In episode 460 I chat with Lou who has kindly agreed to share her OCD story with us.  We discuss her OCD story, harm themed OCD around her family, self-harm themed OCD, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), her experiences at The OCD Camp, creativity, words of hope, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/lou-460  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out...

In episode 459 I chat with Nicole Morris, LMFT. Nicole is a therapist and host of the OCD Family podcast.  We discuss her therapy story, her view of OCD, Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP), her podcast and favourite guests, words of hope and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/nicole-459  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find...

In episode 458 I chat with Hannah who has kindly agreed to share her OCD story with us. In this episode we discuss how OCD manifested for her in childhood including: a fear of rabies, worries around swallowing, worries around her heart stopping, as well as harm, religious, and sexual orientation themes of OCD. We discuss other themes such as pOCD, and doing exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), starting a support group, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes:...

In episode 457 I chat with Jon Hershfield, MFT. Jon is the director of Sheppard Pratt’s The Center for OCD and Anxiety.  In this episode we discuss what is a residential treatment center, who can benefit from residential treatment, what a day in the life in residential looks like, the duration of a residential stay, therapy at residential centers, art therapy, yoga, mindfulness, having a team around you, the use of family therapy, and much more. Hope it helps.   Show notes:...

In episode 456 I chat with Dr. Marisa T. Mazza. Marisa is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of choicetherapy psychological services. We discuss her book, what is shame, how shame manifests in OCD, how shame can interfere with exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), the inner critic, self-compassion, loving kindness, why we all deserve self-compassion, how to integrate self-compassion into ERP, fears blocks and resistances to self-compassion, and much more. Hope it helps.  ...

In episode 455 I chat with Elena Fasan. Elena is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and founder of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective.  We discuss her OCD story, how OCD can effect a child’s development, getting creative with kids in  OCD therapy, working with parents, supporting siblings, and much more. Hope it helps. Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/elena-455  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US...

In episode 454 I chat with Katie Marrotte. Katie is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). Katie kindly agreed to share her OCD story with us.    We discuss her story, harm themed OCD, magical thinking, worries around natural disasters, sexual orientation themed OCD, worries around her dog, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), we discuss inference-based cognitive behavioural therapy (I-CBT) in detail, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes:...

In episode 453 I chat with Natasha Daniels. Natasha is an anxiety & OCD therapist. She runs her online membership AT Parenting Community. And recently authored the book, “Out of my shell: overcoming social anxiety from childhood to adulthood”.  We discuss her community, her social anxiety story, the loss of her husband, working through social anxiety, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), her new book, social anxiety and OCD, and much more.   Show notes:...

In episode 452 I chat with Dr Lauren Wadsworth, Dr Caitlin Pinciotti, and Dr Nathaniel Van Kirk. Lauren is a clinical psychologist in private practice, Caitlin is a clinical psychologist, researcher and assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, and Nathaniel is a clinical psychologist and director of psychological services at McLean OCD Institute.  We discuss who they are, how do we define trauma, complex trauma (CPTSD) and PTSD, stats on trauma and OCD, static vs dynamic trauma and...

In episode 451 I chat with Chrissie Hodges. Chrissie is a Peer Support specialist, founder of OCD Gamechangers, and Author of ‘Pure OCD: The Invisible Side of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder’. Chrissie was awarded the hero award at the 24th IOCDF conference in San Fran. We discuss her new community, grieving from OCD, the points of grief in Chrissie’s OCD story (OCD onset, lost opportunities, love and sexual development, lost time, stigma), her grieving process, her difficulty of being...

In episode 450 I chat with Carrie who has kindly agreed to share her OCD story with us.  We discuss her story, intrusive thoughts, religious themed OCD, pocd, suicidal thoughts, postpartum OCD, getting therapy, doing exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), going to intensive outpatient therapy, shame, self-compassion, mindfulness, words of hope, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/carrie-450 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers...

In episode 449 I chat with Dr Steven Phillipson. Steven is a licensed clinical psychologist who specialises in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for OCD. Steven is the Clinical Director at the Center for Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy in New York.  We discuss figuring out what’s the problem in OCD, defining what a problem is, anxiety vs worry, what gets in the way of OCD treatment, the issue with seeing thoughts and feelings as the problem, judging thoughts as bad, and much more. Hope it...

In episode 448 I chat with Chris Russo who has kindly agreed to share his OCD story with us.  We discuss his story, an early parental loss, religious themed OCD, hit and run themed OCD, the fear of rejection, panic attacks, getting therapy, finding it hard to let go of compulsions, trauma and OCD, what else helps, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/chris-448  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available...

In episode 447 I chat with Nadav who has kindly agreed to share his OCD story with us.  We discuss his story, obsessing over if he had damaged his hearing and the compulsions around this, starting exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), sexual orientation OCD, zoophilia OCD, obsessing about obsessing, imaginal exposures in ERP, social anxiety, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/nadav-447 The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers...

In episode 446 therapist Jonny Say and myself (Stuart Ralph) do a live podcast with an audience at the 29th International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) conference. We asked the audience for topics before recording, and then did our best to answer those topics live.  We discuss my full circle moment, Jonny’s experience of the conference, perfection, hyper responsibility, how loved ones can look after themselves when supporting someone with OCD, and how loved ones can support their loved ones with...

In episode 445 I chat with Grace Anderson who has kindly agreed to share her OCD story with us.  We discuss her story, real event themed OCD, magical thinking, contamination themed OCD, memory hoarding themed OCD, PANS, medication, therapy, humour, what else helps her and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/grace-445  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more...

In episode 444 I chat with Chris Trondsen. Chris is psychotherapist at the Gateway institute, an OCD and anxiety treatment center. He currently serves as the Vice President of the IOCDF Southern California Affiliate, and is on the Board of Directors of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)  We discuss an update on Chris, what is body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), muscle dysmorphia, levels of insight in BDD, a view of how the brain works in BDD, therapy for BDD, and much more. Hope it...

In episode 443 I chat with Will who has kindly agreed to share his OCD story with us.  We discuss his story, harm themed OCD, OCD that latched onto someone, medication, the OCD theme of worrying whether he has OCD or not, tics, what helps him, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/will-443  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their therapy...

In episode 442 therapist Jonny Say interviews myself, Stuart, about my work as a therapist with children and adolescents.  We discuss how I adapt Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for children and teens with OCD, the other therapies I integrate, self-compassion, how parents can help their children with OCD, what I would tell my younger self, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/stuart-442 The...

In episode 441 I chat with Madina Alam. Madina is a licensed mental health therapist, and director of therapist engagement at NOCD.  We discuss her therapy journey, Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP) as a tool for life, explaining ERP, working for NOCD, coming up with exposure ideas in session, homework, when ERP works really well what she notices, experiences of being on the TV show the Bachelor and dealing with the pressure, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes:...

In episode 440 I chat with Jack who has kindly agreed to share his OCD story with us.  We discuss his OCD story, an early parental loss, he shares themes of harm OCD, sexual orientation OCD, and peadophile themed OCD. Jack talks about substance use to mask the pain, how numbers played a part in his compulsions, being in an abusive relationship, he mentions suicide, attending The OCD Camp, doing Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP). Jack...

In episode 439 I chat with Jonny Say. Jonny is a UK based therapist and co-director at The Integrative Centre for OCD Therapy.  We talk about what are values based exposures, Jonny guides me through an imaginal exposure with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), he goes through the skill dropping anchor, and much more. Hope it helps.  Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/jonny-439  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the...

In episode 438 I chat with Dr Russ Harris. Russ is a medical practitioner, author of the international best-selling self-help book ‘The Happiness Trap’ (as well as nine others), and is a world-renowned trainer of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT).  We discuss his new Happiness Trap card deck, rumination, the skill noticing and naming, he guides us through the ACT skill Dropping Anchor, the problems with distraction, self compassion, and he guides us through the kind hands exercise,...

In episode 437 I chat with Dr Sam Greenblatt. Sam is a licensed clinical psychologist.  We discuss an update on Sam, intersections between OCD and the LGBTQIA+ community, how OCD can show up in this community, including common OCD themes, working with therapists who understand the needs of the community, and much more. Hope it helps.  The podcast is made possible by NOCD. NOCD offers effective, convenient therapy available in the US and outside the US. To find out more about NOCD, their...