Pennsylvania's Premier Center for Catholic Counseling and Spiritual Direction
By Michael Kastelnik, PsyD — Stress is a common experience for all of us. It is the result of stressors, which are the events that lead to our stress response, which, at its worst, can lead to panic, illness, and impaired judgement. However, there are other ways of viewing stress. In fact, the word “eustress”…
By Gian Milles, MS, LPC — Every so often, throughout the course of counseling, a person will come out with the question or phrase, “Why is God not answering my prayers?” In these moments, I am called to bring myself back to moments in my life when I felt like there was no way out,…
By Teri Love, MS — Friends and family members, even the ones who seem to “get” what a therapist does, often ask for clarification. Can you prescribe medication? (No.) Can you work with all ages? (Yes.) Do you work with anxiety? (Yes.) Depression? (Yes.) Can you work with someone struggling with their faith or their…
By Cindy Dowling, M.A., L.M.F.T. — As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I am always exploring different modalities and therapeutic techniques to apply in sessions with couples. As a Catholic Marriage and Family Therapist, the foundation of how I look at a marriage is based on biblical Truth. When I see Catholic and/or Christian clients,…
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor 3:17) By Jennifer Lindner, MA, Certified Spiritual Director — Suffering is inevitable, but sometimes it can be made worse by another pervasive feeling: stuckness. The source of our suffering can cause us to feel heavy or…
By Anna Pecoraro, Ph.D. — If you are reading this, chances are that you have a New Year’s Resolution. Unfortunately — as we all know — many of these resolutions end up not happening. But when they do, great things can occur. It is best to start small and use a S.M.A.R.T. Goal framework, to…
By Michael Kastelnik, Psy.D. — We are in the midst of large technological changes in our society. In the past, I have remarked about the ubiquity of electronics in our lives, and suggested ways to limit exposure to such technology for the sake of mental health. While the suggestion stands to aim for incorporating electronics…
By Gian Milles, M.S. — I sometimes have people come into my office saying they “don’t like excuses.” “This is great! Me neither,” I usually retort. However, it can be a problem when people conflate “excuses” with “explanations.” I see this when people respond to my questions of “why?” (e.g., Why did you use alcohol…
By Neal Niznan, MSW, LCSW — The grief process is challenging any time of the year. Grieving the loss of a loved one around the holidays provides its own challenges that can magnify the intensity of grief you feel. As we move towards the end of the year, two short months and four major holidays,…
Genesis 2: For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. By Cindy Dowling, MS, LMFT — Marriage is a process full of growth and change. In a Christian marriage, each spouse’s role is to help the other get to…
