Justin’s Blog: “The Jog”

This article (with a few grammatical edits updated here) is published on the International OCD Foundation’s (IOCDF) Faith & OCD Resource center. You can go there to find multiple other articles, video, and content on the same, including several other contributions I have had the privilege of being a part. Protestant Christians who present with […]

Are you confused about what treatment to pursue for OCD? You’re not alone. On the consumer side, it can seem perplexing.  Fortunately, it’s all more manageable with a little guidance of those in the know!  If you’re looking for a specialist in your area, go HERE. While I am a strong proponent of the gold […]

An enduring reality of life: we all have to do things we don’t want or like. An enduring principle of life: discipline builds strength and character. A curious paradox of life: doing disciplined things we don’t like often leads to greater contentment. An enduring joy of life: experiencing discipline and seeing it pay dividends brings […]

Faith & OCD Roundtable October 18 at 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm EDT Topic: Being in a Relationship with Religious Scrupulosity  Join Lead Advocate Rev. Katie O’Dunne and clinicians Dr. Caitlin Clagget Woods & Justin K. Hughes, LPC, along with Carolyn Ringenberg of the Faith & OCD Task Force to discuss the topic of being […]

The IOCDF and its Advocates invite you to celebrate OCD Awareness Week, October 9–15, 2022! “#OCDWeek began in 2009 to share knowledge and reduce stigma around OCD and related disorders. Each year in October, individuals, community groups, service organizations, and clinics around the world celebrate with OCD-inspired educational talks, youth events, grassroots fundraisers, yoga, creative […]

Everyone Loses Lucas* regularly expressed frustration about his parents’ “nagging” him. Though he is a young adult, he lives out home and is mostly dependent on his parents for all essentials.  He gave permission to involve his parents in treatment, which is ideal in many cases. It was frustrating for his compulsions to impair his […]

Medications for OCD are often straightforward.  Usually, they involve SSRIs at often double the dosing compared to treating anxiety and depression.  No one thing is known to cure OCD.  The average adult sees a maximum 40-60% improvement in symptoms (which by the way, is less on average than the therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, or […]

Sitting at the Annual International OCD Foundation’s (IOCDF) OCDCon2022, I am struck by the power of connection.  The conference is really strange- in a good way.  As my family and I reflected on it, we all noted the unique nature of bringing together professionals and researchers with sufferers, family members, siblings, youth, young adults, parents, […]

Join my fellow expert, Saharah Shrout, MA, LPC-S, and myself for the recorded live presentation during #OCDWeek 2020 we gave for OCD Texas (IOCDF Affiliate) in 2020. A very rough copy of some notes, providing examples, is below.  I hope this helps you feel less alone and understand this: just about any distressing thought/feeling can […]

Join Us!  I’ll be speaking/moderating for several sessions, including the Christian Discussion Group! “The IOCDF is excited to present the second annual virtual Faith and OCD Conference on Monday, May 9! This unique event began out of recognition that many people living with OCD initially seek assistance from a faith leader prior to a mental […]

As a clinician and person of faith, I really wish all the stories I tell involved an easy resolution.  That’s not the case, nor is it a reality.  It is important for us as clinicians and people of faith to hear of the hurts, pains, and in-process stories that can remind us: it’s a process– […]

The research is really clear on this: disordered checking behaviors (and thoughts) lead to distrust of your memory (van den Hout & Kint, 2003; Radomsky & Alcolado, 2010).  Let’s say you walk away from your front door or your car.  You typically lock them.  But you start to think about it, and you are now […]