A Catholic approach to trauma & healing | Dr. Matthew Breuninger

Dr. Matt Breuninger is an associate professor of Psychology and the Director of Teaching Excellence at Franciscan University of Steubenville.
In this latest installment of the St. Paul Center's Speaker Series, Dr. Breuninger talks about the origins of wounds and the proper steps toward healing. When analyzing wounds, he explores childhood trauma, relational trauma, and how these devastations and experiences formulate one's view of the world. Dr. Breuninger explains that in order to safeguard ourselves from these wounds, we develop mental strategies and adopt characteristics that become a part of who we are.
Dr. Breuninger explains that these strategies only create barriers and is not the solution for healing. Healing is found by facing, acknowledging, and accepting our wounds and being vulnerable in our relationship with Christ and those we are closest to. If those weaknesses and wounds are embraced and accepted, then we shall find freedom, peace, and healing.
You can purchase Dr. Breuninger's book, "Finding Freedom in Christ: Healing Life Hurts" in the link below:
stpaulcenter.com/product/find...

[@StPaulCenter]

You can purchase Matt's book, "Finding Freedom in Christ: Healing Life Hurts" in the link below: stpaulcenter.com/product/finding-freedom-in-christ-healing-lifes-hurts/

[@NihouNi]

I wish this was available in book form in the UK. Are there any plans to publish it over here?

[@anthonyayoub6096]

What self protection mechanisms do we have besides money, fame, clout? I struggle with intimacy , but I follow Gods will, try to serve by choosing not relying on emotion.

[@amymabbott8738]

When the student is ready, the teacher appears. Thank you.

[@JamesLeonardnyc]

As someone who was at this talk, there was a rainbow outside during it in Steubenville like nothing I have ever seen, God is so good and wants to heal.

[@stephaniegonzales6032]

Wow❤

[@mistyviolet3825]

❤❤❤😊 AMAZING

[@SMRogers]

I coped by sinning. I did go to counsellors but they were secular and did not support me using my faith to heal. Reconciliation has been so important in my life and the rosary and the bible and the holy people of my Catholic faith. Professional counsellors have a place but is not ‘thee way’. So lovely: a profound monstrance of love’. Thank you so much because the language we use is so important.

[@phyllisjackson4322]

"a profound monstrance of love" . What a powerful visual and spiritual metaphor. You will need your sunglasses for this. God bless 😊

[@christinamorales6887]

You need to work with an experienced therapist and combine it with your faith and lean on God.

[@lincolnlauyc]

May our Lord give you victory ✌️

[@Kathrynlove]

A therapist is just someone listening to another person, nothing else. They do nothing to guide or help you...if you have a best friend/someone to talk to you Don't need therapy. If you find people who are prayer ministers like through Elijah house ministries...your on a better way...

[@AskaCatholicTherapist]

@@Kathrynlove that’s not completely true. Yes, therapists listen. But, we’re also trained to recognize particularly problematic emotional, cognitive, and relational patterns and intervene in ways that help rather than reenact the old problems.

[@retrorenegade1967]

"Your suffering/wound is at the center of your life". I have C-PTSD from repeated childhood traumas and I relate to that all too well. I used to get severe panic attacks in public and eventually my whole life turned into just trying to avoid panic attacks/anxiety. If I stayed in my mask in my little shell, I didn't have the anxiety, but I didn't have joy either. I'd been wounded by every relationship had since birth, so I told myself "I'm an introvert" and I avoided any friendships even though deep down I wanted them. Eventually I had to look in the mirror and say this isn't living, you have got to heal, it's a non-negotiable. So basically my whole youth/early 20s was spent in trauma therapy, and church. Now I'm a mother (31 weeks pregnant) and I'm ramping up the healing work extra hard so I can be the healthiest mother for my daughter and the healthiest wife for my husband. It's hard, I didn't want to have to do any of this work, but it's not just about me. I'm a Catholic convert, and the thing I've learned most is God saves, carrying you, affirming, forgiving, invigorating, holding, healing, never-ending.

[@bvmslave1288]

God bless you on your journey. my life sounds like yours, but i’m 67 and my 4 daughters suffer because i didn’t know at your age what i know now. my oldest just tried to kill herself again. when my youngest was 16, she had already tried 3 times before she got help. None of my children practice their faith, and i raised them all in the Catholic church where i am still active. healing from trauma will be a life-long journey. i pray my daughters get to be my age, healed, on fire for Jesus and hopeful. pray for Mystique, my oldest, 34. she may be homeless now, and needs so much more than i can give her. i’ll pray for you and yours🙏

[@michele1511]

dear BVM1288, i can relate to what you’ve written. i will keep you & your children in my prayers. please pray for me & mine. in His love, Michele

[@StingRaeTheSingingSiren]

I could relate to so much of this. I’ve said many times that the Catholic approach to trauma and suffering is so different than that of other Christians… As a convert I know this very well. But redemptive suffering/healing is a beautiful blessing that I’m only beginning to truly understand and it’s been years… Your book is added to my long reading list!

[@dawnelainebowie3943]

One of my favorite prayers: “God, I am now willing that You should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that You now remove from me every single defect of character that stands in the way of my usefulness to You and my fellows. Grant me strength as I go out from here to do Your bidding.” So grateful I got to hear this before I sat down to ask myself - again - “Where has self-reliance failed me?”

[@elaineborn6135]

Dr Breuninger, thank you for your wisdom and vulnerability.

[@HumanDignity10]

As someone who experienced real big “T” trauma, I do have concerns about the overuse of the word “trauma”. Just as there is a big difference between a scraped knee compared to a broken leg, there are big differences between everyday emotional wounds that we all experience and big emotional traumas like physical abuse, parental abandonment, etc. We now use the word “trauma” for all of these things, and we often use the word “anxious” for normal nervousness that almost all of us have in certain situations like public speaking or a new job, etc. We’re also labeling kids and putting them on drugs at alarming rates. So while I agree that we shouldn’t try to hide from our wounds, we also should be careful to not pathologize the emotional equivalents of skinned knees. I like that Matt discussed that it’s not useful to expect everyone around us to change and that each person is able to take steps to work towards his/her own healing. I also liked what he said about forgiveness and purpose.

[@ginakendrick2581]

Wow I was so meant to hear this thankyou so much. God Bless you and keep going with your mission

[@dougmoore5252]

I did get healed of a serious sin, by going to confession repeatedly to the same faithful Priest and was healed permanently after many confessions. Now there is not a bit of tendency of that sin, all remains is the occasional venal sin witch is confessed quickly. This seems to me a miracle beyond any doubt.

[@agneshouessou9765]

❤Amen. 👍 My experience too.✝️🙏🛐💒😇

[@kjosemaria9373]

One of the best and honest Catholic talks ever. God bless you, Sir. I need this today... just right after my friend and I talked about having to name, own, and pray for our hurts and pains... like right after that phonecard, I click this. Sharing it with my friends who need healing.

[@ClaudiaHenzlerHENZLERWORKS]

Lord, what would you have me do… My Mission is to love radically… ❤ heal my wounds and show me where I am acting 🎭 out of and where I can surrender my self protection strategies and see where I am actually meeting my insecurities, old (and new) pain … where am I fearful… and try to covere it through sarcasm, „humor“ to show I am above that pain (which actually feels too daunting and dangerous to feel for my inner wounded child) … 😅 Lord help me heal and help me to choose love over fear… and when there is fear, help me to acknowledge it and then hand it over again into your loving arms so that I am free to love, to live and to contribute what is serving and brings more light and more joy and more love into this world… Thanks for this talk and also for the examples of your personal life and where you failed… that makes the talk much more real and it helps to relate so well. Thanks for the strength of showing your weaknesses and how you turn them over to God. That’s helpful 🎉Greetings from Salzburg, the City of Mozart and Sound of Music in Austria 🇦🇹

[@KG-np9vz]

Yes! Our sufferings become transformed when seen through the eyes of faith. Thank you!

[@user-hk7du1hr4u]

Dr Matt, needed this talk! Did not know that self preservation could be a hindrance to our mission to love.

[@johnnyboy6932]

Thank you Dr. Breuninger. I have been working through PTSD with a talented Pycho therapist since July of 2023. Your presentation has helped bring together many of my sessions into a heighten Catholic perspective on "why did this happened to me". Jesus I trust in you! God's Mercy is yours!!!

[@saintjosephtheworker4771]

Wow!!!!❤ everything I learned about myself sitting in the presence of the Lord in adoration for a month, was basically summed up by you in this talk. So powerful so so powerful.

[@Elizabeth-mp6tr]

Dr. Matt, you are beautiful and not only beautiful, but oh so holy and REAL!!!!

[@triconcert]

This is deep. Gets to the root of my wounds. Thanks so much Dr Matt!

[@dougmoore5252]

I learned the same lesson from my parents as a child growing up in a secular home in Los Angeles. I eventually became a Catholic as adult.

[@learnindonesiannow2921]

💟 from Indonesia.. thank you Dr.Matthew..LORD JESUS bless you.. Ave Maria😇

[@NihouNi]

I really appreciate Dr Breuninget’s candour. It is something that I am realising as a counsellor - that we are made to be monstrances of love and that blocking this makes people go in directions that harm them and others. I am focusing on words from John at the moment, and made it my year to look up all the times love is mentioned in the Bible. I can fully agree withDr Breuninger’s views about needing to live in love every moment and serve God in denying ourselves.

[@kflores333]

Your talk spoke directly into my heart, mind and soul. Thank you. I wanted more so I decided to purchase your book. God bless you in your ministry. I also shared this video with my Facebook friends.

[@monserratlopezlara7487]

What a blessing talk. Thanks! ♥️🙏🏼♥️

[@mamaylovepapay]

Thank you so much for sharing this talk. Very encouraging for me and it is one of the best talk on healing I've heard. Thanks to God for letting me hear this

[@aimeerk]

Couldn't agree more. Definitely one of the best and practical talks on the subject

[@rosemarielowder7454]

Thank you so much. More and more I understand that acceptance of our pain and self preservation behaviors are the key s to use everyday Love is always the way the way of Jesus.

[@maryeleazer3169]

Such good advice, our daughter is going through a terrible divorce. I can easily turn to hate towards her husband for the cruelty, he is inflicting on her and the children, but I can’t go there. I have to put him in the realm of sickness. I ask God to have mercy on him. I makeMasses for him 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼pray for him.

[@44esta44]

Just started listening to this.....already psyched to listen more.....he is open about his early trauma....so he is more believable.....

[@timp2433]

Amazing, engaging speaker with profound truths and simplicity.

[@SRS829]

Many blessings and prayers for you 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 What a holy - clear message for all of us - thank you for your courage and testimony.

[@sallie4str]

Sometimes I still get "artistic with verbal expressions" and God still loves me and he uses me to love the world. Great talk! It was helpful!! I bought the book.

[@Maria-kg4qi]

Amazing talk! Thank you so much for sharing and your witness. God bless you!

[@patriciamckenna6099]

I’ve never heard you before,you really touched my heart. Thank you so much may Godbless you, blessings from Ireland 🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️🇮🇪🇮🇪☘️

[@jeanlittle405]

Awesome presentation! God bless you!

[@roshineeweerakkody3988]

Thank you for this wonderful and amazing talk! God bless you.

[@frjosemaria]

Absolutely amazing talk. Listening to it as I recover from surgery. Healing words.

[@ramonam9251]

Excellent. Thank you.

[@AJKPenguin]

Some times I feel like that miserable sob. Thank you for your talk.

[@44esta44]

😊

[@hannah3052]

Beautiful talk, thank you

[@koolertrek]

I had hope my most recent therapist was a practicing Christian. I’m a devout Catholic and deeply love the Lord. I’ve come far from intense childhood trauma because of Jesus. However, I’m seeing more healing be ti have anger and rage that a pronounced at times. This therapist that I was hoping would help me with deep wounds I found out is Mormon. After 15 visits I found this out and I’m not going back primarily because her belief about who Jesus is is not mine. I’m saying all this to hopefully help someone. I would suggest asking the therapist right off if they know God and have a relationship with Him. Please pray for me remember that God uses people to help us become more like Christ-It’s not always accomplished through prayer.

[@barbaramazzocca4605]

Many therapists , now, are atheist, and tell patients it is because of their religion they are having problems. My son-in-law grew up Protestant with a long line of ministers in his family, soon after he got his degree as a counselor he announced that Jesus was just a nice guy, and not God. Soon followed my daughter. I'm gutted over this.

[@barbaravandenbusch2673]

Thank you for sharing this information! Very true! I've also found that Forgiveness in every situation & of every person.

[@brianlenssen6361]

Yes, amazing talk. Thank you so much! I will need to listen to it another couple times !

[@lindaadcock8182]

Truth well delivered - hope to hear more from him here Many thx and blessings!

[@mementomori7266]

Excellent talk!

[@angeladoiron7974]

Wow! Amazing talk. Thank you

[@angelasantamaria9275]

wow! amazing!

[@cathymiller6670]

Beautiful talk! Thank you so much.🙏❤

[@RoniK_Blue]

Thank you 🤍

[@marie-rienne]

This is a blessing to my life. Wow

[@mariac4602]

Would love to hear how his wife responds and collaborates with Matt in their parenting.

[@being.777]

Thanks for sharing. One thing that hurt me while watching this is when he used the word "crazy" to describe some of the wounded people in AA. It didn’t feel safe or loving to me. I know we're all a work in progress. Prayers 💖🙏

[@kathleenmcdonald6960]

I believe he is relating to unhealthy meetings where EGO operates- that is.. Edging God Out. There exists many healthy, vibrant, safe groups of AA that truly work the 12 Steps and others that unfortunately are not good places to get sober and heal. I am 46 yrs in AA 🙏

[@tsuhary]

There is no coincidence with God. What you describe in this video is the process I've gone through in the last couple of weeks, however not really from a very conscious mind but the Grace of the almighty. I began to pray: deliver me from everything that separates me from you, to pray the rosary every day. This lead to regularly confessing my sins. I began to understand the patterns of my behaviors and why it leads to such suffering. The focus from my whole life /Trauma s shifted to Jesus and His sufferings and love for me. I could forgive everybody that has ever hurt me and now I am learning to love myself and others. I've been searching my whole life for my purpose on earth, in the last days I understood it : it is to love. And love is the answer, love will heal yours wounds and love will help you to carry your cross. Thank you my Jesus, for you have healed my soul. And entrust you everything that I am and have to displace as you will.

[@mariacisneros6114]

🙏

[@44esta44]

Additional comment: when he talks about being a tabernacle of love, it reminds me of St. Therese.❤ LATER: So when you adjust your glasses, what that's about? It relieves stress? 🙂

[@Kittenmerightmeow]

Hispanic church also has the pinch. My inner 4yr old still feels the indignation. 😅

[@ralphbinney5456]

Wisdom

[@groundedunorthodoxy8000]

Stay in your healing course. Free to love, continue to love most importantly inwardly where one can meet God..

[@tb22k]

❤

[@icelbael8541]

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@maryeleazer3169]

Oh my gosh laughing so hard that was us at Mass when our kids were little ❤unfortunately are kids don’t go anymore they are in there 40’s our one son told us he doesn’t go anymore because we forced him anyway he has other chips on there shoulders we did the best we could at the time .

[@elenamiklos7696]

Hi Matt,are you talking about me? I wonder how do you know me that well, I mean it. Thank you so much, God bless you

[@angelaarceneaux2019]

I hear laughter in the background when doc miss speaks and says we torture prisoners on black sites. We torture folks in domestic prisons as well. It goes beyond isolation…… and doc you know what time it is.🙏🏽

[@jgabuten8868]

To be a wounded healer than to become wounded wounder.

[@MariaDoloresDelacruz-tu6qz]

EMOTIONAL FIRST AID KIT PSYCHOSPIRITUAL MODEL by. Dr. Leo DFM Dela Cruz, is simple, complete and user friendly.

[@b8akaratn]

14:33 "Fake it til you make it" isn't supposed to be in our formative years so strongly, it's a lesson for adults-- i hear you, loud & clear, and quietly. - a Korean American Adoptee raised by working class white folks under Reagan (one parent who didn't finish freshman year of high school so went into the Navy, then took to trade as a butcher; the other had four miscarriages) // 18:53 😅 Randy in his snowsuit, chasing after Ralphie!! // 25:11 "a loving monstrance" made me realize how to demonstrate best... we tap into our demons because they may have taught us stuff; monstrare...

[@matthewnelson9809]

iam about to bebelittled right now i get over it kinda fast about three so im trying not to fit mok. it the way closer to the light.

[@Kathrynlove]

As someone who has been knowing this and dealing with this for years...I do not believe that healing from early psychological formation is fixable. The problem isn't being vulnerable...its finding the touch of love or any love at all...Where do you go for that?? Who has time to love anybody else?

[@AskaCatholicTherapist]

Kathryn, it is possible. I promise. I see it every day. I don’t think healing means that the suffering is completely gone, but it does mean you can be free from the unhealthy and unhelpful ways that you react to your wounds. It’s hard, and it’s not immediate, but it is possible. You’re right that it is hard to find people who love us the way we need to be loved. Ultimately, we find it in God, but others can be images and instances of that love for us if we allow them.

[@bobkorzeniowski]

I'm disappointed. He said there are these 6 steps and....doesn't mention them at all. Now I got to keep looking for how to do this.

[@carolinemakumi9795]

I think he means buy the book 🤷

[@brendamyc3173]

The Catholic approach that I have experienced is to turn the person away, ignore their need for talk and healing, and to tell them to grow up and get over it. This particular approach does not work. I also had the strategy of not believing the person reporting their need for healing and first making them prove they need healing before healing ministry is rendered. This doesn’t work either because society has very different views on what constitutes trauma and they were not there for the events of a specific person. In this case the person does not receive healing based on their own version of the story but in the version that is created for them. Additionally, the person never gets to explain themself. They spend their life digging out of a hole instead. The only other alternative I have learned is that if you need healing the Catholic Church is not a good place to go for it. However, healing is what the Church was established for so it’s something the Church has to work on to change these strategies.

[@bellatordei1]

Read "Be Healed" by Bob Schuchts, Catholic therapist. Healing wounds of the heart and mind can heal even physical wounds.

[@jezza4604]

I believe I have NPD due to neglect and attachment issues... how do people with personality disorders heal?

[@AA-gu4mw]

Love. Being able to be loved by someone who can hear what we perceive as the worst parts of ourselves and then loving us there heals us.

[@majafleur9646]

Have watched this repeatedly. Both I and my sons need it. One piece of constructive feedback is, however, that a Christian man and professional who peppers his talks in reference to his wife as "babe" is incredibly cringe worthy.

[@AngelBien]

Hmmm, i think Mick Breuninger was right

[@grand.geometrician]

Well, you cannot straight away, that's the short answer. Let time pass by and blend into a "normal" lifestyle. And after a while you're not only sane, but you're kind of wiser than the average, too. We cannot live a life under a crystal bowl, sheltered from life itself. That's a fact.

[@tmking7483]

Listen closley to your abuser

[@theresarezac7502]

Your dad did some good though. Besides the swearing. Your dad stuck up for you and for your mom too, when you got sassy with her.

[@christinamorales6887]

You need a good therapist and working with your faith and lean on Christ to heal you.

[@nanasabia]

It’s not a matter of opinion if you take big and little trauma serious, it’s a matter of fact! There is nothing to debate about it or find proof in the bible - it’s the reality of our Neurons shown by neurobiology. You can have opinions like in this book but they are not based on the reality and scientific evidence. Trauma is very real and needs to be incorporated in all aspects of life.

[@cynthiaguzman1593]

Therapists can help but cannot transmit the holy spirit. Psychotherapy can help us identify our own self deceit and defense mechanisms, but it is expensive. The holy spirit does the same, and it is free.

[@matthewnelson9809]

she told me to takr the way of the street and apperaance you queer etc cayse i shaved them ogg for purity and the had a baf omen over gat bash im not cause im a hamsome kind cause i cant im cathlkic youy know chasity etc sorry only