Welcome

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Welcome to Psyched Catholic!colorful-monstrance

       We are glad you found us. It is our sincere hope that Psyched Catholic will be a home for you to explore the intersection between Catholicism and psychology. We believe that psychology has so many positive benefits to offer Catholics, but we also believe that actively participating in the life of  faith can benefit our psychological and emotional well-being. Psyched Catholic will be a place where you can learn more about various psychological topics and how they relate to the Catholic faith. We desire to be a site where you can feel comfortable asking difficult questions, trusting that you will receive answers that are both faithful to Church teaching and rooted in solid empirical evidence. Here at Psyched Catholic we would also love to hear about your experiences with mental health topics and how faith may have been a part of that experience.

     As we grow we will continue to add resources for lay people, psychology students and mental health professionals, and for clergy. These resources will include Church documents and statements relevant to the mental health field, articles and videos on various psychological topics, practical tips for dealing with congregants or loved one’s with mental disorders, book reviews, and  links for finding Catholic mental health professionals in your area. If you find or possess resources that have helped you in some way or you think may benefit others please share them with us!

     We are excited to begin this journey with you all and hope that Psyched Catholic provides opportunities and conversations that will deepen our faith and help us all to become more whole human beings. Hope you enjoy!

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About Matt Breuninger

I grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania where there is a bar and a church on every corner. I’m fortunate to have ended up in the Church and not the bar. Despite being raised a cradle Catholic it was not until my sophomore year of college that I experienced Christ’s love and love for Christ’s Church in a deep and meaningful way. Fascinated by the human heart in its desires, motivations, attractions, repulsions, brokenness and transcendence, I majored in English Literature as an undergraduate. Here, I found the human person woven together with lyrical beauty and shrouded in lovely words. Following a providential run in with a Thomistic monk in Belize I became interested in pursuing and study theology. I attended Ave Maria University–think Catholic Disney Land–where I received an M.A. in theology. During my studies I became fascinated by the insight into man’s mind that men like Augustine and Aquinas possessed. This interest led me to my current (and God willing final academic degree) in clinical psychology. Psychology seemed to be a place where truth of man’s nature could be meaningful brought together in a way that could benefit the human person–that is, help one to become more fully alive. I am currently in my fourth year of studies and will be defending my dissertation in the next few months. I live and work on a farm while attending school. So, if I am not teaching, taking classes or writing my dissertation, I am milking goats, planting crops, or catching chickens. I love black coffee, beautiful art, swimming in the Mediterranean, the Missionaries of Charity, Padre Pio, Mumford and Sons, quiet farm mornings, and most of all the Catholic faith in all of its splendor.

2 Thoughts on “Welcome”

  1. Allen Hebert on December 16, 2014 at 5:12 am said:

    So important to make sure that psychology is rooted in faith.

    • Matt Breuninger on December 16, 2014 at 6:30 pm said:

      Couldn’t agree more Allen. I think of JPII’s Fides et Ratio and the idea that faith heals and elevates reason, directing it to its proper ends, while reason prevents faith from becoming irrational fideism. Catholicism offers a vision of man that points us toward what true flourishing looks like. Psychology can sometimes aid by removing barriers to spiritual growth. Thanks for commenting. Happy to have you.

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