Anxiety Therapy L.A.

In honor of the @iocdf #virtualcon going on right now, I thought this was a good reminder to share with everyone. A few years ago I was sitting, listening to my good friend and colleague @kimberleyquinlan talking about ocd at the IOCDF conference (I think we were in Austin) and she shared the above sentiment with the audience. I’m not sure of the exact wording but it was something like this. My mind was blown. It was so simple and yet so spot on. I have repeated it hundreds... of times to my clients - just ask they will tell you. As your mind fills with all the what if questions, please remind yourself that you can give space to the thoughts without trying to solve the problem. #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #womenwholead #therapyiscool See more

I am so excited to share MeaningFULL with all of you. My colleague and friend @meaningfullread did an amazing job compiling these 23 short stories focused on body image, disordered eating, and struggles with eating disorders. Every story concludes with wisdom and a perspective from Alli, a certified Eating disorder specialist. This isn’t your typical self help book - instead of giving strategies for dealing with body image and disordered eating, each storyteller shares their... struggles and what worked and didn’t work for them. She also shares stories from the family member’s perspective. Readers can take what they need from each story. Every story is relatable. Check out MeaningFULL and drop your struggle with body image or disordered eating below. #MentalHealthAwareness #disorderedeating #bodyimage #MeaningFULL #eatingdisorders #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #SelfCare #womenwholead #therapyiscool #fightthestigma See more

I don’t remember where I first heard this quote, but I know I repeat it often in sessions with my clients. It’s so often that we find ourselves in our head thinking or acting based on what other people would think or say about us. We make huge life decisions and really small choices based on other people’s values or what we think other people value. We worry that we won’t be liked, we aren’t good enough, we aren’t lovable all based on these beliefs we have - some based in rea...lity and some based in distortions. Even those based in reality are often times based in distortions. We cannot control what other people think of us, therefore it’s important to remind ourselves that their opinion doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if they think I am pretty enough, skinny enough, nice enough, making the right choice of what I feed my child or where he sleeps, if I am doing the right thing, attending the right school. I could go on but I think you get my point. Only I get to make decisions for me, so why should someone else’s opinions of me influence that decision? The same goes for you. When was the last time you let someone else’s opinion of you (the opinion you thought they might have) determine the decisions you were going to make? Are you willing to challenge yourself and remind yourself their opinion doesn’t matter and make a decision that aligns with your own values? #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #womenwholead #therapyiscool See more

Today I am grateful to be given the opportunity as a mental health worker to receive my 1st dose of the vaccine. #partofthesolution #moderna #covidvacccine #science #mentalhealthworker #thankyou @uclahealth

Allison Stimpson and I were featured on the AT podcast with Natasha Daniels! Check it out!!

Come watch anniversary of Just Ethan!

Life has been crazy. I started writing this post last week and well, you all know how it goes - too many things to do and not enough time in the day. But i really wanted to share with you all. I recently finished reading Andrea Barber’s book Full Circle from Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again. First off I totally fan-girled for a minute because I grew up watching Full House. But once I got passed that I also really connected with the book. I was surprised with how... much I loved this book (i just don’t connect with some of the books written by other famous people) as I expected it to be more of a fluff piece. Knowing people who are struggling with relationships, with anxiety and with depression, this book spoke to me. It felt real. I appreciated how she tied running marathons to the struggles she faced every day. I wanted to share this quote because my clients often struggle with fighting OCD using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and I find myself selling them on this really hard treatment. Me: you need to lean into the anxiety, do the opposite of what your brain is telling you to do and you will learn to tolerate the discomfort and the uncertainty Them: yeah that doesn’t sound pleasant Me: It will be uncomfortable but we are focused on the long term gain This quote applies to ERP - it doesn’t ever not hurt but you get better and better at tolerating the discomfort. If you are looking for a book from someone with lived experience of anxiety and depression I highly recommend this book! Thank you @andreabarber for writing this heartfelt book, for opening up to the world and sharing your story. #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #womenwholead #therapyiscool See more

At the IOCDF conference in WDC my colleague, turned friend @dr.allison.ocd and I decided to start a group on FB for therapists who treat OCD and BFRBs. We had just met and wanted to build a community across the country of therapists and psychiatrists who we could learn both with and from, refer to, and build relationships with. And we have done just that. Because of this amazing group I learned about 6 months ago that the amazing @marisatina had a new workbook coming ou...t. I finally finished reading it (you know life with a newborn and in a pandemic!!) and I cannot wait to use this book with my clients. The ACT Workbook for OCD is a perfect marriage between ACT principles, ERP and Self Compassion. Give a double tap if you have used ACT with ERP for your OCD treatment - either treating patients with OCD or as someone who suffers with OCD. #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #womenwholead #therapyiscool See more

When someone struggles with OCD they often wrestle with thoughts about doing something just in case. OCD after all is called the doubting disease. So just in case I could get sick, I’m going to wash my hands. Just in case I didn’t wash well enough, I’m going to wash again. But when is it good enough? When have we taken enough precautions? There is a fine balance between doing what the average person does, and doing something compulsively or in response to an ...obsession. This was a quote I shared with one of my clients recently. We need to remember that when fighting ocd we aren’t trying to make the worry go away or prove it won’t happen. The bad thing may happen. You may jump out of a plane with 2 parachutes and both may not work, but we aren’t going to add 8 more parachutes just in case. Even if we wash our hands, we may still get sick. Even if we try to go to sleep early, we may lie awake all night or feel tired the next day. We are learning to tolerate the anxiety, the unknown, the uncertainty, the distress and all the negative feelings instead of pushing them away. #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #womenwholead #therapyiscool See more

Thank you @talkbravely for having me on your podcast again!! We discussed anxiety related to work - going back to work, working from home and nothing in between. #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #talkbravely #womenwholead #therapyiscool

We are taught from a young age that it’s important to pay attention to details, be aware of your surroundings. These statements keep us safe and help us to get ahead in life. Imagine applying for a job and your resume has all sorts of errors, you are likely to get passed over for the job because your attention to detail is not good. Or walking while texting and we walk into a pole (don’t pretend you haven’t done that once before!) It is important to be aware of our surroundin...gs. These statements are helpful unless you struggle with perfectionism OCD or sensorimotor OCD. For someone who struggles with perfectionism OCD symptoms you might get caught up in the details. Have you ever experienced thoughts like Things must be perfect or there is no point in doing them? Projects never get started because they might not be perfect. For individuals who struggle with sensorimotor OCD you might notice you become hyper focused on different bodily processes like breathing or blinking. You might fear you won’t be able to not notice these processes or you may think they won’t happen if you don’t pay attention to them. These are just two instances where being focused on the details can cause problems. So what can we do when we are stuck in the details? Both Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be used to help treat these and many other types of OCD. Treatment focuses on tolerating the experience without engaging in the compulsions. Allowing yourself to be aware that the thoughts and feelings exist, notice them, but not try to make things feel just right or perfect. #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #SensorimotorOCD See more

Cross Posting JOB OPENING FOR LICENSED THERAPIST IN LOS ANGELES We are looking for licensed clinicians who are familiar with CBT to join our growing practice. Ideal candidate is familiar with ERP, ACT, HRT or DBT, however not necessary, as we will train. We treat individuals across the lifespan for anxiety, OCD, OC related disorders, BFRBs, Tourette's, and other related disorders The Job We are seeking a motivated part-time therapist with the desire to grow into a full-tim...e position. Therapists have full control over their schedule. The position will enable you to simply see your clients, write your notes, and get paid. No need to worry about billing, marketing or administrative issues. All clients are currently seen online, however we have two offices - West LA and Encino where clients can be seen once it is safe. To Apply If you are interested in getting more information or applying to our group practice, please email us with the following materials: Letter of Interest, CV, and contact information for 2 references). Please email Michelle Massi ([email protected]). See more

At the IOCDF conference in WDC my colleague, turned friend @dr.allison.ocd and I decided to start a group on FB for therapists who treat OCD and BFRBs. We had just met and wanted to build a community across the country of therapists and psychiatrists who we could learn both with and from, refer to, and build relationships with. And we have done just that. Because of this amazing group I learned about 6 months ago that the amazing @marisatina had a new workbook coming ou...t. I finally finished reading it (you know life with a newborn and in a pandemic!!) and I cannot wait to use this book with my clients. The ACT Workbook for OCD is a perfect marriage between ACT principles, ERP and Self Compassion. Give a double tap if you have used ACT with ERP for your OCD treatment - either treating patients with OCD or as someone who suffers with OCD. #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #womenwholead #therapyiscool See more

When someone struggles with OCD they often wrestle with thoughts about doing something just in case. OCD after all is called the doubting disease. So just in case I could get sick, I’m going to wash my hands. Just in case I didn’t wash well enough, I’m going to wash again. But when is it good enough? When have we taken enough precautions? There is a fine balance between doing what the average person does, and doing something compulsively or in response to an ...obsession. This was a quote I shared with one of my clients recently. We need to remember that when fighting ocd we aren’t trying to make the worry go away or prove it won’t happen. The bad thing may happen. You may jump out of a plane with 2 parachutes and both may not work, but we aren’t going to add 8 more parachutes just in case. Even if we wash our hands, we may still get sick. Even if we try to go to sleep early, we may lie awake all night or feel tired the next day. We are learning to tolerate the anxiety, the unknown, the uncertainty, the distress and all the negative feelings instead of pushing them away. #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #womenwholead #therapyiscool See more

Great article about the IOCDF virtual conference

Such powerful images that I wanted to share. This is the art gallery from the International OCD Foundation conference. Please check them out! #OCDCon https://www.flickr.com//157604194@/sets/72157714663549657/

Thank you @talkbravely for having me on your podcast again!! We discussed anxiety related to work - going back to work, working from home and nothing in between. #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #talkbravely #womenwholead #therapyiscool

This year the IOCDF is offering their conference online!! Come join us!

We are taught from a young age that it’s important to pay attention to details, be aware of your surroundings. These statements keep us safe and help us to get ahead in life. Imagine applying for a job and your resume has all sorts of errors, you are likely to get passed over for the job because your attention to detail is not good. Or walking while texting and we walk into a pole (don’t pretend you haven’t done that once before!) It is important to be aware of our surroundin...gs. These statements are helpful unless you struggle with perfectionism OCD or sensorimotor OCD. For someone who struggles with perfectionism OCD symptoms you might get caught up in the details. Have you ever experienced thoughts like Things must be perfect or there is no point in doing them? Projects never get started because they might not be perfect. For individuals who struggle with sensorimotor OCD you might notice you become hyper focused on different bodily processes like breathing or blinking. You might fear you won’t be able to not notice these processes or you may think they won’t happen if you don’t pay attention to them. These are just two instances where being focused on the details can cause problems. So what can we do when we are stuck in the details? Both Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be used to help treat these and many other types of OCD. Treatment focuses on tolerating the experience without engaging in the compulsions. Allowing yourself to be aware that the thoughts and feelings exist, notice them, but not try to make things feel just right or perfect. #MentalHealthAwareness #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare #SensorimotorOCD See more

Thank you @talkbravely for having me on the podcast this week!! Can’t wait for all the awesome things coming! This week I was lucky enough to be featured on x where we talked about mental health, anxiety therapy, being anxious during COVID, my episode of KUWTK, and how to build a mental health practice. Check out the podcast for more information https://podcasts.apple.com//talk-bravely-rea/id1510152586 #talkbravely #MentalHealthAwareness #stuffthatsloud #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare

This week I was lucky enough to be featured on @talkbravely where we talked about mental health, anxiety therapy, being anxious during COVID, my episode of KUWTK, and how to build a mental health practice. Check out the podcast for more information https://podcasts.apple.com//talk-bravely-rea/id1510152586 Right now things are flipped upside down. We are working from home, distance learning, removed from our loved ones and the things we love most. We spend 24/7 in the sam...e space with the same people. It can definitely be hard. We have good moments, and not so good moments. Sometimes our coping strategies work and sometimes it feels like they just don’t help. This weekend I found myself super frustrated with the situation. Just missing the freedom to go where I want, when I want, and with whom I want. I wasn’t frustrated with any one person or with the rules, just the situation. And you know what got to me? Not being able to open a plastic produce bag at the grocery store because I couldn’t lick my fingers to get it open. It’s the little things that we always take for granted that I am missing the most right now. #talkbravely #MentalHealthAwareness #stuffthatsloud #OCDAwareness #LifeAfterOCD #OCD #Anxiety #ExposureTherapy #MentalHealth #FaceYourFear #AnxietyTherapyLA #ATLA #SelfCompassion #ERP #IntrusiveThoughts #CognitiveBehavioralTherapy #Phobia #PanicAttack #BFRB #Mindfulness #Uncertainty #Perfection #Acceptance #Values #ACT #ThoughtsAreJustThoughts #AnxietyDisorder #CBTTherapist #OCDLife #SelfCare See more

We are proud to announce that Dr Lisa Coyne and Dr Evelyn Gould are partnering with PRAXIS to offer a free webinar next week for parents - ACT strategies for dealing with parental burnout. Register here: https://www.praxiscet.com//free-webinar-act-parental-burn/

Check out this awesome new book!!

This week, IOCDF National Ambassador Ethan Smith will be speaking with IOCDF Executive Director Jeff Szymanski, PhD, IOCDF Board President Susan Boaz, and IOCDF... Board Member Liz McIngvale, PhD. They will be discussing how the IOCDF is responding to the COVID-19 crisis. We hope you'll join us!