Justin’s Blog: “The Jog”

“I feel like I really love my baby, but, I just don’t know. I have these terrible thoughts that pop into my mind. Thoughts of harming my baby. I actually vomited last night it made me so upset. I don’t know why I’m having these” “Everyone around me, including my pastor, seems to think I […]

Most of my clients hear from me at some point (when it’s appropriate for me to share) my own personal examples in dealing with obsessive thoughts.  I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and have gotten very stuck in obsessive thinking and resultant feelings.  Born through my own personal trials and individually tailored to clients who want […]

As a faith leader, you are the real front door to mental health. Despite the fact that doctors and hospitals may be attributed this designation, many people feel most comfortable talking about mental health issues with you first, and even at times exclusively.  You are as a whole sought out 50% more than doctors or psychiatrists to help alleviate mental and emotional problems- this puts you on the front lines.

A vaccine for Sars-CoV-2 is just beginning to be administered to the public as 2020 is coming to a close, and a palpable ‘shot in the arm’ brings hope for the ravages of COVID-19 for many. Consider with me what life was like prior to 2020?  What was going well?  What made you long for change?  […]

One of the things that is very grounding about the Christian faith is that there is not only truth/Truth we follow, but hopefully a willingness to pursue disciplines that either a) aren’t comfortable, or b), may not necessarily make sense immediately.  This is very helpful in therapy when clients don’t throw up resistance to the […]

I had no plans to write this article today on loss and suffering.  But the more I ponder the life and legacy of “Papa” and the times we are in, I believe more and more it’s a message to share.  When hurting and suffering takes over and the complexities of life are weighty, I believe […]

My daughter Hattie went into hoarding mode this Halloween.  Within 5 minutes, she was in MEGA-CUMULATION mode.  Emily and I got some good parenting moments; “Hattie, you can choose 2 items from that basket.”  (We had to say that about 30 times.) I laugh often when she’s around food, toys, or playground equipment- like an […]

The unforgivable/unpardonable sin (also called the eternal sin or blasphemy against the Holy Spirit) can induce some level of fear for even the most convinced of Christians.  To the person who gets stuck on the concept, such as in OCD, Generalized Anxiety, and/or scrupulosity, misery would not be too strong of a word to describe it.  Personally, I suffered for several years […]

America today sees one of the highest levels of anxiety of any place in the world.[1] We are clamoring for attention online, wanting to be seen, to be loved.  Suicides by teens and young adults appear to be higher than they’ve been in years.[2]  We are the wealthiest nation on the face of the planet,[3] and we can’t […]

“You want me to do what?!” Many of my clients, and particularly for the sake of this article, Christian clients, are a bit surprised when I ask them to practice exposure.  Repeating scary, terrible thoughts on paper or aloud.  Doing things that feel risky.  It seems as a clinician I’m disrespecting your beliefs and don’t […]

“You need to pray about that.”  “Resist those thoughts; they are from the enemy.”  “Don’t think on such things.”   I often hear confusion from Christians on how to engage- or not engage- with fear based thoughts, urges, and sensations.  This led me to do a deep dive into Scripture to see if there are […]

When we recently moved to the house we are currently in, we got an extra bonus with some “smart home” features.  Far from a ‘techie,’ I quickly got frustrated in the first week.  When I didn’t know how most of it worked, I began to become irritable.  This is not a growth, learning, or curiosity […]