The Catholic Therapist

What if the scariest part of a horror movie isn't the monster, but the isolation?

In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) reviews the horror film "Obsession" and unpacks what it reveals about consent, codependency, and what it truly means to love.

Topics covered:

• The Twilight Zone episode that echoes Obsession's premise
• Why no character in the film is fully consenting to what happens to them
• Consent, free will, and mortal sin in Catholic moral theology
• Codependency vs. real love
• Becoming free to give ourselves as a gift
• The devil's lie that God doesn't care

Even in suffering, we are never without choice, support, or God's presence.

Have questions? Visit my website: adamcrossmft.com Adam Cross, LMFT

Why does slowing down feel so unsafe, even when we know it's good for us?

In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) unpacks why contemplative prayer isn't just a spiritual discipline, it's a genuine tool for psychological healing. Drawing on a recent conversation with Dr. Tim White of St. Mary's University and patterns he sees constantly in his clinical work, Adam explains why clients with anxiety, OCD, and scrupulosity often struggle most to be still, and why that stillness is exactly where healing begins.

Topics covered:

• Lectio Divina and Ignatian prayer as contemplative practices
• Contemplation as receiving, not analyzing
• Bringing God into ordinary daily moments
• Catholic contemplation versus secular mindfulness
• Fr. Jacques Philippe on God's unwavering presence
• Becoming childlike again as a path to healing

Slowing down isn't unproductive. It might be the very thing you need most.

Have questions? Visit my website: adamcrossmft.com Adam Cross, LMFT #116623

Catholic therapists need support too.

In this episode, Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) and founder of the Catholic Therapy Center, introduces Renew: a new bi-weekly online group for Catholic therapists built on prayer, community, and shared clinical experience, rooted in the Holy Spirit and Catholic anthropology.

Topics covered:

• The hunger for community among Catholic clinicians
• What Renew offers: prayer, consultation, and support
• Why Catholic therapists need other Catholic therapists
• How to join, launching August 2026

Learn more and sign up at catholictherapycenter.com.

Adam Cross, LMFT #116623

What if the way you're trying to grow is actually keeping you stuck?

In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) unpacks a pattern he sees constantly in his clinical work: clients who want to be better, more disciplined, more spiritually mature, but who are driven by an internal critic instead of love. That fear-based motivation, he explains, often leads to burnout, numbing, and avoidance instead of real change.

Topics covered:

• The internal critic and where it comes from
• Fear-based growth versus peace-based growth
• Why doom scrolling and numbing out happen
• The "how" and "why" behind our goals
• 1 Corinthians 4 and the judgments of others
• Resting in being already loved by God

You don't have to earn your worth to grow. You already have it, and that changes how you pursue every goal.

Have questions? Visit my website: adamcrossmft.com Adam Cross, LMFT #116623

What if the grind isn't the path to freedom — it's the thing keeping you from it?

In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) sits down with Dr. Tim White — psychology professor, researcher, and self-proclaimed workaholic — to explore what it actually means to rest in a culture that has forgotten how.

Drawing on the theology of the 8th day of creation, Joseph Pieper's Leisure: The Basis of Culture, and the latest research in psychology and blue zone longevity, Adam and Tim make the case that leisure isn't a reward you earn through hard work. It's the foundation everything else is built on — including worship.

Topics covered:
• Why "work will set you free" is a lie from Auschwitz to Silicon Valley
• The Genesis story and what was lost — and restored — through Christ
• What real rest looks like (hint: it's not Netflix or a beach vacation)
• Flow states, play, and why winners in sports look completely incoherent
• Mindfulness with God as a secure attachment figure
• "The opposite of sin is not virtue but praise" — and what that means practically
• Blue zones, enjoyment, and why leisure-centred living actually helps you live longer
• Practical steps for stepping out of the productivity trap and into Sabbath rest

If you've been burning the candle at both ends and wondering why you still feel empty, this conversation is for you.

Have questions? Visit my website: adamcrossmft.com
Adam Cross, LMFT #116623

Have you ever wanted to journal but didn't know where to start — or tried and gave up because it felt too rigid, too vulnerable, or just not for you?

In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) sits down with Amber from the Catholic Counseling Institute to unpack the surprising depth of journaling as a tool for mental health and spiritual growth.

From the neuroscience of narrative storytelling to inner child check-ins, morning pages to sketchbooks, this conversation covers journaling in all its forms — with warmth, humor, and real clinical insight.

Topics covered:
• The neuroscience of narrative and why journaling releases serotonin
• Adam's simple emotional check-in method: sad, mad, glad, afraid
• Free-association morning pages, sketchbooks, and non-word journaling
• The Catholic history of journaling from early Church Fathers to modern saints
• How to journal about trauma safely — without retraumatizing yourself
• Inner child and parts work journaling for deeper self-awareness
• AI and journaling: a thoughtful caution with practical guidance
• A summer challenge to build a daily check-in habit

Whether you're brand new to journaling or looking to deepen your practice, this episode offers something for everyone seeking a more honest, compassionate relationship with themselves.

Have questions? Visit my website: adamcrossmft.com
Adam Cross, LMFT #116623

What if the religious doubt, the obsessive confessing, the fear of receiving communion — isn't a sign of weak faith, but actually reveals how deeply you love God?

In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) joins Amber from the Catholic Counseling Institute for a wide-ranging conversation on scrupulosity — one of the most painful and misunderstood struggles in Catholic life.

Together they unpack the clinical reality that scrupulosity is rooted in anxiety and OCD, not poor faith — and they share what actually helps people heal, from ERP therapy and parts work, to the role of medication, spiritual direction, and a healthy God image.

Topics covered:

• What scrupulosity is (and isn't) — theologically and clinically
• Intrusive thoughts: the difference between temptation and desire
• The lifeboat analogy: when coping strategies become obstacles
• ERP for scrupulosity: sitting with uncertainty instead of seeking certainty
• Reassurance seeking — and what families can say instead
• SSRIs, GeneSight testing, and the Church's view on medication
• Nervous system regulation and experiencing God's peace

Healing is possible. This conversation is proof.

Have questions? Visit adamcrossmft.com Adam Cross, LMFT #116623

Have you ever stayed silent when you knew you should speak up - and then spent the rest of the day wondering why?

In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) explores the theology of assertiveness, unpacking why so many of us struggle to voice our needs, name our feelings, or hold our ground - and what our faith actually has to say about all of it.

Drawing on the intersection of psychology and Catholic spirituality, Adam reflects on how fear of rejection and abandonment quietly drives passivity, how self-dismissal often has deep roots in our personal histories, and why the call to "Be Not Afraid" applies directly to our relationships and our inner life. He also offers practical tools - including I-statements and the invitation to healing work - for anyone who wants to grow in honest, charitable communication.

Topics covered:

• Assertiveness as the intersection of truth and charity
• What we're really afraid of when we stay silent
• How past experiences of dismissal shape present passivity
• Inviting Christ into places of fear and self-silencing
• I-statements and speaking truth without blame
• Recognizing your needs as God-given

Your voice matters. This episode is an invitation to believe that.

Have questions? Visit my website: adamcrossmft.com Adam Cross, LMFT #116623

What does it actually look like when the Holy Spirit shows up in a therapy session?

In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) unpacks the role of the Holy Spirit in Catholic therapy - and why God's answer to your healing is always yes.

Adam shares how the Catholic Therapy Center approaches healing from a holistic foundation: body, mind, and soul. Whether it's client-led prayer, trauma processing through EMDR with Christ as a safe person, or simply trusting that the Holy Spirit is working even when he isn't named out loud - every session is rooted in the belief that God is actively working for your healing.

Topics covered:

• Why the Holy Spirit is always active in healing - explicitly or not
• How faith is integrated in a client-led, respectful way
• Using EMDR alongside Catholic prayer and imagery
• Catholic anthropology and what it means to be fully human
• Why God wants you to take real steps in your healing
• Therapy as accompaniment on the road to healing

God doesn't just want you to carry your cross - he wants to heal you through it. Take that step.

Have questions? Visit my website: adamcrossmft.com Adam Cross, LMFT #116623

Can Theology of the Body actually deepen shame rather than heal it? And what does JP2's vision for the human person have to say about pornography addiction, scrupulosity, and the cycle of counterfeit love?

In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) sits down again with Dr. Anthony Isacco, Program Director of the MS in Clinical Psychology program at St. Mary's University of Minnesota, to explore what happens when Theology of the Body meets the clinical realities of sexual shame and addiction.

Topics covered:

• How scrupulosity can turn sexuality into a source of shame rather than a gift
• Pornography addiction, age of first exposure, and understanding the shame cycle it creates
• JP2's insight that arousal is a physiological response to something good, and how that reframes guilt
• The concept of "use" from Love and Responsibility, objectification, and human dignity
• Viewing addiction as a cry for what is missing rather than simply a behaviour to stop
• Internal Family Systems, parts work, and how Catholic moral theology fits alongside it
• Dopamine research and why persevering toward virtue matters more than achieving perfection
• How St. Mary's University of Minnesota trains the next generation of Catholic clinicians with a full anthropological foundation
• Theology of the Body applied to exercise, fasting, medication, and trauma healing

There is real freedom in knowing your body is not the enemy. This episode brings that truth home through both the wisdom of JP2 and decades of clinical experience.

Have questions? Visit my website: adamcrossmft.com Adam Cross, LMFT #116623