Raising a child with anxiety or OCD can be a very lonely experience. It can make us feel removed from our friends and family. It can even put a wedge between partners. The more isolated you feel on this journey, the harder it is to help your child. Why? Because your level of support is directly tied to your child’s long term progress. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast we talk about the struggles of feeling alone and isolated and some actionable steps to get that additional support. 🌸...
Jan 16, 2024•44 min
Dealing with our child’s anxiety or OCD is taxing enough, but sometimes there is another layer of stress. Often our child’s struggles can trigger something deep within us. A childhood wound, a flashback, a remnant of something that has remained dormant within us. When these old wounds are triggered we might have an exaggerated response to our child’s struggles or behaviors. Our past and present might get blurred and anger or fear can bubble up to the surface. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival...
Jan 09, 2024•40 min
Raising a child with Anxiety and OCD is hard enough, but when you and your partner are not on the same page, it can be even harder. It is common for one partner in the relationship to view their child’s anxiety or OCD differently. Couples can argue over a ton of things including how to handle their child’s struggles and if and when they should get professional help. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I’ll explore these common struggles and talk about concrete ways to bridge the gap so ...
Jan 02, 2024•50 min
It is easy to lose yourself while trying to parent a child with anxiety or OCD. In fact, it can be hard not to. We might have ongoing thoughts about how to help our child. We might be consumed with worry about our child’s future. We might have dropped activities, friends and hobbies we once found joy in. Our relationships might have taken a permanent backseat. Our health and mental well being might have fallen completely off our to-do list. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I ex...
Dec 26, 2023•54 min
When our child has anxiety or OCD, we are often providing some accommodations that inadvertently grow the problem. As we learn about anxiety and OCD, we also learn about the importance of pulling back those accommodations. This is not a black and white process. It takes time, it takes judgment and it takes discernment in the moment. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I talk about accommodations, how they grow anxiety and OCD and how to systematically pull back accommodations over time,...
Dec 19, 2023•35 min
OCD loves to hang out with other issues. There are many comorbid conditions that go with OCD. Misophonia and Misokinesia are two of them. Does your child feel rage over certain sounds, including mouth and nose sounds? Does your child get overwhelmed by certain motions, like a foot tapping or knee bouncing? Those are common struggles people with Misophonia and Misokinesia experience. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I talk about the interconnected relationship between Miso...
Dec 12, 2023•35 min
Inadvertently many of us make our child’s social anxiety worse. It can seem, on the surface, that social anxiety is an obvious issue with an obvious solution. But social anxiety is much more complicated than most people think. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I outline common mistakes we make that unintentionally make our child or teen’s social anxiety worse. I’ll also outline positive approaches and steps to take to empower your child and reduce their social anxiety. 🌸 Join me for ...
Dec 05, 2023•54 min
Emily and Lindsay both struggled with OCD as kids. Even though they were sisters, OCD showed up in very different ways for each of them. It wasn’t until Emily was in college that she realized that her anxiety was really OCD in disguise. Lindsay was able to support her sister and get her connected to the help she needed. When the sisters found themselves back at home during COVID, a desire to help themselves quickly turned into an idea to help others as well. Emily wanted something to...
Nov 28, 2023•47 min
There are a few OCD themes that can look very different than the rest. Just right OCD and Disgust OCD themes are two of them. Parents and therapists might struggle to find the “core fear” around these themes. That is because disgust and just right themes have to do with a fear of overwhelm around a feeling . In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I talk about how disgust OCD themes can show up and some alternative views being shared about how to treat disgust OCD differently than other the...
Nov 21, 2023•39 min
Most of us want to raise healthy, resilient, empowered adults, but how do we get there? Our kids don’t magically turn independent and empowered once they pass the threshold of adulthood. The magic is in finding the sweet spot between rescuing and empowering our kids on a daily basis. Even if we hit that sweet spot half the time, we’ll be building those skills to help our kids feel empowered. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I explore the continuum of rescuing to tough love pare...
Nov 14, 2023•45 min
No one knows for certain what causes OCD. We know what areas of the brain are implicated in OCD, but the rest seems up for discussion. We need more research to understand this disorder. Some kids have OCD symptoms due to an umbrella of issues under PANDAS/PANS. Research is showing that inflammation in the brain can impact mental health and cause neuropsychiatric symptoms, including OCD. Many kids have autoimmune issues, infections such as strep or have had environmental exposure to things like m...
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 6 min
Annie Gudger was in her twenties and six months pregnant when she lost her husband in a car accident. Her story is one of tragedy and resilience. It is one of loss and love. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I talk to Annie about her journey through grief and the lessons her story can offer us all. Check out Annie’s memoir, The Fifth Chamber . You can also go to her website or listen to her podcast Coffee, Grief and Gratitude. 🌸 Sign up for my FREE series starting Nov 2nd...
Oct 31, 2023•34 min
Ben was always an anxious child, but behind that anxiety lurked something else. It took a stay in a treatment center for eating disorders and eight therapists to finally get the help he truly needed, with the diagnosis he actually had - OCD. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast, Ben walks us through his journey with OCD, from his inability to share his intrusive thoughts, to his unrelenting search to find an effective therapist trained in OCD. Ben is determined to be a part of the effort...
Oct 24, 2023•44 min
It is important for all kids to learn how to advocate for themselves. It is an especially important skill for kids with anxiety or OCD. Many of us feel like we have to go to bat for our kids with anxiety and OCD over and over again. But often we forget the important aspect of pulling back over time to teach our kids how to advocate for themselves. Self-advocacy builds self-esteem and empowerment. It helps kids learn that they have a voice. We can teach our kids to advocate for themselves in simp...
Oct 17, 2023•47 min
Ultimately we want our kids to live a life where they walk towards their anxiety or OCD fears and discomfort. The more they build those anxiety and OCD skills, the more resilient they will become. Natural exposures can help on two fronts. If your child is not ready to commit to formal ERP (Exposure Response Prevention), the main approach in OCD treatment, doing natural exposures can be a great first step. Second, we want our kids to develop an organic, authentic way of dealing with anxiety or OC...
Oct 10, 2023•44 min
Sometimes the anticipation of doing something can create even more anxiety than the event itself. Many of our anxious kids have anticipatory anxiety. Anticipatory anxiety can immobilize our kids and create a tsunami of anxious feelings. Unfortunately anticipatory anxiety can grow anxiety to such a height that it becomes insurmountable when the day finally arrives. So how can we take the wind out of anticipatory anxiety’s sails? It is key to learn how to catch those spirals before our kids ...
Oct 03, 2023•48 min
Parents often ask me if they should tell the school about their child’s anxiety or OCD. The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. There are things to consider. Like does their anxiety or OCD impact their academic performance or ability to function at school? Is there a chance that they will be mislabeled or misunderstood due to their anxiety or OCD? In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I explore the areas to consider when weighing the pros and cons of telling the school about your child’s anx...
Sep 26, 2023•41 min
It is helpful to understand the many different disguises OCD can wear. When we understand how OCD can show up, we can nip it in the bud more often. Relationship OCD is often talked about in an adult context, but it impacts kids and teens as well. I invited Kristina Orlova, an anxiety and OCD therapist and creator of OCD Academy , to come onto the AT Parenting Survival Podcast to help us understand ROCD better. To learn more about Kristina Orlova’s OCD Academy click here . Also, check out her pod...
Sep 19, 2023•45 min
When your child is in therapy or you are searching for an anxiety or OCD therapist, you might have expectations and assumptions about how treatment should go. Often those expectations and assumptions are inaccurate. I invited therapists Dr. Josh Spitalnick and Marti Munford from Anxiety Specialists of Atlanta , to sit down with me on the AT Parenting Survival Podcast to discuss the most common misconceptions they see among parents. To learn more about Anxiety Specialists of Atlanta click h...
Sep 12, 2023•58 min
Anxiety and OCD don’t live in a bubble. Often kids with anxiety and OCD have sensory processing issues as well. It can help to understand what is sensory, what is anxiety, what is OCD and what is a little bit of all three! I always like to bring in experts to educate us about things that are out of my wheelhouse. That is why I have partnered with my friend and colleague, Alisha Grogan, from Your Kids Table. Alisha is an OT and an expert in all things sensory! In my latest episode of the AT Paren...
Sep 06, 2023•30 min
When your child is struggling with anxiety or OCD it can feel overwhelming to travel internationally. How will their anxiety handle all the change? Will their OCD be triggered? Helping our child with anxiety or OCD is a marathon not a sprint, and life should still be lived and enjoyed. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I discuss my tips, tricks and hacks to traveling internationally with kids who have anxiety or OCD. Click here to listen: 🌸 To get in-depth support helping...
Sep 05, 2023•39 min
Often parents give up before they even start because their child with OCD or anxiety refuses to talk. It is easy to think there is nothing you can do if you can’t get your child to discuss their anxiety or OCD. But there is always a place to start, always . Kids refuse to talk about anxiety or OCD for various issues. Here are some common ones: -They have a hard time expressing their emotions in general -They are embarrassed about having anxiety or OCD -They think you’ll force them to work ...
Aug 29, 2023•43 min
School refusal can be one of the hardest aspects of anxiety or OCD. It can impact so many areas including your child’s education and your employment. With everyone so stressed, it can be hard to respond in an intentional, effective way. That is why I brought Dayna Abraham, author of the new book, Calm the Chaos , onto the AT Parenting Survival Podcast. She has a talent for breaking things down into simple steps. Click here to get a copy of Dayna’s new book Calm the Chaos: A Fail-Proof Road Map f...
Aug 22, 2023•51 min
We are hearing more and more about how inflammation is implicated in many mental health issues including anxiety and OCD. But what does that mean? Are there ways we can see if our child is struggling with inflammation? Are there things we can change in their diet or lifestyle that will reduce inflammation? I don’t know those answers, but I do know someone who does! That is why I invited Dr. Ann Kulze , a renowned physician and founder of the Healthy Living School to come and talk to us. Dr...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr 2 min
OCD and Eating Disorders are often comorbid conditions, but beyond that, OCD can cause disordered eating. Many OCD issues including Emetophobia, Moral OCD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Orthorexia, PANDAS/PANS and ARFID can impact our kids ability to eat. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I explore the various OCD issues that can overlap Eating Disorders and some that can be incorrectly diagnosed and treated as only an Eating Disorder. Click here to watch my short Youtube video on Orthore...
Aug 08, 2023•40 min
Shaun Flores was only a couple of years into his own struggle with OCD when he became an OCD advocate. He quickly became a stronger messenger of hope through his OCD awareness work. Recently I had Shaun back on the AT Parenting Survival podcast to discuss how his OCD recovery is going, what he does to maintain progress and how the perception of recovery can be part of a bigger issue. As Shaun discussed his recovery it became apparent how OCD decimated his financial stability, deraile...
Aug 01, 2023•55 min
Going to college can bring a mix of emotions. Many kids feel excitement and some trepidation. But kids with anxiety or OCD can be overwhelmed with the transition. They can worry about being far from home, being independent or maintaining their mental health. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I explore how we can help our kids prepare for the transition to college in order to set them up for success. *** This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the...
Jul 25, 2023•45 min
It can be difficult having a child with both chronic health issues and anxiety or OCD. Often there is a symbiotic relationship between them. Anxiety and OCD can hijack health issues and make them worse. Stress and worry make health issues worse. It is a vicious cycle that some kids struggle to break. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I talk about how to help a child with both chronic health issues and anxiety or OCD. **** This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online...
Jul 18, 2023•49 min
When we are raising kids with anxiety or OCD it can take a toll on our own level of happiness. We can be consumed with fear, overwhelm and the what-ifs of tomorrow. But our child’s journey with anxiety or OCD is a marathon not a sprint. If we live in crisis mode all of the time we rob ourselves and our family of the joy life can bring. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I talk about how to find moments of happiness even during difficult times with your child’s anxiety or OCD (or any di...
Jul 11, 2023•51 min
Social anxiety shows up differently for each person. Social anxiety is about the fear of rejection, criticism or embarrassment, but it goes much deeper than that. The core fear can be different for each person. I am raising three kids with social anxiety and have social anxiety myself. However, our core fears are all different. In this week’s AT Parenting Survival Podcast I’ll explore the many faces of social anxiety and how to craft effective social anxiety exposures based on those fears. 🌸 Ta...
Jul 04, 2023•39 min
