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Mental health is a bit of an elephant in the room. It is hard to find anything like this were you have so many experts sharing some advice.
My key takeaway is that no man is an island. Support is of great importance. Be especially connected with God.
Because it was Catholic, I felt comfortable participating as it was sharing our Faith perspective. We needed this encouragement and reminders especially during these times. Thank you.
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What is SmartCatholics?
in 60 seconds, here’s what makes this Conferences different:
The Catholic Mental Health Conference
Mental health issues don’t go away when you ignore them.
On November 21-22, 2020, the Catholic Mental Health Conference began with a range of Catholic therapists and guest speakers.
Together, we discussed and shared tools from modern psychology, and how to find mental health services as a Catholic.
Our compassionate gaze
“The Church will have to initiate everyone – priests, religious and laity – into this “art of accompaniment” which teaches us to remove our sandals before the sacred ground of the other (cf. Ex 3:5).
“The pace of this accompaniment must be steady and reassuring, reflecting our closeness and our compassionate gaze which also heals, liberates and encourages growth in the Christian life.”
Pope Francis, Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, no.169, November 23, 2013.
Welcome Letter from Daniel Johnson
Modern psychology can help Faithful Catholics live happier, more exciting lives – immediately!
Most of us don’t know what to make of modern psychology. We feel leery about the whole thing. And yet, mental health is a massive concern.
Perhaps your family, or someone you know, struggles with a serious mental health issue. Some of us tell them to ‘offer it up’. This creates frustration and anger. A lot of Catholics feel helpless and abandoned. They have no resources to make sense of their concerns.
Psychology has come a very long way from its beginnings.
And its true beginnings start deep in the desert Fathers, saints like St. Thomas Aquinas, and religious communities of the Catholic Church.
Today, Catholic Psychology is grounded in this rich heritage of the Catholic Church’s intellectual tradition. There’s still a problem. The average Catholic doesn’t have the time to become a professional in Aquinas just to stay sane and healthy.
What’s the answer? Is it going to confession more often? Or is it pushing your questions and feelings and doubts and fears into a dark corner, and telling yourself that you’re the problem? That you’re weak?
Absolutely not.
Mental health issues don’t go away when you ignore them. Confession is not the answer to every doubt and fear. Confession is a sacrament of union and forgiveness. You need to be in a healthy mental state to truly appreciate the gift of life, and friendship with Christ and others!
- What if more people got answers to their deep, burning questions?
- What if we discovered the interior peace that comes from finding peace in our minds? The kind of peace that our spiritual lives must start in.
- What if we all knew simple, practical, and Catholic-friendly tools to help you get through your day, change your attitude, and grow in joy?
- What if we took a moment to accept Christ’s love for us, and show love to ourselves, so that we can share love with others?
We believe it’s all possible. It’s all easy to access. And it’s something everything Catholic should know – your catechism, how to ride a bike, and how to nurture a healthy mental state. (Bikes are optional.)
Who are we? A community of Catholic therapists hosting the Catholic Mental Health Conference.
You’re invited! Join us, along with a community of excited, faithful Catholics looking for sanity and joy in our scrambled, modern world.
We can find it together.
Topics we will cover:
- Overcoming sexual abuse
- Using the imagination to overcome shame based trauma
- The relationship between the soul and the body
- The power of journaling
- How controlling your thoughts can influence your feelings and behavior
Meet the speakers
Press a face to learn more, see details, and their talk topic!
[WPSM_TEAMPRO id=214699]
The SmartCatholics Directory
Read their details, find all the links to their websites, and download any freebies they’re sharing!
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can I watch the videos?
The videos will be sent to the email you registered with. You’ll be able to watch 10 of them for free during the 7 days before the live event.
I can’t attend the event. Will there be replays?
Yes, all the recordings will be stored in a beautiful, on-demand library that you can watch any time. Access the replays is $25.
Is there a community?
Yes, this event is launching an ongoing group within the SmartCatholics community. Get formation, feedback, answers, and new friends!
Questions? Leave a comment! →
Be a Magnetic Catholic!
Lonely Catholics risk becoming bystanders.
We need to regroup, make friends, and turn into first-responders! The SmartCatholics community helps us be magnetic Catholics in the modern world.
If this is your first time hearing about SmartCatholics, read the About Page to learn more.
We’re a mission Church, united to Pope Francis’ call to bring the joy of the Gospel to every corner of the world – starting with ourselves.
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Why you should join this community:
We need somewhere online that’s ours, where we can
- Uplift and inspire each other, and make new friends
- Swap stories and ideas (not just advice!)
- Be free of toxicity, trolls, and ads. (Bye bye, Facebook. We love you, but…)
We need more than just information. We need insights we can trust. We need friendship to help us live lives of hope and meaning.
Who this community is not for:
For any community to mean something and take action, there must be focus. And our community exists for a clear goal: unity, friendship, and formation.
Pope Francis is a source of unity for us. Please don’t enter if you reject Pope Francis and the 2nd Vatican Council, thrive on impending apocalyptic prophecies, polarized politics, and constant argument.
There are plenty of other groups out there for you! Discussion on all topics is welcome, but bad manners aren’t. Ever. Offenders are warned or removed. God love you!
How do I know the difference between needing a spiritual director and needing a counselor? Is there overlap between spiritual direction and psychological counseling, or are they really separate fields?
This is a really good question. I look forward to having it answered too!
How am I able to regain love and faith and hope and rid myself of anxiety and mistrust?
Solid question Ron. We look forward to having this answered during our Q&As.
Are Catholic Church’s able to provide assistance to parishioners struggling with mental health issues? Do
they have the resources or the contacts to help guide and comfort people? How much of a focus is mental health given in pastoral care generally?
Are there any known movements and organizations within the global Church helping to advance awareness, to educate and offer resources?
I working on Trauma-Informed Parishes.
How can my husband and I best support our 19 year old son who is struggling with social anxiety disorder and a substance use disorder?
How can greater familiarity with the life and teachings of Jesus, and spiritually drawing close to Him help those that deal with anxiety? What insights does the bible give us?
Good question, Ed.
Truly our Lord is with us to guide I believe even when there is no path visible like with these issues .
I never heard of brain health issues — the illness’ of ones mind until say 5 years ago .
These days the word anxiety is everywhere it appears ! So is Gds Word !!
Well
Certainly this topic is so vast in range —of ease to severity of illness —
and symptoms affecting ones ability to function— with Gds help and with or without medication and or Ortho molecular advice .
I believe there is science and study done by smart people who have worked with individuals suffering from brain health issues and taught them specific tools to use based on their individual lab work results.
I just have gotten to where I understand so much in this area
I hope more of us can find trustworthy knowledgeable people to talk to about this topic .
Thank you 🙏