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 examples of dealing with obsessive thoughts.  I have become stuck in obsessive thinking and its resultant feelings (and still do on some days).  Born out of my trials and individually tailored to clients who want a Christian […]

Both in the office and in my life I offer a simple reminder: just because you tremble or are afraid or feel distressed DOESN’T mean you’re doing it wrong.  In fact, maybe it’s very right.  An unbelievably common misconception among human beings is distress = bad.  Sure, distress is uncomfortable.  Yes, it signals something feels […]

In poker, a “tell” is a sort of behavioral or observable change that, usually unbeknownst to the person, can reveal information that can be used for another player to get the upper hand.  Smirks, scratching of the nose, looking away, smiling- expert poker players work hard to conceal these (why many wear sunglasses). Notice Something […]

A common question I get is, “What if I get overwhelmed before we meet next?”  If we have ruled out serious risks dealing with safety, usually there’s a simple tool that can seriously help (while working the treatment plan).  Through the study of the brain, human behavior, and feedback from clients, here is a ripcord to pull in […]

One of my first questions to a professor in my earliest IOCDF BTTI (Exposure Therapy training) at Massachusetts General Hospital was, “What happens if someone actually gets sick after a contamination exposure?”  I haven’t forgotten the simplicity of the answer that went something like this: “People get sick all the time. Yes, that might create some additional […]