
About this episode
What if the way you're trying to grow is actually keeping you stuck?
In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) unpacks a pattern he sees constantly in his clinical work: clients who want to be better, more disciplined, more spiritually mature, but who are driven by an internal critic instead of love. That fear-based motivation, he explains, often leads to burnout, numbing, and avoidance instead of real change.
Topics covered:
- The internal critic and where it comes from
- Fear-based growth versus peace-based growth
- Why doom scrolling and numbing out happen
- The "how" and "why" behind our goals
- 1 Corinthians 4 and the judgments of others
- Resting in being already loved by God
You don't have to earn your worth to grow. You already have it, and that changes how you pursue every goal.
Have questions? Visit my website: adamcrossmft.com Adam Cross, LMFT #116623
Get every episode summarized
Each time The Catholic Therapist publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from The Catholic Therapist

Fear of God vs. Anxiety: Finding the Healthy Balance
The Catholic Therapist

Catholic Therapist Reacts to Obsession: Consent, Sin & Free Will
The Catholic Therapist

Why Contemplation is Healing
The Catholic Therapist

Introducing Renew: A Community for Catholic Therapists
The Catholic Therapist