Rev. Katie O'Dunne: Reclaiming Faith in a Life with OCD

"How do you know I don't have to pray 50x a day in this particular way in order for my family not to die in a fire? Well, I don't, but we're goingt o take the chance that this is OCD and we're going to take the chance that we know that God is a loving God, and we're going to lean into that."

Contrary to popular misconception, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is not just about cleaning and organizing; OCD is often a very debilitating "doubting disorder" that tries to convince folks they are bad or terrible people.

It often deeply affects those with a faith life who develop compulsions that center around needing to behave, pray, or practice faith in a certain way for God to be happy with them, or for their loved ones to be safe. It can be a fine line for faith practitioners to navigate, but as our guest today says, "OCD tends to be when someone is engaging in a faith practice out of fear and the faith piece actually comes out when they're engaging in it because it brings meaning, because it brings hope."

Rev. Katie O'Dunne lives with OCD and speaks with us today about her own journey through treatment and how it has impacted her faith. She is an advocate for those who suffer silently, helping countless folks find pathways towards treatment, healing, and faith, so they can find a fulfilling and healthy spiritual life, and life in general.

About Katie:
Rev. Katie O'Dunne is the founder of Faith & Mental Health Integrative Services, an organization helping individuals with OCD and related disorders live into their faith traditions as they navigate evidence-based treatment. Prior to this, she spent 7 years serving as the Academy Chaplain and the Pauline and R.L. Brand Jr. '35 Chair of Religious Studies at Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. While serving in this role, she also served as a consultant on interfaith programming for schools around the country. Katie is proud to be an IOCDF lead advocate, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, and an endurance athlete tackling 50 ultra-marathons for OCD. She is currently pursuing her doctorate at Vanderbilt to continue with her focus on faith & mental health. She graduated from Candler School of Theology at Emory with her Master of Divinity and Certificate of Religion & Health in May 2015.

Episode Links & Resources:

• International OCD Foundation: https://iocdf.org/
• New IOCDF Faith/OCD Page that we just launched (with resources for clergy, individuals with OCD, and clinicians): https://iocdf.org/faith-ocd/
• My website: https://www.revkatieodunne.com/
• Faith & Mental Health Integrative Services (my new practice): https://www.revkatieodunne.com/faithandocdsupport
• Free Support Groups:  https://www.revkatieodunne.com/faithandocdsupportgroups
• IOCDF Video Content: https://www.youtube.com/iocdf
• Embracing Faith in God & Treatment (Sojourner's): https://sojo.net/magazine/january-2022/embracing-faith-god-and-treatment

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