How Do I Heal from Trauma? Spiritual Direction and More

“How do I heal from trauma?” Healing from psychological wounds can be challenging, especially when support is limited. This episode addresses how to navigate this journey with God’s help, while also discussing when to seek spiritual direction and the role of spiritual directors. Additionally, the conversation touches on the interpretation of Jesus’ “whatever” question in Matthew and the distinctions between Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.

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Questions Covered:

• 01:19 - If I’m trying to heal from trauma and psychological wounds (with no access to therapy, no friends, and only God to help), how do I go about it? How do I make sure I don’t dig myself in deeper, for example by misunderstanding a teaching because of that trauma? In any case, it makes it hard to see things clearly. Slightly related: When, if ever, should one meet with a spiritual director? Who benefits from a spiritual director? Who are spiritual directors (for example, a layperson, a priest, a nun)?
• 15:50 - How should Catholics treat the “whatever” question? In Matthew 16:19 Jesus says whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. There are no apparent terms, conditions, or limitations on what this “whatever” is in the surrounding text. If you look at Matthew 18:18, it’s pretty clear Jesus is talking specifically about sin, but in addition to being its own can of worms, that leaves out important things like ritual and sacramental practices, church disciplines, governance, canon, etc. And if you look at the Council of Jerusalem in Acts, the Church makes some pretty big changes when it comes to not applying Old Testament practices to Gentiles. So this suggests “whatever” goes beyond what is and isn’t a sin.
• 39:41 - Well, since you asked: Although I’m aware you’ve touched on this point before, a major question I often hear, particularly from young men, is why Catholicism over Eastern Orthodoxy? I’m aware of many young people who want a liturgical Christian life but are straddling the fence between East and West. I would like to hear a cogent argument, freshly given, about the need for the papacy and the magisterium, in a way that young Americans can grasp.
• 48:50 - In his recent encyclical, Pope Leo made a brief reference to just war theory being outdated. Can you elaborate on what he meant by that and what he’d replace it with?