Podcast
Being Human
Hosted by Dr. Gregory Bottaro · EN
At the CatholicPsych Institute, we're doing something new when it comes to therapy. In the Being Human podcast, Dr. Greg Bottaro, Founder and Director of the CatholicPsych Institute, shares with you his vision for Catholic therapy and a revolutionary approach that is focused, finally, on what it means to be human.
43episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 270: I Hate You, Don't Leave Me: The Chaos of the Disorganized Attachment
Mar 1700:38:21Tap to summarize"I love you… now go away." That's the kind of chaos disorganized attachment creates. It's not drama or manipulation. It's deep inner turmoil that makes love feel dangerous and safety hard to trust. In this episode, Dr. Greg explores how childhood wounds shape these push-pull patterns, why closeness can feel threatening even when love is real, and how disorganized attachment helps make sense of borderline personality patterns. Key Topics: Why someone can put you on a pedestal one day and tear you down the next How childhood wounds create push-pull patterns that feel impossible to escape Why closeness can feel like a threat, even when love is real How disorganized attachment helps explain borderline personality patterns Why these patterns are rooted in inner turmoil, not simple manipulation How healing begins by making sense of the chaos instead of being swallowed by it Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Previous episode on attachment theory: Ep. #63: Attachment Theory: What It Is, What It Isn't, and How It Affects Your Relationships Previous episode in this series on the Borderline Defense Patterns: Ep. #269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Patterns: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Stop Walking on Eggshells – A guide for navigating relationships affected by borderline personality patterns Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
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Episode 269: BORDERLINE: The Push-Pull Between a Fear of Abandonment and Annihilation
Mar 1000:53:16Tap to summarizeBorderline personality patterns are often misunderstood and mislabeled—but beneath the surface is a painful struggle shaped by identity instability, emotional overwhelm, and the exhausting push–pull between fearing abandonment and fearing annihilation. In this episode, Dr. Greg brings clarity and compassion to this pattern, offering language and hope for anyone who recognizes these dynamics in themselves or in someone they love. Key Topics: Why borderline patterns are so often misunderstood The exhausting push–pull between fearing abandonment and fearing annihilation How identity instability fuels intense relationship dynamics Why emotions can feel overwhelming and all-consuming Why conflict and drama can start to feel like proof of connection How integration and truth open the path toward healing Learn More: Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Start of the Being Human series on the Dependent Defense Pattern: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Start of the Being Human series on the Narcissistic Defense Pattern: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Stop Walking on Eggshells – A guide for navigating relationships affected by borderline personality patterns Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
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Episode 268: What Free Love Ought to Mean: Healing Codependent Wounds and Learning to Love Freely
Mar 300:57:34Tap to summarizeEven if you're Christian — even if your spouse is a genuinely good person — you can still feel deeply unfulfilled. In this episode, Dr. Greg explores how asking another person to carry your identity, security, and worth turns love into survival — and leaves both people depleted. Key Topics: How misplaced dependence slowly erodes love Why identity collapses when relationships become sources of self-worth The difference between free self-gift and anxious attachment How to properly order your love Learn More: Pilgrimage to Poland - Learn more about this interior journey with St. John Paul II Summit of Integration 2026 - Sign up to learn more about this year's event! Healing Retreat in Wyoming - Learn more about our upcoming retreat experience. Being Human episodes on the Dependent Defense Pattern: Ep. #267: Not All Satisfaction Is Good: Understanding Codependency As Relationship Cancer Ep. #266: You're Giving Too Much! Uncovering How Anxiety Disguises Itself as Holiness Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Gaudium et Spes - Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World by Pope Paul VI Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
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Episode 267: Not All Satisfaction Is Good: Understanding Codependency As Relationship Cancer
Feb 2400:55:43Tap to summarizeWhat if you're mistaking something emotionally dangerous for love? In this episode, Dr. Greg tackles a painful but common pattern: relationships that look close, committed, and appear to be flourishing, yet quietly trap both people in fear, dependence, and anxiety. Key Topics: Why both partners can feel "happy" even as the relationship becomes unhealthy How codependency distorts the kind of free, fruitful relationships God calls us to Why awareness and willpower aren't enough to break these cycles – and what we can do to heal them Learn More: Pilgrimage to Poland - Learn more about this interior journey with St. John Paul II Being Human episodes on the Dependent Defense Pattern: Ep. #266: You're Giving Too Much! Uncovering How Anxiety Disguises Itself as Holiness Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Person and Act by Karol Wojtyla (Pope Saint John Paul II) Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla (Pope Saint John Paul II) Discernment of Spirits - Learn more through the lens of Catholic anthropology and Catholic mindfulness Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
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Episode 266: You're Giving Too Much! Uncovering How Anxiety Disguises Itself as Holiness
Feb 1701:06:42Tap to summarizeWhat if the reason you feel anxious, resentful, or exhausted from "doing the right thing" isn't a lack of generosity—but anxiety hiding behind virtue? This episode explores the crucial difference between authentic Christian self-gift and giving that's really about survival, revealing how true sacrifice should expand freedom, not erase you. Key Topics: The difference between Christian self-gift and anxiety-driven giving Why humility is not the same as self-erasure How attachment wounds can fuel overgiving How dependent and narcissistic patterns reinforce each other Why true love always increases freedom Learn More: Love and Responsibility by Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) Casti Connubii (Encyclical of Pope Pius XI on Christian Marriage) Being Human episode on the Dependent Defense Pattern: Ep. #265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
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Episode 265: Jerry Maguire, Gollum, and the Fear of Not Existing: A Deep Dive into the Dependent Defense Pattern
Feb 1000:55:36Tap to summarizeHave you ever felt safer letting someone else decide—not because you didn't care, but because choosing for yourself felt overwhelming or even dangerous? Dr. Greg explores the dependent defense pattern and why giving up agency can feel like survival—until healing restores the freedom to exist, choose, and love. Key Topics: Why dependency isn't just fear of being alone—but fear of not existing alone How proximity can start to feel like survival Why some people lose touch with what they want, like, or dream about How dependency can quietly shape marriages, families, and faith And how healing doesn't erase need—it restores freedom Learn More: Being Human episodes on narcissistic personality patterns: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Ep. #262: Spiritual Narcissism: Exposing the Sneaky Way We Use Religion as a Pattern of Protection Ep. #263: Holiness and Narcissism Ep. #264: IFS, JP2 and Narcissism Is Leadership of the Family a Man's Job? (Being Human, Ep. #201) Correcting Aquinas: JP2's Truth Bomb on Gender and Human Dignity (Being Human, Ep. #197) Being Human episodes on Parts Work: Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Ep. #49: Internal Family Systems & External Family Tensions Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
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Episode 264: IFS, JPII and Narcissism: Unburdening the Subconscious on the Way to Healing
Feb 300:45:45Tap to summarizeDr. Greg wraps up the series on narcissism by going beneath behavior and willpower, drawing on JP2 and psychology to show how real healing happens at the subconscious level. Learn how narcissistic patterns can be unburdened and integrated with compassion—not erased or fought—so healing can actually take root. Key Topics: Why a narcissistic part is not a monster, but a protector How deep wounds get buried beneath conscious awareness and still drive behavior Why healing isn't about willpower or "trying harder" How narcissistic patterns can be unburdened and integrated, rather than erased Learn More: Being Human episodes on Narcissism: Ep. #263: Holiness and Narcissism: Undoing the Knots with Awareness, Self-Determination, Empathy and Our Lady Ep. #262: Spiritual Narcissism: Exposing the Sneaky Way We Use Religion as a Pattern of Protection Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Related blog articles: The Problem with the Bishop Scandals Outlining Narcissistic Personality Disorder The Two Types of Narcissism Being Human episodes on Parts Work: Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Ep. #47: How to Turn Your Inner Worst Enemies into Your Inner Best Friends Person and Act by Karol Wojtyla (Pope Saint John Paul II) Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
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Episode 263: Holiness and Narcissism: Undoing the Knots with Awareness, Self-Determination, Empathy and Our Lady
Jan 2700:46:00Tap to summarize"Die to yourself." "Offer it up." What happens when these phrases get tangled with woundedness? In this episode, we explore spiritual narcissism—and the path back to freedom through awareness, empathy, self-determination, and Our Lady. Key Topics: Why "good advice" can sometimes feel silencing rather than supportive How being told to "pray more" can replace real listening The hidden ways love can feel conditional in spiritual spaces How spiritual environments can quietly erode trust in your own intuition Learn More: Related blog articles: The Problem with the Bishop Scandals Outlining Narcissistic Personality Disorder The Two Types of Narcissism Being Human episodes on Narcissism: Ep. #262: Spiritual Narcissism: Exposing the Sneaky Way We Use Religion as a Pattern of Protection Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
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Episode 262: Spiritual Narcissism: Exposing the Sneaky Way We Use Religion as a Pattern of Protection
Jan 2000:43:59Tap to summarizeWhen faith is used to silence, control, or end conversations, something has gone wrong. In this episode, Dr. Greg exposes spiritual narcissism—the hidden way woundedness disguises itself as holiness and quietly breaks relationships from the inside out. Key Topics: Why spiritual maturity does not automatically include emotional maturity How faith can unconsciously be used to shut down dialogue Why boundaries can be an authentic act of mercy How real healing requires integration, not just more prayer or effort How spiritual language can become a shield against vulnerability rather than a path to communion Why grace perfects nature but does not bypass psychological woundedness Why marriage is not a chain of command but a mutual gift of self How authority language can become a warning sign instead of a virtue Why feeling confused, guilty, or silenced in a "faithful" relationship signals deeper misalignment Learn More: Related blog articles: The Problem with the Bishop Scandals Outlining Narcissistic Personality Disorder The Two Types of Narcissism Being Human episodes on Narcissism: Ep. #261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary Ep. #68: "I'm Not Narcissistic, You're Narcissistic!" Ep. #67: An Antidote to Narcissism Ep. #21: A Look at Narcissist Personality Disorder Being Human Ep. #201: Is Leadership of the Family a Man's Job? Being Human episodes on Parts Work: Ep. #49: Internal Family Systems & External Family Tensions Ep. #47: How to Turn Your Inner Worst Enemies into Your Inner Best Friends Pastores Dabo Vobis (St. John Paul II) – On human formation as the foundation of spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral growth Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
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Episode 261: Narcissism and the Terror of Being Ordinary: Why Real Change Happens through Love not Willpower
Jan 1300:41:51Tap to summarizeEveryone's talking about narcissism — but most of the conversation is missing what's really going on underneath. In this episode, Dr. Greg uncovers the blind spot driving narcissistic patterns, and why willpower never creates the change that only love can. Key Topics: Why willpower alone never leads to real change How blind spots protect us from unbearable shame What "the terror of being ordinary" actually means Why patience and sacrifice don't heal narcissism And what does create the conditions for change Learn More: Being Human episodes on Narcissism: Ep. #21: A Look at Narcissist Personality Disorder Ep. #67: An Antidote to Narcissism Ep. #68: "I'm Not Narcissistic, You're Narcissistic!" Being Human episodes on Parts Work: Ep. #34: A New Theory! w/a Catholic Lens Ep. #35: Why Do I Feel Like I Have Conflicting Thoughts? w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Ep. #36: A Guided Exercise w/ Dr. Peter Malinoski Ep. #47: How to Turn Your Inner Worst Enemies into Your Inner Best Friends Ep. #49: Internal Family Systems & External Family Tensions Need help? Schedule a free CatholicPsych consultation Want to help? Learn more about our Certification in Professional Accompaniment Follow Us on Socials: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter (X) | LinkedIn
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