Saint Michael’s Institute for the Psychological Sciences is a national alliance of mental health professionals devoted to integrating the teachings of the Catholic Church with the discoveries of psychology and psychiatry, for the health and happiness of individuals, marriages, families, organizations and communities.
WHY SMI?
Psychiatrists, psychologists, mental health counselors, and psychiatric nurses are active in clinical work, consultation, education and research. They integrate their commitment to Christ with their professional expertise to heal the broken and wounded of society.
SMI identifies with the mission of the living Christ who says: “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to set the prisoners free and to liberate the oppressed…”
A worldwide spiritual, moral and psychological crisis is causing increasing numbers of people to experience psychological disorders. These disorders have many causes -- violence, psychological, physical and sexual abuse, divorce, deprivations of paternal and maternal love, and lack of character formation. They are reinforced by the confusion of moral and spiritual values in all areas of society -- the family, law, education, politics and the media – as well as by the glorification of “self” in a culture dominated by hedonism and secularism.
Those who suffer from psychiatric and psychological disorders are prisoners not only to these conditions, but also to the fear of being stigmatized. Therefore, as mental health professionals, we are honored to serve the living Christ, literally and mytsically present in our patients.
As Mother Teresa said in her letter to SMI, “Today, Jesus relives his passion in so many who need the help of mental health professionals loyal to Christ and to the Holy Father.” She is telling us that Jesus is suffering with schizophrenia, alcoholism, psychosexual addiction, bulimia, bi-polar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and all kinds of pyschic guilt, shame, panic, hostility and inferiority. And when we see Jesus at the Last Judgement, he will remind us “whatever you did to the least of my brothers and sisters you did to me.”