Saint Dymphna’s Playbook
150 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 153 ratingsA podcast about finding mental well-being as a Catholic with the help of community and the saints. Hosted by Tommy Tighe, a marriage and family therapist, husband, and father. In each episode Tommy addresses different mental health issues, introduces listeners to a saint who is relevant to mental health and wellness, and responds to questions from Twitter followers.
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Episodes
130: Coping with Anticipatory Grief
June 18, 2022 13:00 - 19 minutes - 36.3 MBTommy talks about processing childhood trauma as an adult, introduces listeners to Saint Joachina Vedruna de Mas, and answers listener questions about how to avoid seeking reassurance from family and friends, how to cope with anticipatory grief, and how to cope with all the emotions in the days following a traumatic event. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
129: Vicarious Trauma After Uvalde
June 11, 2022 13:45 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBTommy talks about the increase in children seeking mental health services in schools, introduces listeners to Blessed Angelina of Marsciano, and answers listener questions about how to set boundaries with a manipulative family member who lives close by, if OCD is a spiritual attack that needs to be renounced, and what teachers can do to regain a sense of safety in the wake of another tragic school shooting. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymph...
128: Hit & Run OCD
June 04, 2022 13:00 - 22 minutes - 15.2 MBTommy talks about the impact of sleep deprivation on the mental health of teens, introduces listeners to Saint Ignatius of Laconi, and answers listener questions about how to address caregiver burnout, how to help a friend with religious OCD, and how to address symptoms of hit and run OCD. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
127: When You're in Love with a Friend
May 28, 2022 13:00 - 15 minutes - 10.8 MBTommy talks about Metallica starting a mental health conversation, introduces listeners to Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and answers listener questions about how to maintain a friendship with someone we love, if mental illness can be a reason to receive communion at home, and how to help a teen who has experienced trauma. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
126: Is Missing Mass Because of Depression a Sin?
May 21, 2022 13:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBTommy talks about bias in mental health research, introduces listeners to Saint Leopold Mandic, and answers listener questions about accepting limitations related to our mental health, if missing Mass because of depression is a sin, and how to understand body positivity and increase awareness of eating disorders within the Catholic context. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
125: Did I Cause My Child's Mental Illness?
May 14, 2022 13:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBTommy talks about the the practical limits of mental health apps, introduces listeners to Blessed Michael Giedroyc, and answers listener questions about how to reconcile our spirituality and mental health, how to sort out which spiritual practices will be right for us in light of our mental health, and how to understand a parent's role in the mental health of their children. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" ...
124: Forgiving God After a Miscarriage
May 07, 2022 13:00 - 18 minutes - 34.2 MBTommy talks about the growing recovery community on TikTok, introduces listeners to Saint Pedro de San José Betancur, and answers listener questions about being angry at God after a miscarriage, how to cope with Hyperemesis gravidarum, and how to work through workplace trauma. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
123: I Can't Stop Procrastinating!
April 30, 2022 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.1 MBTommy talks about a task force recommended screening for anxiety starting at age 8, introduces listeners to Saint Conrad of Parzham, and answers listener questions about how to help a child diagnosed with alopecia, how a person with strong religious convictions can navigate being a therapist, and how to tackle procrastination. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
122: When Stigma Pushes Us Away
April 23, 2022 13:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBTommy talks about a recent Facebook ad from the US Bureau of Prisons, introduces listeners to Blessed Peter Gonzalez, and answers listener questions about how to grieve in the midst of a grieving family, how to respond to priests who stigmatize those of us with mental illness, and how to approach talking about our mental health in confession. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
121: Mental Health & Theology of the Body
April 16, 2022 13:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBTommy talks about Selena Gomez ditching social media for her mental health, introduces listeners to Saint Crescentia Hoss, and answers listener questions about the connections between mental health and Theology of the Body, how to help a family member with Alcohol Use Disorder, and how to approach a situation with someone suffering from delusional thoughts at Mass. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
120: Mental Health and Infertility
April 09, 2022 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBTommy talks about the positive power of music, introduces listeners to Saint Stephen of Mar Saba, and answers listener questions about how to cope with anxiety over the war in Ukraine, how to manage mental wellbeing while living through infertility, and how to find good mental health after leaving an abusive relationship. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
119: Navigating Toxic Family Relationships
April 02, 2022 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.6 MBTommy talks about the importance of supporting our teenage daughters in their mental and emotional wellbeing, introduces listeners to Saint Nicholas Owen, and answers listener questions about Tourette's Syndrome, the practice of memento mori if we also experience suicidal ideation, and how to navigate boundaries with toxic family members. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
118: Intrusive Thoughts of Suicide
March 26, 2022 13:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBTommy talks about and prays for a college athlete who recently died by suicide, introduces listeners to Saint Clement Mary Hofbauer, and answers listener questions about the experience of long-term grief, how to help a child with intrusive suicidal thoughts, and how we should understand diminished responsibility when it comes to those who have died by suicide. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
117: How Should We Talk About Kanye?
March 19, 2022 13:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBTommy talks about why it's so hard to get connected to mental health care, introduces listeners to Saint John Ogilvie, and answers listener questions about how we should react to Kanye West's very public walk with mental health symptoms, how to handle the reality of religious life not always seeming open to those with mental illness, and if it's okay to miss Mass because of our mental health.
116: How To Help Someone Being Abused
March 12, 2022 14:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBTommy talks about how to take care of our mental health during the war in Ukraine, introduces listeners to Blessed Daniel Brottier, and answers listener questions about how to talk to someone who has experienced trauma, how to help someone living in an abusive relationship, and whether there are any saints who grew up in abusive childhood homes. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook
115: Healing Intergenerational Trauma
March 05, 2022 14:00 - 17 minutes - 32.5 MBTommy talks about why it's so hard to have quality mental health care for our incarcerated sisters and brothers, introduces listeners to Saint Joseph of Leonissa, and answers listener questions about intergenerational trauma, how to start a conversation on mental health within a religious community, and the practical steps we can take to help ourselves and others walk through emotional distress. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook
114: Can Anxious Kids Find Hope in the Saints?
February 26, 2022 14:00 - 15 minutes - 10.8 MBTommy talks about the problem of misdiagnosis in children of color, introduces listeners to Blessed William Carter, and answers listener questions about the role of exorcism in a Catholic understanding of mental illness, how kids with mental health symptoms can find hope and support in the saints, and how to help a loved one in the midst of a panic attack. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook
113: Compulsive Behaviors and Sin
February 19, 2022 14:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBTommy talks about the continued impact of Simone Biles on the mental health of athletes, introduces listeners to Saint Charles of Sezze, and answers listener questions about how to cope with anticipatory grief, how to understand sin and culpability in relation to compulsive behaviors, and how to help a spouse seek help when they aren't motivated. Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook
112: Mental Health and Social Media
February 12, 2022 14:00 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBTommy talks about the psychological reasons for the popularity of Wordle, introduces listeners to Saint Mary Angela Truszkowska, and answers listener questions about if we should share about our mental health on social media, the pain caused by gender dysphoria not being taken seriously in our church, how early childhood abuse can impact the emotional health of men in adulthood. Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook Get 25% off when you use...
111: Am I Truly Sorry For My Sins?
February 05, 2022 14:00 - 17 minutes - 11.8 MBTommy talks about how physical exercise improves depression, introduces listeners to Saint Angela Merici, and answers listener questions about how to know if we're actually sorry for our sins, how to recognize and fight back against imposter syndrome, and how to be okay with unplugging from all the bad news. Get the Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook. Use code "BEWELL" for 25% off.
110: Cheating OCD And What To Do About It
December 25, 2021 14:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBTommy talks about the new mental health startup led by Simone Biles, introduces listeners to Saint Sabbas, and answers listener questions about how to find peace when we still haven't found our vocation, how to know when a spouse isn't interested in rebuilding a relationship, and how to work through irrational and baseless fears about our spouse cheating on us. The Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book is HERE! Order yours now: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook
109: Mental Illness and Demonic Possession
December 18, 2021 14:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBTommy talks about research into a blood test hoping to help with diagnosing mood disorders, introduces listeners to Blessed Rafal Chylinski, and answers listener questions about how to respond when someone suggests that a mental illness might be demonic possession, how to have difficult conversations with our young children, and how to battle feelings of shame and guilt when recovering from addiction.
108: When Silence Makes Us Anxious
December 11, 2021 14:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBTommy talks about the importance of supporting the mental health of kids and young adults, introduces listeners to Saint James of the Marches, and answers listener questions about how to find healing after an affair, what to do when sitting in silence makes us feel anxious, and how to walk with a child who has questions about gender identity.
107: Helping a Scrupulous Partner
December 04, 2021 14:00 - 23 minutes - 16.1 MBTommy talks about Selena Gomez's new mental health venture, introduces listeners to Blessed Eustochium of Padua, and answers listener questions about how to help someone after you've referred them to counseling, how to help a family member who doesn't want help, and how to support a partner who is experiencing religious OCD.
106: When the Church Gets it Wrong on Suicide
November 27, 2021 14:00 - 16 minutes - 22.7 MBTommy talks about Pope Francis' prayer intention for the month of November, introduces listeners to Saint Agnes of Assisi, and answers listener questions about how the experience of trauma might impact our ability to meditate on the wounds of Christ, how to know when we might need medication for anxiety, and how to respond when our parish hands out a pamphlet that gets it wrong on suicide. The Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book is HERE! Order yours now: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dy...
105: What's a Crisis Plan and How do I Make One?
November 20, 2021 14:00 - 22 minutes - 30.8 MBTommy talks about how to create a personal plan for times of crisis, introduces listeners to Saint Margaret of Scotland, and answers listener questions about how to recognize if a therapist is bad or unethical, how to cope with not being on the same page in marriage, and how to support a friend who is contemplating suicide while still taking care of ourselves. The Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book is HERE! Order yours now: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook
104: Did Adam and Eve Have Anxiety?
November 13, 2021 14:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBTommy talks about the why God would allow us to suffer from mental illness, introduces listeners to Saint Gertrude the Great, and answers listener questions about how to cope with anxiety-caused nightmares, how to help a daughter experiencing symptoms related to PTSD, and how to engage in our faith when we feel like our local parish isn't doing enough to keep us safe. The Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book is HERE! Order yours now: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-playbook
103: When The News Robs Our Mental Wellbeing
November 06, 2021 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.4 MBTommy talks about the how to use social media in a way that protects our mental health, introduces listeners to Blessed Bartholomew of Vicenza, and answers listener questions about how to maintain our mental health when the news is so negative, how we should deal with our consumer-driven society as Catholics, and how a Godparent can help a a child with autism grow closer to Christ. The Saint Dymphna's Playbook Book is HERE! Order yours now: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/st-dymphnas-...
102: How Do I Stop Comparing Myself to Others?
October 30, 2021 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.7 MBTommy talks about how to stop comparing ourselves to those around us, introduces listeners to Saint Alphonsus Rodriguez, and answers listener questions about the difference between scrupulosity and genuine spiritual concern, how to help a family member understand that mental illness isn't about being weak, and how often a couple should have a big check-in conversation to make sure they're on the same page. Exciting news! Tommy wrote a Saint Dymphna's Playbook BOOK, which comes out November 5...
101: When I Need To Walk Out of Mass
October 23, 2021 13:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBTommy talks about the how to get our prayer life back on track in the context of mental health symptoms, introduces listeners to Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, and answers listener questions about how the Church can better love people when mental health struggles impact their faith, how to address the need to walk out of Mass due to anxiety, and how to cope with a roommate who may have Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Exciting news! Tommy wrote a Saint Dymphna's Playbook BOOK, which comes out No...
100: Do I need a Catholic Therapist?
October 16, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 13.8 MBTommy talks about the idea of wanting to see a Catholic therapist, introduces listeners to Blessed Claudio Granzotto, and answers listener questions about how to take care of our mental health with all the bad news around us, why those of us with ADHD seem to engage in impulsive behavior, and how to help those around us understand our mental health experience and needs. Exciting news! Tommy wrote a Saint Dymphna's Playbook BOOK, which comes out November 5th. Born out of this podcast, the boo...
99: How Do We Know When a Therapist is Bad?
October 09, 2021 13:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBTommy talks about Apple's plan to use iPhones to screen for depression, introduces listeners to Saint Giles, and answers listener questions about how families can cope with military deployment, how teachers can avoid burnout, and how to recognize when a therapist might not be a good fit. Exciting news! Tommy wrote a Saint Dymphna's Playbook BOOK, which comes out November 5th. Born out of this podcast, the book serves as a more in-depth guide to finding mental and emotional well-being through...
98: When Church is a Trigger
October 02, 2021 13:00 - 19 minutes - 26.7 MBTommy talks about a mental health app created by college students, introduces listeners to Saint Rose of Viterbo, and answers listener questions about how to grow close to the Church when the Church triggers feelings around past trauma, how veterans can process the news happening overseas, and how to recognize and cope with vicarious trauma brought on by our work.
97: The Battle Against Perfectionism
September 25, 2021 13:00 - 19 minutes - 26.3 MBTommy talks about the 988 mental health crisis line getting funded in California, introduces listeners to Saint Joseph Calasanz, and answers listener questions about how help a friend who is overwhelmed by the need to be perfect, how to cope with intrusive thoughts around God and the afterlife, and how to find peace in a Church that's sadly the very place of our trauma.
96: Honoring Your Father and Mother With Boundaries
September 18, 2021 13:00 - 19 minutes - 27 MBTommy talks about the Illinois law allowing children to take mental health days from school, introduces listeners to Saint Joan of the Cross, and answers listener questions about how to help a friend in his journey with his wife's diagnosis, how to honor one's father and mother while setting boundaries at the same time, and how to recognize and cope with anxiety related to climate change.
95: OCD and planning for the future
September 11, 2021 13:00 - 18 minutes - 25.8 MBTommy talks about online counseling services, introduces listeners to Saint Cajetan, and answers listener questions about how to approach a conversation about the future considering symptoms of OCD, how to support a friend facing infidelity, and the importance of mental health and wellness for caregivers.
94: When Confession Doesn't Feel Good
September 04, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 28.5 MBTommy talks about the differences between therapy and spiritual direction, introduces listeners to Blessed Stanley Rother, and answers listener questions about how the faith relates to Overeaters Anonymous, how to approach confession when it leaves us feeling like we did something wrong, and how to understand mental health and marital harmony in the context of the Church's teaching on Natural Family Planning.
93: Do I Use My Mental Health As a Crutch?
August 28, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 28 MBTommy talks about involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations, introduces listeners to Saint Sharbel Makhlouf, and answers listener questions about how to respond to someone who says we use our mental health symptoms as a crutch, if we should pray for our abusers who have died, and how to interact with an adult child who identifies as transgender.
92: When Medication Dosages Keep Going Up
August 21, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MBTommy talks about the mental health considerations in interfaith marriages, introduces listeners to Saint Mary MacKillop, and answers listener questions about mental health medications increasing in dosage over time, how to approach an examination of conscience in the context of depression, and the connections between binge eating and OCD.
91: Does Jesus Want Us To Hate Ourselves?
August 14, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MBTommy talks about the impact COVID-19 has had on postpartum depression for women of color, introduces listeners to Saint Veronica Giuliani, and answers listener questions about how to understand the words of Jesus about hating our lives, the ideas around co-sleeping with older children, and how to talk to a family member who needs help with anxiety.
90: I Feel Like A Fraud!
July 03, 2021 13:00 - 19 minutes - 27.1 MBTommy talks about the therapeutic approach known as EMDR, introduces listeners to Blessed Jutta of Thuringia, and answers listener questions about how faith and feelings go together, how to navigate being asked to help at the parish when we don't feel good enough, and what forgiveness means in the context of healing after abuse.
89: A Vatican Document on Mental Health?
June 26, 2021 13:00 - 23 minutes - 32.8 MBTommy talks about the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of extroverts, introduces listeners to Saint Albert Chmielowski, and answers listener questions about how to come to terms with a mental health diagnosis, the impact anger has on our health and spiritual wellbeing, and a new Vatican document that talks about mental health and emotional wellbeing.
88: Can I Lose My Job if I Go To Therapy?
June 19, 2021 13:00 - 17 minutes - 24.3 MBTommy talks about atypical symptoms of depression, introduces listeners to Blessed Yolanda of Poland, and answers listener questions about the feeling we have when a doctor suggests a medication for our mental health, if our job can be at risk simply because we seek out mental health treatment, and if we should avoid marriage and having kids because of our struggles with depression.
87: When They Don't Respect Your Boundaries
June 12, 2021 13:00 - 18 minutes - 25.8 MBTommy talks about racial disparities in diagnosing mental health experiences, introduces listeners to Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, and answers listener questions about how to deal with a family member who won't respect healthy boundaries, the effectiveness of intensive outpatient programs for anxiety, and how best to help a spouse who is living with an anxiety disorder.
86: Vocation Anxiety
June 05, 2021 13:00 - 17 minutes - 24.1 MBTommy talks about the new work being done to better understand the physiology of mental illness, introduces listeners to Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat, and answers listener questions about how to cope with anxiety related to finding your vocation, how to help a friend suffering from postpartum anxiety, and how to deal with feelings of guilt about the impact depression had on our ability to take care of ourselves.
85: Healing and Deliverance Prayer
May 29, 2021 13:00 - 19 minutes - 27.2 MBTommy talks about the potential link between depression and social media, introduces listeners to Saint Rose Venerini, and answers listener questions about coping with anxiety and depression in the context of defending Church teaching, how to work through procrastination, and the idea of healing through deliverance prayer.
84: Agoraphobia and Confession
May 22, 2021 13:00 - 23 minutes - 31.7 MBTommy talks about not being able to get to confession because of one's anxiety and a new mental health program coming to AppleTV+, introduces listeners to Blessed Marie Anne Blondin, and answers listener questions about Relationship OCD, how to go about finding a good therapist, and how to help a spouse whose anxiety and panic keeps them from Mass.
83: Major Depression and Postponing Pregnancy
May 15, 2021 13:00 - 25 minutes - 34.4 MBTommy talks about whether therapists should share their personal opinions, discusses Kristen Bell's recent words on mental health, introduces listeners to Saint Francis of Paola, and answers listener questions about Childhood Emotional Neglect, how to help a child with Borderline Personality Disorder, and how to navigate having kids vs. postponing pregnancy when considering one's own depression.
82: Existential OCD
May 08, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MBTommy talks about the disparities in COVID-related mental health experiences, discusses concerns about privacy on mental health apps, introduces listeners to Saint Teresa of the Andes, and answers listener questions about how to help a loved one with depression who can be overwhelming at times, how to approach identifying as LGBT as a religious sister, and how to help someone suffering from existential OCD.
81: How Do People Afford Therapy?
May 01, 2021 13:00 - 22 minutes - 30.4 MBTommy talks about how to find a therapist that doesn't charge an arm and a leg, discusses how teachers can support students and families, introduces listeners to Blessed Marguerite Rutan, and answers listener questions about how to prepare for the return of anxiety after the pandemic, how to approach the situation of a young child engaging in seemingly sexual behaviors, and how to recognize and recover from verbal abuse.