Tea with Dymphna

What is porn actually doing to your brain—and is real healing possible? In this video, we break down the science of porn addiction, how it impacts your brain, and—most importantly—how you can overcome it and find lasting freedom. If you’ve tried to quit porn and keep falling back into the same patterns, you’re not alone. Pornography doesn’t just affect behavior—it rewires the brain, shaping desire, attachment, and your ability to experience real intimacy. But the good news is: your brain can heal. As Catholic therapists, we explore this topic from both a clinical and Catholic perspective, offering you practical, compassionate, and effective tools for recovery—without shame, and grounded in science and truth. ✨ IN THIS VIDEO, YOU’LL LEARN: – The science behind porn and the brain – How porn addiction affects your relationships and mood – Why quitting porn feels so difficult – Practical tools to overcome porn addiction and break the cycle – How therapy can help you heal the root causes, not just the symptoms – A spiritual perspective of overcoming addiction🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!Mentioned Resource:💪🏽 https://www.covenanteyes.com0:00 Intro1:04 How Porn Hijacks the Brain6:45 How Porn leads to Addiction and Depression9:20 Trauma of early Exposure to Pornography15:50 Identify and Remove Access + Triggers19:34 Replace Porn Habit with something else21:10 Find your 'Why' for overcoming Porn23:55 Seeking Professional Help for overcoming Porn25:38 12-Steps Groups19:27 Story: How Prayer helped to Heal from addiction---------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

In this episode we dive into the difference between "perfectionism" and Holiness, and how striving for perfection can even hinder you from entering deeper into relationship with Christ. We discuss clinical implications and difficulties we see in our practices for people chasing being perfect, and most importantly how you can gain freedom in realizing what it really takes to live out your call as a son or daughter of God (spoiler: it isn't being "perfect"!)🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro0:19 Difference between Perfectionism and Holiness3:08 Trusting in God and relinquishing control4:40 Holy perfection often doesn't look "perfect"8:10 Humility leads to Holy Perfection ----------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

You've probably heard the passage in Ephesians where wives are called to submit to their husbands in "everything". But how is this played out in real life, what boundaries are necessary to make this safe and healthy, and what fears or real challenges might be hindering us from truly living this out? In this episode of Tea with Dymphna, we discuss this topic as always from a Clinical/Psychological and Catholic perspective.Join us for another episode of Tea with Dymphna!🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro0:32 When it's not safe to submit3:40 The difficulty of submitting to an "imperfect" husband4:09 The Gift of being able to submit to our husbands 6:00 Love is important for submission7:40 Fear of being taken advantage of 8:41 Fear of man's incompetence13:10 The Self-sacrificing husband14:50 How your upbringing impacts your readiness to submit20:14 Book: The Empowered Wife by Laura Doyle (7 Intimacy Skills)22:33 Why "helpful" can feel disrespectful to our husbands25:36 How to relinquish control and stop nagging33:40 How to submit in big decisions 36:05 Women lead well in their female way38:19 Husband and Wives are equals - but not the same41:55 Modern Feminism--------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

When you are faced with a difficult task, it's often the mind that wants to give up first. But if you tell yourself, "I can't do it!", your mind stops problem solving. In this video, we talk about the psychology behind (NOT) quitting, and the mindset that will give you the best chance at being successful, reaching your goals, and being in control of when you give up on something, rather than letting your mindset and your emotions decide for you. Defeat is a mindset. And so is Not Quitting!🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro0:05 Story: How I almost quit our Youtube Channel0:51 Remind yourself of Past Difficulties you Successfully Overcame2:23 The Mindset that helps you not quit--------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

Are you finding yourself becoming rigid with your religious fasting? Is Lent becoming a self-improvement (or clothes-size reduction) project? For many Catholics, fasting is a sincere spiritual practice — but for some, especially those with a history of anxiety, perfectionism, or disordered eating, fasting can quietly become harmful and even turn into an Eating Disorder (e.g. Anorexia Nervosa). We want to invite you to reflect upon your motives for restricting food. If it is emptying you of worldly desires and drawing your closer to God - amazing! If it's becoming an obsession and causing fear or self-punishment - be cautious, stop the fasting, and seek help. In this video, we explore the pitfalls of religious fasting that can lead people into an eating disorder. We discuss how to distinguish fruit-bearing fasting and anorexia, and what to do if you find yourself in the latter.🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro1:10 The difference between Religious Fasting and an Eating Disorder - Deprivation vs. Being Filled up2:35 How to approach Religious Fasting if you have (had) an Eating Disorder3:53 How Religious Fasting can turn into an Eating Disorder - Red Flags6:40 Tips on how to avoid Falling into an Eating Disorder8:40 How to tell if your Fasting is turning into an Eating Disorder10:20 How your view of God the Father can impact how you fast----------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

Are you dreading the cold months? Do you feel low, unmotivated, anxious, or emotionally drained every winter? You’re not imagining it. Seasonal depression, also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), can deeply affect mood, energy, sleep, and motivation—especially during darker months.In this video, we (two licensed psychotherapists) share practical strategies you can start using now to reduce winter blues and protect your mental health.Whether you’ve been diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder, struggle with winter blues, or simply notice that winter feels harder emotionally, this conversation will help you understand what’s happening—and how to feel better.🌿 Winter doesn’t have to be something you just survive. With the right tools, it can become manageable—and even joyful!🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro0:21 Establish a Workout Routine1:18 Change your Inner Script4:47 Create Habit of Going Outside Daily (Melatonin, Serotonin)6:33 Make Plans with Friends7:33 Take or Plan a Vacation8:43 Pick up a Hobby9:19 Keep a Tally of when Sun Comes Out----------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

What do you do when you realize you’ve fallen in love with a married man - or your friend's boyfriend, fiancé, or someone else who is completely unavailable to you?For many Catholic women, this experience brings deep confusion, shame, grief, and fear. You may be asking yourself “How did this happen?” or “Now what?” — while also feeling torn between your faith, your emotions, and your desire to do the right thing.In this video discuss this painful situation from both a psychological and Catholic perspective. Our goal is not to judge or sensationalize, but to offer clarity, compassion, and a path toward healing.🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro0:29 Shame and Acknowledging Feelings2:20 The Problem with Fantasizing3:14 How to Stop Fantasizing6:36 Why do I Fall in Love with Unavailable Men? (Limerance)9:33 Using Boundaries to overcome Attraction to Unavailable Men11:25 Emotional Discipline12:36 Fear of Failure as Reason for Falling for Married Men---------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

We have treated many people in our therapy practices for the anxiety of hell. It can be so crippling, but there is hope! This anxiety can be treated and you can become free. In this video, we will share our therapeutic insight paired with our Catholic Faith and what the Church teaches about salvation. You will be able to identify where your fear of hell is coming from and have a set of tools and strategies to overcome it. We also hope that this video inspires you to seek out a therapist to help you overcome your anxiety around hell, because healing is definitely possible with the right help!👀 🎥 Watch our video on How to Overcome Scrupulosity: https://youtu.be/S-LVxfzi8fI 🌿 We share a powerful CBT Strategy that WORKS!🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro1:10 Skewed View of God the Father (Cruel, Punitive, Rigid)8:39 Scrupulosity / OCD around Fear of Hell 13:49 Deep Shame and Lack of Trust in God's Forgiveness19:48 Misunderstanding of Heaven and Hell (Catholic)23:04 Additional Practical Tools to Overcome Fear of Hell---------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

In this episode, we explore why you have a hard time maintaining healthy relationships, especially if you grew up in a chaotic or dysfunctional family (ACOA), and why you might feel “allergic to intimacy” — and more importantly, the path to real healing, secure attachment, and healthy relationships.As Catholic psychotherapists, we break down the psychological patterns that form in childhood, how they affect your adult relationships and marriage, and what steps you can take to finally feel safe, connected, and loved.If intimacy feels scary… if you tend to shut down… if you attract emotionally unavailable partners… or if you’re stuck in ACOA patterns you can’t seem to shake — this video is for you.✨ WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:– Why ACOAs fear intimacy even when they crave connection– How growing up in a dysfunctional family wires your brain for survival, not love– How to break the cycle of emotional avoidance– Steps to create secure attachment as a Catholic adult– The spiritual and psychological tools that actually heal trauma– How to build healthy, stable, life-giving relationships🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro0:27 Relearning Safety in Relationships5:00 Relearning Trust in Relationships7:00 Allergic to Intimacy9:50 How to overcome "Allergic Reaction" to Intimacy12:35 Improve your Current Relationship 14:20 You are Worthy of Intimacy and Closeness15:27 Replacing Hypervigilance with Boundaries and Presence----------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

Intergenerational Trauma — why does this happen and what are ways to break the cycle? In today’s episode, we explore intergenerational trauma from both a clinical and Catholic perspective, and why patterns of anxiety, alcoholism, dysfunction, and emotional wounds often repeat across generations.As two licensed Catholic psychotherapists, we break down how family systems, ACOA traits, and unresolved trauma get passed on—and how Christ invites us into real healing, freedom, and identity.If you’ve ever wondered why your family struggles feel so familiar, or why you repeat the same patterns your parents did, this video will help you understand the deeper spiritual and psychological roots… and most importantly, how to break the cycle.💡 Books mentioned in this episode:📖 Fast like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelzhttps://amzn.to/486RFCz📖 Eat like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelzhttps://amzn.to/3KglDMF🫶🏼 If you purchase the books through these links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you (affiliate link).✨ In this video, we cover:• What intergenerational trauma really is• Why trauma “runs” in families• How children internalize their parents’ wounds• A Catholic understanding of generational patterns (NOT superstition)• Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) patterns passed to the next generation• How to begin breaking cycles of trauma through grace, boundaries, and healing• Practical steps for Catholic inner healing✨ This episode is especially helpful for:• ACOA / Adult Children of Alcoholics• Catholics struggling with family wounds• Anyone raised in chaos, dysfunction, or unpredictability• Those wanting to integrate faith + therapy• Anyone curious about Catholic mental health or spiritual healing🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro0:22 How does Trauma get passed on to the next generation?3:56 How to heal Intergenerational Trauma6:14 How Intergenerational Trauma affects your Mental Health7:27 How Intermittent Fasting can Heal Intergenerational Trauma8:46 How Healthy Relationships can Heal Intergenerational Trauma9:26 Healing from Intergenerational Trauma through our Faith12:00 Therapy Modalities to Heal from Trauma--------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.