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The Secret of Real Self-Compassion – Episode 204
Transcript Hello and welcome to The Being Human Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Greg Bottaro, and today, I’m going to share a secret with you — the secret for self-compassion. Now, this might sound fluffy or easy, something you can just roll past, but wait a minute....
The Secret Opportunity Gender Confusion Gives Us – Episode 203
Transcript Hello and welcome to the Being Human Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Greg Bottaro, and today I'm going to share with you another continuation of this little series we're doing on man and woman. Specifically, I'm sharing with you the next lecture from...
Complementarity Without The Competition: Why We Need Each Other – Episode 202
Transcript Hello and welcome to the Being Human Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Greg Bottaro, and today we're going to carry on this theme over the last couple of episodes. I shared with you for our 200th episode a keynote that I delivered at the Franciscan...
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Hanging Out Is Easier than Dating
Hanging out and dating are two very separate things, and it seems like one is winning out in today's society. Let's talk about why dating is so important and why it shouldn't intimidate men and women! Modern dating culture: hanging out It seems that dating for...
Should Women Man-up? In Response to “Holding Back Tears”
Some gender differences are natural, while others may be enforced by the society we live in. Let's take a psychological approach to these differences and discuss what we can learn. Verily - "Holding Back Tears" First of all, I would like to thank the girls at Verily...
Meet Teresa Violette: Co-Creator of Catholic Mindfulness for Students!
Let's get to know Teresa Violette, mentor at CatholicPsych Institute and co-creator of Catholic Mindfulness for students! On Monday, my team and I re-launched our unique program Catholic Mindfulness for Students, so I thought it would be a good time to introduce...
The Power of Empathy: Understanding Another as a Healing Force
Guest author Sean Faulkner, a CatholicPsych Institute psychotherapist, shares how empathy can be a powerful tool in healing and dealing with conflict. Empathy heals wounds and connects hearts There is little more hurtful than to not feel seen, known, or understood....
Healing During Crisis: My Soul Clings to You
Healing during crisis can feel difficult. Maureen O'Connell reflects on her own experiences and how we can keep ourselves on a path towards healing. Reflection on a time of crisis in the Church ~Psalm 63~ I’ve been sick for about two months. Really sick. A few times I...
‘Tis the Season to Forgive
Forgiveness: a call to action Most marketing campaigns have what’s called a “call to action.” You’ll notice on websites trying to sell you something that there is always a button or link that says “buy it now,” “subscribe,” or “learn more.” A call to action is a...
Worry: The Fifth Superpower of the Female Brain
Healthy vs excessive worry You might be surprised to learn that the final post in the series about feminine brain strengths is actually about worry! As a psychologist, I rarely talk about worry as a strength. I should qualify here that I am talking about a little...
Stayin’ Alive: The Fourth Superpower of the Female Brain
What exactly does stayin' alive mean when it comes to our next superpower of the female brain? Female strength statistics Before diving in to the next "superpower" of the female brain, let's go through a few statistical facts about women: A little over 10 years ago,...
Rethinking New Year’s Resolutions: What’s Your Starting Point?
As you make New Year's resolutions, start from a place of feeling loved and celebrated by God, even in your weaknesses. New Year's resolutions: the trap of perfection January 1st. The New Year. A time to symbolically start over. When considering what resolutions to...
Principles for Living a Happy Life (According to Pope Francis)
Whether you celebrate the holidays or not, we can all use a reminder of some simple principles of happiness. Principles of happiness from Pope Francis As we near the end of what has been an unpredictable and difficult year for many, it's important to recall simple...
The Porn Pandemic: Why Is Pornography So Destructive?
Shedding light on pornography's destructive nature Most people agree that pornography is not socially acceptable. No one thinks people should talk to their parents about porn or bring it up with friends. There is an inherent sense that guys probably shouldn’t talk to...
Collaboration: The Third Superpower of the Female Brain
Female collaboration as a superpower One day while riding on the train on the way to my office, there was a female conductor. I’ve travelled with a female conductor once before, and both times ended the same way. On the intercom as we reached our...
Why The Incarnation Should Blow Our Minds
Profound Mystery of the Incarnation in Christianity “Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in...
Relationships: Infatuation and Love
Just because infatuation isn't always love, that doesn't mean it's not important when it comes to relationships. Let's talk about why. Infatuation vs. Love It’s pretty obvious to anyone with a pulse over the age of 12 that there is a major difference between...
Sexual Identity Crisis: One Thing Cardinal Dolan Got Wrong
I'm sharing my thoughts on Cardinal Dolan's recent message and clearing up some of the confusion surrounding the topics of sexual identity, identity, and sexuality. Cardinal Dolan, a public figure and leader in the Church Cardinal Dolan has certainly been taking a...
Celebrating the Differences of Men and Women
It's beautiful to see how the differences between men and women can complement one another and come together in service of a greater purpose. March: Women's History Month The month of March is designated in the U.S. as "Women's History Month" - a month-long...
More on Catholic Psychology
What is Catholic Psychology? People often ask me, “What do you mean by Catholic Psychology?” There are lots of questions people have regarding my work because it is a field that is relatively new. The Catholic part has been around for millennia and the...
The Truth About Robin Williams and Matt Walsh
Confusion around mental health Robin Williams has become more than a suicide victim, he has become a spokesman for depression and suicide. Opinions have been thrown across the interwebs and lots of conflict has emerged. This is what happens when evil happens. Suicide...
Who Are We? And What Heals Us?
Is healing a spiritual or physical experience? Let's talk about the unity of our being and how mindfulness can play a part in our healing. Unity of body and spirit There is a false dichotomy, an error in thinking, that runs deep in the veins of our sense of ourselves....
Living the Sacrament of Marriage
Living out the sacrament of marriage in a peaceful, prosperous time can be challenging enough. So what can we do when life feels turbulent to strengthen our marriage? Note: For those of you who aren't married, hang in there with me - some of this info can apply to any...
5 Simple Ways to Feel Less Stressed Throughout The Day
Even if you feel like you can't fit one more thing into your busy life, there simple ways to feel less stressed throughout your day. You don't even need to find more time to do them. Incorporate Mindfulness to feel less stressed So many people tell me how hard...
Empathy: The Second Superpower of the Female Brain
We've talked about intuition, now let's talk about empathy in women. Females Exhibit Stronger Empathic Abilities In the first article in this series on differences in the female brain that give it an edge over the male brain in certain functions, I talked about...
How to Manage Stress as Your New Best Friend
One effective way to manage stress is change your perspective on it! How Pressure Leads to Stress My first job fresh out of graduate school was as a mental health counselor in a prison. My days were spent listening to the inmates talk about their intense levels of...
What is Mental Health Health? (Q&A with Dr. Greg Bottaro)
Mental health and mental illness - The following is an excerpt edited from a live presentation and Q&A with Dr. Greg Bottaro. Q. We hear about mental illness all the time. But how do we arrive at mental health? Can you give a working concept of what that...
God’s Vision of You: Perfectionism vs. Self-Compassion
Stop trying to earn God's unconditional love and remind yourself where your self-worth really comes from. Escape the trap of self-worth tied to achievements Think for a minute about what you are striving for in life. What is it that drives you to work really hard?...
Training Our Minds for Peace With Catholic Mindfulness
Catholic Mindfulness can bring peace to your mind as you learn to pay attention to the present moment. The Restless Mind I think it's safe to assume we all want to experience peace in our lives (and could probably use a little more of it these days). Beyond wanting...
The Catholic Guide to Mindfulness, or, Coffee – Satan’s Drink
I want to offer my perspective on Catholic mindfulness, given there is a lot of misinformation surrounding this topic. Misconception of Coffee and Mindfulness Coffee aficionados often claim that the spread of its popularity among Catholics is due to Pope Clement...