Anxiety & OCD Treatment Services

05/09/2026

One of the most common traps parents fall into with OCD is trying to use logic to make the fear go away.

And it makes sense why.

When your child is distressed, your instinct is naturally to:
• explain
• reassure
• debate
• comfort
• “prove” the fear isn’t true

But OCD is rarely looking for logic.

It’s looking for certainty.

And unfortunately, reassurance usually only works temporarily before OCD comes back demanding more.

Parents often notice themselves getting pulled into endless conversations like:
“But you already checked.”
“You know that wouldn’t happen.”
“That doesn’t even make sense.”
“I promise you’re okay.”

The goal is not to stop supporting your child.

The goal is to support them in a way that does not strengthen the OCD cycle.

Instead of solving the obsession, try:
✔ validating the feeling
✔ allowing uncertainty
✔ supporting brave behavior
✔ resisting the urge to provide repeated reassurance

Examples:
• “I hate how OCD scares you.”
• “OCD really wants certainty right now.”
• “We don’t need to solve that question.”
• “I believe you can handle the uncertainty.”

This shift can feel hard at first, for both parents and kids, but it can be incredibly powerful in helping children learn that anxiety and uncertainty are tolerable.

ERP and SPACE-informed treatment can help families learn how to respond to OCD in a way that breaks the OCD cycle.

Virtual therapy:
Alabama, Iowa, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin & Vermont

In-person services:
West Des Moines, Iowa

05/08/2026

Mental compulsions can be especially tricky because they often don’t *look* like compulsions.

There may be no visible ritual at all.

Instead, OCD pulls people into:
• mentally reviewing
• analyzing
• checking feelings
• rehearsing
• self-reassuring
• neutralizing thoughts
• testing reactions

And because these happen internally, many people mistake them for:
“problem solving”
“figuring things out”
or “being responsible.”

But compulsions don’t stop being compulsions just because they happen in your mind.

While intrusive thoughts are not chosen, the mental behaviors we engage in afterward can become part of the OCD cycle.

The good news?
These behaviors can be identified, understood, and changed.

ERP helps people learn how to notice intrusive thoughts without getting pulled into mental rituals in search of certainty.

Recovery is not about eliminating thoughts.
It’s about changing your response to them.

05/05/2026

Mental Health Awareness Month reminds us that no one should have to struggle in silence.

OCD can be loud, convincing, and incredibly isolating. It can make you feel like you’re the only one having these thoughts or stuck in these patterns.

You’re not.

OCD is common, highly treatable, and often misunderstood. Many people go years without the right diagnosis or support because OCD doesn’t always look the way people expect it to.

That’s why awareness matters. The more we talk about OCD, the more we reduce shame, increase understanding, and help people recognize that what they’re experiencing has a name—and a path forward.

You are not alone.

04/29/2026

When your child with OCD is asking the same question over and over, it puts you in such a tough spot.

You can see how anxious they are.
You want to help.
And answering feels like the fastest way to calm things down.

But reassurance is what keeps OCD going.

The goal isn’t to ignore your child or shut them down. It’s to respond with empathy + a clear boundary at the same time.

You can acknowledge how hard it feels and not answer the question.

That’s what helps them build tolerance to uncertainty and start to take power back from OCD.

And yes, it will probably make them more upset in the moment. That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
It means you’re interrupting the cycle.

The phrases in this post are ones I use all the time with parents:
• “That sounds like OCD talking”
• “I don’t think it would be helpful for me to answer that”
• “I can see you’re feeling really anxious”
• “I’ve already answered that—it sounds like OCD is asking again”
• “I’m on your team, so I’m going to stand up to OCD by not answering”

My next round of SPACE workshops starts May 13. Link in bio to sign up.

04/28/2026

I join Dr. Bridget Walker, author of Anxiety Relief for Kids (2nd edition coming out soon) to answer parent questions about youth anxiety (link to the video in comment)

04/27/2026

✨ NEW GROUP OPENING ✨

Our Tuesday SPACE workshop is completely FULL, so we're opening a new Wednesday workshop time!

This is a SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) workshop for parents who want practical, evidence-based tools to help reduce accommodations, support their child’s anxiety, and build confidence at home. This group is a good fit for parents of children with anxiety or OCD spectrum disorders who want a practical, step-by-step plan to increase support and decrease accommodations at home.

Here are the details:
🗓Start date: May 12-June 23 (skipping the week of May 26)
⏰ Schedule: Wednesdays at 11am CST for 6 weeks
📍Format: Virtual (open to participants in all states)
Cost: $75/session

You’ll learn a structured, compassionate approach to responding to anxiety in a way that supports long-term change for both you and your child.

Spots are limited. Link in bio to register or learn more.

04/22/2026

Putting faces to the names 💛

We’re a team of clinicians passionate about providing evidence-based care for anxiety and OCD. This post is a quick introduction to who we are and where we’re licensed to practice.

More about each of us (and our specialties) coming soon!

👉 Reach out or visit the link in our bio to get connected

04/20/2026

We heard you 👏 — due to so much interest in our upcoming SPACE group, we’ve opened an additional time! Open to parents in all states.

🗓 New time: Wednesdays at 11 AM CST
📅 Dates: May 13th – June 24th (no session the week of May 27th)
💻 Where: Virtual (secure telehealth platform)
👨‍👩‍👧 Who: Parents of children & teens with anxiety/OCD
💵 Cost: $75/session

This group teaches parents practical, research-backed strategies to support kids struggling with anxiety and OCD—without accommodating the anxiety.

Spots are limited and tend to fill quickly.
👉 Link in bio to register

04/13/2026

We’re currently enrolling for our next SPACE parent workshop, starting May 12, 2026!

SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) is an evidence-based program that helps parents learn how to support their child with anxiety and OCD by increasing support and decreasing accommodations.

This group is a great fit for caregivers who want practical tools, support, and a clearer roadmap forward.

👉 Reach out or visit our website to sign up!

04/10/2026

OCD will try to convince you that this thought is different.
More important. More dangerous. More urgent.

But the content isn’t the problem —
the cycle is.

Once you learn to recognize the pattern, you can start responding differently.

👉 Save this as a reminder when OCD tries to pull you back in
👉 Share with someone who might need this

04/09/2026