Justin’s Blog: “The Jog”
120+ Articles Driven by Research and Practice
Is Faith Helping or Hindering Your Recovery—Your Anxiety Toolkit podcast guest
As many people search for meaning and answers to suffering, questions of faith and spirituality are being asked with renewed fervor. It is no surprise to me that these topics are critical in mental health care and treatment. Yet, few know how to navigate them well. I hope you’ll listen to Kimberley Quinlan’s Your Anxiety […]
Read More >A Deeper Dive into the role of faith (Christianity) in OCD treatment—the OCD Stories #487
Stuart Ralph is an acclaimed podcast host of the OCD Stories who has both lived experience and expertise as a clinical specialist in the treatment of OCD. Being the most popular podcast dedicated to OCD by far, he has over 7 Million listens from around the world. His podcast is my favorite to share with […]
Read More >The 4 D’s in OCD Recovery
[Updated 2025, formerly the original article can be found here: “The 3 D’s in OCD Recovery“] Did you know there are four ways to break OCD’s hold on you? In ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention), we target one thing: facing distress without compulsion. That simple concept is hard to live out. Because OCD is […]
Read More >Danny Gokey Breaks Silence Over His Struggle with Scrupulosity!
Popular recording artist Danny Gokey recently shared his battle with OCD (scrupulosity), AD/HD, trauma, and depression. This comes as Braden Smith (Offensive Tackle for the Indianapolis Colts) recently detailed his severe struggle with OCD. I hope you are encouraged to hear stories that make tangible the 3% of those who have (or will have) OCD […]
Read More >Christians, Overcome Your OCD: An Expert-Led Masterclass
Christians, Overcome Your OCD is the step-by-step, proven process of recovery and faith that will save months—and even years—in discovering how you can find freedom from OCD. You can subscribe directly to the course newsletter or visit the course page to learn more and get a free trial and Exposure and Response Prevention worksheet today! […]
Read More >Trauma and OCD—Getting the Facts Straight
There’s no doubt about it: trauma and maltreatment of children impact OCD in both children and adults. Surely, trauma must be causal to OCD? Not so fast. Trauma not Causal to OCD (So Far As We Know) Trauma is not a definitive cause of OCD (Dykshoorn, 2014). However, it has some strong associations. If you […]
Read More >My presentation from OCDCon 2024—Keeping the Faith: How to Ethically and Competently Treat Religious Scrupulosity
Here’s the presentation from the International OCD Conference in Orlando, 2024 TITLE: Keeping the Faith: How to Ethically and Competently Treat Religious Scrupulosity TRACK: Clinician–Advanced DATE/TIME: Saturday, July 27, 2024 at 9:45 AM – 11:15 AM Description: Providing effective and respectful care to individuals with religious scrupulosity challenges even the most experienced OCD therapists. Our […]
Read More >“How Pastors Can Be Mental Health Advocates”–My New Article for BioLogos is out now
Featured in the BioLogos May blog for Mental Health Awareness month, I was asked to speak about how OCD has been handled inside and outside the church–and how pastors are the real front door of care. It is a dream to write for BioLogos as it was founded by Francis Collins, a follower of Christ […]
Read More >Values-Based Therapy for Sexual Obsessions–By Dr. Johann D’Souza
Around here, I’m all about helping people get unstuck. It is a joy to elevate voices of hope. Today’s guest article is by my colleague Dr. Johann D’Souza who is out “crushing it” in the area of clinical treatment of OCD and Anxiety, especially with teens. Join my free newsletter to be the first to […]
Read More >The #1 Mistake Clinicians Make When “Treating” OCD–New Article Published in the Newsletter of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies
There is one key mistake I come across from clinicians who try to work with OCD but lack training or experience treating it. Simply put, they “play with” obsessions rather than treating the nature of the problem. This can turn into well-meaning psychotherapy being a “rumination-fest” filled with reassurance from the clinician. Clients don’t usually […]
Read More >You Can’t Be Certain—A Brief Primer On What Anxiety & OCD Experts Mean, & Why It’s So Annoying
Fred: “So what do I do with my uncertainty?” Therapist: “Sit with it! You can’t be certain about anything.” Fred: “Ummmmm….okay, but what does that mean?” Therapist: “Just do nothing until your values indicate a step to take.” Fred: “Oh, okay. Thanks, I guess.” Here lies a vignette of a shared frustration people express to […]
Read More >Deconstructing Faith Beliefs [Guest Article by Erika McCoy]
Erika McCoy is a courageous advocate for OCD recovery and faith concerns. We began to run in similar advocacy circles, and I had the privilege of meeting her this year in San Francisco at the annual #OCDCon. This article showcases one of vulnerability, courage, and recovery. Along with personal growth comes evaluation of what we […]
Read More >Living with Religious Scrupulosity or Moral OCD [New Article by Dr. Alan Noble]
O. Alan Noble, PhD, is a professor, author, and advocate for those suffering from OCD. I am fortunate to consider him a friend. His most recent book is an excellent read on Christian hope in suffering, On Getting Out of Bed. He has been featured everywhere from Christianity Today to The Atlantic and The Gospel […]
Read More >How Does ERP for OCD Work? We Don’t Know.
First things first: I want you to know that there are very effective treatments for OCD, especially Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). This is the more important message if you need help today. It works for most people really well. It has the 2nd largest positive effect of any mental health treatment (runner-up only to […]
Read More >Breaking the Rules of OCD
Seven years ago, I became fast friends with Dr. Kim Rockwell-Evans. We watched a Giants game in San Francisco at my first-ever International OCD Foundation Conference (2016). She reminds me of the power of a great friendship and of the importance of asking thoughtfully informed questions. I’m ecstatic about Dr. Kim Rockwell-Evans‘ September book launch. […]
Read More >