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Being Human

Dr. Gregory Bottaro

At the CatholicPsych Institute, we're doing something new when it comes to therapy. In the Being Human podcast, Dr. Greg Bottaro, Founder and Director of the CatholicPsych Institute, shares with you his vision for Catholic therapy and a revolutionary approach that is focused, finally, on what it means to be human.

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#299
Tuesday · 1 hr 9 min
Episode 299: 10,000 Free Books and an 'Impossible' Edit: Launching The Personalist Cure
Dr. Greg thought the draft was good. A year later, he called it "terrible." That's how a book ends up taking almost ten years to write. With The Personalist Cure finally launching, Dr. Greg sits down with his good friend Dr. Bryan Violette for a conversation that circles back on itself the way John Paul II's own writing does. Along the way, they get to the heart of the book: the difference between love that controls and love that sets free. Key Topics: Why so much of what passes for love is really a compulsive effort to get your own needs met What emancipating love looks like: willing the good of the other for their sake, even when it costs you Why the love Jesus shows on the cross changes how you see every relationship in your life What John Paul II meant by mutual submission in marriage — and why it's the opposite of control Learn More: The Personalist Cure by Dr. Greg Bottaro — the book behind this episode, almost ten years in the making Join us at the Summit of Integration in Dallas, October 20–23, celebrating the Feast of St. John Paul II (virtual tickets available) Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#298
September 29 · 48 min
Episode 298: Your Working Genius: Exploring What the Grind Reveals About Your Gifts
You've been called lazy. Maybe you've been told you're just bad at your job. But what if that was never the problem at all — what if you've simply been sitting in the wrong seat? Dr. Greg sits down with his good friend Dr. Bryan Violette to explore what the Working Genius reveals about the work that drains us. Along the way, they make the case that even the parts of us we're most embarrassed by are usually protecting something good: our dignity. Key Topics: Why the task that grinds you down says more about your gifts than about your character Why "you're lazy" is usually the wrong story — and "wrong seat on the bus" is often the right one What "adaptive narcissism" is actually protecting Why shame doesn't produce lasting change — it just teaches you to hide better Why "I'm not myself today" gets it wrong, and why curiosity about the part that just showed up works better Why giving yourself away fills you up, even though handing over your coffee only leaves you with an empty cup Learn More: Join us at the Summit of Integration in Dallas, October 20–23, celebrating the Feast of St. John Paul II (virtual tickets available) The 6 Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni — the framework Dr. Greg and Dr. Bryan discuss throughout the episode Gaudium et Spes — the Vatican II constitution behind "Christ reveals man to himself" and finding ourselves through a sincere gift of self Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#297
September 22 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 297: Throwing Darts in the Dark: What Happens When Psychology and Education Forget What a Human Person Is
Psychology is supposed to be a hard science with clear answers about what's healthy. It isn't — and when the people forming our kids can't say what a human being actually is, even their best work turns into darts thrown in the dark. Dr. Greg sits down with Dr. Brett Salkeld — host of the Making Every Class Catholic podcast — to trace what psychology and education both get wrong when they skip the question of what a person is for, and why the schools racing hardest to keep up with technology may not be the ones still standing in five years. Key Topics: Why psychology has no agreed-on standard for mental health — and what that gap is doing to real kids in real classrooms Why you have to know what a healthy human being is before you can help one heal How one true principle about the human person let Dr. Greg call the phone crisis in 2014 — years before the data caught up Why a phone doesn't connect two people so much as stand between them — and who profits from keeping it there Why the schools racing hardest to keep up with technology may be the ones that don't exist in five years What actually makes a school worth attending once AI can hand a kid any fact for free Learn More: Dr. Brett Salkeld's podcast: Making Every Class Catholic — bringing the Catholic faith into every subject in the classroom Educating for Eternity: A Teacher's Companion for Making Every Class Catholic by Dr. Brett Salkeld Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyła (St. John Paul II) Duc in Altum Schools Collaborative — the Catholic-schools network where Dr. Greg first met Dr. Salkeld Join us at the Summit of Integration in Dallas — launching the Year of St. John Paul II The Personalist Cure — Dr. Greg's new book, launching this October at the Summit Sign up for our newsletter Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#296
September 15 · 1 hr
Episode 296: A Saint in the Subconscious: JP2 and the Search for the Human Person
John Paul II is the most important psychologist of the twentieth century — and almost no one knows it. In three dense paragraphs on the subconscious, he named what Freud got wrong and gave us a fuller picture of the human person. Dr. Greg sits down with Fr. Randy Sly to trace how a pilgrimage through Poland turned a philosopher he'd studied for twenty-five years into a father he'd finally met — and why that kind of encounter, not more theory, is what integration actually asks of us. Key Topics: What John Paul II saw about the subconscious that Freud missed entirely Why studying a saint for twenty-five years isn't the same as actually meeting him How explaining integration can be the very thing that keeps you from it Why you don't have to be in crisis to need help becoming who you're meant to be What it means to be a channel instead of a closed loop — and why receiving isn't optional if you want to keep giving Learn More: Join us at the Summit of Integration this October in Dallas — launching the Year of St. John Paul II The Personalist Cure — Dr. Greg's upcoming book, launching this October at the Summit Sign up for our newsletter Fr. Randy Sly's podcast: The Follow to Lead Podcast Integration Pilgrimages — the encounter-focused pilgrimage Dr. Greg helped lead this summer Practice Catholic mindfulness to find the presence of God in the moment Go deeper in the integrated life through the Integrated Life app and community John Paul II on the subconscious: Person and Act and Related Essays by Karol Wojtyła Duc in Altum Schools Collaborative Black Elk Healing Retreat (Wyoming) Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#295
September 8 · 47 min
Episode 295: God Threw My Journal into a River: A Conversation on Love and Freedom from the Streets of Zakopane, Poland
You can become who you are. Which means you can also become who you're not. Recorded on location in Poland during a pilgrimage through the life of John Paul II, Dr. Greg Bottaro and Dr. Gerard McNicholas trace JP2's line "let yourself be molded by love" — and what happens in the subconscious that blocks our freedom to choose it. Key Topics: Why "become who you are" carries a hidden warning — you can also be molded into who you're not Why virtue never becomes automatic, no matter how many years you practice it How the one freedom no one can take from you is the freedom St. Maximilian Kolbe used to step forward and say "take my place" Why the buried things in your subconscious actually want to be known — and why John Paul II called surfacing them a task of morality How art slips in the back door of the subconscious and unlocks what analysis alone can't reach Learn More: Person and Act and Related Essays by Karol Wojtyła (John Paul II) — his account of conscience and the subconscious Our God's Brother — the Wojtyła play that gives us "let yourself be molded by love" Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk John Paul II's Letter to Artists The Personalist Cure — Dr. Greg's upcoming book, launching this October at the Summit Join us at the Summit of Integration this October in Dallas — launching the Year of St. John Paul II Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#294
September 1 · 1 hr 33 min
Episode 294: When "Figuring It All Out" Is the Problem: A College Senior Speaks About an Uncertain Future
Not knowing what comes after graduation feels like failing. It's not. The real problem is the pressure to have it all figured out. Dr. Greg sits down with college senior Sandy Napolitano to talk about the anxiety of life after graduation — where the fear of the unknown really comes from, and why discernment starts the moment you stop trying to force certainty. Key Topics: Why "What's your plan?" quietly writes God out of the decision How the need for a plan can be fear wearing the mask of responsibility Why starting at the end — not the next step — makes half your options disappear Why naming a fear out loud drains most of its power How the experience that changed you becomes the one you most need to integrate Learn More: The Personalist Cure — John Paul II's blueprint for a Catholic standard of psychology Join us in Dallas, Oct 20–23: Summit of Integration Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#293
August 25 · 52 min
Episode 293: God Is Tired of One Thing (Hint: It's Not Your Sin): Healing the Scrupulous Spirit Through Loving Trust
Trust isn't something you manufacture through effort — it's something you receive through relationship. In this episode, Dr. Greg Bottaro concludes the series on OCPD and perfectionism by exploring why control feels so necessary, how our earliest relationships shape our ability to trust God, and why freedom begins not when we become perfect, but when we allow ourselves to be loved. Because holiness isn't built on mastering the perfect spiritual routine — it's built on learning to rest in the love that has always been pursuing you. Key Topics: Why trust can't be built through more effort, more surrender, or the right devotion How "trying harder" to trust God is actually the pattern itself, not the way out of it How the parts of us that need control aren't bad, but are protecting something deeper Why compassion, not correction, is the first step toward healing a controlling part How self-possession exists for the sake of self-gift — and why you can't give what you don't have Why holiness was never meant to end fear of hell, but to end the need to earn love in the first place How real healing only happens in relationship — not in a program, a podcast, or a novena Learn More: Previous episodes in this series on Obsessive Compulsive Personality Patterns: Ep. #290: "I'm Only Loved When I'm Perfect": The Lie Fueling Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Ep. #291: OCPD and Scrupulosity: How the Worship of Rules and Control Leads to the Loneliness of Certainty Ep. #292: Holy Anxiety: The Understandable Underbelly of Scrupulosity Join us at the Summit of Integration this October in Dallas — launching the Year of St. John Paul II Presence Virtual Retreat: Practice the presence of God and trustful surrender Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Start of the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation. Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment. Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#292
August 18 · 45 min
Episode 292: Holy Anxiety: The Understandable Underbelly of Scrupulosity
Scrupulosity often looks like devotion — but when fear takes over, even our spiritual life can become consumed by doubt, checking, and the search for certainty. In this episode, Dr. Greg Bottaro continues the series on OCPD and perfectionism, exploring the difference between a healthy conscience and a scrupulous one, why mercy can be hard to trust, and how our experiences shape the way we see God. Holiness was never meant to be an endless audit — it was meant to lead us into relationship with the One who loves us. Key Topics: How reciting the truth about mercy in your head does nothing to change what your body still believes Why certainty about being forgiven is the one thing this pattern can never actually get Why confession, meant to bring peace, can quietly become just another form of checking How the voice you call your conscience might actually be a punishing voice in disguise Why the face you're afraid God is making at you was never really His How the saints wrestled with scrupulosity — and what finally brought them peace wasn't more proof Why doing this work alone almost always makes the pattern worse How the way out can feel too easy to trust Learn More: Previous episodes in this series on Obsessive Compulsive Personality Patterns: Ep. #290: "I'm Only Loved When I'm Perfect": The Lie Fueling Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Ep. #291: OCPD and Scrupulosity: How the Worship of Rules and Control Leads to the Loneliness of Certainty Episode referenced on spiritual bypassing: Why "Everything Happens for a Reason" Isn't Working: The Holy Words We Use to Avoid Healing Join us at the Summit of Integration this October in Dallas — launching the Year of St. John Paul II Start of the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation. Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment. Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#291
August 11 · 45 min
Episode 291: OCPD and Scrupulosity: How the Worship of Rules and Control Leads to the Loneliness of Certainty
Certainty feels like safety. But you can only ever be certain alone — and the life you build on control slowly becomes a lonely one. In week two of the series on OCPD, Dr. Greg explores why we reach for control when trust feels dangerous — and how the certainty we build to feel safe ends up costing us the very relationships it was meant to protect. Key Topics: Why the certainty that makes you feel safe is the same thing that leaves you alone How a rule can feel safer than a person — because a rule never changes its face Why the control you use to protect the people you love can drive them straight into the danger you feared How devotion can quietly turn into a contract with God instead of trust in Him Why trying harder to get it perfect is the pattern itself, not the way out of it Learn More: Previous episode in this series — OCPD Part 1: Ep. #290: "I'm Only Loved When I'm Perfect": The Lie Fueling Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Join us at the Summit of Integration this October in Dallas — launching the Year of St. John Paul II Faith of the Fatherless: The Psychology of Atheism by Dr. Paul Vitz — on how wounded trust in a father can shape our capacity for faith Person and Act — St. John Paul II's (Karol Wojtyła's) philosophical work on the acting person, and the personalist heart of this episode Stop Walking on Eggshells by Paul Mason & Randi Kreger — the book on borderline patterns Dr. Greg references Start of the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation. Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment. Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#290
August 4 · 40 min
Episode 290: "I'm Only Loved When I'm Perfect": The Lie Fueling Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Perfectionism doesn't always come from loving excellence. Sometimes it's the only way you've ever known how to feel safe. In the first episode of a new series on Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, Dr. Greg unpacks how perfectionism, rigidity, and control take root—and why, underneath them, control quietly fills the space where trust was supposed to be. Key Topics: Why the pursuit of perfection is often less about loving excellence and more about not feeling safe without it How "until I'm perfect, I'm not loved" becomes the sentence an entire personality gets built on Why one small mistake can feel like disconnection instead of just a mistake How conscientiousness and perfectionism can look identical from the outside—and the one thing that tells them apart Why you can get everything right and still never feel free to rest Why the love you keep trying to earn was already given—before you got anything right Learn More: Person and Act and Related Essays by Karol Wojtyła (St. John Paul II) — the anthropology of self-possession and self-gift behind this episode Join a future Black Elk healing retreat at the Hawkeye Ranch in Wyoming Episode referenced on spiritual bypassing and scrupulosity: Ep. #288: Why "Everything Happens for a Reason" Isn't Working: The Holy Words We Use to Avoid Healing Inner Parts Easy Conversation Guide — an audio guide to get to know your inner parts. Start of the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#289
July 28 · 43 min
Episode 289: You Can't Heal What You Won't Face: How Presence Breaks the Cycle of Fear
Avoidance works. That's the problem. Every time you dodge the hard thing, the relief is real—and so is the price you don't see coming. In this final episode of the series on avoidance, Dr. Greg makes the case that the way out isn't escape or a burst of willpower, but presence: staying in the room one second longer than you want to, and letting God meet you in the mess you were trying to hide. Key Topics: Why the relief avoidance gives you is exactly what keeps you stuck Why good therapy and mentorship refuse to hand you advice—and why that's what actually heals How even "staying present" can quietly become one more way to avoid what's surfacing Why healing works like a bruise, not a breakthrough—slow, at its own pace, and impossible to rush What to do the moment the wall goes up: stay in the room one second longer than you want to Why God doesn't wait at the finish line of your healing, but walks through the locked door to meet you in it Learn More: Presence Virtual Retreat: As a gift to listeners of Being Human, we're offering two full months free. Use code BHVRTRIAL at checkout to begin. The Retreat is a monthly subscription that brings together faith and psychology to help you overcome anxiety, quiet negative thought patterns, and live as if you truly believe in a God who loves you. Your first two months are completely free; after that, it continues at $17/month, and you're free to cancel anytime. Stay connected — join our newsletter Join us at the Summit of Integration this October in Dallas Watch Being Human on YouTube – Watch the full video archive of the Being Human podcast Previous episodes in this series on Avoidance: Ep. #286: A Mental Tug of War: Inside the Avoidant Mind and the Burden of Being Known Ep. #287: We Are Not Robots: Why Connection Is Not Optional for Human Flourishing Ep. #288: Why "Everything Happens for a Reason" Isn't Working: The Holy Words We Use to Avoid Healing Start of the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#288
July 21 · 48 min
Episode 288: Why "Everything Happens for a Reason" Isn't Working: The Holy Words We Use to Avoid Healing
"Offer it up." "I've forgiven them." "Everything happens for a reason." Every one of them is true—and every one can become a way to avoid the healing God is actually offering. In this episode, Dr. Greg names spiritual bypassing: using prayer, devotion, and even good theology to step around grief, anger, and the wounds still waiting underneath. He explains why grace builds on nature, and why God heals only the humanity we're willing to bring into the light. Key Topics: Why the one escape nobody warns you about is the one everyone applauds: prayer, retreats, "offering it up" How "I've already forgiven them" can be completely true and still leave the same wound bleeding for years Why "I'm still discerning" is sometimes just stalling with a halo on it How taking Mary or Joseph as your parent can heal a wound—or quietly become the reason you never grieve the one you actually had Why the anger you keep spiritualizing away might be the exact thing you most need to listen to Why you can pray for years, go to confession after confession, and still land in the same cycle—and what that finally reveals Learn More: Stay connected — join our newsletter Join us at the Summit of Integration this October in Dallas Online presentation on anxiety: Learn the "secret" Dr. Greg holds back in this episode—that the anxiety itself isn't the problem Presence Virtual Retreat: Practice the presence of God and trustful surrender Integrated Life app: Bring every part of yourself into the light—JP2's meaning of integration State of the Institute replay: Hear the massive "Year of JP2" news The Personalist Cure: Dr. Greg's book on John Paul II's philosophy and its role in psychology Person and Act: St. John Paul II's (Karol Wojtyła's) philosophical work on integration and the acting person, referenced in this episode Our God's Brother: St. John Paul II's (Karol Wojtyła's) play about Brother Albert Previous episodes in this series on Avoidance: Ep. #286: A Mental Tug of War: Inside the Avoidant Mind and the Burden of Being Known Ep. #287: We Are Not Robots: Why Connection Is Not Optional for Human Flourishing Start of the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#287
July 14 · 36 min
Episode 287: We Are Not Robots: Why Connection Is Not Optional for Human Flourishing
There's a lot of talk recently about whether AI can be considered a person. But the more serious question might be whether people are becoming too much like AI—learning to live without real connection. To keep our distance. To avoid vulnerability. To convince ourselves that we don't need anyone. In this episode, Dr. Greg continues the series on avoidance by turning to schizoid personality: the pattern where the wish for connection hasn't just been buried by fear, but has gone quiet altogether. Drawing on the personalism of St. John Paul II, he shows why we stay made out of relationship, for relationship—even when the desire seems gone. Key Topics: Why "I don't need anyone" can be a wound dressed up as strength How the desire for connection can go so quiet it reads as no desire at all What that flood of relief when plans fall through is actually telling you How being neglected early teaches you to neglect yourself—and call it your personality Why "self-help" was never going to be enough, and real healing needs another person Why fearing closeness and feeling indifferent to it look identical from the outside but run on opposite engines Learn More: Previous episode in this series on avoidance: Ep. #286: A Mental Tug of War: Inside the Avoidant Mind and the Burden of Being Known Previous episode on attachment theory: Ep. #63: Attachment Theory: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How It Affects Your Relationships Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Start of the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#286
July 7 · 32 min
Episode 286: A Mental Tug of War: Inside the Avoidant Mind and the Burden of Being Known
Avoidance looks like not wanting people. It's almost always the opposite: wanting connection so badly that being seen feels like the biggest risk of all. In this episode, Dr. Greg explores avoidant personality patterns through the lens of Catholic anthropology—where the quiet tug-of-war between longing to be known and fearing rejection comes from, and how the difference between what happens in us and what we choose opens a path toward freedom. Key Topics: Why "I just need my space" can be a wall dressed up as a boundary How a childhood full of real love—not neglect—can still teach you that being seen means being blamed Why avoidant personality isn't the same as avoidant attachment, even though they share a name What the text you rewrite four times before sending is actually protecting you from Why even your anger can be an imitation of Christ, not something to hide How the difference between what "happens" in you and what you choose to do can pull you out of hiding Learn More: Previous episode on attachment theory: Ep. #63: Attachment Theory: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How It Affects Your Relationships Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Person and Act: St. John Paul II's (Karol Wojtyła's) philosophical work on the acting person, referenced in this episode Start of the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Got a Question for Dr. Greg? Have a topic suggestion? Want to share your thoughts? Email us at beinghuman@catholicpsych.com—we'd love to hear from you! Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#285
June 30 · 51 min
Episode 285: Venting Isn't Always Healing: The Difference Between Sharing Truth and Feeding Resentment
Getting it all off your chest is supposed to be healing. But sometimes the venting that feels like relief is quietly feeding your resentment instead. In this episode, Dr. Greg sits down with Fr. Gregory Pine—author of Training the Tongue—to explore why the deepest purpose of speech is communion, and how to tell the difference between working through your pain and simply settling the score. Key Topics: Why the real purpose of speech isn't expressing yourself — it's communion How to tell whether you're venting toward healing or just venting to settle the score Why the friend who only ever agrees with you might be the one holding you back What separates a listener who helps you grow from one who only feeds your anger Why "getting it off your chest" can leave the wound exactly where it was How custody of the tongue is good news, not one more rule to feel guilty about Learn More: Fr. Gregory Pine's book: Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Start of the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#284
June 23 · 40 min
Episode 284: Stop Chasing Spiritual Highs: Why Real Healing Happens in the Ordinary
Your prayer life can be how you avoid healing. In this final episode of the antisocial series, Dr. Greg unpacks why a retreat high or a powerful devotional moment can convince you the healing is done — when the actual work hasn't started yet, and why that work happens in the small, unglamorous moments nobody puts on a holy card. Key Topics: Why the most moving retreat of your life can leave you exactly the same — and what actually changes you What "magical penance" reveals about the parts of us that prefer grand gestures to real repair Why healing happens in what you do on an ordinary Tuesday, not in the moments when everything breaks open How a soft heart and a defenseless heart are not the same thing — and why that distinction changes everything Why the urge to be "healed already" is itself a form of the pattern you're trying to change Why re-hardening after you've opened up isn't failure — it's part of doing the reps Learn More: Earlier in this series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Antisocial Part 1 — Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Antisocial Part 2 — Ep. #282: You're (Probably) Not a Serial Killer—But You May Share Some of Their Antisocial Traits Antisocial Part 3 — Ep. #283: "I Will Never Be Hurt Again": How Jesus' Sacred Heart Breaks the Cycle The Wounded Healer by Henri Nouwen — the book Dr. Greg references on accompaniment and the standard of showing up, not being healed Person and Act by Karol Wojtyła (Pope St. John Paul II) Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyła (Pope St. John Paul II) Previous episode on boundaries: Ep. #254: Navigating "Toxic" Relationships: Setting Boundaries Without Losing Charity Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#283
June 16 · 47 min
Episode 283: "I Will Never Be Hurt Again": How Jesus' Sacred Heart Breaks the Cycle
A hardened heart isn't where the story starts. It's what's left after a child trusted, got hurt, and concluded: I'll never be in that position again. This week, Dr. Greg turns the antisocial series toward hope: looking at how that hardness forms, and how the Sacred Heart of Jesus, betrayed and pierced yet still open, breaks the pattern. Key Topics: Why a hardened heart is never cold by nature—it's protection learned the first time trusting backfired Why the urge to control everyone around you is really an old strategy for never being at anyone's mercy again How "making up for it" can quietly become a way to avoid facing the wound underneath Why Jesus didn't heal the hardened heart from a safe distance—He walked straight into betrayal and stayed open What it means that control isn't the enemy; where you aim it is what changes everything Why healing means loving even the parts of you that sin, not just the parts that behave Why you can't will yourself into trust overnight—and why that slowness reflects your dignity, not your failure Learn More: Earlier in this series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Antisocial Part 1 — Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Antisocial Part 2 — Ep. #282: You're (Probably) Not a Serial Killer—But You May Share Some of Their Antisocial Traits The Litany for Mental Health Dr. Greg references: A Litany for Mental Health The original Sacred Heart revelations: The Autobiography of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#282
June 9 · 1 hr
Episode 282: You're (Probably) Not a Serial Killer—But You May Share Some of Their Antisocial Traits
You're probably not a serial killer. But the patterns that shape one run through all of us, at lower volume. In this episode, Dr. Greg traces antisocial patterns back to their source in everyday life — how we manage people, pray, and protect ourselves from being hurt again. Key Topics: Why the patterns that define serial killers aren't limited to serial killers — and how to see yourself honestly in that mirror How omnipotent control can look like loyalty, competence, or even holiness — and what it's protecting underneath What "magical penance" looks like when atonement becomes a form of control instead of real repair Why prayer can become negotiation with God — and why that's a subtle form of magical thinking How the "hardened heart" of Scripture isn't just Pharaoh — it's any wall quietly built against trust How to meet the controlling parts of yourself with compassion instead of condemnation Learn More: Previous episode in the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla (Pope St. John Paul II) Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary: Why Real Change Happens through Love not Willpower Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#281
June 2 · 48 min
Episode 281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns
Not every rule-breaker is choosing rebellion. Most are choosing safety — and they've been doing it since childhood. In this first episode of a new series, Dr. Greg takes apart what "antisocial" actually means and traces the pattern back to its source: not evil or criminal, but a deep wound that learned to survive by refusing to trust. Key Topics: Why "antisocial" has nothing to do with introversion — and what it actually describes How charm and omnipotent control can be defenses, not personality traits Why growing up with an unpredictable parent makes rules feel like threats instead of like love What the interpersonal wish "help me trust you" reveals beneath even the most closed-off exterior Why the parts of us that push back against rules deserve curiosity, not condemnation How empathy, education, and direction together create the conditions where rules feel like love Why the gap between antisocial patterns and ordinary daily life is narrower than we'd like to admit Learn More: Summit of Integration 2026 — Join us in Dallas, October 20–23, celebrating the Feast of St. John Paul II. Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing: A Deep Dive into the Dependent Defense Pattern Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary: Why Real Change Happens through Love not Willpower Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation. Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment. Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
#280
May 26 · 44 min
Episode 280: Being Human in the Age of AI: Exploring What Machines Can't Replace with a World-Class Artist
AI was supposed to replace what humans make. Instead, it's revealing what only humans can. In this episode, Dr. Greg sits down with Mike Marshall, Director of Design at the CatholicPsych Institute, to explore the irony at the heart of the AI age: the closer machines get to perfection, the more clearly we see that imperfection isn't a flaw to engineer away: it's the signature of being human. Key Topics: What it means to be human in an age that can imitate almost everything Why the closer AI gets to "perfect," the more obvious it becomes that something's missing Why signing your work is becoming a quiet act of resistance in an age of imitation What it actually takes to stay human in a world that's getting very good at faking it Learn More: Letter to Artists by Pope St. John Paul II – The letter referenced throughout the conversation mikemarshalldesign.com – The hand behind every piece of CatholicPsych branding, and available for freelance work The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton – The meditation Mike draws from on man as "maker," not Creator The Mindful Catholic by Dr. Greg Bottaro – The book with the "keys in a blender" story Dr. Greg never expected readers to remember Watch other Being Human episodes on YouTube – Watch the full video archive of the Being Human podcast Sam Altman on AI Images – The referenced video clip on why the value of perfection is going to zero The Integrated Life Journal – Quarterly journal on disintegrated care in the modern world, and what integration looks like in practice Summit of Integration 2026 – Sign up to learn more about this year's event! Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

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