Smart Parenting in the Smartphone Era Part I: Know the Risks
By Wendy Baribeau, LAMFT
Many Catholic parents have decided to give their children computers, smartphones and tablets for a variety of reasons. While nearly all schools in this country, including Catholic ones, have embraced the belief that technology aids learning, most parents are not fully aware of the dangers that unsupervised internet usage creates.
Every day, kids and teens seemed to be glued to their smartphones and devices. Although most parents have a general concern about internet...
Can Catholics Practice Mindfulness?
Take me to "A Catholic's Guide to Self-Help"
By Matthew McCall, Psy.D.
During the last five years or so, a practice called mindfulness has become incredibly popular across much of the Western world. You’ve probably heard of mindfulness, and perhaps have had a friend, family member, or health care professional recommend it.
As a faithful Catholic, you may wonder if mindfulness is simply a beneficial exercise for the brain or a more worrisome and forbidden entryway into a Buddhist form of...
The Power of a Word
by Ruth O'Neil
Like a brand-new journal, January represents a fresh start or a clean slate. It’s a great time to reflect on what’s going well and what needs work--and to make changes if necessary.
One way to give your new year a jump start is to choose a word that can help define or refine your direction. This word will be the theme or motto for the coming year. It can act as your compass, leading and guiding you in the direction of personal and spiritual growth. Claiming a...
What to Say to an Abuse Victim
Take me to "A Catholic's Guide to Helping a Loved One in Distress"
By Maribel Laguna, LPC-S
If you have the privilege of becoming the confidante of an abuse victim, you may not know what to do or say when you first learn about the abuse. Although many people may stumble over inappropriate or awkward responses, these are all far better than silence. It is easy to be silent out of shock or fear, but remember the words of Blessed Pope John Paul II, “Be not afraid!” Instead, pray for...
Changing Yourself First To Help Your Children
Take me to "A Catholic's Guide to Helping a Loved One in Distress"
by Eric Gudan, PsyD
It’s human nature to point the finger at someone else. When something goes wrong, it’s always someone else’s fault. Parents who are watching children grow up often attribute bad behavior to others: disobedient classmates, an inept teacher, a bad TV role model.
As Catholic parents, we want our children to choose good, grow in virtue, and be holy. We know that living according to God’s...
Facing Our Distorted Images of God
Take me to God Image podcasts!
by Peter T. Malinoski, Ph.D.
As Catholics, we believe that we are created and placed on this earth to know, love and serve God in this world and be with Him forever in the next. That is our primary purpose here, and all things should serve that final and most important reason for our existence.
The first step in accomplishing that goal is to know God. But what if we don’t really know God? Or we don’t know the real God? What if who we think is God is...
How To Work Through Our Psychological Defenses to Enrich Our Relationship with God and Others
Take me to "A Catholic's Guide to Self-Help"
by Peter T. Malinoski, Ph.D.
As children we learn the two great commandments: Love God above all things and love your neighbor as yourself. In order to follow these commands, however, we have to interact with both God and our neighbor in genuine ways. What does that mean? That means we have to have an accurate perception of our thoughts and feelings and respond to both God and neighbor in authentic and appropriate ways.
Part of our human nature...
How to Find the Right Counselor
Take me to "A Catholic's Guide to Selecting a Therapist"
By Maribel Laguna, LPC-S
According to an article published in The Wall Street Journal in March 2019, millennials are the therapy generation. The article goes on to cite several studies that show young people seeking help more often than previous generations. Expectations of personal perfection, an increase in depression rates, and a focus on self-improvement are some possible reasons.
Whether you are part of that generation or a member...
The Role That Emotions Play in a Good Catholic’s Life
Take me to "A Catholic's Guide to Self-Help"
By Matthew McCall, Psy.D.
Many people today who are striving to grow in their faith and become a “good Catholic” find emotions confusing. Are emotions wrong and sinful? Do they cloud our ability to reason? Are they things to be controlled and suppressed in order to attain sanctity?
The reality is that God created our emotions, often called our passions, for many reasons. By better understanding what role they play in our lives, we can...
How to Manage Teens and Screens
by Gerry Crete, Ph.D. and Matthew Riegel, Ed.S.
If you’re a Catholic parent in this era of iPhones, Androids, video games, and computers, you’ve probably struggled with the question of how and when to allow your children to have access to all this technology. This was the central discussion that took place after the screening of a documentary called Screen-Agers, which occurred in Atlanta this week.
Technology is a useful and, it seems, necessary tool which is here to stay, for...