Anxiety & OCD Treatment: Amanda Petrik-Gardner, LCPC

Anxiety & OCD Treatment: Amanda Petrik-Gardner, LCPC Welcome to Amanda Petrik-Gardner, LCPC, specializing in anxiety, OCD and BFRBs.

My name is Amanda Petrik-Gardner, I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (Kansas, Maine), a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (NE), a Licensed Professional Counselor (Colorado, Michigan, Missouri), and approved out-of-state Telehealth provider for Florida. I specialize in the treatment of OCD, Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors and anxiety disorders.

OCD Awareness Week is coming up on October 12-18! I will continue to share information about OCD and treatments.Feel fre...
09/23/2025

OCD Awareness Week is coming up on October 12-18! I will continue to share information about OCD and treatments.

Feel free to comment or message me with what you would like to see or learn more about. And be sure to check out the link on my profile for all the upcoming events…

I needed this 🤣 🌮
09/17/2025

I needed this 🤣 🌮

Everyone is invited to this workshop, to see how Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is applied to OCD!I-CBT is...
09/15/2025

Everyone is invited to this workshop, to see how Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is applied to OCD!
I-CBT is a ‘newer’ evidenced based treatment for OCD (by newer, I mean in the last 30 years). It is a cognitive approach that resolves inferential confusion; when we mistake imagination for reality. I will demonstrate how I-CBT conceptualizes OCD cases. Providers, clients, loved ones are all welcome to attend and learn more about this additional treatment option.
Register here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/application-of-inference-based-cognitive-behavioral-therapy-tickets-1508268996169

✨ OCD’s logic is like a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit. ✨At first glance, it looks and sounds and feels right; the shape,...
09/12/2025

✨ OCD’s logic is like a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit. ✨

At first glance, it looks and sounds and feels right; the shape, the colors, the size. OCD is convincing like that. It uses reasoning and “what ifs” to trick you into believing the piece belongs. But when you try to force it into place, it never clicks. It is never solved.

This is how OCD works. It misapplies information. It creates hypothetical possibilities. It misuses your values. It reminds you of times it has happened to someone else.

But none of this is built in reality. None of this is actually evidence.

Don’t force that puzzle piece to fit when it doesn’t actually fit.

What does this have to do with OCD?Well OCD uses irrelevant associations in its reasoning to conclude obsessional doubts...
09/10/2025

What does this have to do with OCD?

Well OCD uses irrelevant associations in its reasoning to conclude obsessional doubts. It applies information incorrectly. Uses it out-of-context.

It says ‘well you did hit a bump’ to convince you it could have been a pedestrian. It says ‘germs are invisible’ to convince you that you might be contaminated. It says ‘you were mad at your spouse’ to convince you that maybe you could harm them.

These are irrelevant associations if used out-of-context. OCD is full of tricks. Can you spot them?

Anxiety convinces us the threat is much bigger than it really is, and our ability to cope is much smaller than it truly ...
09/06/2025

Anxiety convinces us the threat is much bigger than it really is, and our ability to cope is much smaller than it truly is.

Whether that be with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic…anxiety says that ‘it will be terrible and we can’t handle it.’

Yes, sometimes catastrophic things do happen. But those worst case scenarios are not happening daily like our anxiety wants us to believe they will.

Plus, we don’t give ourselves enough credit for how resourceful and skilled we are, coping with difficult situations.

So next time ask your anxiety if it’s overestimating how big of threat there is. And underestimating your ability to cope.

🌱 OCD often starts with a tiny seed of doubt, telling us we can’t trust ________ (insert sense data). Whether that be, w...
09/02/2025

🌱 OCD often starts with a tiny seed of doubt, telling us we can’t trust ________ (insert sense data). Whether that be, we can’t trust what we see, or our common sense, or our intentions, or our character.

But that seed quickly grows, branching into endless questions and possibilities that take over your mental space.

💡 So ask yourself: what are you not trusting in this moment that opened the door to all these hypothetical possibilities? And do you normally trust that, outside of OCD? 

✨ Anxiety Sensitivity ✨It’s not just anxiety; it’s the fear of anxiety itself.That racing heart, shortness of breath, or...
08/29/2025

✨ Anxiety Sensitivity ✨
It’s not just anxiety; it’s the fear of anxiety itself.
That racing heart, shortness of breath, or shaky hands can feel terrifying when we start to believe those sensations mean something dangerous.

👉 Anxiety sensitivity not only plays a role in the development of specific disorders, but also in maintaining them.

👉 Identifying anxiety sensitivity is important as it will inform the treatment approach.

💡 The good news? With the right tools, we can learn to see these sensations for what they are: uncomfortable, but not dangerous.

Interested in learning more about anxiety sensitivity? Let me know in the comments and I will put together a webinar! In the meantime, reach out if you are in need of resources or treatment.

OCD is sneaky. It loves to swap out your reality with a messy, confusing one based in imagination. On that map, every ro...
08/26/2025

OCD is sneaky. It loves to swap out your reality with a messy, confusing one based in imagination. On that map, every road is filled with:
❓ Out-of-context and misapplied information
⚠️ Distrust in yourself and your senses
🔄 Endless detours of hypothetical possibilities

The truth is—just because OCD offers you this distorted map doesn’t mean you have to follow it. You still have available all the reasoning skills to stay rooted in reality. Inference-Based CBT helps you recognize OCD’s obsessional reasoning process vs the one you actually use all day long that’s working for you (and how OCD confuses the two).

So the next time OCD tries to hand you its chaotic directions, remember: you don’t have to take the detour. 🚦

OCD doesn’t show you reality; it only shows you its narrative.Like blinders on a horse, it limits your perspective and k...
08/25/2025

OCD doesn’t show you reality; it only shows you its narrative.

Like blinders on a horse, it limits your perspective and keeps you focused on what it wants you to believe. Inference-Based CBT helps widen your view so you can see beyond OCD.

To learn more about I-CBT for OCD, check out the link on my profile!

(Graphic/idea inspired by Stephanie Woodrow, LPC)

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Topeka, KS
66614

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Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
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Friday 9am - 4pm

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