Podcasts about Being Human

A hardened heart isn't where the story starts. It's what's left after a child trusted, got hurt, and concluded: I'll never be in that position again. This week, Dr. Greg turns the antisocial series toward hope: looking at how that hardness forms, and how the Sacred Heart of Jesus, betrayed and pierced yet still open, breaks the pattern. Key Topics: Why a hardened heart is never cold by nature—it's protection learned the first time trusting backfired Why the urge to control everyone around you is really an old strategy for never being at anyone's mercy again How "making up for it" can quietly become a way to avoid facing the wound underneath Why Jesus didn't heal the hardened heart from a safe distance—He walked straight into betrayal and stayed open What it means that control isn't the enemy; where you aim it is what changes everything Why healing means loving even the parts of you that sin, not just the parts that behave Why you can't will yourself into trust overnight—and why that slowness reflects your dignity, not your failure Learn More: Earlier in this series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Antisocial Part 1 — Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Antisocial Part 2 — Ep. #282: You're (Probably) Not a Serial Killer—But You May Share Some of Their Antisocial Traits The Litany for Mental Health Dr. Greg references: A Litany for Mental Health The original Sacred Heart revelations: The Autobiography of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss welcomes Australian family systems expert and author Jenny Brown to discuss her new book, The Parenting Paradox. Steve and Jenny weave together family systems theory, faith, and practical parenting wisdom. They explore how parents can reduce anxiety by focusing on their own growth rather than trying to fix their children. Key topics include managing reactivity, setting healthy boundaries, navigating social media challenges, and parenting adult children and grandchildren. Jenny emphasizes that parental success shouldn't be measured by a child's behavior, but by a parent's own principles and self-awareness.  Episode Resources: Jenny Brown's The Parenting Paradox: Loving Our Children by Giving Them Space to Grow Bowen Family Systems Theory's Eight Concepts Understanding Differentiation of Self Tim Keller's Counterfeit Gods Australia bans social media for children under 16 Read Matthew 7:3–5 ESV More From Jenny Brown: Family Systems Institute Jenny Brown's Growing Yourself Up: How to bring your best to all of life's relationships Parent Hope Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever felt something move through you that your mind couldn't explain?Behind Our Eyes host and creator Liane Grimshaw sits down with energy healer and light language master Nicola Light for a warm, funny and deeply honest conversation about awakening in midlife. Nicola shares how a dark night of the soul cracked her old life open, and how a strange new language began moving through her voice and hands.Together they unpack what light language and light codes really are, where they come from, and why this gift lives in all of us. It's an episode about losing everything, finding yourself, and trusting the voice that rises from within.IN THIS EPISODE:What light language is, in plain EnglishWhy light codes come from within, not from "out there"The 3am moment when light language eruptedHow spiritual ego quietly trips us up on the pathChannelling vs owning your power as a sovereign beingA message and a live light language transmission for youABOUT NICOLA: Nicola Light is an energy healer, Reiki master, galactic shaman and light language master. She helps people understand their emotions from an energetic perspective and move through their shadows into the light. She is co-author of Get Ready, They're Here and author of the Pleiadian Handbook for Being Human.Nicola's websiteNicola on YouTubeNicola on InstagramNicola on FacebookOther OfferingsOTHER USEFUL LINKS:Watch this on YouTubeOther 'out take' video on YouTubeFollow the show on InstagramFollow Liane on InstagramSubscribe to the YouTube ChannelLiane's WebsiteABOUT THIS PODCAST:Behind Our Eyes explores transformation, spiritual awakening, and authentic experiences with magical women in midlife and beyond. Each episode dives deep into the stories of those who've trusted their inner voice, navigated profound change, and discovered the love, power and wisdom that resides within us all.YOUR SUPPORT MEANS SO MUCH!!If this conversation resonated with you, please subscribe and share it with another woman

As part of our Being Human sermon series, we're releasing a collection of conversations exploring faith, work, technology, and what it means to flourish as humans in a changing world. Technology is changing faster than ever, but the deepest human questions remain the same. In this opening conversation, David and Anthony reflect on uncertainty, resilience, faith, and how to move forward when the future feels unclear.

You're probably not a serial killer. But the patterns that shape one run through all of us, at lower volume. In this episode, Dr. Greg traces antisocial patterns back to their source in everyday life — how we manage people, pray, and protect ourselves from being hurt again. Key Topics: Why the patterns that define serial killers aren't limited to serial killers — and how to see yourself honestly in that mirror How omnipotent control can look like loyalty, competence, or even holiness — and what it's protecting underneath What "magical penance" looks like when atonement becomes a form of control instead of real repair Why prayer can become negotiation with God — and why that's a subtle form of magical thinking How the "hardened heart" of Scripture isn't just Pharaoh — it's any wall quietly built against trust How to meet the controlling parts of yourself with compassion instead of condemnation Learn More: Previous episode in the Being Human series on the Antisocial Defense Patterns: Ep. #281: Control or Be Controlled: The Devastating Wounds Behind Antisocial Behavioral Patterns Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla (Pope St. John Paul II) Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary: Why Real Change Happens through Love not Willpower Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment   Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

In this episode of Being Human with Steve Cuss, married couple Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith share their personal journey through Matthew's sexual addiction and the betrayal it caused in their marriage. Joanna, a marriage and family therapist, describes how a class on shame and guilt led to Matthew's confession. Together, they discuss the importance of honesty, self-awareness, and understanding family-of-origin patterns in achieving healing. Now co-authors and ministry leaders, they help other couples rebuild trust and intimacy after betrayal, emphasizing curiosity over judgment and offering hope for lasting restoration. Episode Resources: Joanna & Matthew Raabsmith & Dan Drake's Building True Intimacy: Creating a connection that stands the test of time Explore the Raabsmith's Intimacy Pyramid Faithful & True workshops and intensives More about Mark and Debbie Laaser Explore Restoring the Soul and Michael Cusick Explore RelateStrong at Pepperdine's Boone Center What is The Murray Method's Trauma Egg More From Matthew & Joanna Raabsmith:The Raabsmith's website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not every rule-breaker is choosing rebellion. Most are choosing safety — and they've been doing it since childhood. In this first episode of a new series, Dr. Greg takes apart what "antisocial" actually means and traces the pattern back to its source: not evil or criminal, but a deep wound that learned to survive by refusing to trust. Key Topics: Why "antisocial" has nothing to do with introversion — and what it actually describes How charm and omnipotent control can be defenses, not personality traits Why growing up with an unpredictable parent makes rules feel like threats instead of like love What the interpersonal wish "help me trust you" reveals beneath even the most closed-off exterior Why the parts of us that push back against rules deserve curiosity, not condemnation How empathy, education, and direction together create the conditions where rules feel like love Why the gap between antisocial patterns and ordinary daily life is narrower than we'd like to admit Learn More: Summit of Integration 2026 — Join us in Dallas, October 20–23, celebrating the Feast of St. John Paul II. Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing: A Deep Dive into the Dependent Defense Pattern Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary: Why Real Change Happens through Love not Willpower Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation. Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment. Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

In this episode of Being Human with Steve Cuss, Steve and Clarissa Moll explore the concept of "life-giving habits" — intentional practices categorized into people, places, and activities that help reduce reactivity and deepen awareness of God's presence. Steve explains how building a personalized list of God-given pleasures, from micro-habits like holding a spouse's hand to larger experiences like fly fishing, transforms everyday moments into acts of worship and gratitude. The conversation highlights how these habits build resilience, support community, and transcend cultural boundaries, ultimately inviting listeners to recognize and receive God's gifts more intentionally. Episode Resources: Download Steve Cuss's Life Giving List Steve Cuss's Managing Leadership Anxiety G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)  More From Clarissa Moll: Explore Clarissa Moll's website Read Clarissa Moll's substack Sign up for Steve's Newsletter & Podcast Reminders Capable Life Newsletter Get the Assets & Liabilities pdf and the Life Giving List Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive Capable Life Intensives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here at The Bulletin, our summer programming is underway and we're re-airing our best segments around a theme. This week: Clarissa sits down with author Sara Billups to unpack our collective societal anxiety and how to navigate it in our daily lives. Sheila Wise Rowe chats with Mike and Russell about managing pressure as a ministry leader and Steve Cuss explains healthy ways to handle workplace stress. REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE: Nervous Systems: Spiritual Practices to Calm Anxiety in Your Body, the Church, and Politics by Sara Billups Healing Leadership Trauma by Sheila Wise Rowe and Nicholas Rowe  Being Human with Steve Cuss GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN:  Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS:  Sara Billups is a Seattle-based writer and cultural commentator whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Christianity Today, Aspen Ideas, and others. Sara writes Bitter Scroll, a monthly Substack letter and co-hosts the podcast That's the Spirit. She earned a Doctor of Ministry in the Sacred Art of Writing at the Peterson Center for the Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary.  Sheila Wise Rowe is a graduate of Tufts University and Cambridge College with a master's degree in counseling psychology. She has over thirty years of experience as a Christian Counselor, Spiritual Director, Educator, Writer, and Speaker. Sheila has counseled women, children, couples, emerging, and established leaders and taught counseling in Massachusetts, Paris France, virtually. And for a decade in Johannesburg, South Africa where she also ministered to homeless and abused women and children. Sheila's essays can be found in numerous blogs, newspapers, journals, and books. In 2020 she authored the award-winning book, Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience. Recently she wrote Young, Gifted, and Black: A Journey of Lament and Celebration and has co-authored Healing Leadership Trauma. Steve Cuss is a pastor, former chaplain, and founder of Capable Life which helps people lower internal and relational anxiety in the workplace and at home. He is the author of Managing Leadership Anxiety: Yours and Theirs and The Expectation Gap: The Tiny, Vast Space between Our Beliefs and Experience of God. Steve hosts the CT Media podcast, Being Human. ABOUT THE BULLETIN:  The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world   The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more.    “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Host: Leslie Thompson Associate Producers: Alexa Burke and Crystal Dady   Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps  Executive Producer: Erik Petrik  Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, hosts Dave Prior and Stuart Young sit down with Carl Smith, a "philosophical futurist" and leader of The Bureau (https://thebureau.community/), a community of over 1,500 creative leaders. The conversation explores how to "tune up" your personal and professional systems to better serve yourself and others by embracing vulnerability, mindfulness, and the power of imperfection. Key Topics and Takeaways - The Trap of Busyness vs. Productivity: Carl shares a recent "reset" triggered by a Saturday morning spent staring at spreadsheets. He discusses the danger of moving from a "creating" mindset to a "protecting" mindset, and how his attempt to become more efficient unintentionally made his team inefficient. 
 - Energy Management and Burnout: Carl defines burnout as a state where you send all your energy out and none comes back. He uses a slot machine analogy to describe how different interactions can either deplete or replenish your internal "jackpot". 
 - Self-Regulation Power-Ups: -Speed Journaling -NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Relaxation) -Nose Breathing (Yes, it's a thing) -Health Tracking Systems and why you might need more than one -Stoicism
 Links from the Podcast No One Is Coming to Save You: The Power Ups to Help Surf the Chaos https://tinyurl.com/5dsh2n4v The Bureau of Digital https://thebureau.community/ Breath by James Nestor https://tinyurl.com/38uemcx4 Outlive by Peter Attia https://tinyurl.com/4e5a6nc3 The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins https://tinyurl.com/2rpwe93u Project to Product by Mik Kersten https://tinyurl.com/2rksj6bw Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman https://tinyurl.com/46xeh8nn Everyday Stoicism by Gareth Southwell https://tinyurl.com/5c5n5392 Daily Stoic Podcast byRyan Holiday https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily-stoic/id1430315931 Life Saver Graphics LLC —https://tinyurl.com/yfr95r8u 
 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Systems of Imperfection 03:22 The Importance of Self-Care and Productivity 05:50 Navigating Work Overwhelm and Chaos 08:55 The Role of Community in Professional Growth 11:45 Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence 14:50 Mindfulness Practices for Better Living 17:47 The Power of Authenticity in Leadership 20:59 The Intersection of Technology and Humanity 23:59 Stoicism and Its Relevance Today 26:54 Embracing Imperfection and Learning from Mistakes 29:52 The Future of Work and Community Engagement 32:57 Creating Value Through Collaboration 35:54 Final Thoughts on Being Human in a Digital Age 56:09 Outro.mp4 Contacting Carl: The Bureau of Digital: https://thebureau.community/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-w-smith/ Contacting Stuart  - linktr.ee/stuartliveart

Contacting Dave  -linktr.ee/mrsungo

AI was supposed to replace what humans make. Instead, it's revealing what only humans can. In this episode, Dr. Greg sits down with Mike Marshall, Director of Design at the CatholicPsych Institute, to explore the irony at the heart of the AI age: the closer machines get to perfection, the more clearly we see that imperfection isn't a flaw to engineer away: it's the signature of being human. Key Topics: What it means to be human in an age that can imitate almost everything Why the closer AI gets to "perfect," the more obvious it becomes that something's missing Why signing your work is becoming a quiet act of resistance in an age of imitation What it actually takes to stay human in a world that's getting very good at faking it Learn More: Letter to Artists by Pope St. John Paul II – The letter referenced throughout the conversation mikemarshalldesign.com – The hand behind every piece of CatholicPsych branding, and available for freelance work  The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton – The meditation Mike draws from on man as "maker," not Creator The Mindful Catholic by Dr. Greg Bottaro – The book with the "keys in a blender" story Dr. Greg never expected readers to remember  Watch other Being Human episodes on YouTube – Watch the full video archive of the Being Human podcast Sam Altman on AI Images – The referenced video clip on why the value of perfection is going to zero  The Integrated Life Journal – Quarterly journal on disintegrated care in the modern world, and what integration looks like in practice  Summit of Integration 2026 – Sign up to learn more about this year's event! Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

After becoming painfully aware that he cared more about the numbers than the well-being of his employees, Mark LeBusque began to question his management philosophy. An insight to start thinking of his employees like customers helped Mark breakout of the "employees as inputs to production" model that previously informed his thinking. With this shift in management style, Mark was able to lead his team to unprecedented levels of growth and a new found sense of belonging.In this revisited episode, Dart and Mark discuss management, belonging, emotional labor, and what happens when leaders stop treating work as a system to control and start treating it as a human relationship.Mark is internationally known as the Human Manager. He is a Harvard-trained speaker, facilitator, mentor, coach, and author focused on making businesses more human-centric.In this episode Dart and Mark discuss:- Why results can hide bad management- What happens when people feel like inputs- Why belonging changes how people work- Why management is really relationship work- How trust changes team performance- Why discomfort can lead to growth- The difference between metrics and meaning- How leaders create psychological safety- Why some workplaces make people feel invisible- What work costs us emotionally- And other topics…Mark LeBusque is an Australian speaker, facilitator, coach, and author known for his work on human-centered leadership and workplace culture. After more than 25 years in sales, operations, and executive leadership roles, he developed his “Human Manager” philosophy, which focuses on belonging, trust, and human connection at work. He is the author of Being Human and The Little Book of Human, and works with leaders and organizations around the world to build healthier workplace relationships and cultures.Resources mentioned: Being Human: Why Robots Are Not the Answer to Business Success, by Mark LeBusque: https://www.amazon.com/Being-Human-Robots-Business-Success/dp/0995429618Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed, by James C. Scott: https://www.amazon.com/Seeing-like-State-Certain-Condition/dp/0300078153Connect with: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marklebusque?originalSubdomain=auWebsite: https://marklebusque.com/Work with Dart:Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what's most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

In this episode of Being Human with Steve and Lisa Cuss, we recap the current series on family of origin, exploring how inherited patterns shape us spiritually and emotionally. Brain surgeon Dr. Lee Warren explains neuroplasticity and synaptic pruning, showing how early experiences wire the brain. Father-son duo Judson and Ryan Poling share their journey of breaking generational cycles, while Clarissa Moll discusses family roles and how upbringing shapes our view of God. Steve and Lisa weave in attachment theory, genograms, and parenting insights, offering a blend of neuroscience, personal storytelling, and faith-based wisdom to guide listeners toward healing and transformation. Episode Resources: Genograms in Practice Explainer (pdf) Learn more about Attachment Theory Listen to Prayer, Neuroscience, and the Presence of God with Strahan Coleman More From Clarissa Moll: Explore Clarissa Moll's website Read Clarissa Moll's substack More From Dr. Lee Warren: Dr. Lee Warren's The Life Changing Art of Self Brain Surgery Listen to The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast More From Judson & Ryan Poling: Books by Judson Poling Redwood Psychology Judson Poling's articles at The Crucible Project Sign up for Steve's Newsletter & Podcast Reminders: Capable Life Newsletter Get the Communication Styles Guide https://capablelife.com/pages/podcast Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive Capable Life Intensives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Email and commentary from France, South Africa and Canada   on Episodes Playwriting,, Being Human and Writing as Self Expression

Loved this episode? The Compassion Exchange is the community I helped build for Being Human listeners who want to put what they hear into practice. Monthly group coaching with me, other guest coaches and speakers, and a growing resource library. There's a 20% lifetime listener discount waiting for you: https://www.thecompassionexchange.com/being-human ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   What if what's really wearing you out isn't your to-do list, but the hidden burden of everything your mind is juggling at once? In this episode of Being Human, Richard Atherton talks with Dr. Liane Davey, an organisational psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and co-founder of 3COze Inc. Liane has spent more than thirty years studying what helps teams succeed and what causes them to quietly fall apart. Her new book, Thoughtload: Manage the Madness and Free Your Team to Do Great Work, began with a moment on stage when someone in the audience challenged the idea that workload was the main problem. Liane paused during her talk and said for the first time, "It's not the workload that's killing us — it's the thought load." That line caught the room and launched the idea. Thoughtload is the hidden cost that affects how you perform and show up at work. It comes from growing mental demands, an emotionally unsettled world that follows you into the office, and the idea that you shouldn't take time to recharge.   We talk:  Why "priorities" had no plural The invisible tax on your focus Emotions vs. feelings at work Energy as a renewable resource The 15-minute overwhelm fix Links: Liane Davey Thoughtload (book + resources) Liane on LinkedIn

The meltdown. The defiance. The constant "look at me." It's easy to wonder if something is wrong. But most of the time, these aren't signs of a disorder — they're signs of development still in progress. In this episode, Dr. Greg explores what's really underneath "behavior problems," why children can't be diagnosed with personality disorders, and why the question that changes everything isn't "what's wrong with my child?" — but "what does my child need from me right now?" Key Topics: Why children cannot be diagnosed with personality disorders — and what's actually happening when their behavior looks like one How emotional regulation is learned, not innate — and what co-regulation actually looks like Why a child's dramatic, self-centered, or defiant behavior is often developmentally appropriate What it means when a child borrows a parent's nervous system — and why that steadiness is the foundation Why the patterns we see in our kids so often point back to something in us How a parent's own unhealed wounds shape the environment a child grows up inside Why admitting our own imperfection is one of the most formative things we can give our children Learn More: CatholicPsych Newsletter - Sign up to stay connected and hear the latest developments! Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns:   Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Pilgrimage to Poland - Learn more about this journey with St. John Paul II Summit of Integration 2026 - Sign up to learn more about this year's event! Healing Retreat in Wyoming - Learn more about our upcoming retreat experience. The Stages of Spiritual Development - Previous Being Human episode on how the stages of human development are interrelated to the stages of spiritual development. Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

In this episode of Being Human with Steve Cuss, father and son Judson Poling, Ryan Poling explore masculinity, emotional health, and generational patterns. Judson, a Christian author and men's ministry leader, and Ryan, a clinical psychologist specializing in male identity, discuss why men struggle to access and express emotions, the socialization behind emotional suppression, and how unresolved family-of-origin patterns are passed down. They share personal reflections on their own relationship, including inherited strengths and liabilities, and emphasize that healing happens in community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if the movement meant to free women has actually made them less happy, and people have struggled to discuss it? In this episode of Being Human, Richard Atherton talks with Carrie Gress, a philosopher, co-founder of The Theology of Home, and author of eleven books, including The End of Woman: How Smashing the Patriarchy Has Destroyed Us. Carrie, who has a PhD in philosophy, originally planned to write a short chapter on first-wave feminism. Instead, she spent four years discovering how its roots are closely linked to socialism, the occult, and a view of womanhood shaped more by envy than by freedom. ​She links Mary Wollstonecraft's call for equality to the consciousness-raising methods used in Mao's China, revealing a history that is new to many people. Her argument is not against women. Instead, she argues for restoring what feminism has quietly removed: the unique strengths women bring to families, workplaces, and culture when they embrace their own identity. We discuss: The hidden origins of feminism Why women are less happy now Motherhood as feature, not flaw The false binary no one questions What men really love about women   Links:  Carrie Gress / The Theology of Home The End of Woman (Book) Carrie's Substack

Pianist Lynne Arriale joins forces with a talented new rhythm section to deliver an intimate and spirited studio session on the heels of her 2024 record, Being Human.

In this episode of the Joy Lab Podcast, Dr. Aimee Prasek and Dr. Henry Emmons dig into one of the most counterintuitive resilience skills we can build: turning toward negative emotions instead of running from them. This isn't about wallowing. It's about befriending the feelings that are already there so they can actually move through you, instead of getting lodged and piling up.  We're talking fear (the emotion at the core of so many others), the science of emotions vs. feelings, why your emotional immune system needs exposure to develop, and three grounded steps (embody, observe, yield) to help you navigate the next emotional flurry before it becomes a blizzard. This one pairs beautifully with our Grief Series (starting at Episode 248) and our last episode on the observer self. Whether you're new to this work or deep in it, there's something here for you.   Try It Free

$20 billion in research. Suicide rates 32% higher than the year 2000. Something is deeply wrong — and it isn't a lack of effort. In this episode, Dr. Greg makes the case that the mental health crisis isn't a funding problem or an awareness problem. It's a standard problem. Without a vision of what a healthy human person actually looks like, the best we can do is manage symptoms. And he introduces something new: a Mental Health Litany and Novena beginning May 15th — nine days of prayer leading into Pentecost, naming the specific fears and lies beneath our patterns and bringing them before Christ. Key Topics: Why decades of funding and awareness haven't moved mental health in the right direction Why the absence of symptoms is not the same thing as health What Catholic anthropology offers that the mental health industry doesn't have Why the Church has been slow to speak into mental suffering — and what that silence has cost How a litany does something that silence and symptom-management can't What it looks like to bring anxiety, depression, and trauma into Catholic prayer — by name Learn More: Download the Mental Health Litany and join the Novena: catholicpsych.com/litany Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier: The book Dr. Greg references that argues our current mental health treatments may be making the problems worse  Start of the Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss welcomes Dr. Lee Warren, neurosurgeon and author of The Life Changing Art of Self Brain Surgery. Drawing from his experiences as a military surgeon in Iraq and the devastating loss of his son, Dr. Warren explains how functional MRI technology revealed the profound mind-brain-body connection. He discusses how intentionally choosing our thoughts can literally restructure the brain—what he calls "self brain surgery"—and how concepts like selective attention and gratitude offer genuine agency over emotional suffering. The conversation also explores how deeply ingrained family patterns shape our thinking and faith. Episode Resources: Dr. Lee Warren's The Life Changing Art of Self Brain Surgery Philippians 4:8 (ESV) Gabor Maté's The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture  Functional MRI explainer More From Dr. Lee Warren: Listen to The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast Dr. Warren's website Dr. Warren's  No Place to Hide Dr. Warren's  Hope Is the First Dose Dr. Warren's  I've Seen the End of You Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   Have you ever thought that the hardest things you've faced might actually be preparing you for the life you're meant to live? In this episode of Being Human, Richard Atherton talks with Ali Mahlodji, CEO of futureOne, keynote speaker, five-time author, and guest lecturer at the University of Cambridge. As a toddler, Ali found himself in a refugee camp in Austria. At 13 he started stuttering and didn't stop until he was 22. He left school early, worked more than 40 jobs ranging from floor cleaner to carpenter, and taught himself software engineering using library books. After 70 application letters to OG Silicon Valley giant, Sun Microsystems, Ali lands himself his first tech role.  What made the difference for him was something his mother did every day, no matter how tough things got: she told him she loved him just as he was. Not for his grades or achievements, but simply for being himself. Now, through futureOne's Heroes programme, he helps people in 40 countries break free from old patterns. In this conversation, he shares why, with AI on the rise, doing this inner work is more important than ever.   We discuss: Escaping Iran aged 2 Dealing with his father's mental breakdown Getting his break in Tech Building a start-up and exiting Recovering from burnout and building futureOne Links:  Ali's Website futureOne

AMDG. Many of our listeners will be familiar with today's guest. Dr. Greg Bottaro is a Catholic psychologist, founder of the CatholicPsych Institute, host of the Being Human podcast, author, husband and father of eight children who are all presently under the age of 12.   Dr. Bottaro joins the Kolbecast to discuss integration and what that means and Catholic anthropology. We also discuss his new book: The Power of Listening Well. This new book shares important information for everyone but is especially an excellent resource for parents who are learning to help their children with difficult problems and to have difficult conversations.  Links mentioned & relevant:  CatholicPsych and the Being Human podcast  Dr. Greg Bottaro on Substack  Franciscan Friars of the Renewal  Gaudium et spes  Related Kolbecast episodes:  Dr. Brett Salkeld on episodes 290 There Is No Neutral and 298 Educating for Freedom  270 Dr. Peter Kreeft on Joy, Suffering, Conversion, and Truth  146 Our Call to Holiness and 196 Greatness Awaits with Bobby Angel  45 Grace Perfects Nature with Dr. Peter Malinoski  Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.   We'd be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

Healing isn't about changing your personality. It's about being freed from the compulsions that drive it. In this final episode of the histrionic series, Dr. Greg explores what the path from performance to presence actually looks like — why hiddenness feels terrifying but works like medicine, and why the deepest fear underneath this pattern can only be answered by God. Key Topics: Why healing doesn't mean losing what makes you magnetic — and what actually does need to change How a room falling silent can feel like ceasing to exist — and why that's the wound, not the cure Why hiddenness feels like punishment but acts like medicine What it means when provoking a reaction feels more real than having a real conversation Why no amount of being seen by other people ever quite reaches the thing underneath Why real connection becomes possible only when you stop needing to be the most interesting person in the room Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #276: Back to Eden: Overcoming the Fear of Being Alone Through Divine Love Ep. #275: Hiding the Real You: The Histrionic Battle for Intimacy Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Previous episode on attachment theory: Ep. #63: Attachment Theory: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How It Affects Your Relationships Previous episodes on parts work (IFS): Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/ a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski The Jeweler's Shop by Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) — the play Dr. Greg references on the theater of the word and the freedom of love God Is Love: St. Teresa Margaret — Her Life — the book Dr. Greg discovered in college about the Carmelite mystic whose life of radical hiddenness is a model for this healing path Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity: The Complete Works, Volume One — the Carmelite mystic Dr. Greg credits with introducing him to St. Teresa Margaret Summit of Integration 2026 — Coming to Dallas this October, celebrating the Year of John Paul II Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

In this episode of Being Human with Steve Cuss, host Steve Cuss and Clarissa Moll explore how family of origin shapes behavior, workplace dynamics, and faith. They discuss family roles, birth order, triangulation, and unspoken emotional rules, examining how these patterns follow us into adulthood. Steve shares personal reflections on suppressing emotions and struggling to grieve, while Clarissa draws from her experience as a widowed parent. Together, they offer practical guidance on identifying triggers, finding trusted support, and using boundaries to pursue healing and freedom in Christ. Episode Resources: Genograms in Practice Explainer (pdf) Pete Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Biography of Murray Bowen  Family Systems Theory's Eight Concepts Circle of Permitted Emotions More From Clarissa Moll: Clarissa Moll's The Bulletin podcast Explore Clarissa Moll's website Read Clarissa Moll's substack Sign up for Steve's Newsletter & Podcast Reminders: Capable Life Newsletter Get the Communication Styles Guide: https://capablelife.com/pages/podcast Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive:  Capable Life Intensives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can memories survive death? It sounds like the kind of question skeptics usually dismiss before the conversation even starts. But Ian Stevenson was not a carnival psychic or a late-night ghost hunter. He was a respected psychiatrist at the University of Virginia who spent decades investigating children who claimed to remember previous lives, along with cases involving birthmarks, apparitions, telepathy, and other alleged evidence for life after death. In this episode, psychologist and science writer Jesse Bering talks about Stevenson's strange and fascinating career, the psychology of afterlife belief, why the mind so easily imagines consciousness continuing after death, and what to do with cases that are hard to explain but far from proven. Jesse Bering is a science writer, research psychologist, and head of the Science Communication program at the University of Otago in New Zealand. He is the author of several books, including: Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That? And Other Reflections on Being Human and Suicidal: Why We Kill Ourselves. His new book is The Incredible Afterlives of Dr. Stevenson: One Scientist's Epic Quest for Evidence of Reincarnation, Apparitions, Poltergeists, and Other Matters of the Soul.

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if drinking the same milkshake could make you gain or lose weight, just based on what you believe about it? The same idea could also affect your stress, how you age, and your relationships.   In this episode of Being Human, Richard Atherton talks with David Robson, a science writer and author of The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life and The Laws of Connection. David used his mind training approach to go from an average student to getting in to Cambridge University to study mathematics. He is now a respected science journalist in the UK, writing for the BBC, The Guardian, and New Scientist. His work explores how our beliefs not only shape our actions but also affect our cortisol levels and our health. ​ For example, just having a positive view of ageing can add 7.5 years to your life. David also challenges the idea that willpower runs out as the day goes on, showing that what we believe about self-control is more important than the time of day. He explains why self-compassion is the key to lasting performance, backed by scientific evidence.   We discuss: The art of being a "Beautiful Mess" How to rapidly build rapport It's not just about listening to them Why they might like you more than you think How to eat decadently and lose weight Links:  David's Website    

Ja sam Aleksandra Vančevska geštalt terapeutski savetnik i UKCP terapeut pod supervizijom. Ovde kreiramo prostor gde se uspeh sastaje sa spokojem. Želim da podržim one koji u životu dosta postižu da nauče kako da stave negu sebe, autentičnost i ispunjenje na prvo mesto, a da pritom ostanu uspešni u onome što rade.

Being seen is not the same as being known. The life of the party can be the most isolated person in the room — filling every silence, commanding every gaze, and going home to an emptiness no audience has ever touched. In this episode, Dr. Greg goes into the loneliest part of the histrionic pattern: why the most socially active person in the room can also be the most profoundly alone, and why only God can reach what no human mirror ever could. Key Topics: Why being the most social person in the room can also leave you the most alone What it reveals when provoking a reaction starts to feel more real than having a real conversation How early wounds teach you that your existence depends on other people's responses Why heat is not warmth — and reaction is not connection What Henri Nouwen's I-Thou relationship reveals about why an audience never actually fills you Why no parent was ever meant to give you what you most deeply need Why God is not just the answer to this wound — but the only one it makes sense to bring it to Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Being Human series on the Histrionic Defense Patterns: Ep. #275: Hiding the Real You: The Histrionic Battle for Intimacy Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Gaudium et Spes — See paragraph 22 for the full quote of "Christ reveals man to himself and makes his supreme calling clear" Henri Nouwen Society — explore Henri Nouwen's writings on the I-Thou relationship Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing: A Deep Dive into the Dependent Defense Pattern Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary: Why Real Change Happens through Love not Willpower Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

In this episode of Being Human with Steve Cuss, hosts Steve and Lisa Cuss explore how upbringing shapes relationship dynamics, feelings of shame, and our faith. Guest Christine Caine shares her powerful journey through adoption trauma, childhood sexual abuse, and healing. Bible scholar Yana Jenay Conner reframes Jesus' "turn the other cheek" teaching as a dignified response to dehumanization. Steve and Lisa also address gaslighting and its impact on trust. Throughout, the episode emphasizes that family of origin work isn't about blame, but about pursuing healing, forgiveness, and flourishing rooted in God's transformative love. Episode Resources: Yana Jenay Conner's Living Beyond Offence: Finding the Shalom of Jesus on the Path to Forgiveness Christine Cain's The Faith to Flourish: God's Design for a Rooted, Resilient, and Fruitful Life More From Christine and Yanna: Other books by Christine Caine Christine Caine's website Yana Jenay Conner's website Yana Jenay Conner's podcast ⁠Living Single with Yana Jenay⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, we are continuing in our journey through the book of Galatians with Part 6, "Two Ways of Being Human." Join us in the conversation. This is the audio podcast.

Today, we are continuing in our journey through the book of Galatians with Part 6, "Two Ways of Being Human." Join us in the conversation. This is the audio podcast.

Plugged In's Adam Holz helps us look at the video game series "Doom."  Where does it agree with God's Word? Where does it disagree?  (Plugged In has a series of "Theology of..." articles on many popular entertainment franchises.)  He also talks about the biopic "Michael" and the wounded life of Michael Jackson.  Marty Solomon, author of "The Gospel of Being Human," talks about how the Gospel isn't meant to be an escape from our humanness.  It's reclamation by God of us! The Reconnect with Carmen and all Faith Radio are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here  

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/   What if the most important leadership skill has nothing to do with leading others and everything to do with the person you're choosing to become?   In this episode of Being Human, Richard Atherton is joined by Andrew Bryant, worldwide self-leadership thought leader, keynote speaker, and author of five books, including Potential-ize: How Leaders Unlock Human Potential in the Age of AI.    Andrew trained as a physiotherapist in London in the early eighties, working with athletes, football players, and even a ballet company, learning how the body performs under pressure. But what he was really learning was that performance lives or dies in the narrative, our internal dialogue, that we tell ourselves in the moments that matter. That insight carried him from sports clinics to boardrooms across 40 countries, and ultimately into a framework for self-leadership that treats intentionality, identity, and personal agency as the foundation on which everything else is built. When a cancer scare during lockdown brought him face-to-face with his own mortality, the philosophy he'd spent decades teaching became the philosophy that carried him through.   We discuss: Self-leadership as daily practice Identity shifts that transform everything The IGNITE framework explained AI efficiency vs human effectiveness The Pygmalion Effect at work  Links:  Andrew's Website Potential-ize - The Book

What if the person who lights up every room is actually living in fear and darkness? The humor, the charisma, the ease with which they hold attention - beneath the surface, there's often a fragile system always scanning for the next signal that they're still seen. In this episode, Dr. Greg explores how anxious attachment shapes the histrionic pattern - why performance becomes protection, why real closeness can feel threatening even when intimacy is desperately wanted, and how this plays out in relationships and in the spiritual life. Key Topics: Why you can light up every room and still feel completely alone How charm can be a defense, not a personality trait Why real closeness can feel more threatening than rejection How anxiety, not vanity, drives the need to be seen Why any reaction, even a negative one, feels better than being ignored Why boredom feels existentially threatening, not just uncomfortable How intensity gets mistaken for intimacy, and what keeps real closeness out of reach Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation. Previous episode in this series - Histrionic Part 1: Ep. #274: To Be Loved Is to Perform: Inside the Histrionic Compulsion for Attention and Validation Home of the Being Human podcast – Easily search 250+ episodes on topics of interest. Amoris Laetitia – Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis on Love and the Family Summit of Integration 2026 – Sign up to learn more about this year's event! The Personalist Cure – Upcoming new book by Dr. Greg Bottaro  Don't Be Afraid of Screwing Up Your Kids - Because You Already Are – Dr. Greg's guest appearance on the Messy Family Podcast Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Previous episodes on parts work:  Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Previous episode on attachment theory:  Ep. #63: Attachment Theory: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How It Affects Your Relationships Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cus sits down with Yana Jenay Conner, author of Living Beyond Offence: Finding the Shalom of Jesus on the Path to Forgiveness. They explore practical forgiveness, family of origin influences, and conflict avoidance. Yana shares insights on "turning the other cheek," the difference between hurt and harm, and setting boundaries the Jesus way. She also reflects personally on trust issues, self-reliance, and the challenge of praying for herself—revealing how childhood experiences shape our relationships with others and with God. Episode Resources: Yana Jenay Conner's Living Beyond a Fence: Finding the Shalom of Jesus on the Path to Forgiveness Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend's Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Check out The Bible Project Psalm 139 (ESV) More From Yana: Yana Jenay Conner's website Yana Jenay Conner's podcast ⁠Living Single with Yana Jenay⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Adi interviews Reed Dent, co-author of 'The Gospel of Being Human.' They explore themes of intersection of life experiences, theology, and the importance of being present in our humanity. Reed shares his insights on the complexity of being human, the role of curiosity and compassion, and the slow work of God in our lives. The conversation emphasizes the need for self-examination, community support, and the courage to embrace our belovedness and the messiness of life.Here are links to the book! NavPress | Media CenterBEMA links! Website | Instagram Reed's Links!: Website | InstagramYou can find me on Instagram at ⁠AdiTilfordWrites⁠, Facebook at ⁠AdiTilford-Author ⁠and at my website ⁠AdiTilford.com.⁠Follow my writing at 8KP's Anam Cara with Adi TilfordCreated By Adi TilfordProduced by Tyler Tilford-HamlinCover Art by Megan Henry with Mount

▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ What to make of a man who designed Sweden's mining infrastructure, mapped the human brain, and then spent the last 30 years of his life in daily conversation with the dead? Could Emanuel Swedenborg be the greatest 18th century thinker you've never heard of?   In this episode of Being Human, Richard Atherton is joined by Curtis Childs, producer and director of Off the Left Eye, a YouTube channel approaching 2,000 videos on the life and teachings of Swedenborg.   After spending 30 years as one of Sweden's greatest scientists, inventors and anatomists, at 53 he started having what we would now call near-death experiences, except he appeared to be able to slip in and out of these states with ease. He documented these across 30 volumes, work that would go on to influence Carl Jung, and quite possibly the 12-step programme.   Curtis came to Swedenborg not as a scholar but as someone in crisis, searching for a model of consciousness that made sense of the chaos inside his own mind. This conversation explores what that model offers people navigating mental health challenges and interior growth, and those seeking potential answers to what lies beyond.   We discuss: How Swedenborg eased Curtis' depression How the Enlightenment and Christianity can threaten spiritual growth The real meaning of Heaven and Hell Sorting things out in the After Life The Self as Selector   Links: Off the Left Eye Curtis' Website

"Unless someone notices you, you don't matter." For some people, that's not a passing fear — it's the operating system. In this episode, Dr. Greg opens a new series on histrionic personality patterns, exploring what's really underneath the compulsion for attention and validation: not vanity, not drama, but a terror of non-existence so deep it shapes everything. Key Topics: Why attention-seeking can be less about selfishness and more about survival How identity gets built from the outside in — and what gets lost in the process Why the funniest, most entertaining person in the room may be the loneliest What it means when emotional intensity gets mistaken for intimacy How family systems shape and reward the role of the one who keeps everyone watching Why solitude feels so threatening — and what that reveals about all of us How the spiritual life can become its own kind of performance Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Video reflection from James Van Der Beek (Dawson from Dawson's Creek) on identity, suffering, and faith Start of the Being Human series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Previous episodes on parts work:  Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Ep. #49: Internal Family Systems & External Family Tensions  Previous episode on attachment theory:  Ep. #63: Attachment Theory: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How It Affects Your Relationships Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

In this episode of Being Human, Steve Cuss talks with Christine Caine—speaker, bestselling author, and co-founder of A21—about her adoption story, childhood trauma, emotional healing, and identity in Christ. Christine shares how she discovered at age 33 that she was adopted, how she began healing from childhood sexual abuse, and how Scripture memorization helped renew her mind and strengthen her faith. She also reflects on the role of mentors Alan and Deb Hirsch in her recovery and discusses her book, The Faith to Flourish, explaining how the olive tree reveals God's design for a rooted, resilient, and fruitful life—even in hardship. This conversation explores family of origin, Christian healing, resilience, and what it means to flourish in faith. Episode Resources: Christine Cain's The Faith to Flourish: God's Design for a Rooted, Resilient, and Fruitful Life Dan Allender's The Wounded Heart: Hope for Adult Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse More about Alan and Deb Hirsch More From Christine Caine: Other books by Christine Caine Christine Caine's website Sign up for Steve's Newsletter & Podcast Reminders: Capable Life Newsletter Get the Communication Styles Guide: https://capablelife.com/pages/podcast Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive:  Capable Life Intensives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So, every year, we talk about Jesus dying and coming back. Did that just happen once, or did he die and come back? Kaitlyn and Mike talk about why we mourn Jesus every year even though he only died once.   0:00 - Theme Song   2:45 - Does Jesus Die on the Cross Every Easter?   9:08 - Crucifixion and Communion   18:25 - Sponsor - Tyndale - Ask better question and discover the Gospel of Being Human with Marty Solomon. Check it out at: https://www.navpress.com/   19:30 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/CURIOUSLY to receive 50% off your first order!   21:28 - Mourning Jesus   27:01 - Lament with Hope   29:00 - End Credit

Borderline patterns are notoriously hard to treat — but the problem isn't a lack of research. It's that the secular framework approaches healing from a disintegrated view of the person. In this final episode of the series, Dr. Greg explores why lasting healing goes deeper than symptom management, what conditions actually make transformation possible, and how the Catholic understanding of the person changes everything. Key Topics: Why secular treatment can reduce symptoms but can't reach the wound underneath How projective identification, emotional projection, and crisis bonding emerge from a fragmented self — not from bad character Why healing has to happen in relationship, because that's where the wound began What it actually means to rebuild a coherent sense of self from the inside out Why lasting healing requires stable, unidirectional support over time — and why a romantic relationship can't provide it How faith, psychology, and science work together to restore integration and agency Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Love and Responsibility by St. John Paul II  Correcting Aquinas: JP2's Truth Bomb on Gender and Human Dignity (Ep. #197) — why marriage can't be a place of healing when the power dynamics are built on a lie Previous episode in this series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #272: You Are Not Your Feelings: From Borderline Chaos to Inner Coherence Ep. #271: Forgive, Explode, Repeat: Humanizing Borderline Personality with St. John Paul II Ep. #270: I Hate You, Don't Leave Me: The Chaos of the Disorganized Attachment Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

In this episode of Being Human, host Steve Cuss and monthly guest Clarissa Moll from The Bulletin explore how family-of-origin dynamics shape individuals' relationships with themselves, others, and God. Drawing on family systems theory, they discuss how families function as interconnected systems where dysfunction is shared rather than isolated. They introduce the genogram as a tool for mapping generational patterns, values, and beliefs. Emphasizing curiosity and kindness over blame, they encourage listeners to examine inherited "family propaganda" and discern how it aligns—or conflicts—with their Christian faith. Episode Resources: Genograms in Practice Explainer (pdf) Pete Scazzero's Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Biography of Murray Bowen  Family Systems Theory's Eight Concepts Scripture referenced: Genesis 28 (ESV) Luke 24 (ESV) Exodus 20:5–6 (ESV) Jeremiah 31:29 (ESV) Genesis 25–27 (ESV) More From Clarissa Moll: Clarissa Moll's The Bulletin podcast Explore Clarissa Moll's website Read Clarissa Moll's substack Sign up for Steve's Newsletter & Podcast Reminders: Capable Life Newsletter Get the Communication Styles Guide: https://capablelife.com/pages/podcast Join Steve at an Upcoming Intensive:  Capable Life Intensives Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we explore the emerging field of wetware computing with Dr. Fred Jordan, CEO and Co-Founder of AlpVision and FinalSpark. With deep expertise in anticounterfeiting technology and biocomputing, Dr. Jordan is both a scientist and entrepreneur working to redefine the future of computing… Hit play to discover:  What brain organoids are, and how they are structured.  The advantages of using living neural systems for computation. The difference between how AI thinks and how humans think. How close we are to scaling brain-based computers for real-world use. Dr. Fred Jordan is a Swiss scientist and entrepreneur, and a co-founder of FinalSpark, a company developing a groundbreaking computing approach powered by biological neural networks. He earned his Ph.D. in signal processing from EPFL and previously co-founded AlpVision, a global leader in digital anti-counterfeiting solutions, before shifting his focus toward next-generation computing technologies. He has authored 19 scientific publications and holds more than 50 patents. To learn more about Dr. Jordan and his work, click here now!

In this episode of The D Shift, Mardi Winder speaks with Karla Combres, celebrant and legacy guide, about the powerful role rituals can play in healing through divorce and other major life transitions.Karla shares her unique journey from federal bureaucrat to end-of-life facilitator, explaining how her work has shaped her understanding of how people process change, loss, and transformation. She offers a thoughtful perspective on how rituals can create space for reflection, connection, and emotional healing during times that are often rushed or overlooked.Mardi and Karla explore how many people move too quickly through difficult transitions, focusing on logistics and next steps without fully acknowledging the emotional experience. Karla encourages a more intentional approach, where both grief and growth are honored rather than bypassed.The focus is on:• Why rituals are important during divorce and life transitions• How to create meaningful ways to process grief and change• The role of community and being witnessed during difficult times• How storytelling and personal narrative support healing• Why slowing down can lead to greater clarity and emotional resilienceKarla also shares insight into the communities she has created, including her Heart of Being Human gatherings, which provide a space for connection, reflection, and shared experience. The conversation highlights how returning to intentional practices can help individuals move through transitions with greater awareness and support.Karla offers a compassionate and grounded perspective for anyone navigating divorce or other major life changes, reminding listeners that healing is not about rushing forward, but about fully experiencing and integrating each stage of the journey.About the Guest:Karla Combres is a legacy guide and celebrant who helps people live with presence, meaning, and connection. Through community conversations, workshops, one-on-one guidance, and custom ceremonies, she creates spaces where people can pause, reflect, and shape a life and legacy they are proud of.For Karla's gift: Karla hosts The Heart of Being Human on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. These free, online conversations offer a gentle online space for calm, clarity, and community as you navigate life. Learn more and sign up to be notified here: www.heartofbeinghuman.comTo connect with Karla: Email: karla@karlacombres.com Website: www.karlacombres.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlacombrescelebrant/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarlaCombresCelebrant/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlacombres/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@karlacombres Heart of Being Human: https://www.heartofbeinghumanAbout the HostMardi Winder is an ICF and BCC Executive and Leadership Coach, Certified Divorce Transition Coach, Certified Divorce Specialist (CDS®) and a Credentialed Distinguished Mediator in Texas. She has worked with women in executive, entrepreneur, and leadership roles, navigating personal, life, and professional transitions. She is the founder of Positive Communication Systems, LLC, and host of Real Divorce Talks, a quarterly series designed to provide education and inspiration to women at all stages of divorce. Are you interested in learning more about your divorce priorities? Take the quiz "The Divorce Stress Test".Connect with Mardi on Social Media:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Divorcecoach4womenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mardiwinderadams/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/divorcecoach4women/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@divorcecoach4womenThanks for Listening!Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!Subscribe to the PodcastIf you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.Leave an Apple Podcast ReviewRatings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.

Breathing exercises help. But they have a ceiling. For someone whose interior world is constant emotional chaos, no amount of skill-building will reach the level where real healing happens. In this episode, Dr. Greg unpacks what actually transforms borderline patterns — not DBT techniques or symptom management, but the kind of sustained, stable relationship that reorganizes the subconscious and restores a coherent sense of self. Key Topics: Why skills like DBT can help but can't replace what's actually missing What it feels like to be subject to your emotions rather than the one having them Why healing looks like forming a continuous "I" — not feeling better in the moment How a consistent, stable relationship quietly rewires the interior life over time Why the same patterns that made life chaotic can become a superpower in healing What it means to move from surviving to true encounter — and why that distinction matters Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Previous episode in this series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #271: Forgive, Explode, Repeat: Humanizing Borderline Personality with St. John Paul II Ep. #270: I Hate You, Don't Leave Me: The Chaos of the Disorganized Attachment Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Stop Walking on Eggshells – A guide for navigating relationships affected by borderline personality patterns Want to go deeper into discernment? Explore our Discernment of Spirits course. Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

Forgive. Explode. Repeat. That's the cycle — and no matter how much effort goes into the repair, it keeps starting over. In this episode, Dr. Greg explores why genuine healing can't happen inside the cycle itself, what "walking on eggshells" misses about the person suffering, and how St. John Paul II's vision of the human person restores dignity to everyone caught in these patterns. Key Topics: Why repair doesn't actually heal — and what's really driving the reset Why calm can feel more threatening than crisis What "walking on eggshells" gets right and what it leaves out How the rupture-repair cycle creates the illusion of intimacy without building it Why both people in the pair end up losing themselves How Catholic anthropology sees the person beneath the pattern Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Previous episode in this series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #270: I Hate You, Don't Leave Me: The Chaos of the Disorganized Attachment Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Person and Act by Karol Wojtyla (Pope St. John Paul II) Stop Walking on Eggshells – A guide for navigating relationships affected by borderline personality patterns Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn

"I love you… now go away." That's the kind of chaos disorganized attachment creates. It's not drama or manipulation. It's deep inner turmoil that makes love feel dangerous and safety hard to trust. In this episode, Dr. Greg explores how childhood wounds shape these push-pull patterns, why closeness can feel threatening even when love is real, and how disorganized attachment helps make sense of borderline personality patterns. Key Topics: Why someone can put you on a pedestal one day and tear you down the next How childhood wounds create push-pull patterns that feel impossible to escape Why closeness can feel like a threat, even when love is real How disorganized attachment helps explain borderline personality patterns Why these patterns are rooted in inner turmoil, not simple manipulation How healing begins by making sense of the chaos instead of being swallowed by it Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Previous episode on attachment theory:  Ep. #63: Attachment Theory: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How It Affects Your Relationships Previous episode in this series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Stop Walking on Eggshells – A guide for navigating relationships affected by borderline personality patterns Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials:   Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn  

Borderline personality patterns are often misunderstood and mislabeled—but beneath the surface is a painful struggle shaped by identity instability, emotional overwhelm, and the exhausting push–pull between fearing abandonment and fearing annihilation. In this episode, Dr. Greg brings clarity and compassion to this pattern, offering language and hope for anyone who recognizes these dynamics in themselves or in someone they love. Key Topics: Why borderline patterns are so often misunderstood The exhausting push–pull between fearing abandonment and fearing annihilation How identity instability fuels intense relationship dynamics Why emotions can feel overwhelming and all-consuming Why conflict and drama can start to feel like proof of connection How integration and truth open the path toward healing Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Pattern: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Pattern: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Stop Walking on Eggshells – A guide for navigating relationships affected by borderline personality patterns Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials:   Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn