Justin’s Blog: “The Jog”

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 […]

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 […]

Find me presenting at OCD Con 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 individual biases and lack […]

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 […]

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 […]

Say what?! That’s right, I am now a registered provider for South Carolina.  Offer Specialized CBT and Exposure Therapy for OCD, Anxiety, and Related Disorders. Make an appointment (or find out more) TODAY!

Register now! https://iocdf.org/onlineocdcon Hear Me Speak The Ultimate Guide to Scrupulosity Treatment Clearing up the confusion over scrupulosity, this detailed and informative presentation chronicles the history of OCD—including how it’s treated successfully and unique factors and considerations in effective treatment. This “getting back to the basics” overview provides OCD and ERP “101” with specifics and […]

Recent research by the British Psychological Society found that higher stress with less novelty contributes to a sense of “time warp.” For those who can’t remember a lot of 2021, you’re not alone. If we lack certain “anchor events” (like celebrations and going to the movies with a friend), time feels more distorted. The more […]

Have you heard about SPACE treatment (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions)? It helps children suffering from: Anxiety Disorders Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Separation anxiety Social anxiety (SAD) Generalized anxiety (GAD) Fears and phobias Panic disorder Agoraphobia Selective mutism It uniquely can be delivered only through parents and extends to adult children. Parents learn changes […]

Helping someone else who suffers can be powerful. Tom,* like most clients, reflected on the larger purpose he had besides reducing his own discomfort. There is nothing wrong with coming to therapy to feel better, yet Tom said, “I’m fine with just personal growth through therapy, but are there any ways you know that I […]

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 […]

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. […]

In computer terms, Evan* had “crashed.” His eyes have a certain look that loved ones know all too well in his dark moments. If you don’t have OCD, maybe you have experienced a sampling of this feeling when an urgent decision about something important comes up and you don’t know which option to choose. Add […]