Hi, friends! Most of you know me as the communications director for Sacred Heart, which consists of doing the bulletin, writing reflections, managing our Facebook, editing videos for Fr. Kevin’s YouTube channel, and doing the livestream at our 9:30 AM Mass on Sundays. However, what some of you may not know is that I am in graduate school at the University of South Florida’s Marriage and Family Therapy program and Addictions and Substance Abuse Certificate Program. I have just began my internship as a Marriage and Family Therapist at Revolutionary Change (revolutionarychange.org).
I received my B.A. from John Carroll University and a certificate of completion of college priestly formation from Borromeo Seminary. I majored in Philosophy and double minored in Catholic Studies and Theology and Religious Studies. I was on track to become a priest for the Diocese of Orlando, but I think God had different plans for me.
Through much prayer, discernment, and collaboration with others I began pursuing a career as a Marriage and Family Therapist. The desire that moved me to want this career was (and still is) a desire to help people.
I made a promise to myself when I left seminary that I would not let my priestly training and formation go to waste. One of my goals as a therapist is to combine the Catholic faith with research based therapeutic interventions to bring about hope, healing, and a more fulfilling life. The research based therapeutic modality that I use is called, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). I will speak more about EFT in the weeks to come.
Although, I should note that I do not only provide therapy for those who are Christian, because this is not what Jesus would do. In fact, one could argue that Jesus specifically sought the far off, those who did not know God.
Like me, have you ever wondered how we could view and understand mental health through a Catholic lens? Join me in this corner of the bulletin each week to learn more about mental health and the Catholic faith.
If you or someone you know needs therapy or wants to know more about me, then you can scan the QR Code to see my Psychology Today profile or go to RevolutionaryChange.Org/therapists/Riley-Arnemann.
