January 2019

25 January 2019

Overcoming Harm OCD with Jon Hershfield

Welcome back to another episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast.  Today we have a special guest, Jon Hershfield, LMFT.  Jon has been on the show already and is a favorite among the CBT School-ers.

Today, Jon and I talk about how to manage specific obsessions related to violence and physical harm.  In OCD terms, we call it Harm Obsessions or Harm OCD (if you meet the requirements for a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD).

In this episode, Jon answers some important questions such as: 

• Does everyone have Harm Obsessions, thoughts, impulses or images? 
• Why do these Harm Obsessions bother some people and not others? 
• What is the difference between a Harm OCD  and having thoughts about harm? 
• Are people with Harm OCD any different than those who have other types of OCD? 
• How do we treat Harm OCD? 

This was such a fun episode and I really hope it helps those with harm obsessions, thoughts, images, impulses, and urges (Harm OCD).

Fore more information on Jon’s latest book, Overcoming Harm OCD: Mindfulness and CBT Tools for Coping with Unwanted Violent Thoughts, click HERE.

For more information on Jon Hershfield, visit:

Website: Ocdbaltimore.com

Twitter: @cbtocd

IG: @ocdbaltimore

FB: @JonHershfield

GOOD NEWS!……WE HAVE A HUGE SURPRISE! 

On January 28th, 2019, we are offering our FREE webinar called “10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OCD.”  This is a FREE online video course explaining exactly what OCD is, how to treat it and what complicating factors can occur during the process.   

This free webinar will run daily at 6pm PST for one week ONLY.  If you are not able to attend the free webinar, no stress! There will be a free replay sent to your inbox the day after signing up. I cannot wait to share this FREE educational resource with you.  

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP! 

ALSO, ERP School is COMING BACK!   Exposure and Response Prevention School is an online course that teaches you the tools and skills I teach my clients in my office.  Let me tell you a little bit about it.  The course is a video-based course that includes modules on: 

1. The science behind ERP 
2. Identifying YOUR obsessions and your compulsions 
3. The different approaches and types of ERP, including gradual exposure, writing scripts, interoceptive exposures and how to get creative with ERP 
4. Mindfulness tools to help you manage anxiety, panic and uncertainty 
5. Troubleshoot common questions and concerns 
6. BONUS 6 videos of the most common subtypes of OCD, including Harm OCD.

The course also includes many downloadable PDF’s and activities to help you navigate how to best apply ERP to your specific obsessions and compulsions.  

We are so excited to finally share ERP with you and would love to have you join us and the CBT School Community.  It’s a beautiful day to do hard things! 

If you are worried about doing it alone, please don’t fear.  We meet bi-monthly on the Facebook group and on Instagram to talk about questions you may have. 

Click HERE to sign up.

22 January 2019

Michelle Massi, LMFT, Talks To Us About Managing Social Anxiety

Welcome back to Your Anxiety Toolkit.

After multiple suggestions and requests, we are so excited to share with you an episode that focuses entirely on managing Social Anxiety.   I am so excited to share with you the amazing, Michelle Massi (formally known as Michelle Otelsberg).

Michelle Massi, LMFT, is an OCD and Anxiety Specialist who has both a private practice in Encino and Westwood and also works at the UCLA OCD Intensive Treatment Program.  Michelle works one-on-one and runs group therapy, and has a ton of experience treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder, TICS, Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior’s (BFRBs) and other anxiety-related disorders.

In this episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit, we talk about all things Social Anxiety.  Michelle and I talk about the presentation of Social Anxiety and different symptoms that can present when ones struggles with Social Anxiety.  Michelle talks about different themes and fears related to social anxiety and how there is no one-size-fits-all approach to social anxiety presentation.

Michelle and I also discuss different approaches to Social Anxiety treatment and some fun ways to practice facing your fears and tolerating the fear of judgment from others.  We discuss the use of Cognitive Therapy, Behavioral therapy, and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), as well as the use of Mindfulness and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Also, please get super excited!

ERP School is BACK!   Exposure and Response Prevention School is an online course that teaches you the tools and skills I teach my clients in my office.  Let me tell you a little bit about it.   The course is a video-based course that includes modules on

1. The science behind ERP
2. Identifying YOUR obsessions and your compulsions
3. The different approaches and types of ERP, including gradual exposure, writing scripts, interoceptive exposures and how to get creative with ERP
4. Mindfulness tools to help you manage anxiety, panic, and uncertainty
5. Troubleshoot common questions and concerns
6. BONUS 6 videos of the most common subtypes of OCD

The course also includes many downloadable PDF’s and activities to help you navigate how to best apply ERP to your specific obsessions and compulsions.

We are so excited to finally share ERP with you and would love to have you join us and the CBT School Community.  It’s a beautiful day to do hard things!

If you are worried about doing it alone, please don’t fear.  We meet bi-monthly on the FB group and on Instagram to talk about questions you may have.

Click HERE to sign up.

For more information about Michelle, Anxiety Therapy LA, and the UCLA OCD Intensive Outpatient Program:

Anxiety Therapy LA: Anxietytherapyla.com

Instagram: @anxietytherapyla

UCLA OCD Program: https://www.semel.ucla.edu/ocd-itp

11 January 2019

Steven Hayes Talks Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Welcome back to another INCREDIBLE episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast! Today we have an amazing guest, Steven Hayes.

Steven Hayes is a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Nevada.  Steven Hayes has done so much for the psychology field, writing a whopping 44 books (wow, right?!) and many research articles.  Steven Hayes also developed the evidence-based therapeutic modality that I use in my therapy office every day: Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (also known as ACT).  ACT is a wonderful compliment to Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP), as it relies heavily on Mindfulness, positive reinforcement and using Value-Based Behaviors.

In this interview, Steven Hayes and I discuss what Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) involves and how we can learn to diffuse from our thoughts.  You will find this especially helpful with you have anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety, and Depression, mostly because we tend to fuse a lot with our thoughts when we struggle with these disorders.  However, the truth is, we all could learn the skill of diffusion and Steven Hayes does an amazing job of expelling why.   Steven Hayes also teaches us useful ACT tools to stay present, and the practice of living a life that is based on values, not fear or anxiety.

My favorite part of the interview is where Steven Hayes discussed why our thoughts sometimes link together and how it is completely a waste of time trying to block, suppress or avoid thoughts.   I am sure you will agree that Steven Hayes is a genius and that he has so much to teach us about our brain, our psyche and how we can react batter to our thoughts.

AND…..WE HAVE A HUGE SURPRISE!

ERP School is BACK!   Exposure and Response Prevention School is an online course that teaches you the tools and skills I teach my clients in my office.  Let me tell you a little bit about it.   The course is a video based course that includes modules on:

1. The science behind ERP
2. Identifying YOUR obsessions and your compulsions
3. The different approaches and types of ERP, including gradual exposure, writing scripts, and interoceptive exposures, as well as how to get creative with ERP
4. Mindfulness tools to help you manage anxiety, panic and uncertainty
5. Troubleshoot common questions and concerns
6. BONUS 6 videos of the most common subtypes of OCD.

The course also includes many downloadable PDF’s and activities to help you navigate how to best apply ERP to your specific obsessions and compulsions.

We are so excited to finally share ERP with you and would love to have you join us and the CBT School Community.  It’s a beautiful day to do hard things!

If you are worried about doing it alone, please don’t fear.  We meet bi-monthly on the FB group and on Instagram to talk about questions you may have.

Click HERE to sign up.

If you would like further information on Steven Hayes and access to his FREE mini course, visit http://www.stevenchayes.com/.  Click HERE for more info on Steven Hayes’ workbook Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life, as well as his other books.

4 January 2019

Staring Fear In The Face With Four Powerful Statements

Hello there CBT School Rockstars!  Happy New Year!  

In this week’s episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit, I want to give you the 4 Powerful Statements you need in 2019.  Even though this is directed at you for the new year, this episode is created in hope to get you ready for any circumstance and any time in your life.  

So here they are!

The #1 Powerful Statement you need in 2019 is……. “There is nothing wrong with me”

The #2 Powerful Statement you need in 2019 is…….“I radically accept this situation”  

The #3 Powerful Statement you need in 2019 is……….“I am making the decisions around here from now on” 

The #4 Powerful Statement you need in 2019 is……“It is a beautiful day to do hard things” 

The whole purpose of this podcast episode is to help you move away from a life where fear makes all of your decisions and towards a life where we stare fear in the face and live the life we want to live as if fear wasn’t there at all.   We want to ask ourselves what we would do if fear never showed up and then go live that life while only bringing fear along for the ride.

CBTschool.com has many ways we want to help you “do hard things” in 2019 and we hope that these 4 Powerful Statements will help you move in that direction.   

We are excited to announce that ERP School is coming back in January.  Click HERE for more info.  ERP School is an online course that teaches all the Exposure & Response Prevention Tools you will need to manage Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Health Anxiety, and Social Anxiety.

We are also excited to announce that BFRB School is also coming back in January.  Click HERE for more info.  BFRB School is a course that teaches those with Compulsive Skin Picking (Dermatillomania & Excoriation Disorder), Hair Pulling (Trichotillomania) and Compulsive Nail Biting the science-based tools they need to manage their symptoms and live a full life.

Sending you much love and healing vibes,

Kimberley