Center for Hope & Health, LLC

12/11/2025

Most people picture OCD as hand-washing, checking, needing to be super clean, but some of the hardest parts happen entirely in the mind. Mental compulsions, like reviewing memories, mentally reassuring yourself, repeating phrases, or trying to “neutralize” a thought, can keep the OCD cycle going just as much as visible rituals. And because they’re invisible, they’re often missed, even by people who know a lot about OCD.

Our newest blog written by Dr. Paulina Syracuse breaks down:
1) What mental compulsions are
2) How they differ from intrusive thoughts
3) Why they matter in treatment
4) How approaches like ExRP and mindfulness can help you interrupt the cycle

Read the full blog here: https://www.centerforhopeandhealth.com/blog/the-sneaky-side-of-ocd-understanding-mental-compulsions/

11/27/2025

Just a little do’s and don’ts for everyone headed to a big family meal tomorrow. Save for reference and remember: food has no moral value, commenting on someone’s body is never a good idea, and you never know who at the table might be struggling with an ED. Sending you and your family ease and connection this long weekend 💜

11/14/2025

AI is everywhere right now and people are using it for so many different things. For a lot of people, it can make life easier, faster, etc. But for people with OCD, we’re seeing how AI can sneakily and quickly turn into a form of reassurance-seeking or compulsions, and this can have a big impact on daily life and progress. What makes it extra tricky is that AI is built to sound confident and lean into certainty. It adjusts to what the user seems to want, phrases things in this very sure way, even if it isn't true, and that can have huge implications for OCD. Our Co-Founder Melissa Harrison, LPC, wrote a piece breaking down what this looks like and why it matters. Read more here: https://www.centerforhopeandhealth.com/blog/when-ai-becomes-part-of-ocd-understanding-a-new-form-of-compulsion/

11/11/2025

Our new Somerset County, NJ office is now open! Under the leadership of Dr. Paulina Syracuse, we’re bringing evidence-based therapy for eating disorders, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD to even more individuals and families. We’re accepting clients now! Reach out to learn more or schedule an appointment: www.centerforhopeandhealth.com

11/09/2025

There’s a lot of talk on social media about boundaries the last few years: saying no, doing what’s right for you, protecting your peace, etc. And listen, we love a good boundary. That said, it’s important to recognize the difference between a necessary, personal boundary and something that’s inconvenient, annoying, or hard to do - but still worth doing.

Humans are built for connection and community, and that's not simple work! Being in community is, by design, inconvenient. It means showing up for the family member in need instead of watching the show you wanted to watch. It means making a meal for someone even when you’re tired. It means going to the birthday party even when you’ve had a long day. Being a villager means doing the things that aren’t always easy or even fun, but are worth it because the people you care about and are connected to need you. And when you do that? That’s how YOU get villagers too.

Now, it’s important to make sure you’re not burning yourself out or overextending for others. But at its core, connection and community require give and take. It’s all part of it.

11/07/2025

When you’re trying to stop a maladaptive behavior, one of the hardest parts is getting through the urge. We are wired for routine and consistency, so changing behaviors, especially ones that have made us feel better, even temporarily, or have numbed out emotions, is really hard.

This is where urge surfing comes in! Urge surfing is a mindfulness, evidence-based skill that helps you “ride” the wave of discomfort instead of fighting it or giving in. Urges are temporary, they rise, peak, and fall, just like waves and in a relatively short amount of time (though it doesn’t FEEL short when it’s happening, we know). Research shows that most urges peak within 20–30 minutes if you don’t act on them, so if you can stay present and do-the-opposite long enough, the intensity WILL pass.

Each time you surf the wave instead of acting on it, your brain learns that discomfort isn't dangerous, it doesn’t last forever, and you CAN change your behaviors to be ones that better support you. It’s easier said than done, but we know you can do it - especially with support.

11/04/2025

Daylight savings got you feeling a bit off? Or just had a long beginning of November so far? Tired thoughts are not reliable thoughts. Research consistently shows that sleep deprivation amps up feelings of depression and anxiety, makes problems feel big and scary, and can increase negative automatic thoughts. If you’re running on low sleep, this is your official permission to slow down, show yourself some extra compassion, and maybe press pause on that big decision or disagreement until you’re rested.

Sleep is a key foundational thing - and the world usually looks a little less impossible after a solid night’s sleep.

10/31/2025

Haunted house, therapy edition! Stay safe and spooky out there, friends :)

10/23/2025

Melissa is hosting a live webinar next week! Join her for an hour-long training all about body image and CBT-E. You'll walk through evidence-based strategies for identifying and intervening on maintaining behaviors such as body checking, avoidance, and comparison, as well as helping clients manage the experience of “feeling fat.” You will also explore how to use tools like the self-evaluation pie chart and behavioral experiments to reduce the over-evaluation of shape and weight and build healthier domains of self-worth. The best part? It's only $30 to attend!

Ready to register? Click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-webinar-cbt-e-body-image-module-with-melissa-harrison-lcsw-registration-1708596922389

Next week, join us for a live webinar led by Melissa Harrison, LPC, co-founder of Center for Hope & Health, LLC, all about body image and CBT-E. Body image disturbance is a core maintaining factor in many eating disorders, and a central focus of Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-E). You will learn evidence-based strategies for identifying and intervening on maintaining behaviors such as body checking, avoidance, and comparison, as well as helping clients manage the experience of “feeling fat.”

You’ll learn how to use tools like the self-evaluation pie chart and behavioral experiments to reduce the over-evaluation of shape and weight and build healthier domains of self-worth.

Who should attend: Clinicians and supervisors working with clients with body image concerns and eating disorders.

CEs available! | Cost: Members $20 | Non-members $30 | Students $15

🔗 Register now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-webinar-cbt-e-body-image-module-with-melissa-harrison-lcsw-registration-1708596922389

10/12/2025

It's the beginning of OCD awareness week! It's estimated that 200 million people live with OCD in the world - in the United States, there are as many people struggling with OCD to fill New York City. Still, people have so many misconceptions about OCD and what it means - that's why awareness weeks are so important. Sharing true facts, talking about evidence based treatment, and decreasing stigma helps people understand more and get the life-changing support they need as soon as possibile. Join us all week as we talk all things OCD - stay tuned!

10/10/2025

The world can feel heavy, but healing is possible, and hope isn’t just a feeling, it’s something you can build. Evidence-based therapies remind us that change starts with small, learnable skills that help us care for ourselves and each other.

Here’s to more access, more compassion, and more conversations that make mental health a shared priority. 💚

10/07/2025

This week, when opening up Instacart to do grocery shop, we noticed a new app feature: the calories were front and center on the ordering page - you truly can't miss them. It got us thinking about the ways that this kind of calorie prioritization can be problematic for people struggling with disordered eating.

Now, there are many stages of recovery, and our goal is always to help you feel confident choosing what to eat in any situation. That said, working toward mindful/intuitive eating is so much harder when there’s an overwhelming amount of nutritional information front-and-center, and it can give your eating disorder plenty of material to try to use against you. For someone in recovery, seeing the numbers immediately can pull them completely away from, “What do I want or need to eat right now?” and back to, "Is this "good," is it too much, I can't have that because it's so many calories," etc. making it harder to reconnect with their body's cues or decide what to eat at all. Not to mention that the prioritization of calories reinforces problematic messages like that food is only “good” when it’s low in calories or that eating less or being smaller is "best."

Nourishment isn’t math. It’s so much more than that. If you’re in recovery and calorie information feels triggering, you’re not alone. Try pausing and ask, “What do I want/need to eat right now?” instead of “What should I have?” Recovery is a process of learning to trust your body again, and that takes time, practice, and lots of self compassion.