Mental health

Ep. 94: Doing the “hard thing” is worth it! Life after OCD with Shawnté Johnson

29 March 2019

Life after OCD with Shawnté Johnson

Welcome back to another episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast! Today, we talk about life after OCD.

So often, my clients in my private practice have questions about what recovery for anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder looks like.  Clients and social media followers are often asking me what “recovery” means and how can they get there.  Understanding recovery is a crucial part of taking those first steps towards fear.  

Today, I am thrilled to share with you Shawnté Johnson, an OCD advocate and blogger who not only talks the talk on recovery but walks the walk too.  Shawnté Johnson has a blog called Life After OCD and she talks so beautifully not just about life after her recovery from OCD and Anxiety, but also life before and during treatment.  

In this week’s episode, Shawnté talks about how “doing hard things” is worth it and how she learned to embrace facing her fears and took on an approach where she commits to facing her fears every day.  Shawnté shares her own story and how she chose her own values over fear.  She talks about how she was “enslaved” to her OCD and how she “chose faith over fear.”  

What I loved so much about what she talks about is how fear was motivating much of her decisions and how she found her own form of motivation to take her life back from anxiety, fear, and panic.  Shawnté also talks about recovery being a long game and how she stays aligned with the core concept of her OCD and anxiety treatment. There is life after OCD!  

You can find Shawnté at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterocd/

Before we go, I want to remind you about upcoming events that I am thrilled to be speaking at: the OCD SoCal Conference and OCDeconstruct!  

This Saturday, March 30, I will be speaking at the OCD Southern California 4^th Annual Conference alongside other OCD specialists and advocates.  I’ll be speaking during the breakout session titled Managing OCD Roadblocks: Creative and Effective Tools to Tackle ERP. For registration information, visit ocdsocal.org or click HERE.

OCDeconstruct is a free online conference designed to give those with OCD, and their loved ones, the information needed to understand key concepts related to the disorder so they can get a productive start on treatment. During the conference, six therapists will present on topics including intrusive thoughts, ERP, family dynamics, medicine and more. OCDeconstruct happens on Saturday, April 13 and will run about 4 hours.  

Do you want to get weekly free content from us, right to your inbox?  SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR NEW WEEKLY NEWSLETTER! The weekly newsletter includes free mental health tips and tools, information about upcoming events with Kimberley. and free coupons for CBT School products.  

Ep. 93: How to WANT Anxiety with Dr. Reid Wilson

22 March 2019

Welcome back to another episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit.  You are going to LOVE this week’s podcast interview with Dr. Reid Wilson.  For those who don’t know Dr. Reid Wilson, he is a world-class specialist in the area of Anxiety Disorders.  Dr. Reid Wilson is the Director of the Anxiety Disorders Treatment Center in Chapel Hill and Durham, NC, and is Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Dr. Reid Wilson is the author of the amazing book for Panic Disorder, called Don’t Panic, and the co-author of wonderful books such as Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents, Stop Obsessing! and Playing with Anxiety.

Dr. Reid Wilson is a Founding Clinical Fellow of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and a Fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.  So, I am sure you are wowed already, but wait for it! This episode will blow your mind even more.  

In this week’s episode, I talk with Dr. Reid Wilson about a perspective change and an attitude change from one where we do not want anxiety to one where we WANT anxiety.   I know this may seem strange, but believe me, this will change your whole game when it comes to the treatment of anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other anxiety disorders.   

In this episode, we address the following topics. 

• Why do we want anxiety? 
• What is going on in our brains when we have anxiety and when we face our fears 
• How to get a client to do Exposure & Response Prevention 
• How to Engage the Ambivalent or resistant OCD Client
• A different approach to the ERP hierarchy? 
• How to have a complete Attitude change about fear and anxiety.  

Please consult Reid’s other site, Anxieties.com, for additional information, videos, resources, and treatment options.

Before we go, I have a few exciting events to tell you about!  I’ll be speaking at both the OCD SoCal Conference and OCDeconstruct.

On Saturday, March 30, I will be speaking at the OCD Southern California 4^thAnnual Conference alongside other OCD specialists and advocates.  I’ll be speaking during the breakout session titled Managing OCD Roadblocks: Creative and Effective Tools to Tackle ERP. For registration information, visit ocdsocal.org or click HERE.

OCDeconstruct is a free online conference designed to give those with OCD, and their loved ones, the information needed to understand key concepts related to the disorder so they can get a productive start on treatment. During the conference, six therapists will present on topics including intrusive thoughts, ERP, family dynamics, medicine and more. OCDeconstruct happens on Saturday, April 13 and will run about 4 hours.  

Do you want to get weekly free content from us, right to your inbox?  SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR NEW WEEKLY NEWSLETTER! The weekly newsletter includes free mental health tips and tools, information about upcoming events with Kimberley. and free coupons for CBT School products.  

Ep. 92: Four Massive Life Changes

15 March 2019

Welcome back to another episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast! Want to know four massive changes I have made in my life? Well, here you go! In today’s episode, I will present to you four massive changes that I have made in my life that have changed the way I see myself, the way I spend my time and, lastly, the approach I have with perfectionism and mistakes.  

If you are someone who is hard on yourself, beats yourself up for not being perfect or productive or just for existing, this episode might be really helpful for you.  If you are someone who lets fear stop you from pursuing your dreams or even doing a smaller task, this is the episode for you.    In this podcast episode, we will address time management, setting intentions and surrounding yourself with people who will inspire you and hold you accountable to your big dreams and with the hard struggles you are going through. 

One of the points I am so excited about is my new plan to FAIL MORE! Yes, you heard and read correctly.  I plan to fail more this year.  More than I ever have. As Amy Porterfield says in this podcast episode, failing can get you closer to your goals.  As I also plan to aim higher and be 100% intentional as I go.  

The massive changes I have made in my life have made me into a bolder, braver and more confident person.  I hope they inspire you too.  

 

 

Ep. 91: Intuitive Eating with Evelyn Tribole

8 March 2019

Welcome to another episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit podcast.  This week’s podcast episode is very dear to my heart.  My intention with this podcast is to give you all some direction with food and body, specifically if you struggle with immense fear around food.  This week’s episode has the most amazing guest, Evelyn Tribole, the author of Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works.  

In this week’s interview, we break down some of the barriers between fear and food.  Evelyn does a great job at identifying why there is so much fear surrounding food, addressing societal, cultural and familial rules around food.  We discussed how, for many, food creates anxiety for us personally, or how our anxiety manifests a bad relationship with food.  

Evelyn Tribole discusses : 

• What is Intuitive Eating? 
• Why is Intuitive Eating so important?
• What is diet culture and why is it such an important concept to understand? 
• What happens when you don’t Intuitively Eat? 

Evelyn also answers some questions given specifically by the CBT School family.  Here are a few questions she addressed:

• How can I introduce myself to Intuitive Eating? 
• What are the steps of Intuitive Eating? 
• How do I avoid the extremes of eating? I am either eating “too unhealthy and too healthy as a compulsion.”
• How do I address Emotional Eating or “bad” eating because of a hard day? 
• How do I attempt Intuitive Eating if I HAVE to lose weight because of health reasons? 
• How do I manage the fear of gaining more weight? 
• How do you make all foods neutral whilst also finding joy in food? 
• How do I not get trapped in diet culture? 
• How long does it take to get a good handle of Intuitive Eating? 
• How do I begin to desire and have the persistence to intuitively eat while having an Eating Disorder?
• Due to mood changes, how can I eat when I don’t want to? 
• What is the best way to stick with Intuitive Eating?
• What is the best way to approach Nutrition for Anxiety Disorder? 
• How does Anxiety impact hunger cues. etc.? 
• How do I address Avoidant and Restrictive Food Intake Disorder? 

For more information on Evelyn Tribole, visit: https://www.evelyntribole.com/

Do you want to get weekly free content from us, right to your inbox?  SIGN UP HERE FOR OUR NEW WEEKLY NEWSLETTER! The weekly newsletter includes free mental health tips and tools, information about upcoming events with Kimberley. and free coupons for CBT School products.  

Ep. 90: You Are Not Alone (with Morgan Rondinelli and Molly Fishback)

1 March 2019

Not Alone Notes (Morgan Rondinelli and Molly Fishback)

Welcome back to another episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit.

One of the most common statements I get from new clients when I meet them in my office is, “I feel so alone.”   After waiting and being so afraid to finally talk with someone about their mental illness and personal struggles, they are overwhelmed with isolation and loneliness.  The experience of feeling alone and wondering if you are the only one on this planet that is suffering in this way is a common one.   Given the stigma of mental illness, we are often shamed into keeping our mental illness and mental struggles private and suffering in the dark alone.    

If you have ever felt this way, or you know someone who feels this way, you are not alone.  In this episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit, we talk with Morgan Rondinelli and Molly Fishback about their project called Not Alone Notes.  In this episode, Morgan and Molly share their own stories of feeling alone and unseen in their struggles with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  Together, they joined hands from across the country to send personally painted and written notes to those with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB’s).  

My hope after today’s episode is the you begin to understand that you are not alone and there is a whole community out there who wants you to know that they are on your side.   

Here is a little blurb from their website: 

“The idea from this project stemmed from becoming pen pals with several friends from OCDcon. Morgan was writing back and forth with them and wanted to somehow reach out to strangers with OCD. Morgan loves snail mail because there is something special about receiving a handwritten letter, so she wanted to pass that on to others.

In October of 2017, it started simply as a link to a Google Form on Morgan’s blog. Shortly after, Molly reached out to Morgan with the idea of handmaking notecards for the project. Not Alone Notes has continued to grow as Molly and Morgan work together to send letters to individuals with OCD and related disorders.” 

In this episode, Molly and Morgan get really vulnerable and showcase proof that you are not alone. They talk about their own recovery journey, what it was like to begin Exposure and Response Prevention treatment, and how it feels to be at different stages of recovery.   In effort to ensure that you are not alone in this mental health journey, Morgan and Molly also share their specific steps of ERP and how they are getting creative with ERP.

To learn more about Not Alone Notes, visit: https://www.notalonenotes.org/

Before we go, I want to talk about my upcoming exciting weekend in Colorado at the OCD Gamechangers event that Chrissie Hodges is putting on. I will be speaking alongside other licensed clinicians on important topics about OCD recovery.  OCD advocates will take the stage to discuss the emotional impact that OCD has had on their recovery.  The event takes place on Saturday, March 2.  Click HERE for more information on the event or to get tickets.

Ep. 89: Five Common Mistakes We Make Managing Anxiety

22 February 2019

In today’s episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit, we are talking all about the 5 Mistakes We Make When Managing Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Depression, Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB’s) and any other mental health struggle.  This podcast episode got me all fired up and I loved sharing with you bite-sized concepts to consider and marinate on.  My hope with this episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit is to help you identify the specific areas where you might be falling into the anxiety trap, and then find ways to manage anxiety more effectively and purposely.  We talk about Mindset, Mindfulness and strategic skills you can practice just about anywhere.  

As a Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in the treatment of Anxiety Disorders such as Panic Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Anxiety, Health Anxiety, Eating Disorders and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB’s), I often see my clients engage in behaviors that prevent them from properly managing their anxiety.  It is common for us to get stuck in compulsive and compensatory behaviors that cause us to continue to live in fear.   

In today’s podcast, I go through the 5 Common Mistakes We Make When Managing Anxiety.  Some of these points might surprise you.  Others may not.  This is not a list of the only mistakes we make.  There are lots of ways we can get stuck in the turmoil of anxiety, intrusive thoughts, sensations, panic, urges, obsessions, and compulsions. Please note, that these are 5 mistakes I make when managing anxiety also.  I don’t want anyone feeling like they are alone in this.  I make these mistakes also.  I think we all do, mostly because they are very easy traps to fall into when it comes to the management of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.   

I hope you find this helpful.  Thank you to everyone who has left a review for the podcast.  This is super helpful and increases our chances of getting really wonderful guests on the show.  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbtschool/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimberleyQuinlanCBTschool/

Forward we go, 

Kimberley 

Ep. 87: Kristin Neff Talks All Things Self-Compassion

8 February 2019

Kristin Neff Talks All Things Self-Compassion

Hello there CBT School friends and family, 

This week we have a SUPER exciting episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast to share with you.  If you are someone who is hard on yourself, this is THE episode for you.  If you are someone who beats yourself up, this is the episode for you.  If you need help being self-compassionate, THIS IS THE EPISODE FOR YOU! 

I am so thrilled to share with you this week’s podcast guest, Kristin Neff.  

Kristin Neff is a pioneering self-compassion researcher, author of one of my favorite workbooks called The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook, and is a wise and informative teacher of self-compassion.  Kristin Neff developed an 8-week online program that teaches self-compassion skills to those who struggle in this area.  The program, co-created with her colleague Chris Germer, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, is called Mindful Self-Compassion.  

In this episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast, Kristin Neff addresses what self-compassion is and what it is not.  I found this to be incredibly informative, especially for those who struggle to differentiate between self-compassion and self-care.  Kristin Neff also addresses why some people struggle with practicing self-compassion, and specifically addresses the cultural and political aspects of this topic.  

What I loved the most is how Kristin Neff explains whay self-compassion practices look like, feel like, and sound like.  For those who need a most literal description of self-compassion, this conversation will be right up your alley.  We also address the Yin & Yang of Self-Compassion and how we often forget the Yang component of Self-Compassion (listen to the full description). 

Lastly, for those who find that their negative self-talk increases when they practice self-compassion, Kristin Neff addresses a concept called Backdrafting, and how this is a normal (and even positive) part of Self Compassion. 

For more information on Kristin Neff, visit the links below:

Website: https://self-compassion.org

Workbook: https://self-compassion.org/mindful-self-compassion-workbook/

And lastly, please note that ERP School is available for one more week! 

ERP School, our online course that teaches you all the most important components of ERP for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is  BACK. Act fast because it is only available until February 14^th, 2019!   

Exposure and Response Prevention School (ERP 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 FB group and on Instagram to talk about questions you may have. 

Click here to sign up.   https://www.cbtschool.com/p/erp-school-lp

Ep. 86: The Science of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

1 February 2019

The Science of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Welcome back to another episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast.  

Today we are talking about the science behind Exposure and Response Prevention.  I know a lot of you have a lot of questions about why we would ever put ourselves in a position to be MORE anxious and MOST uncertain.   But, there are many reasons why and today we are going to dive into The Science of Exposure and Response Prevention .

To put it simply, we instinctually we run from fear.  We go into fight, flight and freeze when we are faced with serious, dangerous events. In emergency situations, this is the most sophisticated human response.  We are so lucky we have this response, as it keeps up alive and well.  

However, in our era, we are often bombarded by THOUGHTS of serious, dangerous events and this causes our brain to make mistakes about the imminence of danger.  We experience the thought as if it were an imminent threat – right here, danger in close quarters, etc. 

The problem is that we react to this thought or sensation or urge as if it IS an imminent threat.  We run away, we fight it or we freeze.  

What happens when we do this is that we reinforce that the thought IS dangerous and, because we responded in this way, a cycle that is created.  Fear –> avoidance response –> fear….and the cycle continues. 

So, what can we do instead of fight, flight or freeze? We can stare our fear right in the face.  We do this by performing Exposure and Response Prevention.  Exposure and Response Prevention includes changing our behavior, or response, to the original thought or obsession and exposing ourselves to our feared consequence.  Now, if you hate the idea of this, you are not alone.  

 In this week’s podcast, we address the science behind Exposure & Response Prevention to help motivate and inform you of WHY ERP is so important and HOW it changes our brains.  If you need help with this, now is the time to act.  

ERP School, our online course that teaches you all the most important components of ERP for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is BACK, but act fast because it is only available until February 14^th, 2019!   

Exposure and Response Prevention School (ERP 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 IG to talk about questions you may have. 

Click HERE to sign up.   

Ep. 85: Harm OCD with Jon Hershfield

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.

Ep. 84: How to Manage Social Anxiety (with guest, Michelle Massi, LMFT)

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