Helping break stuck patterns. CBT & Exposure Therapy Specialist in OCD/Anxiety. My social media ac
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I’m passionate about working with clients who are willing to work hard on areas of life that just aren’t working. Specialized in OCD and Anxiety, through CBT and Exposure Therapy, I have years of focused training, education, experience, and positive outcomes in these deeply demanding domains. I am uniquely equipped to dig into solutions when there is great confusion about what to do. A strong fra
mework has been developed to be a “Specialized Generalist” in addition to my main areas of focus. What this means is that I successfully work with a wide range of topics (what person only has one struggle in life?), ultimately unified by the central tenet of helping clients move through major blockages that are holding them back. Some of the most common are Anxiety , Fear, and Panic, Depression, Trauma, Relationships/Marriage, AD/HD, Personal & Spiritual Growth, and Career Counseling. With regular, ongoing assessment, your progress and goals will be tracked and followed up with to make sure your needs are being met. I believe one of the most healthy things a good practitioner can do is to know when additional or different help is needed. I will tell you quickly if I cannot be of help, and provide the best hand-picked resources- so that you can save your time, money, and energy to focus on what matters to you!
One of the worst things to do when feeling anxious is to vacillate back and forth (ruminate) on a decision. There are a lot of skills to learn in order not to do this. Humor and in and are common approaches. If you've made the decision, you can learn to not get caught in a cycle of review and vascillation. Just like most people were taught in school- pick your best answer first. If really uncertain, move on and come back to it.
Acceptance scripting! www.justinkhughes.com/blog
"Just right" compulsions in OCD, or "perfectionism OCD," shows up in a lot of ways, not the least of which is re-reading, reviewing, checking, and pursuing a feeling/thought/experience of being "just right." Recovery involves learning to move on and tolerate the uncomfortable, "off" feeling in order to learn it's possible and in the end, make decisions that are valued regardless of feelings.
🎸...
What's something you love? That gives life and joy?
It's easy to hide behind "fine." Ask someone how they're REALLY doing today.
From the article:
"I've had so many people use God and the Bible against me for having Scrupulosity, a subtype of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a mental illness I was born with that revolves around ego-dystonic intrusive thoughts about God and morality followed by compulsions to relieve the anxiety. I have been told by Christians and faith leaders from this side of Christianity that my mental illness was Satan planting seeds of doubt in my mind, that I had demons taking over my life. They claimed I needed to pray and have the demons cast out of me. My relationship with God was so damaged, “I'm surely going to hell,” I thought."
Find out the rest of the story here: www.justinkhughes.com/jog
trauma
can really pull a person in to more obsessions. Wishing them away doesn't work--discipline is required.
It's almost here. Go to my blog justinkhughes.com/blog to find out more! Sep. 14th Noon CST.
I've been loving brushing up on ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) recently. One of my favorite skills is cognitive (thought) defusion. Instead of fusing with a definitive answer or meaning in a situation, it starts with a de-fused approach, often as simple as a change of words.
Rumination in OCD and Anxiety is a pernicious COMPULSION. It will destroy recovery. Don't let it run away. It's the non-specific wandering around a topic without direction, with the hope of coming across a solution. I liken it to walking in a field without checking for the sun, moon, stars, or a compass, yet desiring to end up a certain direction.
Dig in! This article covers OCD, philosophy, early church heresy, faith, and uncertainty. Get it!
Prayer time.
I love talk therapy for the things talk therapy is good for. If you have and you are just talking around your obsessions, exploring potential causes, and haven't been given the option for or , then you haven't been offered the #1 GOLD STANDARD . It's not only about constantly--it is a robust therapy that is and multifaceted, just like OCD.
is the real deal. It's a wonderful option that is relatively new in the world of treatment--one of the many offered in my practice.
OCD has a lot of subtype themes. "Hit-n-run OCD" is just one of the many examples of suffering from a fear that one has been negligent and needs to ensure everything is okay, leading to compulsive attempts to check, avoid bumps or driving, and more.
From the article: "What nobody told me was that your conscience, or what feels like your conscience, can be entirely mistaken through no fault of your own. Just like it’s possible to feel no guilt when you should, it’s possible to feel guilt or anxiety or shame over things that you shouldn’t feel bad about at all. Nobody told me how your mind can be your own worst enemy. How it can fixate on imaginary sins. Nobody warned me about moral scrupulosity, the type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) I suffer from. Nobody warned me how anxiety and fear can take the thing you care about most – your faith – and turn it against you." ~O. Alan Noble, PhD
Read it here: https://bit.ly/44qngfJ
OCD is commonly misunderstood, including by doctors. Let's get it straight: persistent and recurrent intrusive, unwanted internal experiences (thoughts, feelings, urges, images) mixed with compulsive attempts to make the obsession go away (reassurance, checking, avoidance).
If it's rewarding to learn and grow, why is it so hard to change our thoughts and beliefs?
When you need and help in Dallas, you know who to call.
Saving the best for last?! Last day of and really was honored to speak alongside incredible talent.
Reminder: I'll be speaking twice Sunday morning for those of you at
Find me bright and early 8 am "Working with Scrupulous individuals: a forum for case consultation and conversation" and 11:30 am to close out with "Cancel Culture and OCD"
How can I help? Let me tell you! www.justinkhughes.com/jog
Catch me presenting this weekend!
Wow. Less than 24 hours at and I already feel so connected. I love this conference and the people. Who do you recognize? How has community impacted your growth and health?
What sessions are you attending?
THIS WEEK! The world's largest conference dedicated to OCD-- support, treatment, and research. Truly the most unique conference I've ever attended.
Sometimes our thoughts and feelings get chaotic--it's possible to stay steady in the midst of internal intensity.
Find out about habituation, inhibitory learning, I-CBT, and more!
Don't fall prey to the "sunk cost fallacy"--> the more we invest the harder it is to walk away. Yet letting go and moving on is so important for all aspects of functioning.
From my dear friend Dr. Kim Rockwell-Evans, preorder now: Breaking the Rules of OCD https://amzn.to/42xueh6
What is rumination? Well, clinically, it's distressingly "chewing" on a topic without a goal-directed focus. It is a key problem in depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD, and more. Treatment helps to learn how to not pathologically ruminate so you can get on with living life.
It sounds harsh, but acceptance of reality is the first step to living in it.
Self-defeating. It happens. Therapy can help you face and overcome your fears.
The Memes are back, baby.
C'mon, you know you want to....
I don't have words. But I can show up with you, and try, . After the tragedy that befell this weekend, I have a heavy heart. If you or someone you love has been impacted by these events and don't know where to turn for support, please contact me by email: [email protected]. I am connected to this community, though not a specialist in grief or trauma. I can at least provide guidance to find a therapist just to talk, treatment, free resources, support groups, community, and more. This is NOT advertising for services. I would love nothing more than to help you access what is available in our corner of the world. I will attempt to personally respond to all requests, but due to the potential of having a high level of emails I may send a compiled guide. You are loved.
For reasons not entirely clear to me, I love people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The person you know with OCD (or yourself) may be a testament to how thoughtful, intentional, conscientious, and kind they are at their core—despite being impaired by an illness that may mask much of such positive qualities. People with OCD kept showing up in my early career. I think God often works in this way—over time, gentle, and persistent.
I remember vividly one of my first OCD clients. He came into my office after I graduated Dallas Theological Seminary and was participating in intensive treatment. He was that familiar archetype—friendly, analytical, and curious to learn. With minimal experience treating OCD, I handed The OCD Workbook to him. The description of the OCD Cycle hit home—he thanked me profusely as he felt validated and understood. Receiving such a positive response for such simple help planted an early seed that blossomed into my career passion.
For several years I “learned the ropes” of general mental health and addiction treatment in an array of inpatient and outpatient settings. Clients with OCD and anxiety stood out—and unknowingly invited me deeper into learning how to help them. So I sought the training and supervision of an expert. I had put my name on a long waitlist to get into the highly esteemed Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI), sponsored by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). In 2016, I was accepted and gladly registered for this three-day intensive at Massachusetts General Hospital and flew with my wife to Boston. Afterward, I told Emily, “I think I’d like to make this my career focus.” The incredible people and highly successful treatments were mesmerizing. I had found my clinical “love.”
I completed all the trainings available to me along with additional supervision, consultation, and continuing education. Today, around 95% of my current cases involve a diagnosis of OCD. I call it “the disorder of disorders,” as any human concern is implicated in OCD. Additionally, I have a unique opportunity to speak into the lives of Christians seeking help for their OCD, anxiety, and mental health.
Not to late to register! 👉 www.iocdf.org/faithcon
Nervous reading that one? Well, you don't have to be nervous about figuring out how Treatment can work in a way congruent with your beliefs or spiritual practices. This very special annual conference is dedicated to hearing from diverse experts from every angle
Not to late to register! 👉 www.iocdf.org/faithcon
17330 Preston Road Suite 102D
Dallas, TX
75252
| Monday | 9am - 7pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 3pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 6pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 7pm |
| Friday | 9am - 3pm |
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Did you know I'm writing a book?! #ocd #ocdawareness #faith #Christ #Jesus #christian #cbt #mentalhealth #mentalhealthsupport #realOCD #anxiety #hope #faceyourfears #erp #anxietydisorder #anxietyrelief #exposuretherapy #ocdrecovery #perfectionism #exposureresponseprevention #exposureandresponseprevention #intrusivethoughts #uncertainty #ocdisnotanadjective #doubt #faithoverfear #cognitivetherapy #writer
~15% failure rate may be optimal for learning a new task. What?! Yep! How might this translate to doing exposures? @hubermanlab hubermanlab.com: "Provided they don’t comprise safety, errors during learning are terrific because they increase activation of the neural circuits that increase alertness. It makes sense, right? If you perform something correctly, why should your brain take notice? When we make errors, it feels “stressful,” but that is just an increase in attention that puts us in a much better place to perform and execute learning-related behaviors the next trial—meaning on the next attempt. Computational modeling data suggests that an error rate of ~15% may be optimal and can help determine how difficult we should make a task. But don’t worry too much about those specifics. Instead, keep doing repetitions and when you mess up, capitalize on it by doing another attempt (and another) while your forebrain is in that maximally attentive state." #erp #cbt #healthandwellness #anxietydisorder #anxietyrelief #ocdawareness #obsessivecompulsivedisorder #exposuretherapy #anxietytherapist #ocdrecovery #perfectionism #exposureresponseprevention #exposureandresponseprevention #intrusivethoughts #uncertainty #anxiety #anxietyhelp #panicdisorder #panicattack #beatanxiety #gad #healthanxiety #generalizedanxietydisorder #ocd #ocdawareness #cbtworks #mentalhealth #mentalhealthsupport #faceyourfears
What's the biggest reason ERP doesn't work? Come find out WEDNESDAY with a free livestream on YouTube! www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWto_vwlEzI 8/25 6 pm CST. Get a FREE gift, my "Get Unstuck" guide along with premier Q&A Access and FULL slides by going to Go to www.justinkhughes.com/getunstuck --> Get a FREE Gift, FULL early access to slides, AND premier Q&A Access.⠀ ⠀ Evidence-based treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not tremendously difficult to understand. It involves things like tracking when you compulse, learning to face challenging situations without compulsion, and how to tolerate uncertainty while engaging with what you value. Sounds good, right?⠀ ⠀ In practice, OCD can be very complex, and some cases are challenging to treat. But even in complex cases, the gold standard for treatment still usually applies: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). However, this treatment must do certain things and look out for common problems and challenges to be effective. Join me on August 25th for a one-night, FREE event, for sufferers, family members, professionals, and anyone just interested.⠀ ⠀ #ocd #ocdrecovery #exposureandresponseprevention #cbt #exposuretherapy #acceptanceandcommitmenttherapy #mentalhealth #mentalillness #mentalhealthadvocate #mentalwellness #anxiety #research #firstlinetreatment #evidencebased #ocdtreatment #fear #courageovercomfort #respect #research #faceyourfear #ocdvocate #exposure therapy #ocdisnotanadjective #realocd #cbtworks #anxiety #therapistsofinstagram
60-70% average reduction of symptoms in ERP?! #OCD #CBTworks #exposureandresponseprevention @iocdf for resources
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