Christian Faith and OCD, Scrupulosity, Intrusive Thoughts, Compulsions, ICBT

In this episode, Carrie sits down with Kathy Young as she shares her journey through postpartum OCD, multiple inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations, a misdiagnosis of postpartum psychosis, and the lessons she learned on the road to recovery. Episode Highlights: -How to recognize when postpartum OCD symptoms may be mistaken for postpartum psychosis or other mental health conditions. -Why sleep dep...

In this episode, Carrie welcomes back Jon Seidl, a returning guest, author, speaker, and founder of Veritas Recovery, to share his personal journey through addiction and recovery while exploring how identity, shame, unresolved pain, and a deeper relationship with Christ can shape the path toward lasting healing and freedom.  Episode Highlights: How unresolved trauma and emotional pain can influenc...

In this episode, Carrie sits down with Rachael Kelley, a Christian writer and former Empowered Mind student, to discuss navigating OCD flare-ups, overcoming scrupulosity, and learning to trust God's love throughout the recovery journey.  Episode Highlights: How Rachael Kelley learned to navigate OCD flare-ups without viewing them as failures in recovery. The primary obsessional doubt that was...

In this episode, Carrie welcomes Erica Hackworth to share how discovering the connection between her ADHD, autism, and OCD transformed her relationships, faith, self-understanding, and journey toward recovery. Episode Highlight: Discover how ADHD, autism, and OCD can overlap and influence one another in unexpected ways. Recognize the hidden signs of OCD that extend beyond contamination fears and p...

In this episode, Carrie sits down with Ana, a missionary who shares her journey through scrupulosity OCD, navigating fear and major life decisions while discovering Jesus as her Good Shepherd, faithfully leading her through missions, marriage, and deeper trust in Him.  Episode Highlights: How scrupulosity OCD can distort your view of God and His will for your life Why fear and anxiety don't n...

In this episode, Carrie sits down with pastor Chris Russo to discuss how religious OCD, intrusive thoughts, childhood trauma, and fears surrounding salvation shaped his relationship with God and how counseling, community, and faith became important parts of his healing journey. Episode Highlights: How scrupulosity can create intense fears surrounding salvation and judgment Why childhood trauma and...

Carrie sits down with author and professor Dr. O. Alan Noble to share his deeply personal journey through years of OCD treatment, intense suffering, and ultimately finding hope through ICBT. Episode Highlights: Why traditional talk therapy and reassurance can unintentionally keep OCD cycles going How ERP may help some people while still leaving others feeling stuck and exhausted The key difference...

In this episode, Carrie shares why so many Christians feel trapped in exhausting OCD cycles and how Empowered Mind: Christian ICBT for OCD offers a different approach to finding peace, clarity, and lasting healing. Episode Highlights: What makes inference based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) different from traditional OCD treatment Why so many Christians struggle silently with scrupulosity an...

In this episode, Carrie shares how to move forward when OCD treatment, ERP, prayer, or recovery programs leave you feeling stuck, discouraged, and questioning whether things can really change.  Episode Highlights: Why failed OCD treatment can feel emotionally devastating for Christians The mindset shift that changes how recovery and progress are viewed What may actually be missing when therapy doe...

In this episode, Carrie shares how mindfulness and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ICBT) can come together in a powerful way to support your OCD recovery journey.  Episode Highlights: The difference between mindfulness and meditation, and why it matters How mindfulness helps you create space from intrusive thoughts Why building distress tolerance is key for OCD recovery What ICBT is...

In this episode, Carrie explores the concerns of using AI for OCD and shares practical ways to use it wisely while staying grounded in truth, community, and your identity in Christ. Episode Highlights:  Why using AI during a mental health crisis can be harmful and what to do instead How AI can become a form of reassurance seeking that feeds the OCD cycle The ways AI may unintentionally reinforce n...

In this episode, Carrie answers listener-submitted questions from email and a recent survey about scrupulosity to help you better understand it and respond in healthier ways. Episode Highlights: Carrie’s answers to listener questions about intrusive thoughts and scrupulosity, drawn from real experiences shared through email and survey responses How to recognize intrusive or critical thoughts as OC...

In this episode, I talk about how spiritual mental rituals are actually mental compulsions in OCD, and five steps to help you recognize these patterns and begin stepping out of them. Episode Highlights: The connection between spiritual mental rituals and compulsions in OCD Ways to become more aware of when these patterns are happening in your mind Practical strategies to create distance from intru...

In this episode, Carrie sits down with Pastor Jeremy Pickwell, founding pastor of Alinea Church, to talk about the Holy Spirit, the fear of blasphemy, and how to find peace when your thoughts make you question your relationship with God. Episode Highlights: • What the Holy Spirit really is and why He is personal, not just a feeling • How the Holy Spirit helps guide, comfort, and strengthen you in...

In this episode, Carrie and her husband Steve share their personal journey of navigating when it may be time to leave a church, walk through red flags, yellow flags, and how to prayerfully discern your next step. Episode Highlights: How to recognize the difference between red flags and yellow flags in a church Why sound doctrine and healthy leadership matter for your spiritual growth How your own...

Carrie welcomes back John Bennett from Episode 76 for a powerful conversation about how a multiple myeloma diagnosis in 2019 has shaped his faith, perspective on heaven, and daily purpose, with encouragement for anyone walking a long road of suffering. Episode Highlights: What John discovered when he stopped fighting his diagnosis and chose to embrace it instead. How to keep going when OCD, anxiet...

In this episode, Carrie dives into why salvation doubts can feel so real for Christians with scrupulosity and how OCD can pull believers into convincing fear-based stories about their faith. Episode Highlights: Why salvation doubts can be common among Christians How scrupulosity creates fear-based faith narratives The difference between grace based salvation and works based thinking Spiritual seas...

In this episode, Carrie welcomes returning guest Michael Kheir, author of Waging War Against OCD, to discuss forgiveness, repentance, and how Christians with OCD can break free from cycles of fear and guilt in their relationship with God. Episode Highlight: How scrupulosity twists the meaning of repentance and confession  The difference between Holy Spirit conviction and OCD condemnation  Why obse...

In this episode, Carrie explores how scrupulosity can quietly turn Scripture into fear and pressure while offering a more peaceful, grace-filled way to reconnect with God’s Word. Episode Highlights: Why Scripture can feel triggering when you struggle with scrupulosity How shame cycles form around Bible avoidance Simple ways to begin reading again without pressure Why understanding everything isn’t...

In this episode, Carrie continues exploring why scrupulosity can feel so layered and difficult to untangle. She examines the hidden fears, spiritual experiences, and beliefs about God that may be quietly fueling the struggle. Episode Highlights: How scrupulosity often attaches itself to other OCD themes What it means to identify the “primary obsessional doubt” beneath the surface Why theology and...

As we continue the Scrupulosity Series, Carrie unpacks the hidden layers that make religious OCD uniquely complex, especially when spiritual doubt, fear of sin, and confusion about God’s character get tangled in the OCD cycle. Episode Highlights: Why scrupulosity (religious OCD) is more complex than other OCD themes and why it often feels harder to treat How church culture and biblical counseling...

We’re kicking off the Scrupulosity Series by starting at the foundation, God’s love. In this episode, Carrie explores how shame, church hurt, and feelings of unworthiness can cloud our view of Him, and how Scripture invites us to receive the steady, unchanging love of Christ that nothing can take away. Episode Highlights: How scrupulosity distorts your view of God’s character and keeps you stuck i...

In this episode, Carrie sits down with Nathan Clarkson, an actor, author, and podcast host, to talk about how scrupulosity, guilt, and contamination fears shaped his faith and how grace slowly rewrote that story. Episode Highlights: Nathan’s early experience with OCD and how it shaped his faith How contamination OCD and scrupulosity often intertwine Why OCD creates a distorted, harsh view of God T...

Carrie explores three common objections to Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ICBT) and explains why OCD treatment is not one-size-fits-all.  Episode Highlights: Why OCD treatment is not one-size-fits-all and must be tailored to the whole person How ICBT addresses the unique reasoning process behind OCD obsessions Why struggling with OCD does not mean you’ve lost the ability to think or...

In today’s episode, Carrie sits down with Heather O’Brien—minister, author, speaker, and host of the Heal With God podcast—to discuss how to discern God’s voice when OCD and scrupulosity create fear and confusion. Episode Highlights: How Scripture and the Holy Spirit work together to bring clarity and peace Why you don’t have to be afraid of “missing” God’s will in everyday decisions What it looks...