Ep39 - Intrusive Thoughts, Faith, and OCD Therapy

As we began to branch out in topics here at Anxious Faith, we were surprised by the number of people who resonated with the episodes and blog posts we’ve done around OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This often-misunderstood condition can be so hard to live with, and yet there are therapeutic approaches that can offer hope and relief for those living with OCD.

One of those approaches is called Exposure Response Prevention, or ERP, and we were intrigued to meet Justin Hughes—a licensed professional counsellor in Texas—who talks about ERP not just as a therapy for OCD, but as an inherently spiritual practice, too. Interesting, right?

Exposure Response Prevention therapy is designed to help people with OCD learn to face the triggers to their obsessions without following through with the compulsion that comes with it. But this approach, as Justin shares, is actually a way that all of us can approach anything that is difficult in our life, faith, or relationships, even if we don’t suffer from OCD ourselves. 

In today’s episode, Justin will take us through what ERP looks like, and we’ll spend some time unpacking how this practice can help us all grow our faith. 

Justin K. Hughes is a writer, speaker and licensed professional counsellor passionate about helping those impacted by OCD. He has a Masters from Dallas Theological Seminary and is the owner of Dallas Counseling, a private practice in Texas. To read his blog, check out his new course on overcoming OCD or get in touch, you can visit his website: https://www.justinkhughes.com/.