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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54: Still Fighting Stigma
September 19th, 2020 | Season 3 | 22 mins 21 secs
gospel of matthew, saint kateri tekakwitha, sin, spiritual abuse
Tommy discusses a Christian pastor's tweet about people not needing medication or therapy, talks about an Australian effort to fight for mental health justice, shares some thoughts on Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, and answers listener questions about spiritual abuse within parishes, how to work through feeling guilty for past sins, and why in the world the Gospel of Matthew uses the word "lunatic."
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53: All or Nothing Thinking
September 12th, 2020 | Season 3 | 23 mins 46 secs
catholic marriage, co-dependence, saint zélie martin, therapy
Tommy talks about the limits of confidentiality in therapy, discusses the process for how to get help once you realize you need it, introduces listeners to Saint Zélie Martin, and answers listener questions about all or nothing thinking, if the Church's teaching on marriage leads to co-dependent relationships, and how to work through emotions after scandal comes to your parish.
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52: Religious Trauma and Our Relationship With God
September 5th, 2020 | Season 3 | 17 mins 28 secs
blessed elizabeth canori mora, body image, covid, dementia, mental illness, religious trauma, sleep
Tommy talks about how we can finally get a good night's sleep, discusses how the COVID pandemic has impacted those suffering with dementia, introduces listeners to Blessed Elizabeth Canori Mora, and answers listener questions about helping a loved one with body image issues, finding a relationship with God after an experience of religious trauma, and helping a loved one with mental illness be willing to seek the help they need.
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51: Does Catholicism Have Room For My Flaws?
August 29th, 2020 | Season 3 | 22 mins 2 secs
blessed bartolo longo, borderline personality disorder, bullying, catholic spirituality, covid, emotions, parental divorce
Tommy talks about COVID-related changes to sleep/exercise/smoking/alcohol use, explores what to do about bullying, introduces listeners to Blessed Bartolo Longo, and answers listener questions about wanting to find room in Catholic spirituality for our emotions, flaws, and weaknesses; how to handle the fallout from an episode of Borderline Personality Disorder; and how to find a way forward as an adult when our parents divorce.
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50: Am I Weak For Taking Medication?
August 22nd, 2020 | Season 3 | 17 mins 1 sec
blessed clara isabella fornari, covid-19, g-herbo, mental health medication, pornography addiction, pregnancy
Tommy talks about Colorado's COVID-related mental health crisis data and a new initiative started by rapper G-Herbo, introduces listeners to Blessed Clara Isabella Fornari, and answers listener questions about pornography addiction, if taking medication for mental health symptoms is a sign of weakness, and how emotions during pregnancy impact our children moving forward.
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49: Kim Kardashian and Saint Vincent de Paul
August 15th, 2020 | Season 3 | 18 mins 49 secs
abuse, harm ocd, kim kardashian, orthorexia, saint vincent de paul
Tommy talks about Kim Kardashian's recent comments about mental illness, discusses a study on breathing techniques from Yale, shares a story about Saint Vincent de Paul, and answers listener questions about orthorexia, navigating a relationship while experiencing Harm OCD, and how to heal after experiencing abuse from a helping professional.
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48: Just Do Your Dishes!
August 8th, 2020 | Season 3 | 19 mins 44 secs
abuse, blessed laura vicuña, dissociation, manic episodes
Tommy talks about how making your bed won't fix your mental illness and discusses how to cope with dissociation, introduces listeners to Blessed Laura Vicuña, and answers listener questions about to help a loved one be open to mental health treatment, what a manic episode looks like, and how to navigate a friend sharing news about a history of abuse.
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47: You Are Not Your Mental Illness
August 1st, 2020 | Season 3 | 18 mins 20 secs
adhd, blessed miguel pro, emotional support animals, guilt, mental health and policing
Tommy talks about the burning of a Catholic parish by a man with mental illness and discusses the need for pro-mental health protections in the current conversations about policing. He also shares a bit about Blessed Miguel Pro and answers listener questions about how to handle feelings of guilt about our mental-health induced behaviors, the benefits of emotional support animals, and how to help a child with ADHD make it through the Mass.
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46: I'm an Imposter!
July 25th, 2020 | Season 3 | 18 mins 33 secs
imposter syndrome, mercy, substance dependence, suffering, trauma, venerable augustus tolton
Tommy talks about overcoming imposter syndrome and managing anxiety when making big decisions, introduces listeners to Venerable Augustus Tolton, and answers listener questions about showing mercy to someone who traumatized us, the connection between our faith and our recovery from substance dependence, and whether God wants us to suffer without relief and just offer it up.
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45: God Does Not Call Us To Be Doormats
July 18th, 2020 | Season 3 | 15 mins 43 secs
anxiety, catholic mental health, deep breathing, demonic possession, estranged family, guilt, personality tests, psychosis, saint elizabeth of portugal
Tommy talks about attachment styles, discusses deep breathing to relieve anxiety, introduces listeners to Saint Elizabeth of Portugal, and answers listener questions about feeling guilty over being estranged from a sibling, psychosis vs. demonic possession, and how to cope with something a friend said that left us feeling rattled.
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44: Is Self-Harm a Sin?
July 11th, 2020 | Season 3 | 17 mins 8 secs
catholic therapy, mother mary lange, personality tests, self-harm
Tommy talks about personality tests and how the suffering of others impacts his life as a therapist, introduces listeners to Servant of God Elizabeth Clarisse Lange, and answers listener questions about self-harm, how to stop second-guessing ourselves, and if there's anything special about a Catholic therapist.
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43: Maybe I'll Never Go Back Outside!
July 4th, 2020 | Season 3 | 17 mins 59 secs
anger, blessed concepción cabrera de armida, children, journaling, lockdowns, weather-related anxiety
Tommy talks about journaling for mental health, discusses how to manage a 9-year-old's anger outbursts, introduces listeners to Blessed Concepción Cabrera de Armida, and answers listener questions about feeling anxious about life after the lockdowns, weather-related anxiety, and fears about suffering the same mental health and neurological conditions as our parents.
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42: Your Bad Choices Are Hurting Me!
June 27th, 2020 | Season 3 | 16 mins 50 secs
anxiety, depression, estranged family, non-catholic therapy, religious vocation, saint maturinus, therapy
Tommy talks about how depression and a religious vocation can co-exist, discusses steps to take when we need therapy but can't get to a therapist, introduces listeners to Saint Maturinus, and answers listener questions about how to handle a conversation with a non-Catholic therapist, how to manage a relationship with an estranged family member, and what to do about irrational anxiety and negative thoughts.
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41: Does Everything Happen For A Reason?
June 20th, 2020 | Season 3 | 16 mins 22 secs
eating disorders, internal family systems, saint margaret of cortona, secular meditation
Tommy talks about why it's so hard to pray when we're depressed, explores secular guided meditation, introduces listeners to Saint Margaret of Cortona, and answers listener questions about eating disorder relapse prevention, if everything happens for a reason, and the therapeutic approach known as Internal Family Systems.