Episode 213: Are Faith and Psychology at Odds? Unpacking the Biggest Mental Health Questions

Think faith and mental health don’t mix? Think again. In an interview with Oscar Rivera on Ave Spotlight, Dr. Greg breaks down the biggest myths about psychology and Catholicism. Are faith and psychology at odds? Where do we draw the line between normal emotions and real mental health struggles?  Can prayer cure anxiety? Is therapy un-Catholic? How do you beat seasonal depression? Tune in for a fresh perspective on faith and mental well-being!

Discussed in this episode:

• The surprising connection between faith and mental health;
• Why Catholicism and psychology are not at odds;
• How the Catholic Church has studied the human person for centuries;
• Why anxiety and depression don’t mean you lack faith;
• How Jesus, Mary, and the saints experienced human emotions;
• The biggest myths about mental health in the Catholic community;
• When to seek professional mental health support;
• How to tell if you’ve crossed a threshold into needing professional help;
• Practical steps to combat seasonal depression;
• The power of relationships and community in mental well-being;
• How prayer and gratitude affect mental well-being;
• How the CatholicPsych Institute is changing the mental health conversation;
• A personal story of Dr. Greg’s first encounter with Jesus;
• Encouragement for anyone struggling with mental health today.

Resources mentioned or relevant: 

• Listen to more episodes of Ave Spotlight with Oscar Rivera
• Follow Ave Maria Press & Oscar on Social Media:
  • @AveMariaPress
  • @OscarTwoten
• Need help? Schedule a free consultation to to explore how working with a Mentor can help you move forward; 
• Feeling called to help others? Learn more about our Certification program (CPMAP): CatholicPsych Model of Applied Personalism;
• Sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay up to date on the exciting developments at CatholicPsych;
• Visit our website to read the CatholicPsych blog, shop in the CatholicPsych bookshop, or discover other resources we have available;
• Download The Integrated App for access to free audio exercises, courses, prayer resources, and more;
• Become a member of the Integrated Life Community to get access to every course Dr. Greg has created, plus the opportunity to participate in Integrated LIVE’s - weekly, Mentor hosted Q&As covering topics like boundaries, communication, trauma, forgiveness, and more!
• Follow: 
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicPsych 
  • Instagram: @catholicpsych 
  • X: @CatholicPsych

Contact us! Have a topic or a question you would like Dr. Greg to address on the podcast? Want to give some feedback about this episode? Email us at beinghuman@catholicpsych.com - we would love to hear from you!

Rate, review, and subscribe

Please help us in our mission to integrate the Faith with Psychology by hitting subscribe and also sharing this podcast with your friends.

Please consider rating or leaving a review of our show. It helps us reach other Catholics just like you who want to become more integrated, whole, and happy human beings.

For Apple podcasts, click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate 5 stars, and choose “write a review.” Then type your sincere thoughts about the show!

If you haven’t already, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out on any episodes. Subscribe to the podcast now!