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  • Faith Without Fear: Navigating Scrupulosity with Jaimie Eckert

    Faith Without Fear: Navigating Scrupulosity with Jaimie Eckert
    2026/07/02
    Faith Without Fear: Navigating Scrupulosity with Jaimie Eckert Episode 4 | OCD Insights Content Note & Disclaimer This episode includes an open, educational discussion of intrusive thoughts that are blasphemous and sexual in nature as they relate to religious OCD (scrupulosity). These topics are addressed with care, for the purpose of education, understanding, and hope. Listener discretion is advised. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, clinical diagnosis, or professional mental health treatment. If you are struggling, please seek support from a qualified mental health professional. What if the very faith you love could also be the thing OCD is using against you, and what if healing did not require you to choose between your beliefs and your recovery? In this deeply moving episode of OCD Insights, Samantha Bray, LCSW sits down with scrupulosity coach Jaimie Eckert to explore one of the most misunderstood and underserved presentations of OCD: religious scrupulosity. This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered whether a tormenting thought is coming from their own heart, or from their OCD. When the intrusive thought arrives as an accusation or a taboo image, it can feel like proof of who you really are. If that question has ever kept you up at night, this conversation was made for you. About Jaimie Eckert Jaimie Eckert is a scrupulosity coach specializing in Religious OCD and the founder of Scrupulosity.com, a global resource for Christians navigating the intersection of faith and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She holds three theology degrees, including a doctorate in missiology (the study of Christian missions), and brings over a decade of ministry experience to her work. Most importantly, Jaimie has walked this road herself: diagnosed with religious OCD during a mental health crisis while serving as a missionary overseas, she understands from the inside what it means to wonder if your intrusive thoughts mean something about your soul. Her approach is Bible-based spiritual coaching that works alongside clinical OCD treatment. Episode Description Scrupulosity, also called Religious OCD, is one of the most painful and least understood subtypes of OCD. It hijacks your relationship with God, turning prayer, scripture, confession, and worship into a minefield of compulsions and doubt. And yet, for many people of faith, the idea of seeking therapy can feel like a betrayal of trust in God, and the idea of exposure therapy can feel like being asked to sin. In this episode, Samantha and Jaimie trace the journey from unconscious incompetence ("I do not have OCD, OCD is for people who wash their hands") to the breakthrough epiphany of "This is not MY belief, this is OCD." Along the way they unpack scrupulosity's most common symptom clusters: blasphemous intrusive thoughts, moralistic obsessions, confession compulsions, evangelism compulsions, thought-action fusion, and "God distortions," those twisted mental images of a demanding, conditional God that secretly fuel the OCD cycle. Jaimie shares her own three-part framework for recovery: remove what is hurting you, acclimate to what is hurting you, and ignore what is hurting you until it passes. A surprisingly simple roadmap that honors both psychological evidence and faith. She also addresses the very real harm caused by religiously insensitive ERP, the danger of spiritual bypassing, and why some Christians would rather stay miserable with OCD than do therapy that feels like sin. This is a conversation full of grace, courage, and hard-won insight for those in the grip of religious OCD, for their loved ones, for Christians in leadership roles, and for any clinician seeking to serve this population with wisdom and sensitivity. In This Episode, You'll Discover What scrupulosity really is, and why it is described as a mental health disorder that hijacks your relationship with God The four stages of OCD awareness (from unconscious incompetence to conscious competence) and why the breakthrough moment can feel like a miracle How "God distortions," skewed mental images of a demanding, conditional God, secretly feed the OCD cycle Why intrusive thoughts about God, Jesus, or sacred figures do not say anything about who you really are or what you truly believe Jaimie's three-part recovery framework and how each maps to a different clinical or spiritual tool How ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) can be done in a way that is both effective and respectful of your faith values, and what harmful ERP looks like The difference between a thought passing through your mind and a thought that is truly "you," and why thought-action fusion in a religious context is especially cruel How OCD repurposes scripture (like 2 Corinthians 10 on "taking thoughts captive") to justify ritualizing, and what those passages actually mean in context Why courage, not perfection, is the single biggest predictor of ...
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    1 時間 32 分
  • Your Body Screams Danger But There Is None: Understanding Felt Sense + Guided Meditation

    Your Body Screams Danger But There Is None: Understanding Felt Sense + Guided Meditation
    2026/06/02
    Episode 3 | Solo Episode | OCD Insights Podcast What if the fear in your body isn't proof of danger, but a misfiring alarm system? In this solo episode of OCD Insights, Samantha Bray, LCSW breaks down one of the most overlooked tools in OCD recovery: your felt sense. Your felt sense is the ongoing stream of physical sensations in your body: tight shoulders, a racing heart, that knot in your stomach, a wave of dread. For those navigating OCD, this internal system can become hypersensitive and miscalibrated, sending urgent danger signals when no real threat exists. Samantha explains how OCD hijacks the body's natural fight-or-flight response, why the intensity of a sensation does not equal the reality of a threat, and how learning to observe your felt sense with curiosity, rather than reacting to it, is one of the most powerful steps in breaking the OCD cycle. This episode closes with a 13-minute guided meditation to help you practice tuning into your body with awareness and compassion. In this episode, you'll discover: → What "felt sense" actually means and why it matters for OCD recovery → How your body processes a threat before your rational brain even catches up → Why the intensity of anxiety is not proof that danger is real → How to tell if a sensation is related to your OCD theme and what to do when it is → The difference between content-based reassurance and meta-cognitive awareness → Why resisting sensations actually strengthens the OCD cycle → How to practice sitting with discomfort without acting on it Questions we explore: Why does OCD make the fear feel so real in your body? What is the felt sense and how is it different from just "being anxious"? How do you know if what you're feeling is a real alarm or a false one? What does it mean to "treat it like OCD" when your body is screaming danger? How can you stop compulsions when the sensations feel unbearable? Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction -- the conversation happening in your body right now (01:41) What is felt sense? Defining the concept (05:30) The pilot and dashboard analogy, reading your internal instruments (10:00) How the brain processes triggers: two paths, two speeds (14:00) Real alarm vs. false alarm: the car dashboard analogy (20:00) Mirror neurons and co-regulation, whose emotions are you feeling? (29:00) The intensity of the felt sense does not equal the reality of the threat (31:00) What to say to yourself in overwhelming moments (34:05) Guided Meditation: Arriving in the Moment (13 min) Therapeutic Techniques Discussed: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): Experiencing anxiety and bodily sensations without engaging in overt or covert compulsions Meta-Cognitive Awareness: Stepping back to observe your thinking rather than engaging with OCD content directly Mindfulness of Physical Sensations: Observing bodily sensations with curiosity and without trying to eliminate them Response Prevention: Reducing checking, reassurance seeking (from loved ones, Google, or AI), mental reviewing, and avoidance Nervous System Regulation: Using breath awareness to stay grounded during activation OCD Insights Resources: Free Guide: Is Your OCD Therapist Actually Qualified? -- https://ocdinsights.com/ocd-therapist-free-guide OCD Insights Path Priority Interest List -- https://ocdinsights.com/ocd-insights-waitlist Blog: Your Therapist Said They Treat OCD. But Do They Really? -- https://ocdinsights.com/blog/is-your-ocd-therapist-qualified Share Your OCD Story Samantha is looking for guests willing to share their OCD journey. The messy, real, human parts of it. Your story could be exactly what someone else needs to feel less alone and find hope. Apply to be a guest at: https://www.ocdinsights.com/asksam CONNECT WITH OCD INSIGHTS: Website: https://ocdinsights.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocdinsights/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OCDInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabraylcsw YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights Substack: https://ocdinsights.substack.com
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    53 分
  • Hansa Bergwall & WeCroak: Mortality, Mindfulness & the Right Angle Moment That Breaks the OCD Loop

    Hansa Bergwall & WeCroak: Mortality, Mindfulness & the Right Angle Moment That Breaks the OCD Loop
    2026/05/20
    Episode Overview What if the most counterintuitive habit in the world, deliberately thinking about your own death five times a day, could actually make you calmer, more present, and happier? That's not a thought experiment. It's a centuries-old folk saying from the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan, and it's the heartbeat behind the WeCroak app. In this episode, Samantha sits down with Hansa Bergwall, co-creator of WeCroak and a leadership and executive coach, to explore how an ancient practice of mortality awareness maps beautifully onto the way we treat OCD. They talk about exposure therapy, the psychology of reassurance-seeking, the power of the "right angle moment," and why Stoic philosophers had therapists beat by about two thousand years. Whether you live with OCD, support someone who does, or simply want to live more intentionally, this conversation is for you. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why Bhutan's ancient practice of contemplating death five times a day is backed by modern psychology How mortality awareness functions like exposure and response prevention (ERP) for death-themed OCD What "reassurance-seeking" really means and why the internet makes it so much worse The "right angle moment": a powerful mindfulness concept that creates space for intentional choice How WeCroak was intentionally designed without casino-style addictive features The connection between acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Stoicism, and mortality meditation Practical, low-barrier entry points for meditation, especially for skeptical, high-achieving clients The history of Memento Mori: from ancient Rome to Renaissance art to your phone Why Henry David Thoreau, Walden Pond, and living deliberately still matter today About Hansa Bergwall Hansa Bergwall is the co-creator of WeCroak, a mindfulness app built on the Bhutanese folk saying that contemplating one's mortality five times a day leads to greater happiness. Inspired by his own grief, his study of Buddhist philosophy, and Western Stoic traditions, Hansa built WeCroak as a simple, intentionally designed tool with no infinite scroll, no rabbit holes, just five random daily reminders and a quote about impermanence. He is also a leadership coach working with executives and entrepreneurs through his practice at TidePathCoach.com, and writes about death salience and everyday life at his Substack, Ask Death. Episode Highlights & Timestamps 00:00 Introduction & the counterintuitive idea at the heart of this episode 01:29 Welcome to OCD Insights, how Samantha discovered WeCroak 03:14 The origins of WeCroak: grief, Buddhist death meditation, and the Bhutanese folk saying 05:45 Designing against casino tech, why WeCroak is built on "right angles" 08:28 Exposure and response prevention (ERP) and how WeCroak fits in 13:22 Reassurance-seeking, internet rabbit holes, and the compulsion cycle 19:35 What reassurance really means in OCD 23:27 Personal stories of grief and the turning points that led each guest here 27:40 The Stoic "view from above" , zooming out from the obsessive loop 30:09 ACT, ERP, and mindfulness: how they all meet in mortality awareness 32:17 Right angle moments: noticing + choosing is the whole of meditation 34:48 Breath isn't the only anchor , entry points for skeptical meditators 36:43 Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau, and living deliberately 49:02 Hansa's grandfather: sobriety, presence, and a life-changing deathbed moment 57:11 Uncertainty is the core of OCD and death is the one certainty we try to avoid 58:05 Memento Mori: the history from ancient Rome through the Renaissance 01:01:10 The WeCroak photo feature and other practical mortality tools 01:03:46 Research on death contemplation and the search for happy thoughts 01:06:38 The math of a meaningful life, less bullshit = more of what matters 01:10:15 Using WeCroak as an OCD tool: download links and how to get started 01:13:44 A note for those who feel anxious about trying this practice 01:15:40 Closing reflections and a beautiful quote by Renee Nicole Good Resources Mentioned WeCroak App (iOS & Android) — the app at the center of this conversation: Download WeCroak Henry David Thoreau, Walden — the book on deliberate, intentional living discussed in this episode. Music in this episode by Kevin Sherman: Kevin Sherman Music Connect with Hansa Bergwall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hansa-bergwall-2a053314 Coaching Website: https://www.tidepathcoach.com/ Substack (Ask Death): https://askdeath.substack.com/ Download WeCroak: https://www.wecroak.com Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wecroak/id1436133118 Connect with OCD Insights Substack: https://substack.com/@ocdinsights YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ocdinsights/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OCDInsights/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabraylcsw Website: https://ocdinsights.com Share Your OCD Story Samantha is looking for guests willing to ...
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    1 時間 27 分
  • From Stuck to Unstuck: Creating a Life Alongside Anxiety

    From Stuck to Unstuck: Creating a Life Alongside Anxiety
    2026/05/05

    What if courage doesn't feel like bravery but like fear and trust at the same time?

    In this powerful inaugural episode of OCD Insights, Samantha Bray sits down with Rexx- meditation instructor, and creator of The Unstuck Journal to explore what it really takes to build a meaningful life alongside anxiety and OCD.

    Rexx shares her journey from believing she had schizophrenia after experiencing her first intrusive thought, to years of misdiagnosis, to finally finding relief through Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). This conversation goes beyond symptom management. It's about taking imperfect action, living by your values, and refusing to wait for anxiety to disappear before fully living.

    From solo travel abroad to building a business alongside OCD, Rexx embodies value-based courage. If you've ever felt stuck waiting for your anxiety to go away before living your life, this episode will remind you that you don't have to wait.

    Highlights:

    • The difference between OCD and general anxiety

    • What intrusive thoughts actually feel like

    • Why courage often feels like fear in the moment

    • How anxiety makes your world small and values make it bigger

    • The difference between journaling as growth vs. journaling as compulsion

    • Why manifestation culture can unintentionally worsen OCD

    • The shift from eliminating anxiety to living alongside it

    • How baby steps build confidence over time

    Questions Explored:

    • How do you know if what you're experiencing is OCD versus general anxiety?

    • What does an intrusive thought actually feel like?

    • Why is misdiagnosis so common with OCD?

    • How can you tell if journaling is helping or becoming a compulsion?

    • What's the difference between taking action to eliminate anxiety vs. taking action despite anxiety?

    • Can manifestation and positive thinking practices be harmful for people with OCD?

    • How do you shift from "I'll live once anxiety is gone" to "I'll live alongside anxiety"?

    Therapeutic Techniques Discussed:

    • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) – Moving toward fear while resisting compulsions

    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Living a meaningful life alongside anxiety

    • Mindfulness Practices – Observing thoughts without judgment rather than trying to control them

    CONNECT WITH OCD INSIGHTS:

    📧 Newsletter: https://www.ocdinsights.com/newsletter
    🌐 Website: https://ocdinsights.com
    📸 Instagram: @ocdinsights
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OCDInsights/
    💼 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabraylcsw
    ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights

    Get The Unstuck Journal:

    https://www.theunstuckjournal.com

    MUSIC CREDIT:

    Music by Kevin Sherman at www.Kevinstunes.com
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    1 時間 33 分
  • WELCOME TO OCD INSIGHTS

    WELCOME TO OCD INSIGHTS
    2026/02/15

    Welcome to OCD Insights.

    In this introductory episode, Samantha Bray, LCSW, shares the heart behind the podcast and the professional journey that led her to specialize in OCD treatment for over a decade.

    After years of seeing high-functioning, capable individuals struggle with misdiagnosis and incomplete treatment, Samantha recognized something important: evidence-based therapies like ERP, I-CBT, and ACT are powerful, but lasting change requires more than a single tool. It requires education, compassion, mindfulness, holistic care, and alignment with personal values.

    In this episode, Samantha explains why OCD is often misunderstood, why some treatments fall short, and why having multiple research-backed options matters. She introduces the expanded vision for OCD Insights—a space where science, lived experience, and whole-person healing come together to help people build meaningful lives alongside OCD.

    Highlights:

    • Why OCD is frequently misdiagnosed or incompletely treated

    • The limits of a one-size-fits-all ERP approach

    • Evidence-based alternatives and complementary treatments

    • The role of mindfulness in effective OCD treatment

    • Why high-functioning adults often need deeper understanding, not more effort

    • The importance of holistic foundations: sleep, nutrition, stress, connection, and purpose

    • Living alongside OCD instead of fighting it constantly

    • What listeners can expect from future episodes

    Questions Explored:

    • Why does OCD often go unrecognized in therapy?

    • Why doesn't ERP work for everyone at every stage?

    • What other evidence-based treatment options exist for OCD?

    • How can therapists unintentionally reinforce the OCD cycle?

    • Why is understanding the "why" behind OCD so important for high-achieving adults?

    • What does a holistic approach to OCD recovery actually look like?

    • How can mindfulness be used effectively without becoming a compulsion?

    Therapeutic Techniques Discussed:

    • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) – The gold-standard behavioral treatment for OCD

    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Identifying and restructuring cognitive patterns

    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Building a meaningful life alongside anxiety

    • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) – Strengthening awareness and present-moment skills

    • Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) – Changing your relationship to thoughts rather than their content

    • Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) – Addressing faulty reasoning that fuels obsessional doubt

    Important Disclaimer:

    This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute therapy, diagnosis, or medical treatment. If you are in crisis, please call 988 (U.S.) or seek emergency services in your area.

    Connect with OCD Insights:

    📧 Newsletter: https://www.ocdinsights.com/newsletter
    🌐 Website: https://ocdinsights.com
    📸 Instagram: @ocdinsights
    📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OCDInsights/
    💼 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/samanthabraylcsw
    ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OCDInsights

    Do you have an inspirational story about overcoming challenges with OCD?

    Please share it! Your experiences serve as powerful seeds of hope for others who are just beginning their journey in managing OCD AND for folks needing some extra motivation to keep going.

    Your story could instill hope in someone who needs it — or your question might be exactly what another listener has been wondering but never knew how to ask.

    For more information on submitting a question, story, or request to be our guest go to https://www.ocdinsights.com/asksam.
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    25 分