
Arguing in Marriage: Are You “Always Right?”
I'm the kind of person who thinks I'm always right. But as I've learned in my marriage, this kind of thinking often leads me to be wrong. Let's talk about about how men and women being wired differently leads to arguing in marriage. Something I'm not an expert on I...
50 Shades of Love in a Hopeless Place
From celebrities to bestselling books, our culture is suffering a dangerous identity crisis involving violence masked as love. Violence in the media You may have read in the news that Chris Brown was brought to court because he allegedly did not complete his community...
Turning Loneliness into Solitude
We all experience a longing for Heaven, often manifested as loneliness here on Earth. Let's talk about this feeling and how we can use it to our benefit. A longing even your spouse can't fill I am now 17 days away from getting married. Everyone has a unique and...
Carried in His Grace
Maureen O'Connell shares her personal experience with miscarriage and how Jesus carried her in His grace through the unexpected grief and loss her family felt. "I will take care of everything" It was February 2017 and I was leading a group at church through Dr. Greg’s...
2 Steps to a Perfect Valentine’s Day (For Everyone)
This month brings with it one of the most loved and hated days of the whole year- Valentine’s Day. Whether you are in a relationship or not, everyone of us can celebrate love, true love, on this popular holiday. What really gets commercialized on Valentine's Day? Of...
4 Steps to a Stress-Free Christmas
With the proper tools, you can have a stress-free Christmas this year and instead celebrate the birth of our Savior. The reality of the holidays Ah the Christmas season! Ideally, it's a time of year for enjoying holiday parties, delicious food, the exchanging of...
Abundant Fruit of Catholic Mindfulness
In this guest post, CPI therapist Maureen O’Connell shares the many fruits of Catholic Mindfulness that have blessed her life for the better. A Tree is Known by its Fruit ~Luke 6:43 The email that changed my life How often do you delete marketing emails? If you’re...
Let’s Talk About Sex
As a Catholic I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. I'd like to share my thoughts on why sex in marriage is so important when it comes to connecting us to God. In the image of God I will admit, I did not watch the Grammy’s last night. However as I...
What’s with This Skype Therapy Anyway?
It’s really interesting how many people are curious about online therapy over Skype and how many questions I get about it. Admittedly, it was tough at first to decide whether or not to offer video-based counseling. I had many of the same questions myself. After 8...
WWJF: What Would Jesus Feel? (And Why It Matters For Us)
Following Jesus' emotional example and learning from His humanity Have you ever read a passage from the Gospel and asked yourself, "I wonder what Jesus was feeling in this passage? What emotions was he experiencing here?" (I would be willing to bet it isn’t all...
My Time with Fr. Benedict
Religious Life with Fr. Benedict Groeschel Not many married men can say they lived the religious life for a time. I had the very unique blessing of spending 3 and a half years as a Franciscan Friar. I could fill volumes on what I learned during that time in religious...
Walking with the Wounded Soul
How can we better come to understand the ways we hide ourselves to protect against the pain we’ve experienced - but which end up causing other problems? Where do we find emotional healing? Strength in relationship God designed our humanity in such a way that even...
The One Most Important Quality to Look for in a Spouse
There are so many lists of tips and tricks for dating, and so many opinions on what to look for in a spouse that I decided to boil everything down to one very simple idea, and that is the importance of friendship in marriage. The Essence of a Successful Marriage...
One Omission and Three False Dichotomies in the Vatican “Declaration”
Here's one missing distinction and three false dichotomies to sum up the issues with the Vatican Declaration at first glance. We are now in a time of the battle between a culture of life and a culture of death.” - Pope St. John Paul II The Vatican Declaration:...
Culture Wars and the Challenge to Listen With Curiosity
In this excerpt from the Being Human Podcast, Dr. Bottaro discusses why we should try to listen with curiosity to opinions held by "the other side," something Jesus Himself has taught us to do. Excerpt from Being Human Podcast Episode #123: Fake Science and Real...