Intergenerational Trauma — why does this happen and what are ways to break the cycle? In today’s episode, we explore intergenerational trauma from both a clinical and Catholic perspective, and why patterns of anxiety, alcoholism, dysfunction, and emotional wounds often repeat across generations.As two licensed Catholic psychotherapists, we break down how family systems, ACOA traits, and unresolved trauma get passed on—and how Christ invites us into real healing, freedom, and identity.If you’ve ever wondered why your family struggles feel so familiar, or why you repeat the same patterns your parents did, this video will help you understand the deeper spiritual and psychological roots… and most importantly, how to break the cycle.💡 Books mentioned in this episode:📖 Fast like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelzhttps://amzn.to/486RFCz📖 Eat like a Girl by Dr. Mindy Pelzhttps://amzn.to/3KglDMF🫶🏼 If you purchase the books through these links we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you (affiliate link).✨ In this video, we cover:• What intergenerational trauma really is• Why trauma “runs” in families• How children internalize their parents’ wounds• A Catholic understanding of generational patterns (NOT superstition)• Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) patterns passed to the next generation• How to begin breaking cycles of trauma through grace, boundaries, and healing• Practical steps for Catholic inner healing✨ This episode is especially helpful for:• ACOA / Adult Children of Alcoholics• Catholics struggling with family wounds• Anyone raised in chaos, dysfunction, or unpredictability• Those wanting to integrate faith + therapy• Anyone curious about Catholic mental health or spiritual healing🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro0:22 How does Trauma get passed on to the next generation?3:56 How to heal Intergenerational Trauma6:14 How Intergenerational Trauma affects your Mental Health7:27 How Intermittent Fasting can Heal Intergenerational Trauma8:46 How Healthy Relationships can Heal Intergenerational Trauma9:26 Healing from Intergenerational Trauma through our Faith12:00 Therapy Modalities to Heal from Trauma--------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

Can you forgive your alcoholic parents without pretending the past didn’t hurt? And is forgiveness the same as reconciliation?In this episode, we (two Catholic psychotherapists) explore one of the hardest but most freeing journeys many Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA) face — learning to forgive their parents while maintaining healthy emotional and spiritual boundaries.We unpack the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation from both a clinical and Catholic perspective, showing how true forgiveness doesn’t mean denying what happened or excusing harmful behavior. Instead, it’s about healing your heart through grace, truth, and boundaries — so you can live in freedom and peace.Whether you’re struggling with resentment toward your father or mother, trying to understand Catholic forgiveness, or wondering what having a relationship with your parents looks like after addiction or trauma — this conversation is for you.💬 In this video, we discuss:- What true Forgiveness is- What Forgiveness is NOT- The difference between Forgiveness and Reconciliation- Healing the Adult Child of Alcoholic (ACOA) heart through faith and therapy🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro0:27 Why do we Seek Revenge?2:23 What is true forgiveness?3:22 God sees your pain4:58 Forgiveness vs. Reconciliation8:40 What forgiveness is NOT11:14 How to forgive when it feels impossible-------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

How do you honor your father and mother when they’ve hurt you deeply — especially if they struggled with alcoholism? As Catholic psychotherapists, we understand the tension between obeying the 5th Commandment and protecting your emotional, spiritual, and psychological health."Boundaries" by Henry Cloud and John Townsend:📖 👀 https://amzn.to/43dW7OsIf you purchase the book through this link we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you (affiliate link).In this episode, we explore how to honor alcoholic parents without losing yourself. We’ll talk about what true honor looks like in light of the Catholic faith, and how to practice healthy boundaries that reflect both charity and truth.You’ll learn:💡 What it means to set healthy boundaries in a dysfunctional family system💡 Why discontinuing enabling behavior is charitable, and how to do this💡 How to Honor alcoholic Father and Mother 💡 Ways to invite healing and freedom through faith, therapy, and graceWhether you’re actively caring for a parent in recovery, or still healing from the wounds of a chaotic upbringing, this conversation is for you.🎧 Join two Catholic therapists as we blend psychology and theology to bring hope, insight, and healing to adult children of alcoholics.✝️ Topics covered:Catholic forgiveness, honoring parents, healthy boundaries, codependency, ACOA healing, family of origin wounds, Catholic therapy, emotional healing, spiritual growth, inner peace, faith and psychology🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro1:02 What are Healthy Boundaries within a Dysfunctional Family?2:53 When your Alcoholic Parents are not capable of respecting Boundaries5:30 How Boundaries help us stay in Relationship with Alcoholic Parents11:05 How to set Healthy Boundaries with Parents in Dysfunctional Family System14:32 Why discontinuing Enabling is charitable17:20 How to stop Enabling20:21 Healthy Boundaries are Honoring to Father and Mother23:02 Honoring Parents does not always mean Obedience26:05 Obeying God more than your Parents27:09 Practical tips to Honor alcoholic Father and Mother-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

In this second Episode in our Series on Alcoholic Family Systems, we explore the common traits of ACOA (Adult Children of Alcoholics) and the spiritual wounds that it leaves them with. We discuss how Perfectionism, Difficulty with Intimacy, Control, and People Pleasing impact our faith life and relationship to God the Father. We explore how the "Good Girl Obsession" is a common result of growing up in an alcoholic family system, always trying desperately to be perfect but feeling like you're constantly falling short. And finally, We share concrete ways to heal from each of the described wounds through our Catholic Faith.🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Intro2:29 The Good Girl Obsession (Perfectionism and Faith Life)3:47 The Good Girl Graveyard6:38 Grieving the Loss of Perfectionism and the Idea of a Happy Childhood10:16 Fear of Intimacy and Faith Life14:50 Control Issues and Faith Life18:04 People pleasing and Faith Life20:19 Healing from Perfectionism through our Catholic Faith22:53 Healing from Fear of Intimacy through our Catholic Faith24:51 Healing from Control Issues through our Catholic Faith26:07 Healing from People Pleasing through our Catholic Faith---------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

In this episode, we explore what it’s really like growing up in chaos — and how those early family dynamics can deeply affect your identity, your faith, and even your relationship with God the Father.We break down the classic roles in an alcoholic family system — the golden child (hero), scapegoat, lost child, and mascot — and how each role shapes the way children learn to survive in a dysfunctional environment. We’ll also look at the long-term impact of being an Adult Child of an Alcoholic (ACA): why it can be hard to trust, how faith and prayer life may feel distorted, and why some Catholics struggle with seeing God the Father as loving and safe.But there’s hope. Understanding these patterns through both a clinical and Catholic lens can open the door to healing, freedom, and a deeper relationship with God.If you’ve ever wondered why it feels so hard to pray, to trust God, or to feel at peace as a Catholic adult who grew up in an alcoholic family, this conversation is for you.🔔 Subscribe for more videos on Catholic faith, psychology, and healing from the wounds of the past.

🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!

----------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

Do you feel anxious or nervous about bringing your lively Kids to Mass? Are you worried they might be loud and disrupt the Liturgy? Jesus could not have been clearer when he stated, "Let the Little Children come to Me" (Matthew 19:14), and he rebuked the disciples who were trying to hinder the Children from coming to Him. Jesus wants your children at mass. With all their being, noise, tantrum and all! In this video, we discuss different obstacles and fears you might face when bringing your kids to mass, and help you feel confident to never worry about your Little Ones during the Liturgy again - even sitting in the first row!This is for you Mom, Dad, Aunt, Uncle, Godparent, Grandparent... anyone wanting to bring a little one into the presence of Jesus!

We discuss all of this from a Catholic perspective, as well as drawing from our Clinical knowledge and our experience from working as licensed Psychotherapists.

🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!

---------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

Do you feel constantly drained, anxious, or like you never quite measure up — no matter how hard you try? As Catholic women, we long to live in God’s peace… but many of our everyday habits are quietly robbing us of it.🌿 Here’s the good news: Peace isn’t out of reach. In this video, we share the simple but powerful habits that help Catholic women reclaim peace of mind and heart — habits that are not only practical, but deeply rooted in our Catholic faith.🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.

As Therapists, we know all the Tips and Tricks, Research and Strategies to overcome Anxiety - and THIS is our Go-To Anxiety Hack that we ourselves use - and it works! In this video, we share an Anxiety Hack that is based on the evidence-based CBT approach combined with scripture. We also share a meditation on relating our anxiety to Jesus instead of ruminating on it, from the book "Rejoice" by Fr. Mark Toups.Jesus clearly tells us in Scripture, "Do not be anxious" ✝️ Matthew 6:25 and Matthew 6:34 ✝️Let's follow this invitation to become free from Anxiety, and live in the Freedom that God has for us!The Two Bible Verses mentioned in this video are:🌿 Philippians 4:6-7🌿 Isaiah 41:10📖 The Meditation mentioned in this video is from the Book "Rejoice" by Fr. Mark Toups.🙏🏼 St. Dymphna, pray for us!0:00 Evidence-based CBT-Approach to replacing thoughts0:39 Replace anxious thoughts with Scripture (It WORKS!)1:20 Two Examples of Bible passages to use when Anxiety hits2:25 Meditation by Fr. Mark Toups on Relating vs. Ruminating -------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: These videos are meant to inform and share our experiences. They do not replace seeing a licensed therapist. If you are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional for help.