This article isn’t perfect, but the fact that its as good as it is and in CNN is a minor miracle. Nice to see the world is catching up with those of us who’ve been in the know since Humanae Vitae. Now if we could just get the Church to capitalize on this to start promoting our resources…. FAM is frequently referred to as the rhythm method — a system in which women predict their likely fertile days based on... Read more
When you have a conflict with your spouse or significant other, do you withdraw like a turtle into its shell? Or perhaps you expect your partner to be a mind reader about what ticks you off? Those are two of the most common types of disengagement in relationships, and both can be harmful, but in different ways and for different reasons, says researcher Keith Sanford, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor University’s College of Arts & Sciences.... Read more
Although, as Christians, we are called to be charitable toward others, there are some relationships that we simply have to acknowledge are patently unhealthy. Certainly we can pray for healing, but we might need to do that from a distance! Unfortunately, sometimes the least healthy relationships are the ones we’re most anxious about letting go! This article from PsychCentral can help you discern whether you’re in a toxic relationship with a poisonous person. 1. It seems like you can’t do... Read more
CNN posted an article today asking if it’s OK to “spy” on your kids’ texts and posts to social media. I’ve heard this question before and it always strikes me as odd. Generally speaking, I agree with the parent in the article who said, “It isn’t spying. It’s parenting.” But more than that, I think that we need to cultivate the kind of relationships in our families that make talking about and sharing our lives a natural thing. As a... Read more
According to Dr. Melissa Bartick, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, the strong stance against infant co-sleeping/bed-sharing previously taken by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control may have actually caused more infant injuries and deaths. As a result, the American Academy of Pediatrics is currently reviewing its safe-sleep recommendations. Dr. Bartick notes the problems with the original recommendations. the AAP’s statement from which it comes is based on just four papers. Two of... Read more
Research consistently shows that secure attachment is directly related to robust moral reasoning, empathy, emotional stability, and relational satisfaction. By contrast, people with insecure attachments are more likely to be self-centered, emotionally reactive, impulsive, and dissatisfied with their relationships. Secure attachment is essential to what people more casually refer to as an emotionally, well-adjusted child. A new study shows a dramatic drop in the number of young adults in the US who exhibit secure attachment. In this latest study… researchers... Read more
It might seem strange to think that people would study humility, but positive psychology (the branch of psychology that studies well-being) is interested in fostering virtue as an important part of leading a happy and healthy life. This is one of the first studies, however, looking at what, exactly humility is and how it benefits us. Hardy’s analysis found two clusters of traits that people use to explain humility. Traits in the first cluster come from the social realm: Sincere,... Read more
Ah, Christmas. A solemn, joyful time of year for Christians, where silent and holy nights are de rigueur and Norman Rockwell springs eternal in the collective unconscious of the American mind. And then it happens…. You try–contrary to what conventional wisdom says about the subject–to go home again. Now, let me state right up front that this article is not for those of you who can’t wait to fly home and reenact your own Currier and Ives Christmas in all your old haunts... Read more
If you had to pick two qualities that characterize the spirit of Christmas, you could hardly do better than kindness and generosity. It turns out that kindness and generosity are the two qualities that, more than any other, distinguish happy couples from the also-rans. New research by the Gottman Relationship Institute says that happy couples exhibit significantly higher degrees of kindness and generosity than less happy couples. Of course, you might be tempted to say “Well, that’s obvious!” but... Read more
A lot of my fellow Catholic patheosi have been engaging the torture debate in light of the recent report from congress. I will leave the moral dimensions of the debate to more able hands–it is sufficient for me to know that our faith deems torture an offense against the dignity of the person (c.f., Evangelium Vitae and Splendor of the Truth). As the Patheos Catholic Channel’s resident shrink, I figured I’d limit myself to reporting on some recent research that... Read more
Faith on the Couch
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