Justin’s Blog: “The Jog”

This is the shortened version of the article, the “PRO Version” available here. Functional Assessment Defined A functional assessment (or analysis, FA) is a framework that clinicians use to assess and plan treatment.  It is simply “any empirical demonstration of a cause-effect relation,” its purpose being “to determine which sources of reinforcement account for problem […]

Talk therapy is not the way to improve with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  Talk therapy is also known as “supportive psychotherapy” or insight-oriented therapies.  In many cases, these approaches can OCD worse.  Writer and actress Lena Dunham shares how she experienced both sides of the street.  The Gold Standard of treatment is Exposure and Response Prevention […]

In OCD therapy (usually Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP), I tell clients simplistically there is one thing we are targeting: not compulsing.  Of course it’s complex and challenging, but the treatment target itself (when it’s just OCD) is rather simple.   However, because OCD is one of the most disabling disorders on the face of […]

The Question It was a good question.  Anne* suffered extensively with fear, anxiety, and OCD.  She wanted any relief she could find.  “Can I drink a little alcohol during exposures?” Little Therapist Justin As an early specialist in OCD, I said to Anne my favorite thing to say when I don’t know: “I don’t know.”  […]

I just finished the soon-to-be released autobiography on a Christian’s suffering with OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Depression.  My connection with the author was a special one, after contributing articles to I Am Second myself, one day I looked at the related articles and discovered that someone shared publicly on their struggles with OCD.  As […]

Small changes, over time, lead to big results.   Keep Choppin’ If you chop a tree with an axe once per day, you won’t see much progress.  Daily for a year and a tree (most) won’t stand a chance.  However, we are often limited with black and white, insular thinking (a cognitive distortion), also called “all […]

This is the full, “PRO version” of this article.  Looking for the quick read with graphics?  Click here. A great strength we have as human beings is to make connections and associations between simple and complex information.  At its best, we can learn and grow.  At worst, we can live in total unreality. Therapy at […]

Our Feelings and Thoughts Are Not A Guarantee In Part 1 of 2: Doubt, Fear, and Uncertainty, I emphasized a key point: Just because a problem deals with a spiritual issue doesn’t mean it must be exclusively a spiritual problem, addressed through exclusively spiritual means.   Let me add one: Just because I feel or think something […]

I am Second has graciously published my Back-to-School article: 5 Things You Need to Know About Back-to-School Anxiety Click Here to Read NOW Here’s the quick summary: 1. Anxiety going back-to-school is normal.   Why be surprised?  Embrace it; accept it as normal; lean into it. 2. Don’t make anxiety personal.   There’s no shame in suffering.  […]

Confusing Doubt and Fear With God Speaking When Susan* began therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), she had a lot of questions pertaining to her faith.  In fact, she often thought she was dealing regularly with inherent spiritual problems, when, in reality, much of her concerns were just problems that […]

Join me on Wednesday, August 25th, 6:00 – 7:30 pm CST, for “Common Pitfalls In ERP (Exposure & Response Prevention) 4 OCD” Livestream Evidence-based treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not tremendously difficult to understand.  It involves things like tracking when you compulse, learning to face challenging situations without compulsion, and how to tolerate […]

As a gift to my subscribers, the guide, Get Unstuck: Your Intro to Facing Fear & Getting Healthy is YOURS, FREE.  Not a subscriber? This is the updated version of the prior “Thriving Mental Health Alongside COVID-19,” leaving the best intact along with new considerations for 2021 and several new handouts, connected articles, guides, and […]