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Sméagol: The Wound Before the Ring
Before the Ring, before the creature, there was a hobbit who was already rejected by his own people. Tolkien’s Gandalf tells us plainly, in that second chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring, that Sméagol “had no friends.”
What Your Avoidance Is Really Trying to Protect
Perhaps it’s responding to text messages. Maybe it’s taking care of your physical health, scheduling that dentist appointment you’ve been putting off, beginning a workout routine, or opening a bill you’ve been meaning to address. Maybe it is a difficult conversation with a spouse, parent, sibling, friend, or child. Whatever form it takes, most of us can identify areas of life where we continually postpone something we know needs our attention.
Venting or Healing? What JPII Teaches Us About Self-Expression
There is often a felt tension between the need to share one’s authentic lived experience (which is inevitably messy) and wanting to protect the reputation and uphold the dignity of the person being mentioned. It’s a valid point. Am I venting, or am I healing? How do I know the difference?
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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...
Mental Health Awareness Month: Interview With a Therapist
In this interview with a therapist, get to know Dr. Bryan Violette! This month has been designated as Mental Health Awareness month. During May, I’ve decided to shine a light on various common mental health issues in the upcoming Being Human...
Mindfulness: A Tool for Anxiety
Anxiety is widespread today, let's talk about mental distractions and how mindfulness is a powerful tool for anxiety. Anxiety and Mental Distractions How many times have you set out to get somewhere and you surprise yourself when you get there? “Oh wow, I’m here...
Same Sex Attraction: 7 Truths Needed From the Church
The Church's Stance on Homosexuality Instead of talking about what went wrong with the Synod in Rome, (*This article was written in response to the 2015 Synod on the Family.) I’d like to propose some of the things that our world actually needs from the...
The Surprising Power of Our Imagination
Outside the present moment - the power of imagination As humans, we possess the capability to encounter in the present moment something that is outside of the present moment in a way that physically changes our brains. It’s a little like having a superpower...
How to Spot Common Signs of Emotional Abuse
If I just love him enough, he’ll change...If I just treat her well enough, things will get better...If I just let it go this time, they’ll figure it out and won’t do it again... If you’ve ever known someone in an abusive relationship, these phrases will sound...
The Female Brain: What’s Your Superpower?
Female Brain vs Male Brain With this post, I'm opening up a short series focusing on the female brain and a few of the ways that it differs from the male brain. Fortunately there is a ton of research out there to rely on instead of just offering musings from my own...
Why Does God Allow Suffering?
If God is good, then why does He let bad things happen? Catholic mindfulness presupposes faith that God the Father is a good Father. But if God is good and all-powerful and loves us, why does he let awful things happen to good people? Simply put, why does God allow...
Outlining Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Selfishness or Narcissism? What exactly is narcissism, especially as it presents in narcissistic personality disorder? We throw around the term "narcissist" and "narcissism" a lot these days, usually when we refer to someone who we believe has been incredibly selfish...