Search Results for: mental compulsions

#31: BIG announcement and Why You Have to Stop Avoiding

BIG announcement and Why You Have to Stop Avoiding First, let me share some EXCITING news with you! I am so excited to share with you some news about the work I am focusing on in 2018! But first, let me tell you the back story. Each year, I do my best to attend several conferences for OCD, Anxiety, Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB’s) and Depression.   I have had the privilege of presenting at many of these conferences over the years and I often return home in a state of joy, empowerment and determination to help those who struggle with these debilitating disorders.   I love learning all about the evidence-based treatment modalities for OCD, Anxiety Disorders and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors such as Trichotillomania and Skin Picking and using the skills to increase recovery outcomes and improve self-esteem and self-care. However, last year, I left one of the conferences quite sad.  I was sad for those sufferers who attended the conferences and then had to return home to their hometown, with very little support and no evidence-based services but licensed mental health professionals.   So few therapist know how to treat OCD, BFRB’s and Anxiety Disorders using the treatment modalities that are so successful and appropriate. From this frustration, I decided to create an online psycho-education platform where I can offer support and educational products to those who cannot access correct care. I am so proud to announce the creation of CBTschool.com.  CBTschool.com is an online platform when you can access information and online courses on how to overcome your struggles with OCD, Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB’s), Anxiety Disorders, Panic and Depression.   Each course will apply Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (hence the term CBT, in CBT School) and Mindfulness Tools.  These are the exact tools I use with my clients every day in my office. I currently have one course ready to be purchased, called Mindfulness School for OCD.   I will talk more about this in coming podcasts.    Keep an eye out, as there will be more to purchase very soon. In addition to the online courses, I plan to meet at a designated time each month to join with you on Facebook Live and Instagram, to answer any questions you may have and help you along with your journey. More exciting news is the YOUR ANXIETY TOOLKIT podcast is now a production of CBTschool.com and we will continue to provide evidence based tools for Anxiety, Depression and Emotional Dysregulation. Lastly, if you check out CBTschool.com’s websites, you will see that there is also some awesome free PDF’s available to help you with self care and mindfulness.    I am so thrilled to share this news with you.   Feel free to connect with me on FB or Instagram. Now, onto the important stuff! This episode is  a part or an ongoing series where we discuss Problematic Anxiety Related Behaviors (also know as Compulsions). In this episode, we will discuss a very important and problematic compulsion, which is Avoidance. Avoidance is the withdrawal from an object, event, person or experience Avoidance is a common behavior we employ to manage anxiety, fear, panic, obsessions and intrusive thoughts. While our brain uses “flight” to activate us to run away from real danger and stressors, we sometime use avoidance and “flight” to avoid thoughts and fears of bad things happening. The problem is, the more you avoid events or experiences that you perceive to be dangerous (when really they are not currently a risk to your wellbeing)  the more you tell your brain that that event or experience is dangerous and the more your brain responds with physical anxiety when you go to the event or engage in the experience. Example: What if I get sick if I touch that door handle or ATM teller? NOTE: Sentences that begin with “WHAT if” imply that they have not happened yet. If you were my client and this was a common fear for you, and you have been avoiding this, I would have you go and use the ATM bank teller!!    By not avoiding, we unlock the fear response cycle our brain is looped into. This applies to fears that you are a bad person, that you will do something wrong, that awful horrible things will happen.    Trick!!! When I say that….what is the immediate thought you have? But, Kimberley, my fear is serious!!  Nope.  Your fear is a thought But Kimberley, I could ruin peoples live if I stopped avoiding the thing I am afraid of.    POSSIBLY!! Here is my questions for you.  What kind of life do you want to live?  Consult with your values. Do you want to live in fear?  Do you want to let anxiety make your decisions?  Or even more, a thought make your decisions? Or, do you want to strengthen courage and resilience? This is a question we have to ask ourselves every day.  How Do I want to live my life? Take risks!  Look at your life and ask yourself what you are avoiding.  Try to not let anxiety win this one. Find a way to reduce the avoidance. Find a way to forgive yourself for avoiding it for so long.  Don’t beat yourself up. Have a wonderful week everyone! See you next week!

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Episode #15: Finding your Village

Hello everyone! I am excited to share this months podcast, as we are joined by what I call a CBT SUPERSTAR, Sara Vicendese.  Sara is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) in addition to traditional PsychoDynamic therapy. This podcast is based on the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child“.   This phrase is used often to explain the importance of community when raising a thriving and successful child.  We believe that you can create your own “micro-village” to help you along with your recovery. Today we talk about ways to create YOUR “Village” (in whatever form you think is helpful) to help you with your on personal recovery.  We discuss how to find the correct treatment, access the most helpful resources and how to include your family members, friends or partners in your recovery, in a healthy and helpful way. Below is a basic layout of our conversation.  Enjoy!!!  Today we talk about ways to create YOUR “Village”.  What is the most effective form of treatment for OCD, and how do I find a therapist who provides it? Sara talks about the difference between Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and psychodynamic “talk” therapy, specifically focusing on: How to interview your therapist: what questions to ask, how to ask them, and the importance of interviewing therapists without assuming that everyone with a degree is going to be the right fit. How to know what kind of therapy you’re in. How do you find a good ERP Therapist Check out IOCDF.org for a list of therapists who are trained in CBT and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Once in contact with a therapist, ask if they know what ERP is? Ask what books they rely on when treating OCD? (This might allow you to screen them for their knowledge) Ask if they have they worked with OCD before and for how long? Where did they get their training How do you know your current therapy is or isn’t working? Sara writes, “A lot of dynamic therapists will stress that things can “get worse before they get better,” encouraging clients to wait months – or even years – to see the benefits of their work. It’s true that in any therapy, including ERP, you will likely feel worse before you start to feel better…but if months go by and you aren’t experiencing any reduction in symptoms OR if you notice – at any time – that you are getting significantly worse, it is likely time to move on.” What advice do you have for those who cannot find an ERP therapist in their area? Or, for those who can only afford a therapist in-network who does not know about ERP? There are some awesome workbooks out there for OCD. (Mindfulness Workbook for OCD, The OCD Workbook, Trichotillomania: An ACT-enhanced Behavior Therapy Approach Workbook) Ask your non-ERP therapist to read these workbooks (depending on your symptoms) ahead of time and go through them together in session. There are also so awesome online forums (Yahoo groups are GREAT) or online resources such as IOCDF.org, OCD stories etc (See my resources page for more info) Also consider the potential for Skype or teletherapy (always ask the therapist if they are legally allowed to see you from the state they are licensed in, depending on where you life)  What advice do you have for those who want to start ERP treatment, but currently have a non-ERP therapist? Sara writes: “There are really two options here; you can leave your current therapist and start with an ERP therapist, OR you can explore the potential of seeing both at the same time.” Sara discusses the importance of collaboration and making sure that both therapists are in regular touch with each other – to prevent each therapist from working against each other. Sara encouraged therapists to coordinate care and maintain the effectiveness of both. What advice do YOU give to the family members of those who are struggling with mental health issues such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB’s) or Eating disorders? Living with, and loving, someone with these disorders can be extremely challenging and it’s critical that all members of the family are as healthy as possible for everyone to thrive. Jon Hershfield’s book is great in this situation, as psycho-education is so important. Sara discusses the importance of involving family in treatment as appropriate (assuming family is supportive and including them wouldn’t be detrimental to treatment). Sara also discussed how she often recommends that family members seek out their own support – either through support groups or personal therapy. Kimberley discusses to use of the Family Accommodation Scale (FAC) to identify ways the family are accommodating the OCD compulsions. Click here for a link to the Family Accommodation Scale. Is there a kind of therapy can benefit the spouse or parent or family member of someone with OCD or other anxiety disorder, or a BFRB? Individual therapy (and/or support groups) for the family member can be very successful. In addition, there is great benefits from continuing to be educated about the loved ones disorder and get consultation on the best ways to support them though their recovery process. What can a sufferer do when their family member or friend is not supportive of their recovery? This is a tough, but important, question. Being unsupportive can take many different forms, from simply not understanding / participating in treatment to (on the other extreme end) working against treatment or purposely interfering with it. Someone who is not supportive of treatment is someone who is, in some way, colluding with the illness. Maybe recovery would mean that their life will be more difficult for them, or perhaps the treatment itself is hard to tolerate. Sara discusses how she often see families where more than one member is suffering from the disorder – however, only one is diagnosed and in treatment. If one partner is going through ERP, that can stress the relationship if the other partner has similar undiagnosed issues. Sometimes people aren’t supportive of recovery because it is hard at first and requires more energy/work than they are willing to put in. I can think of an example where a parent consistently disrupted treatment for their child because they didn’t want to see them in distress and the increased anxiety in the household during exposures made them uncomfortable. A highly anxious parent may have as much trouble with their child’s exposures as the child – for their own reasons. In most cases, most people get on board given enough time and education. That said, we are faced with tough decisions if our loved ones / friends interfere with treatment. Again, it is important that loved ones be brought into treatment, encouraging them to get their own support, and even the option of moving on from the relationship if it is keeping the sufferer stuck. Sara Vicendese has a private practice in Westwood, CA.  Learn more about Sara on her website at http://saravicendese.com/ You may also see the unedited video interview here  

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Episode #8: The skill of Awareness

The Skill of Awareness Halloween is just around the corner and we are moving into the holiday season. You may notice that you can go the whole day without noticing. You are in what I call Autopilot. Much of the time we are so in our head, we forget to be aware When we experience stress, we assume that something fundamentally is wrong or that a disaster will happen. We become disconnected. We avoid situations. We stop taking care of ourselves. We get irritated. We mentally ruminate. We judge ourselves negatively. For those who have OCD, you have more obsessions and do more compulsions For those with an Eating Disorder, you might restrict more, or binge more, or purge more. If you have a Body Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB), you will spend more time in a “trance” state. Awareness can be a VERY helpful tool to protect us against these behaviors. What is Awareness? Definition knowledge or perception of a situation or fact. concern about and well-informed interest in a particular situation or development. I particularly love the second definition. “concern about and well-informed interest in a particular situation or development” Concern: Sometime means anxiety or worry (but this is not the way I like to look at it) Also means interest The goal is to take more interest in your surroundings or notice the atmosphere of your brain. “well-informed interest in a particular situation or development” Well informed: Rational, reasonable, objective If I think it, it must be true Eg: “I can’t do this” (test, get up, stop a behavior that is problematic, get a new job, go to a party etc). Thoughts without anxiety= no big deal Thoughts with fear/anxiety: Must be a sign of trouble to come Being well informed allows us to identify what is a thought and what is a fact, despite what emotion or feeling it is coupled with. Often, we have thoughts about events of developments that have not even occurred yet. We try to use our thinking as a way to confirm certainty or find the solution. Let me ask you? How successful and productive is your thinking about this not-yet-occurring situation? Could there be peace in not going over every last detail of the possible disaster? Are we using up THIS present moment to find solutions, without recognizing that RIGHT NOW is still and quiet and safe? One of the main reasons we mentally ruminate is FEAR. It’s everywhere. If you have fear, it may not feel safe, but your job is to watch how caught up you get with it. Become more aware of the unrealistic and irrational places it takes you. You can practice awareness simply by bringing your attention to your surroundings. The 5 Senses Meditation is an easy way to practice this tool. One of my most favorite ways to managing this is with the following meditation. The more you practice it formally, the better you become at it. The better you become at this awareness practice, the more you are able to use it during your busy day, or when distressed, or even panicking. It is an amazing tool. I hope you enjoy it. Meditation: Find a position that is comfortable Put your feet flat on the ground Slowly close your eyes, Soften your eyebrows, your jaw, your shoulders, your stomach, your hands, your feet. Breathe in Breathe out Bring your attention to your breath Notice the rise and fall of your chest Imagine that your breath is like a swinging door. Each time you breathe in, the door swings to the left. Each time you breathe out, the door swings to the right. Continue to follow this pattern, just keeping your minds eye on the swinging door. You may find that your thoughts wonder off. That is ok. Just gently bring yourself back to the image of the swinging door as you breathe in and out. Continue to breathe, allowing your breath to decide its own rhythm, and while watching the swinging door swing back and forth gently and evenly. It is important to remember that it is natural for your thoughts to go off towards something completely unrelated. You may notice that your thoughts often go to very scary or disturbing subjects. You may start to go over all the things you have to achieve later today, or in your life. When you become aware of this, just come on back. Come back to your breathe, as your anchor. Gently come back to the swinging door. You may find that you have to do this “coming back” quite a lot. Again, this is totally normal and healthy, showing us that your brain is alive and well. Try not to be hard on yourself for this. The goal is to learn the great discipline of coming back to our present moment and not get caught up in thoughts that are not helpful. Continue to practice this, noticing your breath and the swinging door. Slowly, bring your attention back to your body Slowly open your eyes Congratulate yourself for trying as hard as you did. May this practice bring you strength and compassion with the thoughts that you have. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I hope you have enjoyed this episode of My Anxiety Toolkit. My name is Kimberley Quinlan. This podcast is not intended to replace correct professional mental health care. Please speak to a trained mental health professional if you feel you need it. Have a wonderful day Check out this episode!

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Episode #3 The 5 Senses Meditation

5 SENSES PODCAST Hello and welcome to Your Anxiety Toolkit.   My name is Kimberley Quinlan. A big part of my work as a therapist is to help clients tolerate fear and anxiety (or other forms of discomfort such as urges and sometimes pain), instead of doing compulsive behaviors. In effort to keep this podcast short, I wont go into detail about compulsions. But, if you are wanting more information on compulsive behaviors related to specific anxiety disorders, eating disorders, or Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors, please go to my website under Areas of specialty The reason I decided on this specific topic today is because of the common question asked by clients “If I choose NOT to do these compulsive behaviors, what should I do instead?€. Well, I like to think of our experience in this life like looking through the lens of a camera. When we are anxious, we often ZOOM in on what is making us anxious or we zoom in to our sensations of anxiety. We FOCUS on the problem. We stay zoomed in, thinking this will solve it.   That makes sense, right? If we could just figure out how to solve the problem, we would then fix the problem, right?   But what if zooming in was not the solution. What if zooming OUT was the solution?? Hmmm, interesting right?? One of my favorite activities for clients (or for myself) when anxious or dealing with discomfort involves just becoming an observer. The following meditation is an exercise of this. It is a meditation of noticing. I like to call it “the 5 senses Mediation. I hope you enjoy it. And feel free to leave a comment in the comment section of the blog that accompanies this podcast. OK, I want you to find a place where you can rest, preferably in sitting position, and take a deep breath.   And then another. You are here because you probably are uncomfortable. Something just happened that created a lot of anxiety or distress for you, – or maybe you just finished up doing an exposure.   I can imagine that you are experiencing some pretty uncomfortable feelings. Maybe your stomach is in knots.  Maybe you have a really tight chest or maybe a racing heart rate. Maybe your head is spinning, telling you to “make this anxiety or this feeling go away!” You know from experience that doing a compulsive behavior keeps you in the cycle of anxiety.   So instead, you are here, sitting with your discomfort. Again, take a deep breath and congratulate yourself for how brave you are. After another breath in…and then out, I want you to shift your gaze to your noticing mind. As you breathe in and out. I want you to close your eyes and just notice what it is like for your chest to rise and fall. Continue to breathe at a pace and depth that feels good for you as you observe. Now, I want you to shift your attention to what you hear.   What sounds do you hear? Are they pleasant or unpleasant? Try not to get too caught up in your emotions about the noises. Just notice them You may find that your thoughts drift off, try not to be alarmed or frustrated. This is just your brain doing what it does. Just bring your attention gently back to what you were noticing.   If you find your mind keeps going other directions, that is ok and very normal.   Don’t give it too much attention. Just notice and return back to the meditation. Again, return to your breath. And now, I want you to notice what you smell? Continue to breathe and observe the scents around you. Did you notice them before? Or are you just now noticing them? Take another deep breath, and this time notice if there is a particular taste in your mouth. Do you taste the flavors of your most recent meal? Or do you have the freshness of your toothpaste on your tongue as you observe the sensation of taste. What textures do you notice? So, we have already explored sound, smell and taste. Now I encourage you to gently open your eyes and notice what your see. What shapes do you see? What colors do you see? Are there any particular colors that you enjoy? Or do you notice an aversion to certain colors or textures. Try not to get too caught up in what is the €œright€ way to observe. Just notice that you are noticing. That is all this is about. Lastly, I want to you gently close your eyes again and notice your breath again. As you breathe in an out, turn your noticing mind towards the sensation of being pulled down onto the chair by gravity.   Where do you notice the strongest pull of gravity? Is it under your thighs and buttocks as you sit? Or is it under the soles of your feet, if you are standing? Or do you feel a strong pull of gravity under your back, as you recline in your chair? Isn’€™t it interesting to notice this??? You might also notice what it feels like to touch whatever it is that is close to your hands. What texture do you feel? Is it soft or hard? Maybe crinkly? Maybe spongy. If you like, you might also notice what it feels like for the air to touch your skin, maybe on your arms or on your face. If you find that this creates discomfort for you, gently return to one of the other sensations that you enjoyed.   Remember, there is no pressure with this meditation. It is just about noticing. Again, return to your breath. Before we wrap up with this meditation, I invite you to slowly open your eyes. Give yourself one last breath, this one a gift for with you just did! Fantastic job!! As you continue to breath, go into your day using your noticing mind as much as you can. You might work to just observe what flowers you see as you walk to your class? Or you might notice and observe what it feels like for your hands to grip your fork as you eat? OR maybe you just notice your breath, going in and out of your chest. Enjoy your day! Please note that this podcast should not be a substitute for professional mental health care. Please speak with a professional mental health care provider for information on what tools would best suit you. Check out this episode!

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Symptoms and Treatment of Hypochondria (Health Anxiety)

Symptoms and Treatment of Hypochondria (Health Anxiety) When someone is sick or feeling unwell, they may feel some nervousness or anxiety about their health and the consequences of their symptoms. However, for those with Health Anxiety (also known as Hypochondria or Hypochondriacal Disorder), whether there is a medical condition or not, these fears become overwhelming and can consume hours of one’s day. They experience intense worries about their health, their mental health and, in some cases, the health of their loved ones. Common Symptoms of Hypochondria If you have ever wondered “Am I a Hypochondriac?”, you might find the list of symptoms below helpful. We have included several case studies throughout this article, so you can gain a clear understanding and definition of hypochondria. People with health anxiety will commonly spend long periods of time doing compulsive behaviors (both physical and mental). These behaviors are done to reduce anxiety and manage the uncertainty they experience.

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder- Symptoms and Treatment for OCD What is OCD?Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that involves obsessive thoughts, feelings, sensations, urges, and compulsive behaviors.An obsession involves intrusive and unwanted thoughts that create significant anxiety, uncertainty, and discomfort. Most people with OCD will report that their obsessions greatly impact their quality of life and make it hard to cope with daily life.A compulsion is an overt or covert repetitive behavior done in an attempt to reduce the anxiety and uncertainty created by intrusive thoughts. These compulsions are very time-consuming and only reinforce the obsession.

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Compassionate, Science-Based Treatment for OCD, Anxiety Disorders, & OCD-Related Disorders Contact Us Specialties Anxiety Disorders OCD Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors Eating Disorders Anxiety disorders are the most common psychiatric illnesses affecting children and adults, according to statistics from the Anxiety And Depression Association of America (ADAA.org). Approximately 40 million American adults suffer from anxiety disorders with only one-third of those receiving treatment. Learn more Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involves obsessions AND compulsions. An obsession is an intrusive and unwanted thought that creates significant anxiety and discomfort. A compulsion is an overt or covert behavior done in attempt to reduce the discomfort of intrusive thoughts and feelings. Learn more It is estimated that approximately 2-5% of the general public suffer from trichotillomania and approximately 5% from skin picking.   Unfortunately, very few health and mental health professionals are educated and trained about effective treatment for these Body Focused Repetitive Disorders. Learn more Eating Disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness with at least one person dying every 62 minutes as a direct result of an eating disorder, according to statistics by National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD.org). In the United States, at least 30 million people of all genders and ages suffer from an eating disorder. Learn more Kimberley has been featured in Who We Treat Children Teens Adults Our Team Each of our therapists are highly trained in the treatment of OCD, Anxiety Disorders, Body-focused repetitive behaviors and Eating Disorders.  We care deeply about your well-being and are honored to be a part of your recovery journey. Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist MFC#121196 Lacey holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from California Lutheran University and a Master of Arts in Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Phillips Graduate University. She began her career in psychology working for various Department of Mental Health contracted programs in both Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. (more…) Meet Lacey Jimenez Melissa Martin, LMFT Marriage and Family Therapist LMFT#91285 Melissa is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and earned her degree from Phillips Graduate Institute. She has been working in the mental health field for over 12 years and is passionate about working collaboratively with her clients to utilize their strengths to overcome obstacles to living their authentic life. (more…) Meet Melissa Martin, LMFT Lindsey Torres, Licensed Clinical Social Worker LCSW#67591 Lindsey is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and earned her degree from the University of Southern California in 2011. Before transitioning to private practice she worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Lindsey is a certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist with the Academy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). She is also trained in the practice of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). She served as the clinical team leader of a DBT program and a group CBT program for LA County for many years. (more…) Meet Lindsey Torres Laurie Finberg, LMFT Laurie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California & Arizona. She earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University. Laurie is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Response Prevention to help treat OCD and Anxiety Disorders. Before finding this specialty, Laurie worked as a clinician at Promises Treatment Centers, a renowned mental health and drug rehabilitation facility. Laurie also treats Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors such as Trichotillomania (hair pulling) and Compulsive Skin Picking (Excoriation Disorder) using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Habit Reversal Training. (more…) Meet Laurie Finberg Charity Wabuke MFC#87592 Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Focus: Charity is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Azusa Pacific University.  She has been working in the mental health field for over 11 years with several of those years working for Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. (more…) Meet Charity Wabuke Cheri GarzaLicensed Marriage and Family Therapist Cheri is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and earned her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Antioch University in 2016. Cheri also earned her Bachelor of Psychology from California. State University, Northridge. Cheri has specialized training in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, and Eating Disorders. Cheri is intensively trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention, specifically working with children, teens, and adults.   Cheri’s approach is highly collaborative and she remains committed to the delivery of evidence-based treatment to help clients reach their goals.  Cheri has extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, OCD spectrum disorders and Eating Disorders.  Chari also treats Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors such as Trichotillomania (hair pulling) and Compulsive Skin Picking (Excoriation Disorder) using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Habit Reversal Training. Meet Cheri Maren Sullivan, LCSW#25277 Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Maren is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and earned her master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Southern California in 2006. She has been working in the mental health field for over 12 years, several of those years working for Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. Maren is intensively trained in the practice of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and served as the clinical leader of a comprehensive DBT program for LA County for many years before transitioning to private practice. Maren’s approach is highly collaborative and she remains committed to the delivery of evidence-based treatment to help clients reach their goals. Maren has extensive training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD, OCD spectrum disorders and Eating Disorders. Maren also treats Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors such as Trichotillomania (hair pulling) and Compulsive Skin Picking (Excoriation Disorder) using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Habit Reversal Training. Meet Maren Sullivan Will Owens, MFC#91638 Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Focus Will is highly trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors and Eating Disorders. Will uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for the treatment of OCD and OCD Spectrum Disorders such as Panic, Social Anxiety, Phobias, Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Hypochondria.  Will uses a comprehensive treatment model called Habit Reversal Training (HRT) for Trichotillomania and Excoriation Disorder (skin Picking). Will also includes complementary treatments such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Compassion Focused Therapy to tailor a treatment plan that is specific to her client’s needs. Will provides treatment for the greater Los Angeles County area, San Fernando Valley area and Ventura County area, including Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Hidden Hills, Bell Canyon, Encino, Tarzana, Agoura, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Oak Park and Malibu. Meet Will Owens Click here to contact us BLOG Latest News & Podcasts Managing the “Build Up” of Anxiety and Uncertainty | Ep. 395 If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by anxiety and uncertainty, leading to an emotional explosion, this one is just fo Foods That Increase Anxiety (and Foods That Help with Anxiety) – with Heather Lilico | Ep. 409  In this episode, holistic nutritionist Heather Lilico shares practical insights on how food choices can help mana How to Overcome the Fear of Medical Procedures (A Therapist’s Guide) | Ep. 408 In this episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit, Kimberley Quinlan guides listeners through practical strategies for managing th

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