At my first International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) conference several years ago, I attended a panel moderated by this hilarious guy, Chris Trondsen. I saw him running around the venue that weekend and at every conference I went to after that, and I finally met him this year! Before everything shut down due to COVID-19 we…
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Laughing Despite, and About, OCD: Neil Hemmer
Neil Hemmer is one of those old young people, already wise at 25. He’ll say something so poetic and profound it brings a tear to your eye and you suddenly feel less alone. And then he’ll tell a long story about pooping and the tears in your eyes are from laughing so hard. Like many…
Read MoreAdvocating for OCD on Twitter: Shira Folberg
Shira Folberg is a force to be reckoned with! When she tweets about mental health and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in particular, people pay attention. She’s also started a personal blog about her experiences with OCD as well as a series called Faces of OCD with the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). Shira has gone through a…
Read MoreHarnessing the Power of ACT: Patricia Zurita Ona
When you talk to Patricia Zurita Ona—Dr.Z. to her patients—her passion for acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) comes through loud and clear. She has embraced this form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as a way for individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to face their fears by focusing on what they value in life. Dr. Z. is…
Read MoreFounder of Huddle.care: Maggie Perry
Therapist Maggie Perry presented at the 2020 OCD Gamechangers, and it’s easy to see why: With her creation of Huddle.care, an innovative online therapy program, she is helping change the way individuals with OCD and anxiety get treatment. Feelings of isolation and shame don’t stand a chance against support from a therapist and peers who…
Read MoreTreating OCD Outside the Box: Christopher Schoenstedt
Today we’re getting insight from Christopher Schoenstedt, MA, an OCD therapist with a practice in downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. (Currently, due to COVID-19, he’s only doing teletherapy.) Thank you, Christopher! How long have you treated OCD? I have treated OCD in different capacities for around five years. What led you to focus on anxiety, OCD, and panic?…
Read MoreFinding a Therapist With NOCD: Stephen Smith
A huge hurdle people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often face is finding a qualified therapist in their area and price range—and the key word here is qualified. Too often a therapist includes OCD on the list of issues they treat but they haven’t been trained in evidence-based treatment, or exposure and response prevention (ERP). Stephen Smith, the…
Read MoreTreating OCD With Brass Knuckles: Steven Phillipson
Today’s Q&A might read a little different to you, a little more casual—that’s because Dr. Steven Phillipson and I had a long phone call, and I didn’t follow my prepared questions to a tee. The conversation flowed as it needed to, and I learned just how dedicated he is to helping people with obsessive-compulsive disorder,…
Read MoreShowing Up With OCD and Anxiety: Bryan Piatt
After a long hiatus, Tuesday Q&A is back! I couldn’t be more honored to share some insight from my latest guest, someone I’m so lucky to call my friend, Bryan Piatt. Bryan and I met four years ago when his employer, KARE 11, assigned him to a story about an “ugly Christmas sweater” Target was…
Read MoreA Holistic Approach to OCD: Stephen Johns
Not to brag, but I know Stephen Johns because he loved my book and got in touch with me (I never get tired of hearing from people, no matter how we happen to connect). And let me tell you, he has so much knowledge and insight to share about obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), he could write…
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