Story: Reed Amber (#383)

In episode 383 I chat with Reed Amber who has kindly shared her story with us. Reed is a Sex Educator, Sex Worker and co-founder of ComeCurious and host of the award-winning F**ks Given podcast. 

We discuss her story, needing to have order in her life, relying on drugs to cope, resistance to therapy, health anxiety, IBS, depersonalisation and derealisation, making peace with the shadow parts of herself, intrusive thoughts and images, OCD and sex, the inner compassionate voice, facing her fears, panic attacks, and much more. Hope it helps. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/reed-383

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 plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Thanks to all our patrons for supporting our work. This podcast episode is available as a video recording on our Patreon. To sign up to our Patreon and to check out the other benefits you’ll receive as a Patron, visit: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast 

Professor David Veale and Dr Rob Willson: Overcoming Health Anxiety (#382)

In episode 382 I chat with Professor David Veale and Dr Rob Willson (PhD). David is a consultant psychiatrist specialising in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Rob is a Cognitive Behaviour Therapist.

We discuss an update on them, what is health anxiety, the episodic nature of health anxiety, the similarities and differences between health anxiety and OCD, death anxiety, the 2nd edition of their book Overcoming Health Anxiety, some of the worries and safety behaviours within health anxiety, compassion focused therapy (CFT), exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), and much more. Hope it helps.  

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/david-and-rob-382 

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 plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Join our Patreon to see the video versions of the podcast ad-free and other perks: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast

Rich Gallagher: Disgust-Based OCD (#281)

In episode 381 I chat with Rich Gallagher. Rich is a therapist (LMFT) based in Ithaca, NY. He is the author of numerous self-help books including The Anxiety Journal (Rockridge Press, 2022), Stress-Free Small Talk (Rockridge Press, 2019), How to Tell Anyone Anything (AMACOM/HarperCollins, 2009), and many others.

We discuss Rich’s therapy journey and OCD story, disgust-based OCD, the neurobiology of disgust and what this means for exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), adapting ERP for disgust, a judicious use of safety behaviours, good vs bad safety behaviours, where to start when everything feels contaminated, and much more. Hope it helps. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/rich-381 

For the month of May, NOCD is offering a reduced rate of $100 USD per session, available to a limited number of new members, to help more people receive life-changing treatment. To get started and access this opportunity while it’s available, schedule a free call with the NOCD team today at learn.nocd.com/OCDStories. 

Join our Patreon to see the video versions of the podcast ad-free and other perks: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast

Dr Sam Greenblatt: What can therapy change? (#380)

In episode 380 I chat with Dr Sam Greenblatt. Sam is a licensed clinical psychologist. 

We discuss what is new with him, OCD metaphors, what therapy for OCD can change, the difference between pain and suffering, reducing suffering, intensity, duration, frequency, and content. As well as much more. Hope it helps.   

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/sam-380 

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 plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Join our Patreon to see the video versions of the podcast ad-free and other perks: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast

Nate Gruner: Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) for OCD (#379)

In episode 379 I chat with Nate Gruner. Nate is a staff Behavioral Therapist at McLean OCD institute. 

I chat with Nate about functional analytic psychotherapy (FAP), the history of FAP, what is FAP, the 5 rules of FAP, why FAP may be helpful for people with OCD, content vs process, the principles of awareness, courage and love. Nate shares some client examples where he has used FAP with OCD, and much more. Hope it helps. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/nate-379 

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 plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Thanks to all our patrons for supporting our work. This podcast episode is available as a video recording on our Patreon. To sign up to our Patreon and to check out the other benefits you’ll receive as a Patron, visit: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast

Dr Jonathan Hoffman and Dr Katia Moritz: How the sausage is made – Behind the scenes of an OCD treatment centre

In this midweek special episode I chat with Dr Jonathan Hoffman and Dr Katia Moritz of the Neurobehavioral Institute (NBI) in Florida. 

In this episode we discuss what goes on behind the scenes of an OCD treatment centre, how the NBI team work together, what an average day looks like, how the clinic operates, and much more. Hope it helps.  

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/nbi-3

The midweek special episodes which go out at the end of the month on a Wednesday are made possible by and in partnership with the Neurobehavioral Institute (NBI) in Florida. I will be interviewing different members of their clinical team on a range of topics. NBI specialise in treatment and programs for anxiety, OCD, comorbidities, and complex cases. They also offer an intensive outpatient program, and a residential program called the NBI Ranch: A supportive living experience that complements intensive treatment for Anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Related Disorders.

To find out more about their intensive outpatient services, or the NBI ranch, as well as to read some of their free information online about OCD via their blog, click here to find out more: https://www.nbiweston.com/

Eva Surawy Stepney: The history of intrusive thoughts (#378)

In episode 378 I chat with Eva Surawy Stepney. Eva is a research student studying for her PhD at the University of Sheffield. Her thesis title is, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the foundations of ‘evidence-based’ practice in British Psychology, 1948-1990.

I chat with Eva about the history of intrusive thoughts. Hope it helps. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/eva-388

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 plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Join our Patreon to see the video versions of the podcast ad-free and other perks: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast

Mike Heady: Inference-based Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (I-CBT) (#377)

In episode 377 I chat with Mike Heady. Mike (LCPC) is the Co-Owner & Co-Director of the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland where he has specialized in the treatment of OCD, anxiety disorders, and related conditions for the last 16-years. He is a faculty member of the IOCDF’s Training Institute and is a regular presenter at annual conferences for the IOCDF and ADAA. 

We discuss what’s new with him, what is inference-based cognitive behavioural therapy (I-CBT), the name change from inference-based therapy (IBT) to I-CBT, what I-CBT therapy looks like for OCD, inferential confusion, doubt, the concept of reality sensing, can I-CBT be integrated with exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), vulnerable self themes, and much more. Hope it helps.

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/mike-377 

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 plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Join our Patreon to see the video versions of the podcast ad-free and other perks: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast

Story: Ellen (#376)

In episode 376 I chat with Ellen who has kindly shared her story with us. 

We discuss pocd, intrusive thoughts, self harm, experiencing sexual abuse as a child, going to inpatient and residential treatment, sexual intimacy while having intrusive thoughts, a suicide attempt, getting an OCD diagnosis, arousal non-concordance, shame, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), compassion, the idea of hope, and much more. Hope it helps. 

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/ellen-376

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 plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Join our Patreon to see the video versions of the podcast ad-free and other perks: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast

Dr Steven Phillipson: All spikes are created equal, however
 (#375)

In episode 375 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 why all OCD spikes are created equal, the different spikes themes Steve has found that may respond differently to therapy, we talk about certain themes of OCD: olfactory obsessions, metaphysical contamination, responsibility, just right, relationship, existential, and OCD staring. Steve shares his proof of an OCD god (this is a joke), ‘PTSD’ from the initial onset of OCD, and more. Hope it helps.

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/steve-375

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 plans and if they currently take your insurance head over to https://go.treatmyocd.com/theocdstories

Join our Patreon to see the video versions of the podcast ad-free and other perks: https://www.patreon.com/theocdstoriespodcast