What is a Catholic Psychotherapy? How does it influence practice and research? Joining me on the show today to answer those questions are Dr. Matthew Breuninger, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of Teaching Excellence at Franciscan University of Steubenville, and Mr. Larry Freeney, Lead Parish Counselor and Associate Director of Education and Assessments at …

Continue reading "094 – Dr. Matthew Breuninger and Larry Freeney on Defining a Catholic Psychotherapy"

Just in time for Lent, let’s talk about how to break those bad habits in life! Joining me on the show is Br Sam Gunn, BH, who was my campus minister when I was in college, to talk about his new book “Clean Break.” We start the show by talking about how we came to …

Continue reading "093 – Br. Sam Gunn on Breaking Bad Habits"

After years of development and months of talking about it on the podcast, I’m happy to announce that Dating Well is finally out! That’s my online course that guides young adults through the whole dating journey. In honor of its release, I’m changing things up today and for the first time on Always Hope, I …

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Joining me on the show today is Deacon Ed Shoener, a deacon of the Diocese of Scranton, PA and the president of the Catholic Association of Catholic Mental Health Ministers to discuss mental illness and suicide. Deacon Ed beautifully shares about his daughter’s struggles with mental illness and death by suicide in 2016. We discuss …

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What if you were unconscious for 6 weeks due to a severe battle with Covid? How would that experience shape your faith, knowing that prayers and a miracle saved your life? How would that change your relationship with your family, God, and life itself? What if you also happened to be the president of a …

Continue reading "090 – Jason Shanks on Innovation, Creativity, and Suffering"

Exodus 90 is a program aimed at helping men grow in their spiritual and ascetical practices. It is built around small groups, regular prayer exercises, and giving up a long list of creature comforts. It has grown tremendously over the last few years. And while, I hear many people talk about its positives, I do …

Continue reading "089 – Nathaniel Binversie on Exodus 90"

Recently, Christianity Today released a podcast called “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” that chronicles the events of megachurch in Seattle, WA. That podcast is a 12-part series that gets into the weeds of how Mars Hill rose to prominence built around the personality of a fiery pastor and how things fell apart rather …

Continue reading "088 – Austin Ashcraft on Mars Hill, Celebrity, and Spiritual Abuse"

Scott Weeman joins me on the show to talk about Catholic in Recovery, a ministry he started to help addicts recover in a Catholic environment. Scott openly shares about his addiction and recovery journey and how both AA and a vibrant young adult ministry at his parish were key instruments on his road to sobriety. …

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Have you ever wondered why people react differently to the same thing? Why is it that some folks are quick to get angry about the slightest thing, but others are more patient? Why does your wife prefer to stay home when all you want to do is be around people? Maybe it’s because we all …

Continue reading "086 – Art Bennett on the Temperament that God Gave You"

Well, we talk about vocations and discernment often in this show and today I want to take a systemic approach to the questions and ask what parishes and schools can do better to increase awareness about vocations. And since it is national vocations week, I thought it’d be a great time to share this discussion.  …

Continue reading "085 – Rhonda Gruenewald on increasing vocations in the Church"