Saint Dymphna’s Playbook
Here to fill the void in Catholic conversations about mental health.
About the show
A 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.
Episodes
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70: The Time For Silence Is Over
January 9th, 2021 | Season 3 | 15 mins 57 secs
artificial intelligence, blessed sára salkaházi, catholic yoga, memory, mental health screening
Tommy talks about the role of AI in screening for mental health and the New York school district bringing in early screening for mental health, introduces listeners to Blessed Sára Salkaházi, and answers listener questions about how to reconnect with friends lost due to depression and anxiety, if a good Catholic can practice yoga, and how depression and anxiety impair our memory.
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69: Scared To Death About Death
January 2nd, 2021 | Season 3 | 19 mins 46 secs
abusive relationship, angela of foligno, fear of death, finding a new therapist
Tommy talks about the power of forgiveness and what to consider when searching for a new therapist, introduces listeners to Saint Angela of Foligno, and answers listener questions about how to cope with a fear of death and loss, how to come back to the Church after an abusive relationship and a loss of one's Catholic community, and how to see God as a loving father when our own fathers here on earth have hurt us.
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68: What Exactly is a Nervous Breakdown?
December 26th, 2020 | Season 3 | 17 mins 13 secs
alexi pappas, church abuse crisis, mother cabrini, nervous breakdown
Tommy talks about Olympic athlete Alexi Pappas' mental health journey and the promising development of mental health start-ups during the pandemic, introduces listeners to Mother Cabrini, and answers listener questions about family members who think mental illness is a weakness, trying to love the Church in the midst of the abuse crisis, and the terms and conditions for using the phrase "nervous breakdown."
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67: Mental Illness IS NOT The Dark Night of the Soul
December 19th, 2020 | Season 3 | 21 mins 23 secs
psych-k, smartphones and mental health, suffering
Tommy talks about smartphone use and its impact on our mental health, discusses how to stay well during the COVID-19 holiday season, introduces listeners to Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman, and answers listener questions about the therapeutic modality known as PSYCH-K, if we should want to continue in our suffering because it brought us closer to God, and what to say when someone suggests having mental health symptoms is a huge blessing that means that we're highly favored by God.
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66: Fighting For Maternal Mental Health Care
December 12th, 2020 | Season 3 | 18 mins 31 secs
blessed james miller, male body dysmorphia, postpartum depression, therapy
Tommy talks about body dysmorphia in young men and the long-term implications of postpartum depression, introduces listeners to Blessed James Miller, and answers listener questions about how to pray when we're feeling depressed, how to advocate for our mental health needs during pregnancy or the postpartum period, and what to do if your therapist isn't listening to you.
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65: This One's For The Gamers
December 5th, 2020 | Season 3 | 18 mins 19 secs
anxious at mass, catholic, catholic church, mental health, saint andrew dung-lac, teenagers, therapeutic modalities, video games
Tommy talks about a bishop who had been open about his mental health and a promising study about video games and mental health, introduces listeners to Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc, and answers listener questions about the Church's role in the mental health world, how therapeutic modalities aren't a one-size-fits-all approach, and how to help teenagers who are anxious on Sunday mornings at Mass.
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64: The Last Place of Unconditional Love
November 28th, 2020 | Season 3 | 21 mins 14 secs
catherine doherty, election anxiety, magic mushrooms, non-binary child, ocd, prayer, tommy tighe
Tommy talks about detoxing from election anxiety and a recent study suggesting magic mushrooms as treatment for depression, introduces listeners to Servant of God Catherine Doherty, and answers listener questions about seeking out a faith-based therapist, if prayer is always a compulsive act for those living with OCD, and the Catholic approach to responding to a child who identifies as non-binary.
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63: Stop With The Doomscrolling Already!
November 21st, 2020 | Season 3 | 20 mins 21 secs
college, doomscrolling, journaling, mental health crisis, seasonal affective disorder, st martin de porres
Tommy talks about coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder and how to stop our obsessive habit of doomscrolling, shares a little bit about Saint Martin de Porres, and answers listener questions about how to quiet our inner critic while journaling, the importance of support for families in the aftermath of a mental health crisis, and how to support our kids and their emotional wellbeing when they go off to college.
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62: Show Them the Love of Christ
November 14th, 2020 | Season 3 | 17 mins 9 secs
gender dysphoria, national mental health crisis line, physical exercise, st. charles borromeo
Tommy talks about the progress on a national mental health crisis line and the importance of physical exercise for good mental health. He shares a little bit about Saint Charles Borromeo and answers listener questions about how to show love to a child with gender dysphoria, how to navigate dating in today's culture, and what to do when a therapist asks a question that we struggle with.
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61: Hypnosis! At the Therapist's Office?
November 7th, 2020 | Season 3 | 21 mins 20 secs
depression sundowners, hypnotherapy, miscarriage, st louis martin
Tommy talks about hypnotherapy and what to do about "Depression Sundowners", shares a little bit about Saint Louis Martin, and answers listener questions about internal family systems therapy, how to handle election-related anxiety, and what to say to a friend who has experienced a miscarriage.
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60: Diet! Exercise!! and Still Anxious...
October 31st, 2020 | Season 3 | 22 mins 3 secs
addiction, autism spectrum, emotional support animals, reparenting, st aloysius gonzaga
Tommy talks about research into emotional support animals, explores a therapeutic modality known as "reparenting," shares a little bit about Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, and answers listener questions about how someone on the spectrum can cope with stressful social situations, how to help someone who is in denial about their addiction, and how to encourage the importance of a healthy lifestyle without downplaying the importance of seeking professional help when trying to find mental and emotional wellness.
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59: Praying with ADHD
October 24th, 2020 | Season 3 | 21 mins 22 secs
adhd, catholic mental health, depression, prayer, st. rafael arnaiz
Tommy talks about a 2021 NYC Mayoral Candidate sharing his battle with depression, shares the impact of distance learning on those who need school-based mental health care, steps aside to allow Catherine Addington to introduce listeners to Saint Rafael Arnáiz, and answers listener questions about how to pray with ADHD, how to fight feelings of guilt over having mental health symptoms, and how to be our authentic selves in a parish community.
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58: A Healthy Relationship With Social Media
October 17th, 2020 | Season 3 | 19 mins 10 secs
black mental health, dorothy day, intrusive thoughts, social media
Tommy talks about a recent report on the state of Black mental health in 2020 America and the process behind why someone might be placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold, shares some insights about Servant of God Dorothy Day, and answers listener questions about intrusive thoughts being "good" or "bad", how to stay healthy on social media, and the problem with Catholics recommending a priest over a therapist for one's mental health needs.
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57: On Birth Order and Personality
October 10th, 2020 | Season 3 | 19 mins 46 secs
birth order, mental health first aid, personality, st. rose of lima
Tommy talks about an effort by a local police department to grow in mental health awareness and discusses the importance of Mental Health First Aid training, shares some insights about Saint Rose of Lima, and answers listener questions about the importance of friendship, how to experience and cope with extreme emotions in a healthy way, and if our birth order within our family impacts our personality throughout our lives.
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56: Help! I'm Burned Out!!
October 3rd, 2020 | Season 3 | 21 mins 54 secs
bipolar disorder, burnout, consecrated life, maternal mental health, mother teresa, suicide
Tommy talks about the importance of maternal mental health services and a project that seeks to provide an alternative to calling 911 for a mental health crisis, shares some insights about Saint Teresa of Calcutta, and answers listener questions about Bipolar Disorder and the consecrated life, how to recognize and address burnout, and how to rebuild a relationship after a loved one attempts suicide.
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55: You Are The Expert On You
September 26th, 2020 | Season 3 | 19 mins 48 secs
lgbtq youth, saint alphonsa muttathupandathu, scrupulosity, self-care, trauma
Tommy talks about how to advocate for yourself when seeking care, shares some startling mental health statistics about LGBTQ youth, introduces listeners to Saint Alphonsa Muttathupandathu, and answers listener questions about life after trauma, if it's wrong to avoid certain spiritual practices because of scrupulosity, and how to balance helping others while taking care of yourself.