Episode 232: Michael Gasparro on Sexuality and the Practice of Therapy (April 6, 2022)

Welcome to The Open Door! In this program, we discuss integrating the Catholic Church's teachings on sexuality and the practice of therapy. Our welcome guest is Michael Gasparro. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist and licensed professional clinical counselor in the State of California. He previously worked for four years at the Breakthrough Clinic under the supervision of Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, Jr. and now operates his own therapy practice providing professional therapy services.

In addition, Michael has been a guest on Relevant Radio, Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), and Sirius/XM's the Catholic Channel. He also worked for several years as a religious educator in the role of Confirmation Coordinator, preparing young people for the Sacrament of Confirmation at parishes in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

1. Michael, you’ve moved from the world of music to the practice of therapy. Can you tell us a bit about this development?

2. Just what is the Breakthrough Clinic?

3. Catholic teaching on sexuality is widely misunderstood and often maligned. Why do you suppose that this is so?

4. How is Catholic teaching on sexuality grounded in an anthropology of the human person?

5. What do you see as the key insights of St. John Paul II’s theology of the body?

6. How do good friends and mentors contribute to psychological healing?

7. Some of your clients are Muslims. How did this come about and what have you learned in working with them?

8. What are some of the strengths and some of the weaknesses you see in youngsters preparing for Confirmation?

9. How does mental illness come into play in our homeless crisis?

10. Can you tell us about your research interests?