Frequently Asked Questions
What is counseling?
Counseling is the application of psychological principles for the purpose of providing knowledge and practical support necessary to: help individuals maintain psychological wellness; understand what is not psychologically healthy as well as what causes it; and obtain psychological wellness when it is not present (Fr. Chad Ripperger).
What is psychomoralitics?
Psychomoralitics is the applied science of the soul that enhances openness to reality and essential well-being by diminishing ego-reactivity and essential mal-being, so as to effect a person's full human flourishing. It distinguishes itself from counseling in that it takes a formal stance on the existence of the soul as being essential to man and his well being (Dr. G. C. Dilsaver).
What is the difference between counseling and psychomoralitics?
The services are different. Counseling views mental health from a variety of different theories that may tolerate but do not acknowledge the existence of the soul. Psychomoralitics replaces the idea of mental health with human wellness and treats the soul and mind.
Counseling is regulated by state licensing boards. Due to their differences, psychomoralitics is not. Both maintain ethical standards.
Psychomoralitics fits well with a religious, especially Catholic, worldview, as well as a non-religious Natural Law worldview. A religious, or Catholic worldview is not required to receive or benefit from psychomoralitics.
Do I have to be Catholic to receive services?
No. Brothers Walker is inspired by Christ’s teaching on charity and mercy. This means offering assistance to anyone. The goal of Brothers Walker is to help clients improve their mental health or the health of their soul and mind.
Will the counseling or psychomoralitics services be Catholic?
Yes and no. Brothers Walker providers are Catholic and have a Catholic perspective. The Catholic Church recognizes a difference between what is natural and supernatural. Natural and supernatural do not contradict each other and can be treated separately. A following question for someone who is not Catholic may be to ask: has secular mental health treatment, i.e. treatment that does not recognize the soul or objective reality, helped me? If not, then a Catholic understanding of the natural world, including the mind, may be something worth trying. For the Catholic, another question may be: will this approach help me seamlessly bring together my mental health/wellness of my soul and the teachings of Christ. The answer for this is, yes, that is the goal.