Kimberley Quinlan, CBT School

07/28/2025

Check out this week's episode of the podcast, ARFID or OCD? Understanding the Difference When Food Feels Scary.

In this episode, Kimberley Quinlan breaks down the subtle but crucial differences between OCD, ARFID, orthorexia, and eating disorders—and how understanding these distinctions can lead to more effective, compassionate treatment. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why the function behind food-rel...

07/28/2025

Let’s be honest—recovery doesn’t always feel brave.
It can feel clunky. Awkward. Uncertain.
But showing up in discomfort is courage in action. 💪

Whether you’re resisting a compulsion, facing a fear, or choosing self-compassion when your brain says you don’t deserve it—you’re doing brave work.

It might not look flashy. It might not be loud.
But it matters. Every single step counts. ❤️

Keep practicing.
Keep choosing the hard thing.
Your future self will thank you.

What’s one small brave act you chose today—even if it felt uncomfortable?

07/25/2025

Sweet friend, I know the thought of starting anxiety treatment can feel huge.
Scary. Overwhelming. Maybe even impossible.
But take a breath with me...

You don’t have to be perfectly ready.
You don’t need all the answers.
And you definitely don’t have to do it alone.❤️⁠

What matters most?
That spark inside you that wants to feel better.
That tiny voice saying, “Maybe it’s time.”

You’re allowed to take the first step—even if your legs are shaking.
You are capable. You are courageous. And you are so worthy of support.

What would you say to a friend who felt scared to start treatment?

07/24/2025

Ever feel like you should be fine... because everything looks fine?

You’re hitting deadlines. Showing up. Smiling through it.
But under the surface? There’s a constant buzz of tension.
Like your nervous system is always one step ahead of a disaster that never comes.

That’s the thing about high-functioning anxiety—
It’s not always panic attacks and breakdowns.
Sometimes it’s quiet self-doubt,
exhaustion masked as ambition,
and guilt that creeps in when you finally sit down to rest.

You don’t have to keep pretending you’re okay just because you’re functioning.
There’s room for rest. There’s space for softness.
You’re allowed to unlearn the belief that hustle = worth.

Let this post be your gentle reminder:
❤️⁠Your worth is not tied to productivity.
❤️⁠You’re allowed to ask for help.
❤️⁠You don’t have to earn rest.

What’s one small way you’re learning to rest without guilt?

07/23/2025

You don’t have to figure it all out before joy is allowed in. 🙂

Your brain might be telling you, “Once I’m 100% sure, then I can relax... then I can be happy.”

But guess what? Happiness isn’t waiting at the end of certainty. It’s something you can access even in the unknown.

Real freedom comes when we stop chasing guarantees and start choosing to live fully—even with uncertainty sitting beside us.

What would it look like to welcome joy today, even if some questions are unanswered?

07/22/2025

You’re doing it all. You’re holding everything together. On the outside, it looks like you’ve got it handled.

But on the inside? You’re anxious, exhausted, and burnt out.

This is what high functioning anxiety really looks like behind the scenes—something we don’t talk about nearly enough.

If you’ve ever felt like you have to earn rest by doing more...
If asking for help feels like weakness...
If you’re terrified to slow down in case everything falls apart...

This week’s podcast episode is for you.

Inside the episode, I walk you through the hidden symptoms of high functioning anxiety, why they keep you stuck, and step-by-step tools to finally break the cycle.

You don’t need to fall apart to justify slowing down.
You’re allowed to rest before you break.

07/21/2025

Check out this week's episode of the podcast: The Dark Side of High-Functioning Anxiety (It’s Not What You Think)

Discover the hidden cost of high-functioning anxiety and learn practical tools to slow down, set boundaries, and reclaim your mental health.

07/21/2025

When it comes to intrusive thoughts, the real struggle isn’t just having them—it’s the fear, shame, and confusion that often follows.

You might wonder,
💭 “Why am I thinking this?”
💭 “What does this say about me?”
💭 “How do I make it stop?”

But here’s the thing: Recovery isn’t about controlling every thought that pops into your mind. It’s about building a new relationship with your thoughts—one rooted in awareness, non-reactivity, and compassion. ❤️⁠

You are allowed to notice a thought… and not respond.
You are allowed to feel discomfort… and not fix it.
You are allowed to live your life… even when your mind is loud.

This is the heart of exposure and response prevention (ERP). You learn to stop engaging, stop arguing, and start allowing. And with practice, what once felt terrifying starts to lose its grip. 💪

🌱 Real progress often looks like choosing willingness over certainty.
🌱 It’s a quiet kind of bravery—and it counts more than you know.

What’s one thing that’s helped you feel more empowered in the face of intrusive thoughts?

07/17/2025

👀 “Why won’t these thoughts just GO AWAY?”
If you’ve ever asked yourself this, you’re not alone in the struggle—but the answer might surprise you. 💡

Intrusive thoughts stick around not because they’re true…
…but because we’re unknowingly feeding them our attention. 🤯

The more we wrestle, argue, analyze, or try to make them disappear, the more power we give them. It’s a brain loop that feels protective—but actually keeps us stuck. ⚠️

Here’s the empowering truth:
You can reclaim your peace by choosing not to respond.
Not with certainty. Not with reassurance. Not with analysis.
Just with space. ✨

Let them come. Let them go.
That is how we retrain the brain. 🧠

What helps you remember not to feed the thoughts?
Let’s share strategies in the comments 💪

07/16/2025

So often, we assume that if anxiety shows up, it means we’re off track, failing, or going backward. But that’s not true. 💛

Anxiety isn’t a sign of failure—it’s a sign that you’re human. And often, it shows up most when you're doing the brave, hard, meaningful work of recovery.

The goal isn’t to never feel anxious—the goal is to feel it and keep living your life anyway. 🌱

You’re not doing it wrong. You’re doing something courageous.

What helps you remind yourself of this when anxiety feels loud?

07/15/2025

OCD loves to convince you that your thoughts are dangerous. 🚨

But here’s the truth: it’s not the thought that’s the problem—it’s how you respond to them. 🧠

So many of my clients say:
✨ “It feels urgent, so it must be important.”
✨ “If I thought it, it must mean something.”
✨ “This thought says something awful about me.”

Nope. OCD is a master of false alarms. The more you buy in, the more stuck you feel.

Instead of trying to solve your intrusive thoughts, what if you practiced relating to them differently? What if you could notice the thought, name the fear, and shift your focus back to what truly matters?

You don’t need certainty. You need a new relationship with your thoughts. And that is 100% possible. 💪

Want support with this work? Comment 442 and I’ll send you this week’s podcast episode where I walk you through these common mistakes and how to respond more skillfully.

07/14/2025

Your brain can throw out the wildest, weirdest, and most alarming thoughts—and it doesn’t mean a single thing about who you are.

Intrusive thoughts are sticky, repetitive, and deeply distressing not because they’re true—but because they attack what you care most about. That’s the trick of OCD. It latches onto your values and convinces you that the thought must mean something.

But guess what? Thoughts are just thoughts. You don’t have to argue with them. You don’t have to fix them. You definitely don’t have to figure them out.

Your job?
💡 Notice the thought
🧠 Remind yourself it’s just brain noise
❤️ Bring your attention back to what matters most to you

That’s how you take your power back.

What’s one reminder you give yourself when intrusive thoughts show up?