One of the many unfortunate truths of OCD is that it tends to go after the things we really care about, including our faith and belief systems. We call this scrupulosity OCD. Scrupulosity can show up in many different forms in every faith or belief system (even atheism!). One way it can show up is …
Christian
Hooked on Reassurance?
I often have conversations with clients about reassurance seeking. We can look for reassurance both internally or externally. We may reassure ourselves repeatedly that something is or will be okay, reviewing or replaying situations or information to reassure ourselves of our desired outcome. We can look for reassurance externally, such as asking others if they’re …
Evidenced-based Treatments as a Means of Grace
My guess is if you’ve been a Christian for a while, you’ve most likely at some point in your faith journey wondered why God allowed sin and suffering to enter the world. Why didn’t he stop Eve from eating that piece of fruit? Why did he make the rule that Adam and Eve couldn’t eat …
Intrusive Thoughts
We all experience random, unwanted thoughts from time to time. But these thoughts can be particularly distressing if they contain themes or ideas that involve harm to self, others, or doing something unforgivable. We can feel anxious if and when we experience them – what does it mean that I had this particular thought? Do …
On Caring What Others Think
I often hear people say that they need to “just stop caring what others think!” I think a lot of times what they mean is that they would like others’ opinions and perceptions of them to matter less in their decision-making. And I get that – I too often wonder what others’ think of me …
Anxiety as a Smoke Detector
We live in an older home, and my husband and I often lament its poor ventilation system. Smells from the kitchen will emanate in one of the bedrooms and the air quality reading on our air purifier quickly descends into less desirable readings when we make a simple pot of popcorn on the stove. It …
What is a “window of tolerance”?
Recently, I’ve been talking with more of my clients about the idea of a window of tolerance. What is a window of tolerance you ask? When we’re in our window of tolerance, it does not mean we’re not experiencing stress, anxiety, fear or any difficult emotion. It means that we are able to tolerate those …
Fear of Drowning in Pain
Some of the most common emotions that come up in my work with Christian women are anxiety, anger, grief, and guilt. Obviously, these are not fun emotions for anyone to experience, which is what lands them in my office. They want new ways to cope with difficult feelings so that they can live vibrant and …
Practicing Gratitude When You Don’t Feel Grateful
Halloween is over. Time to put away the pumpkins and put up the Christmas trees! For many of us, the holiday season brings joy and memories of childhood delight, time with loved ones, and special holiday traditions. There are times in our lives, however, where these seasons seem cloaked with pain and sadness. We may …
On “Dying to Self”
Matthew 16:24: “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” Luke 9:23: “Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.’” Galatians 2:20: “I have …