- The following is an excerpt edited from a live presentation and Q&A with Dr. Greg Bottaro. 

Q. We hear about mental illness all the time. But how do we arrive at mental health? Can you give a working concept of what that looks like?

A. It could be helpful to start with health in general. What could we point to as an indicator of health that overlaps any dimension of our human experience, whether physical, spiritual, or emotional/mental? 

The presence of adaptability or...

From a presentation given by IDDM Mentor, Ryan Nash.

My first job fresh out of graduate school was as a mental health counselor in a prison.

My days were spent listening to the inmates talk about their intense levels of trauma, both in regards to the crimes they had committed but also the equal or worse crimes and traumas they had suffered themselves.

Not only was the prison understaffed, but there was also an awful amount of paperwork that went along with the job. To make matters worse, the...

Ideally, the Christmas holiday is a magical time of year...a time that means really good food, exchanging of gifts, holiday movies, and family togetherness. But in reality, the holidays oftentimes bring along some less-than-ideal feelings. A time of the year which should be reserved for celebrating the birth of our Savior is oftentimes ravaged with stress instead. 

This scenario has been depicted in many a Christmas movie - crowded stores, long lines, overcooked...

We're officially heading into the last couple weeks of 2020... and I'm thinking we're all feeling ready to put this stressful year to rest.

With Christmas approaching next week though, you may be feeling as if you can't rest just yet because of all that needs to be done to prepare for the holiday.

It's important to recall simple ways we can increase peace and joy in our lives and the lives of those around us as we prepare to celebrate the Incarnation: one of the most incredible events ever...

Every New Years the blog posts sound the same. If I hadn’t learned a few game-changers in the last year, I wouldn’t be adding to the noise. I want to share with you a few simple brain hacks that, if put into practice, will help you maintain your New Years resolutions this year.

These are the secrets to unlocking your greatest potential. Some of them might sound weird, but if you put them into practice, you will win your New Years resolutions. These tips are not for...

Christmas; The celebration of Christ’s birth, and typically, lots of family time. Even though it’s supposed to be a time of greater joy, for a lot of people the increased family time can equal greater stress.

It is possible, however, to navigate even the stormiest of family waters while retaining your joy for the season. It isn’t necessarily easy, but with a few tricks in mind, it is possible. Here are a few “mind-hacks” to help you get through it well.

1) Be...

As many of you know (and can read about in my bio section) I used to be a Franciscan friar. The friar’s life is one marked by living in vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, revolving around a schedule of work, play, and prayer. I happened to live this radically different lifestyle in the same city I now work as a “normal” married man (normal enough at least to no longer sport a shaved head, long beard, and gray monk-looking outfit). There are some pretty obvious...