The Catholic Therapist

Is Pleasure a Sin? Catholic Therapy on Sexual Shame & Scrupulosity.

The Catholic Therapist

Show Notes

Many Catholics struggle with sexual shame—not because they lack faith, but because they carry deep confusion and fear about desire. In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross explores how scrupulosity distorts our understanding of sexuality, pleasure, and morality, often turning natural human experience into a source of guilt and anxiety.

Drawing from both clinical experience and Catholic spirituality, Adam breaks down the inner conflict between faith and desire and shares compassionate, practical tools for navigating scrupulosity without losing your peace—or your humanity.

Discover practical insights into:

• Why scrupulosity creates fear around sexual desire • The difference between lust and attraction • How anxiety and shame disrupt spiritual clarity • What integrated healing looks like—body, mind, and soul

Tune in for a thoughtful and empowering conversation that blends faith and mental health, offering hope to those who feel caught in cycles of guilt and confusion.

For more information or questions, visit adamcrossmft.com

Adam Cross LMFT #116623

More from The Catholic Therapist

Oct 22, 2026

Can you love yourself the way God loves you? In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) unpacks an unexpected fruit of intimacy with God: a healthy, holy love of self rooted in being God's beloved. Topics covered:

Sep 22, 2026

Who's really driving your healing, you, or your anxiety? In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) explores a pattern he sees often in the therapy room: clients whose anxiety or OCD quietly takes charge of the healing process, driven by a fear that anything less than total control means they won't be okay. Topics covered:

Sep 15, 2026

Does trusting God's mercy mean you'll just get complacent with sin? In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) unpacks a fear he sees constantly in the therapy room, especially with clients struggling with scrupulosity and OCD: that leaning into God's mercy means letting themselves off the hook. Topics covered:

Sep 1, 2026

Is it possible to fear God and trust him at the same time? In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) sits down with Dr. Anthony Isacco, licensed psychologist and Director of Training for the PsyD program at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, for his third appearance on the show. Together they untangle one of the most common, and most misunderstood, tensions in the spiritual life: the fear of the Lord. Topics covered:

Jul 30, 2026

What if the scariest part of a horror movie isn't the monster, but the isolation? In this episode, Catholic therapist Adam Cross, LMFT (#116623) reviews the horror film "Obsession" and unpacks what it reveals about consent, codependency, and what it truly means to love. Topics covered:

See all episodes →