St. Dymphna's Playbook: A Catholic Guide to Finding Mental and Emotional Well-Being

If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. If you're having suicidal thoughts, dial 988 to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). If you are located outside the United States, call your local emergency line immediately.

Are you or someone you love struggling with depression, anxiety, grief, or other mental health concerns?

Tommy Tighe, a licensed marriage and family therapist, wants to help you take steps toward reaching and maintaining mental and emotional well-being, not only through self-care, healthy coping mechanisms, and professional intervention but also through prayer, scripture, and developing a relationship with the saints. St. Dymphna’s Playbook combines a therapeutic approach with the deep wells of Catholic faith and spiritual practice, exploring paths toward hope, healing, and wellness.

Born out of Tighe’s podcast of the same name, St. Dymphna’s Playbook provides a practical, ready-made game plan for moving toward wellness. It offers concrete explanations of a wide scope of mental health concerns and symptoms related to depression, anxiety, trauma, relationships, and grief, as well as the common emotions and situations that allow them to grow—including fear, social anxiety, isolation, loss, and unhealthy relationships. Tighe shares best practices for understanding and beginning to address each concern and offers a uniquely Catholic understanding, diving into relevant scriptures and introducing us to a Catholic saint or holy person who lived with the same issue—including St. Dymphna, patron of those with mental disorders.

Whatever your concern or struggle, you are not alone. The witness of scripture and the saints reminds us of the community we already have as we begin working toward mental well-being.