As I build this site, I will continue to add a variety of resources for Catholics with OCD, including websites, articles, books, and more. I have discovered many of these in the process of researching for my own book. I hope they will help you.
Please keep in mind that there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all resource. Part of the reason for my own project is the lack of suitable resources for OCD Catholics. Under the circumstances, I feel that we have to glean what we can from wherever we find it, and look elsewhere if something is lacking or incorrect.
I will offer a brief summary of each resource. As always, please be aware that I am not a licensed counselor, psychologist, or priest, and I have no official qualifications to endorse any content, organization, or therapist. I’m just a Catholic with OCD.
Please let me know if you can think of a resource or category of resources you would like to see featured. Let’s build this library together!
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Websites
The OCD Catholic – A blog by a Catholic who suffers from OCD.
Scrupulous Catholic – A blog by a Catholic who struggles from scrupulosity/OCD, and also shares about his vocational discernment process.
International OCD Foundation – The IOCDF (which is not faith-based) maintains the most comprehensive network of OCD resources available. On their website you can find everything from profiles of OCD subtypes, to an affiliated provider list, to OCD-specific training for professionals. They also have a special interest group for Faith and OCD, and offer conferences, including a Faith & OCD conference. They additionally run a blog and and a newsletter.
Stick with the Ick – A virtual community and app for people navigating the intersection of faith & OCD. It is inclusive of all faiths, but has more specific breakout areas for specific faith traditions, including Christianity.
NOCD – A non-faith-based website that offers OCD-specific therapy online.
Holy Family Counseling – A Catholic organization that provides distance therapy for a variety of problems, including, but not limited to OCD.
Articles
My Side of the Confessional: A Scrupulous Penitent’s Plea to Confessors – An article about scrupulosity which I published in 2017 in Homiletic and Pastoral Review.
Relationship OCD – This article from the IOCDF is an excellent overview of the the “relationship OCD” subtype of OCD. I suggest this as a starting point for OCD Catholics who have struggled in romantic relationships/marriage discernment, especially if “relationship OCD” is a new concept to you. ”Relationship” is not limited to dating, so consider looking into this if you have struggled in your marriage or even in other important relationships.
ERP for OCD: A Brief Primer – This is an excellent overview of Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), the gold standard treatment for OCD. (Unfortunately, my link appears to be blocked. If you are interested in reading this article, google the title and you should find a Psychology Today article.)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – This is an overview of CBT therapy, the parent category of ERP. It is sometimes used in OCD treatment beyond ERP as well.
Symptoms | Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders – This is an interesting little piece on OCD themes and some features they share.
Thought Control Tools for Anxiety, Anger, or Depression – A short article by a Catholic therapist.
Books
The Doubting Disease: Help for Scrupulosity and Religious Compulsions – This book, by psychologist Joseph Ciarrocchi, is probably the most comprehensive work specifically addressing the “scrupulosity” subcategory of OCD. While it is not perfect, if you are looking for a complete psychological treatment on scrupulosity OCD, accessible to the lay reader, this might be the book for you.
The Context of Holiness: Psychological and Spiritual Reflections on the Life of St. Therese of Liseux – by Fr. Marc Foley, is a fascinating and illuminating analysis of St. Therese’s life. Among other topics, the author provides a plausible explanation for her scrupulosity, and explains how it ultimately provided context for her growth in holiness.
Healing Memories – This is an easily accessible little e-book by a Catholic counselor dealing with the “Healing of Memories” process, which can be an easily-overlooked element of stabilizing and healing OCD triggers.
Restore and Behold, guided Lenten and Advent journals (respectively) by Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT. While these are not intended for any specific psychological condition, I have used both and found them helpful to my healing and spiritual journey.
Podcasts
Interior Integration for Catholics – This podcast integrates the Internal Family Systems theory of psychology with a Catholic perspective, with very deep and thought-provoking results. Two episodes are of particular interest:
Catholic and OCD 