If you’ve ever asked, “What is God’s will for my life?” or “How do I discern God’s voice from my own?” this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Catholic Coaching Podcast, Matt and Erin begin a new series on Catholic discernment and walk through the foundations of how discernment actually works. Using the wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola, they explain the three modes of discernment and how God often leads us through relationship, consolation, desolation, and reason.

We also talk about why so many people say they are “discerning” when they are really just stuck, confused, or going in circles.

In this episode, we cover:
•what discernment actually is
•why discernment is about relationship, not just decision-making
•the three modes of discernment from St. Ignatius
•the difference between consolation and desolation
•why first-mode discernment is rare
•how reason plays a role in third-mode discernment
•how to begin discerning big decisions with God

This is especially helpful if you are discerning:
•dating or breaking up
•vocation or religious life
•marriage
•career changes
•college decisions
•major life transitions

If this episode helps you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who is trying to discern God’s will.

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What do you do when you realize you’re being manipulated?

In this episode of The Catholic Coaching Podcast, Matt and Erin continue their conversation on psychological operations (PSYOPs) by answering the next big question:

How do you get out of one?

If fear, outrage, urgency, or confusion are being used to shape your thoughts, emotions, and behavior, you are not powerless. As Catholics, we are called to renew our minds, think critically, and bring our intellect into conformity with truth.

In this episode, we cover:
• what a PSYOP is
• why fear shuts down critical thinking
• how manipulation compromises free will
• why media pressure loops are so powerful
• how to separate facts from interpretation
• how to slow down urgency and reclaim language
• how to spiritually realign with truth, peace, and freedom

This episode is about more than politics or media. It’s about custody of the mind, spiritual warfare, and learning how to live in the freedom Christ gave you.

If you missed last week’s episode on how to identify a PSYOP, go back and listen to that one first.

If this episode helps you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who wants to think clearly and live freely.

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How Your Thoughts Are Being Controlled (And What to Do About It)

Are you really thinking for yourself?

In this episode of The Catholic Coaching Podcast, Matt and Erin dive into a powerful and often overlooked topic: psychological operations (PSYOPs) and how they influence your thoughts, emotions, and behavior.

As Catholics, we are called to renew our minds and live in truth. But in a world filled with messaging, media, and constant information, it’s easy to unknowingly absorb ideas that shape how we think—and ultimately how we live.

This episode connects:
• psychological operations (PSYOPs)
• critical thinking and mindset
• spiritual warfare of the mind

We break down:
• what a PSYOP actually is
• how manipulation differs from healthy influence
• how your beliefs and identity can be targeted
• why freedom requires intentional thinking
• how to recognize when your mind is being shaped without your awareness

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, confused, or like your thoughts aren’t entirely your own—this episode will help you step back, think clearly, and reclaim your freedom.

Your mind matters. Your freedom matters. Truth matters.

If this episode helps you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs clarity.

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How to Find Peace at the Foot of the Cross | Ignatian Discernment

Feeling "better" doesn't always mean you've found God's will. Often, the enemy mimics peace to stop our spiritual growth, leading us toward "relief" (the removal of pressure) rather than true "Peace" (the tranquility of order).

In today's episode, we dive deep into the Ignatian tools for discernment. Whether you are facing a career change, a relationship struggle, or a vocational question, these tests will help you stay grounded in Christ even when the "cross" appears.

In this video, we cover:
• The Cross Test: Does your peace remain even when things get difficult?
• The Depth Test: Is your peace rooted beneath your emotions or just on the surface?
• The Truth Test: Are you being honest about all the facts, or just justifying avoidance?
• The Detachment Test: Are you a “reed blowing in the wind,” or are you clinging to one outcome?
• The Time Test: Why you should never make a major decision during an emotional swing.
• Reflection Question: “Does this decision move me toward God, or merely away from discomfort?”

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What’s the difference between God’s peace and emotional relief?

In this episode of The Catholic Coaching Podcast, Matt and Erin talk about one of the most important discernment mistakes people make: confusing relief with peace.

Relief can feel good in the moment. It can feel like pressure is gone, tension has lifted, or discomfort has stopped. But that does not always mean a decision is from God.

Peace is different.

True peace is deeper, steadier, and rooted in truth, surrender, and right relationship with God. It can remain even when a decision still feels difficult, sacrificial, or scary.

In this conversation, we cover:
• the difference between peace and relief
• why relief can be misleading in discernment
• how the enemy can mimic peace through relief
• why fear and discomfort do not automatically mean you are outside God’s will
• examples from our own lives where relief and peace felt very different

If you are trying to discern God’s will, make a big decision, or grow in spiritual maturity, this episode will help you slow down and listen more carefully.

If this episode helps you, please like, subscribe, and share it with a friend.

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In this episode of the Catholic Coaching Podcast, Matt & Erin sit down with Lisa Brenninkmeyer, founder of Walking With Purpose, one of the most influential Catholic women’s Bible studies in the world.

Lisa shares the origin story of Walking With Purpose (started during nap time as a small group of moms!) and the principles that helped it grow through grassroots evangelization—without losing the heart of the mission.

We talk about:
•How to create a judgment-free Bible study culture (and why “hot button topics” can derail discipleship)
•Why leadership formation matters more than “warm body” volunteering
•Why ministry is lonely—and how coaching/support prevents burnout
•The biggest poverty in lay leadership: many haven’t heard the Gospel proclaimed compellingly
•“Restore the initiative to God” (and why prayer changes strategy)
•What it looks like to love first, especially when reaching the margins
•How to hold family vocation + mission in the right tension

Lisa also shares details about the Flourish Conference in St. Louis:
📍 Flourish Conference (Walking With Purpose)
🗓 April 17–19, 2026 | St. Louis
https://walkingwithpurpose.com/event/flourish-2026-wwp-womens-conference/

🔗 Learn more about Walking With Purpose:
walkingwithpurpose.com

If this episode encouraged you, like, subscribe, and share it with a woman who needs hope, identity, and mission right now.

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This interactive journal will help you transform your life from the inside out by teaching you how to grow in gratitude, set healthy goals, and gain mastery over your thoughts.

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Why You Keep Self-Sabotaging (More Thinking Errors Explained)

Self-sabotage doesn’t just show up in habits — it shows up in how we think.

In this episode of the Catholic Coaching Podcast, Matt and Erin continue their series on self-sabotage by unpacking more cognitive distortions — the thinking errors that quietly distort reality and keep old belief systems in place.

These distortions feel true.
They sound logical.
They even feel protective.

But they often:
•Strain relationships
•Create shame and resentment
•Fuel anxiety and overwhelm
•Reinforce limiting identity beliefs
•Keep you stuck in self-sabotage

In this episode, we cover:
•Mind reading & jumping to conclusions
•Fortune telling
•Magnification & minimization
•Emotional reasoning (“I feel it, so it’s true”)
•Should statements
•Labeling & mislabeling
•Personalization & blame

You’ll learn practical coaching tools like:
•How to separate facts from interpretations
•How to challenge “should” thinking
•How to reclaim your locus of control
•How to replace presumption with curiosity
•How to dismantle identity-based labels

This is the fourth episode in our Belief Series — and these tools are foundational for real growth.

If you’re tired of feeling stuck, overwhelmed, resentful, or constantly second-guessing yourself… this episode will help.

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Why You Keep Self-Sabotaging (And How to Stop)

Have you ever had a goal you wanted to pursue… but something in you kept pulling the brakes?

That’s self-sabotage—and in this episode of the Catholic Coaching Podcast, Matt and Erin explain what’s happening beneath the surface: cognitive distortions (thinking errors… aka lies) that quietly keep your belief system stuck in place.

They use a powerful analogy: your mind is like an operating system. If you avoid the “software updates,” the bugs don’t disappear—they grow… until your system starts breaking down.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
•Why self-sabotage often feels protective (but blocks growth)
•What cognitive distortions are and how they reinforce beliefs
•How distortions create shame, perfectionism, overwhelm, and paralysis
•A Catholic lens on truth, the intellect, and freedom (Aquinas + CBT)
•Real examples of common distortions, including:
•All-or-nothing thinking (“If it’s not perfect, I’m a failure.”)
•Black-and-white moral labeling (“If I’m not a perfect Christian, I’m a hypocrite.”)
•Overgeneralization (“This always happens… it’ll never change.”)
•Mental filtering (obsessing over the 2% you missed)
•Discounting the positive (“That doesn’t count… it was a fluke.”)

And most importantly: you’ll get practical coaching tools you can use on yourself (or with clients) to start dismantling these thought patterns and step into a healthier, truth-aligned mindset.

This is the first of two episodes where we go deep on cognitive distortions—so make sure you’re subscribed for the next one.

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This interactive journal will help you transform your life from the inside out by teaching you how to grow in gratitude, set healthy goals, and gain mastery over your thoughts.

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