Show Notes

Episode 56. Therapy, Spiritual Direction or Confession? w/ Fr. Nathan LaLiberte

Episode 56. Therapy, Spiritual Direction or Confession? w/ Fr. Nathan LaLiberte

"But woe to the solitary person! If that one should fall,
there is no other to help."
~ Ecclesiastes 4:10

How do I know if I need therapy or spiritual direction?
Why doesn't my pastor offer more counsel in confession?
Do I need to talk to a priest or a therapist - or both?

In episode 56, Kenna welcomes Fr. Nathan LaLiberte to delve into the nuanced interplay between confession, therapy, and spiritual direction. Together, they distinguish between these different, but sometimes overlapping, practices of spiritual & mental healing. Fr. Nathan shares his experience as a confessor and spiritual director, and now in school for counseling as well. Listeners are invited to evaluate how they seek spiritual and emotional guidance for the sake of their wholeness. Join us for an honest and clarifying conversation that's sure to help you know where to turn for support!

Show Notes

  • Confession: Confessing my sins (number & kind), professing my contrition, and receiving absolution & forgiveness through the ministry of the priest

  • Spiritual Direction: Receiving guidance from a priest, religious, or lay person to more accurately hear the voice of the Lord and respond to him

  • Therapy/Counseling: Addressing specific psychological, emotional, or relational struggles with the help of a trained & certified mental health professional

  • "But woe to the solitary person! If that one should fall, there is no other to help."

    • Ecclesiastes 4:10

  • “Your pastor’s homily should be your first form of spiritual direction.”

  • The various styles & charisms of spiritual direction:

    • Evocative Contemplative: inviting the directee to sit with their experience and identify the presence of the Lord

    • Dominican (virtue-based): clarifying and inviting the directee more deeply into specific virtues

    • Ignatian (spiritual exercises & discernment of spirits): understanding consolations and desolations, and moving methodically toward the Lord

    • Carmelite (mystical): a focus on the interior movements of the heart and how to respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit in one’s “interior castle”

  • To find a Catholic therapist, visit catholictherapists.com

  • To find confessions locally, visit masstimes.org

  • To connect with a spiritual director, talk to your pastor or a parish leader

Challenge By Choice

Seeking the right help for the right problems

  • What categories are my wounds and where do I need to go for healing?

    • What sins do I need to bring to confession (whether or not the priest gives any counsel at all)?

    • What emotional, psychological, or relational struggles might need the insight of a therapist or counselor?

    • How could I benefit from individual spiritual direction in order to pursue greater holiness?

Reflection Questions

For personal reflection or group discussion

  1. What is one specific thing that stuck with you from this conversation?

  2. What experiences have you had with confession, spiritual direction, and/or therapy?

  3. How do you understand the differences between therapy and spiritual direction?

  4. When have you had a powerful experience of healing? Was it in confession, therapy, spiritual direction, or somewhere else?

  5. Which of these types of healing would you benefit most from right now?