In Episode 7 of Post-Traumatic Growth with Dr. Gerry Crete, Dr. Thomas Plante introduces the Examen, a five-step daily prayer from St. Ignatius of Loyola.

The Examen invites us to reflect on the day with God by noticing gratitude, reviewing our thoughts and emotions, acknowledging where healing or forgiveness is needed, and choosing one small step toward greater love and purpose.

This simple 15-minute practice can help deepen spiritual connection while also supporting emotional awareness, hope, meaning, and mental health.

Featured Resources

The Elijah Institute offers a downloadable Examen card along with two research papers exploring the psychological benefits of Examen-based practices:

• “A Clinical Trial of the Examen and Mindfulness Within a Secular Substance Use Disorder Treatment Program”
  Christopher M. Buenrostro and Thomas G. Plante, Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling, 2024.
• “A Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing the Psychological Benefits of a Daily Examen-Based Practice”
  Thomas G. Plante, David B. Feldman, Jacqueline Ge, and Anthony Cortese, Journal of Religion and Health, 2025.

Download the Examen card and research papers here:

https://elijah-institute.org/white-papers

Elijah Institute

Post Traumatic Growth with Dr. Gerry Crete is presented by the Elijah Institute. Find out more about Elijah Institute’s nationally approved, continuing education courses in spiritually integrated whole person care at elijah-institute.org.

examen, Jesuit spirituality, mindfulness, trauma healing, spiritual practices, mental health, research, therapy, religious integration, post traumatic growth

key topics

The examen prayer and its elements

Research findings on the examen's effectiveness

Adaptations for diverse populations

Comparison with mindfulness and secular practices

The role of imagery and visualization in healing

Christian distinctives in spiritual practices

Music and other sensory elements in spirituality

Implications for trauma and addiction treatment

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Post Traumatic Growth

01:36 Exploring the Examen: A 500-Year-Old Prayer

05:18 The Five Steps of the Examen Prayer

10:21 Research Findings on the Examen vs. Mindfulness

12:21 Imagining Tomorrow: Visualization in Recovery

16:18 The Power of Experiential Prayer

22:16 Christianity's Unique Approach to Suffering

25:52 Researching Sacred vs. Secular Music

30:02 Integrating Music and Spirituality in Therapy

34:24 Conclusion and Next Steps in Therapy

This episode explores the intersection of faith, recovery, and mental health through the inspiring story of Scott Weemann, founder of Catholics in Recovery. Discover how the 12 Steps and the Sacraments can work together as pathways to healing and spiritual growth.

Recovery, Faith, 12 Steps, Sacraments, Addiction, Catholic Church, Mental Health, Post-Traumatic Growth, Spirituality, Healing

Key Topics

The intersection of faith and recovery

The role of 12 Steps and Sacraments in healing

Trauma and addiction connection

The importance of community and acceptance

Practical steps for spiritual growth and reconciliation

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Addiction and Recovery

01:04 The Role of Faith in Recovery

08:22 Understanding Trauma and Addiction

19:20 The Importance of Community and Acceptance

24:30 Post-Traumatic Growth and Recovery

30:35 Integrating Mental Health and 12-Step Programs

40:56 Transformative Power of Recovery

44:50 Final Thoughts and Resources

Resources

Catholics in Recovery - https://catholicinrecovery.com

The Twelve Steps and the Sacraments (Book) - https://www.avemariapress.com/products/the-twelve-steps-and-the-sacraments

Scott Weemann's Book - https://www.avemariapress.com/products/catholic-in-recovery-workbook

In this episode of Post-Traumatic Growth, Dr. Gerry Crete sits down with theologian and counseling student Dr. Donald Wallenfang and his daughter Ellen. Ellen, now a 25-year-old singer-songwriter, shares her diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes at age 15, her years-long struggle with diabulimia, and the road through residential treatment to healing.

Main Topics:

• Ellen's Type 1 diabetes diagnosis and the shame and identity disruption it produced
• Diabulimia: how insulin manipulation became a form of disordered eating
• The moment Ellen chose to seek treatment—and what made that possible
• How chronic illness strained the father-daughter relationship and what family therapy revealed
• Integrating faith and professional mental health care without collapsing one into the other

Chapters:

• 00:00: Welcome and Introduction
• 02:26: Ellen's Story: Diagnosis and Identity
• 08:46: Diabulimia and Insulin Manipulation
• 11:10: Hitting Rock Bottom and Seeking Help
• 15:40: Faith as an Undercurrent of Peace
• 17:56: Advice for Young People Struggling
• 19:27: What Treatment Actually Looked Like
• 26:05: A Father's Perspective
• 30:48: Resentment, Resistance, and Family Therapy
• 44:34: What Therapists and Parents Should Know

Resources Mentioned:

• The Elijah Institute: https://elijah-institute.org/
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/
• National Alliance for Eating Disorders: https://www.allianceforeatingdisorders.com/

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios: https://saintkolbestudios.com/

In this episode of Post-Traumatic Growth, Dr. Gerry Crete sits down with Dr. Donald Wallenfang—Secular Carmelite, theologian, professor at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, and father of six—to explore what the Church owes young people in a post-pandemic world. Drawing on the political theology of Johann Baptist Metz and the Carmelite contemplative tradition, Dr. Wallenfang makes the case that narrative, memory, and solidarity are the foundations of genuine accompaniment.

Main Topics:

• The post-pandemic mental health crisis among youth and why advice alone is not enough
• Dr. Wallenfang's journey from youth ministry to theology to clinical psychology
• Johann Baptist Metz's political theology and the concept of "dangerous memories"
• How narrative and storytelling connect young people's suffering to Christ's passion
• Carmelite contemplative spirituality as a foundation for pastoral and clinical presence

Chapters:

• 00:00: Welcome and Introduction
• 02:11: Adoption, Vocation, and the Path to Theology
• 05:27: Youth Ministry and Pastoral Accompaniment
• 09:19: Encountering Youth Trauma in Suburbia
• 16:26: Trauma, Empathy, and the Limits of the Minister
• 19:39: Safety Before Vulnerability
• 21:03: Johann Baptist Metz and Dangerous Memories
• 24:16: Narrative, Memory, and Dangerous Stories
• 31:07: Carmelite Contemplation and Full Presence
• 36:25: Advice for Parish Leaders and Youth Ministers

Resources Mentioned:

• The Elijah Institute: https://elijah-institute.org/
• Roots: Catholic Youth Evangelization in a Post-Pandemic World: https://www.amazon.com/Roots-Catholic-Evangelization-Post-Pandemic-Perspectives/dp/1666732184
• The Mendicant Philosopher: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMendicantPhilosopher
• Catholic Therapists: https://catholictherapists.com/

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios: https://saintkolbestudios.com/

In this episode of Post-Traumatic Growth, Dr. Gerry Crete sits down with Cameron Fradd—host of Among the Lilies podcast and wife of Matt Fradd—to discuss her eight-year journey with chronic illness and the unexpected spiritual and emotional growth it has produced. Cameron shares how suffering has deepened her prayer life, shaped her children's empathy, and drawn her closer to Christ rather than further away.

Main Topics:

• Cameron's journey with chronic illness and how it reshaped her sense of identity
• The invisible nature of chronic illness and the experience of feeling unseen
• How suffering deepened rather than damaged her relationship with God
• The impact of chronic illness on marriage and motherhood
• Integrating faith and healing without using spirituality to bypass pain

Chapters:

• 00:01: Welcome and Introduction
• 00:30: Cameron's Health Journey and Chronic Illness
• 02:04: Accepting a New Normal
• 04:04: Discovering the Mind-Body Connection
• 06:10: A Profound Encounter
• 10:56: The Invisible Suffering of Chronic Illness
• 12:42: Speaking at SEEK Through the Pain
• 16:58: How Suffering Deepened Cameron's Prayer Life
• 20:36: The Impact on Marriage and Motherhood
• 26:57: Growing in Empathy as a Family
• 28:24: Redemptive Suffering and Human Flourishing
• 38:49: What Therapists Should Know

Resources Mentioned:

• Hallow App: https://hallow.com/
• Among the Lilies podcast with Cameron Fradd: https://www.cameronfradd.com/
• Litanies of the Heart by Dr. Gerry Crete: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/litanies-of-the-heart/
• The Elijah Institute: https://elijah-institute.org/

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios: https://saintkolbestudios.com/

In this episode of Post-Traumatic Growth, Dr. Gerry Crete sits down with Greg Willits—author, Catholic media pioneer, and co-founder of Rosary Army—to discuss his journey through complex trauma, PTSD, and the healing he's found through therapy, the sacraments, and the writings of St. Louis de Montfort. Greg shares his story with remarkable vulnerability, tracing how his deepest wounds became the foundation for his most meaningful work.

Main Topics:

• Greg's experience of complex trauma, PTSD diagnosis, and the road to healing
• How sharing your story publicly reduces its power over you
• The role of the Sacrament of Reconciliation alongside professional therapy
• St. Louis de Montfort's Love of Eternal Wisdom and its connection to trauma healing
• Finding meaning and identity beyond earning your value

Chapters:

• 00:04: Welcome and Introduction
• 02:02: Greg's History in Catholic Media
• 03:23: The 2017 Workplace Crisis and PTSD Diagnosis
• 09:41: Writing God Doesn't Hate Me After All
• 17:50: Learning to Forgive Yourself
• 20:10: The Confession That Changed Everything
• 24:39: St. Louis de Montfort and Trauma Healing
• 28:17: Praying Across Time for Your Wounded Self
• 34:20: Narrative Therapy and the Hero's Journey
• 48:37: The Importance of Catholic-Integrated Therapy
• 53:55: Finding Meaning Beyond Earning Your Value

Resources Mentioned:

• God Doesn't Hate Me After All by Greg Willits: https://sophiainstitute.com/product/god-doesnt-hate-me-after-all/
• Rosary Army: https://rosaryarmy.com/
• The Love of Eternal Wisdom by St. Louis de Montfort: https://catholicbookpublishing.com/products/the-love-of-eternal-wisdom-red
• The Elijah Institute: https://elijah-institute.org/

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios: https://saintkolbestudios.com/

In this inaugural episode of Post-Traumatic Growth, Dr. Gerry Crete—licensed marriage and family therapist and trauma specialist—introduces the podcast and its mission: to walk alongside those who have experienced trauma and discover what it means to grow through it.

Dr. Crete shares his own story as a survivor of childhood abuse and unpacks the Christian vision of suffering as a source of meaning, resilience, and transformation. If you've experienced something that shattered your sense of safety, your faith, or your understanding of yourself—this podcast was made for you.

Too often, conversations about trauma stop at survival. We're told to cope, to manage, to just get through. But what if there's something beyond getting through? What if the very wounds that brought you to your knees hold the seeds of a deeper, more grounded life than you had before?

That's the question at the heart of Post-Traumatic Growth. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and his own journey from crisis to flourishing, Dr. Crete introduces the Arc of Healing—a framework that maps the path from Crisis through Languishing, Surviving, and Thriving toward Flourishing. He also introduces the Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual-Moral model, a whole-person approach to healing that honors the complexity of what it means to be human: body, mind, relationships, soul, and conscience.

This isn't a podcast that spiritualizes away your pain or reduces your suffering to a clinical diagnosis. It's a space where evidence-based psychotherapy and the rich tradition of Christian wisdom meet—where the science of trauma and the mystery of redemption are allowed to speak to each other honestly.

Whether you're a clinician looking for a deeper framework for your practice, a pastoral leader walking with people in pain, or someone in the middle of your own healing journey, Dr. Crete invites you to begin here. Not with answers, but with the one question that changes everything: What if growth doesn't happen in spite of your suffering—but through it?