Justin’s Blog: “The Jog”

Children and teens who suffer from OCD can often feel more alone for several reasons: They lack the developmental capacity to grasp the nature of mental illness and to understand with an adult brain what is going on The occurrence in children is lower (1 in 200) making it less likely to come across others […]

This is fascinating. I gave into the pop-culture urge of asking ChatGPT for its feedback on why Christians don’t pursue therapy. Its feedback wasn’t bad.  What do you think? ChatGPT on Christian avoidance of therapy—Helpful or Hurtful? Here is my prompt: What are reasons why Christians don’t pursue therapy?    There are several reasons why […]

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 […]

Did you miss the webinar? No problem! Here’s the recording on YouTube and the summary from Mental Health Grace Alliance:   Justin Hughes, LPC, explains how anxiety and OCD get filtered through the Christian perspective and general strategies for overcoming. Resources and links in the video: Understanding the Overactive Conscience Is it God or my […]

This Friday! Join us for a webinar by The Mental Health Grace Alliance.   The Peace of Christ: Effective Ways to Overcome Anxiety and OCD Apr 25, 2025 10:00 AM CST Click HERE to sign up now! “In this powerful webinar, licensed professional counselor (LPC, MA) Justin Hughes will explore how anxiety and OCD affect […]

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 […]

I heard a phrase recently that goes something like this: If you knew you had to fail 20 times before you succeeded, how fast would you want to fail?  Oof.  That is hard to accept when something is essential. The sentiment is to take action, and the realization is that success is rarely on a […]

None of us recovers alone. The role of community in our support is more crucial than any of us knows. If you struggle with mental or emotional health (i.e., you are human), going it alone is not an option, yet most of us choose this at various points in our suffering. Therapy, unchecked, is at […]

Dr. Kevin Chapman caught my attention several years ago with his engaging mix of psychology credentials and faith. He has been a “friend at a distance,” offering kind words and encouragement to me on the regular. I recently reviewed his brand new book, which is out this month, and my review is below. Mastering Our […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Have you ever mixed up what you thought God was saying with your feelings? Me too. It’s pretty human to conflate what God is saying with various thoughts and feelings. Fear? God must be trying to warn you! Sadness? There is something that is grief-worthy. Anger? You must be out of control. Not always…. Anxiety […]

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 […]

Stuck Between Worlds “Why isn’t God healing this???!!!” Georgia* felt a little stuck between worlds. Her severe struggles seemed to need more help than she was getting. However, her church and community group commonly taught her that Christ is sufficient to heal–with the important role of prayer, Scripture, and community.**  They had long been excellent […]