On his recent visit to Melbourne, Dr Greg Bottaro, Catholic psychologist and founder of the CatholicPsych Institute, delivered a compelling talk that explored the intersection of faith, science, psychology and human dignity.
Dr Bottaro presentation—hosted by St Patrick’s Cathedral in conjunction with the Raphael Network, and attracting an attentive audience of about 100 people—focused on the Catholic understanding of the human person and its often overlooked therapeutic value, the important influence of family dynamics on human flourishing and the powerful truth that every person is created in the image of God.
Dr Bottaro spoke candidly about his own family background and journey of faith. Raised in a nominally Catholic family, where Sunday Mass was often balanced with family gatherings, Botaro initially saw family life as the central priority. However, this sense of harmony was shattered during his teenage years when his parents divorced—an event that deeply affected him, leaving him feeling ‘completely unbalanced’ as he prepared to leave for college.
For the first time in my life, I realised that the pain I was suffering could be made sense of by my faith.
It was during his time at Boston College, where he studied philosophy under the renowned Catholic thinker Prof Peter Kreeft, that Bottaro first encountered the work of St John Paul II. He described how reading John Paul II’s Love and Responsibility transformed his understanding of love, marriage and human happiness. ‘For the first time in my life, I realised that the pain I was suffering could be made sense of by my faith,’ he said, explaining that this epiphany marked the beginning of his own healing and vocational journey.
Feeling called to serve God more deeply, Dr Bottaro entered religious life as a Franciscan friar with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in New York, where he began his studies in psychology. After three and a half years in religious life, he discerned that his path lay in marriage, not the priesthood, so he left the order, earned a doctorate in psychology, and met and married his wife Barbra, also a psychologist. Today, he is a father of seven and the founder of the CatholicPsych Institute, an organisation that seeks to offer a holistic approach to mental health by integrating Catholic anthropology with psychological sciences.
Whatever is inside of you, whatever’s in your mind, whatever’s going through your heart right now—you are an image of God.
Reflecting on his experiences as a psychologist, Bottaro emphasised the unique perspective that Catholic anthropology offers to the field of mental health, particularly in contrast to secular models. Unlike medical approaches to the treatment of physical conditions—where body temperature, for instance, can be used to provide a measurable standard of ‘good health’—he noted that secular psychology often lacks a clear standard when it comes to defining and understanding the human person. ‘There actually is no standard when it comes to mental health,’ he said. Dr Bottaro explained that without a baseline philosophical and theological foundation for understanding what it means to be human, treatments in the mental health field can sometimes miss the mark.
A central theme of Dr Bottaro’s talk was the theological concept that human beings are made in the image of God. Drawing from the rich Catholic tradition, he explained that this idea carries profound implications for understanding both the individual and family life.
‘We are made in the image of God. We know that by faith,’ Dr Bottaro said. ‘God is a Trinity. He is three and one ... Somehow, we are made in his image. That means that somehow, within us, there is an echo or an imaging of God himself.’
He challenged the audience to reflect on this idea more deeply, noting that it should transform the way we view ourselves and others. ‘Each one of you is a walking image of God,’ Dr Bottaro declared, urging his listeners to appreciate their inherent dignity, even in their darkest moments. ‘Whatever is inside of you, whatever’s in your mind, whatever’s going through your heart right now—you are an image of God.’
We are formed in relationship. We are wounded in relationship. We are healed in relationship.
Understanding this as the foundation of human dignity, according to Dr Bottaro, is the starting point for any authentic approach to mental health and human flourishing. It is also the foundation for family systems, which play a vital role in forming a person’s identity and understanding of love.
Highlighting the role of family systems in human development, Dr Bottaro explained that we are ‘made in relationship in the image of relationship. We are formed in relationship. We are wounded in relationship. We are healed in relationship.’ Describing the family as the ‘school of love’, he said that this is where individuals first learn about themselves, their identity and their vocation to love others.
However, he was also candid about the fact that no family is perfect, and that human frailty and sin mean we are often ‘mis-educated’ in this school of love.
You cannot understand a person without also understanding relationality in that person.
‘We are all wounded in relationship, but there’s hope,’ Dr Bottaro assured his audience. He described how these wounds, whether they occur in childhood or later in life, are not the end of the story. ‘We are healed in relationship’ as well, he said, pointing to the Christian belief in redemption and the power of loving relationships to restore brokenness.
Dr Bottaro also highlighted the significance of family and social dynamics in shaping mental health, emphasising that one cannot fully understand an individual without considering their relationships. ‘Relationship is at the core of our very identity,’ he said. ‘You cannot understand a person without also understanding relationality in that person.’ This insight, rooted in Catholic theology, underscores the importance of addressing both the individual and their relational context in psychological and spiritual care.
Throughout his talk, Dr Bottaro stressed that science and faith are not in opposition but can be integrated for a fuller understanding of the human person. While affirming that there is much to learn from psychological approaches to mental health, he pointed out that many contemporary psychological models fail to acknowledge the spiritual dimension of the person, which is essential for holistic healing. ‘The scientific method becomes the gold standard ... But what’s implicit in that assumption?’ he asked. The implication, he said, is that ‘our spiritual dimension doesn’t matter.’
The Catholic faith gives us the foundation for understanding the human person, and then we bring in the science.
According to Dr Bottaro, a Catholic approach to psychology begins with an understanding of the person as both body and soul, a truth revealed by God. ‘We know who we are because God has revealed it to us,’ he said, referencing the Church’s teaching in Gaudium et spes. ‘The Catholic faith gives us the foundation for understanding the human person, and then we bring in the science.’
By way of example, he discussed the therapeutic approach known as Internal Family Systems (IFS), which focuses on the ways the multiple parts within an individual (such as the internal critic or the inner child) interact—as famously depicted in Pixar’s Inside Out movies. Dr Bottaro acknowledged the effectiveness of this model, affirming the way many of its insights fit with a Catholic understanding of the human person and describing it as an ‘incredibly effective’ way ‘to understand ourselves, even in our own prayer life’. But Dr Bottaro cautioned against its secular roots, which often disregard the need for divine grace and salvation. Instead, he seeks to integrate these insights within the framework of faith and the recognition that true healing comes from Christ.
Dr Bottaro concluded his talk by encouraging his audience to bring their faith to every part of their lives, including their professional lives. ‘We have a responsibility ... to propose the truth of the human person to the world,’ he said, and to help people move toward their true destiny, which is communion with God.
In a world where mental health crises are on the rise, Dr Bottaro reminded his audience that they are made in the image of God and called to love, offering a path to authentic healing and flourishing. ‘Happiness is our pursuit,’ he said, and the path to happiness is found in the truth of who we are: created in love, for love.
Banner image: Dr Greg Bottaro.
All photos by Melbourne Catholic.
