Claim Ownership
OCD Family Podcast
OCD Family PodcastSubscribed: 35Played: 359
Subscribe
© All rights reserved.
Description
I am Nicole Morris, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and Mental Health Correspondent. I am here to create a community of support for family members, spouses, partners, parents, adult children (as there may be “adult” words) and chosen family of OCD Sufferers and their community.
158 Episodes
Reverse
In this episode of the OCD Family Podcast, Nicole Morris welcomes back Dr. Michael Greenberg, licensed clinical psychologist and creator of Rumination-Focused ERP, to explore a deeper way of understanding OCD.Dr. Greenberg shares insights from his article “OCD as a Defense Mechanism,” where he integrates behavioral approaches like ERP with psychoanalytic perspectives on emotional conflict and relational development. Together, Nicole and Michael discuss how OCD symptoms may function as defenses that displace difficult emotions into obsessions and compulsions.This conversation invites clinicians, families, and those with lived experience to consider a both-and approach to OCD treatment—one that addresses symptoms while also exploring the emotional dynamics that may fuel them.
In this shorter check-in episode, Nicole shares why choosing rest and regulation over pressure and perfection is sometimes the most important OCD work we can do. When life feels chaotic, self-care isn’t avoidance—it’s protecting your nervous system.She also announces the re-release of key early episodes on YouTube, including conversations on supporting adult children with OCD and navigating higher levels of care.If you’re overwhelmed or newly navigating OCD, this is your reminder: you’re not alone—and there is hope.Full-length interviews resume next week.
After an unplanned pause, Nicole is back—and she’s getting real about it. In this candid check-in episode, she shares why stepping away without over-explaining was actually an act of response prevention, not disappearance. OCD often demands perfection, performance, and constant reassurance—but sometimes the most regulated choice is silence.As 2026 begins, she explores how “new year, same fear” can feel especially true with transitions and added pressure. OCD doesn’t reset at midnight. Still, familiar fear doesn’t mean lifelong suffering. Drawing from her experience as both a clinician and someone in recovery, Nicole reminds listeners that evidence-based treatments like ERP, ICBT, ACT, and medication offer real hope.If you’re struggling—or supporting someone who is—this episode is a reminder: you’re not alone. We can sit with discomfort, choose values over fear, and build hope, even in quiet seasons.
1Welcome to our annual tradition of holiday games—where we raise awareness, build community, and sometimes laugh at OCD’s expense (because, why not?). This year, we’re playing Cards Against OCD: Ho-Ho-Holiday Edition, inspired by the classic Cards Against Humanity—but with an OCD-twist.Nicole is joined by thrice fabulous colleagues and friends, Madison @obsessivelystrong Di Silvio, Krista Reed, LSCSW, and Tracie @tabootracie Ibrahim, as we dive into the absurd, rule-breaking prompts that challenge OCD’s relentless need for control. Spoiler: We do not follow OCD’s rules—we follow our own values. So what are you waiting for? Let laugh, learn and remember that we’re better together!
In this final installment of our OCRD Series, we explore Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) with Dr. Anthony Pinto and two special guests who bring powerful lived experience within the context of marriage and parenting. We discuss the difference between OCD and OCPD, how rigid thinking impacts relationships, and what growth looks like with a CBT Toolbox. Plus, we reflect on the hope available in the lifelong process of navigating OCPD. Finally, Nicole offer a values-based application practice to take with you into the holidays. So join the conversation, and let’s learn about OCPD!
In Part III of our OCRD Series, we explore Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a serious eating disorder that often overlaps with OCD, anxiety, and sensory sensitivities. Host Nicole Morris, LMFT, breaks down how ARFID shows up in real life, courtesy of a FEAST presentation by Dr. Sarah Ravin, Ph.D., on how ARFID differs from typical picky eating, and what treatment options can help individuals and families navigate recovery. Additionally, Nicole provides some practical examples as she provides live reaction to Hannah Lea's bravery on her channel, @MyARFIDlife. So join the conversation, and leave with lots of hope! Because if anything, we're reminded that we're not alone.
BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder) affects millions, but quality education for both clinicians AND families has been hard to find—until now. In this episode, Nicole sits down with Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT—host of the highly successful Your Anxiety Toolkit podcast & Chris Trondsen, LMFT—to get an exclusive overview of their groundbreaking new BDD course with CBT School. What makes this course special? It offers TWO distinct tracks, a clinical training path and a lived experience family track. Chris and Kim give us a bird's-eye view of what each track covers, who it's designed for, and how this course fills a critical gap in BDD education. Ready to dive deeper? Whether you're a family member seeking understanding or a clinician expanding your toolkit, this conversation will show you what's possible when expert knowledge meets compassionate education.
In this episode of our 4th Annual OCRD Series, we explore trichotillomania, skin picking, nail biting, and other BFRBs from two essential perspectives: someone living with these challenges and a treating psychologist specializing in OCD and related disorders.Whether you're a family member, partner, parent, or chosen family trying to understand BFRBs, or someone experiencing these behaviors yourself, this conversation offers real insights into what helps and what doesn't. Special guests, Jason Yu and Dr. Lisa Conway, discuss common struggles and goals while honoring the lived experience that statistics and clinical language can't capture. So join us for the conversation for lots of hope and practical guidance for loved ones and chosen family supporting BFRB warriors!
In this special episode of the OCD Family Podcast, host Nicole Morris, LMFT, wraps up OCD Awareness Month by highlighting powerful stories from public figures like Scheana Shay, Braden Smith, Zane Gonzalez, Aly Raisman, Camila Cabello, and Howie Mandel as they share about their lived experience with OCD.Nicole offers clinical insight and family-focused commentary on themes like religious scrupulosity, perinatal OCD, medication, and the stigma surrounding OCD — reminding us that this disorder doesn’t discriminate, and that speaking out makes a difference. So join the conversation!
Season 4 is HERE! Join the kick off with your host, Nicole Morris, LMFT and Mental Health Correspondent, as we discuss Indiana's first-ever IOCDF OCD Walk sponsored by OCD Midwest. Clinicians, families, and partners united to raise awareness and access to evidence-based treatment. In this season premiere, discover what made this groundbreaking event so powerful and why it matters for the OCD community worldwide. In this episode, Nicole will cover the significance of Indiana's first-ever IOCDF OCD Walk, how clinicians and community partners united for OCD awareness, stories from family members and intimate partners who joined, evidence-based practices that are changing lives and what this historic event means for OCD advocacy moving forward. So join the conversation because we are better together!
In our final water cooler chat of Season 3, join Nicole as we dive into what real courage looks like for OCD families—facing fears, bearing discomfort, and building resilience through ERP and I-CBT. Whether you’re supporting a loved one or on your own recovery journey, this episode is a heartfelt reminder that every act of bravery counts and that you’re never alone. Join us as we celebrate our community’s strength and look forward to Season 4!
Fam, is your child struggling with anxiety or OCD behaviors in the classroom? This Water Cooler Chats episode breaks down the warning signs parents and teachers often miss, plus actionable strategies to help. Drawing from the International OCD Foundation’s latest research, we explore why 1 in 100 youth have OCD, how symptoms can hide for years before diagnosis, and what you can do right now to support your child or students. Whether you’re a parent watching your child struggle or an educator wanting to help, you’ll find hope, validation, and real-world next steps. You are not alone.
Celebrating three years of the OCD Family Podcast, this quick water cooler chat dives into the biggest lesson learned: true support for loved ones with OCD isn’t about fixing—it’s about being present and holding space. Hear a heartfelt thank you to the community, encouragement to keep connecting, and a heads-up that long-form interviews and inspiring stories return August 29, 2025.
In this Water Cooler Chat episode, we explore conditions that can mimic or overlap with OCD—but require different approaches. So join Nicole Morris, LMFT and Mental Health Correspondent, as she dives into conditions that look like or trigger OCD-like symptoms, including PANS/PANDAS, Lyme, Bartonella, and eating disorders. We also unpack how severe OCD can resemble psychosis—but isn’t the same. Learn why medical evaluation is key and when it might not be “just OCD.”
Struggling with intrusive thoughts and desperate to stop them? You’re not alone. Join your host, Nicole Morris, LMFT and Mental Health Correspondent, in this short and powerful episode where we explore why you can’t stop intrusive thoughts — and why that’s actually good news. Learn how response prevention, the heart of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), empowers people with OCD to break the cycle of compulsions and reclaim their lives. Perfect for loved ones, parents, spouses, and anyone supporting someone with OCD, this episode offers hope, clarity, and the reminder that you don’t have to do it alone.
Join your host, Nicole Morris, LMFT and Mental Health Correspondent, as she recaps the 30th Annual International OCD Foundation Conference in Chicago with guests Madison Di Silvio and Angela Henry. They share highlights, laughs, dance floor injuries, and deep reflections on lived experience, shame, self-compassion, and growing the OCD treatment community. It's a candid and heartfelt look at what made this year's conference so special—and where it can grow. So join the conversation!
In this 4th of July episode of The OCD Family Podcast, Nicole shares practical strategies for managing OCD during the holidays. She reminds listeners that intrusive thoughts and obsessional doubts don’t take a day off—but we don’t owe OCD anything in return. From respecting your sensory needs to practicing ERP in alignment with your values, the episode encourages flexible, empowered choices. Nicole also touches on I-CBT strategies to help listeners “pop out” of the OCD bubble and reconnect with what matters most. So join the conversation for a supportive, honest, and actionable water cooler chat for OCD warriors and their families.
In this Water Cooler Chat, Nicole dives into two of her favorite worlds—OCD and true crime—to unpack how our brains interpret evidence. Using courtroom logic as a guide, she explores the difference between reasonable inference and inferential confusion, a common thinking trap in OCD. With real-world and courtroom examples, Nicole shows how OCD relies on imagined possibilities, self-doubt, and irrelevant associations—while fact-based reasoning, like in a trial, asks for direct evidence. It’s a mental mistrial when OCD plays judge and jury, but this episode helps listeners spot the difference and reclaim clarity. So join the conversation, because OCD doesn’t get the final verdict.
Do you or your loved one ever worry that you're “faking” your OCD? You’re not alone—and that fear might be OCD itself. In this Water Cooler Chat, Nicole tackles the painful OCD fear: “What if I don’t actually have OCD?” She explains how this doubt is part of the disorder and offers tips for loved ones to support without feeding the cycle. Plus, we recap resources for those without a therapist, including online communities. So join the conversation, because the fam has got your back!
In this episode of the Water Cooler Chat series, Nicole offers heartfelt and practical guidance for families supporting a loved one with OCD as they transition to college. Covering six key strategies, the episode emphasizes starting conversations early, building a treatment plan, and planning for a care community. It highlights the importance of life skills practice, appropriate (but not over-accommodated) support, and fostering autonomy. Lastly, we reflect that supporting someone with OCD isn’t about protection—it’s about empowerment, connection, and growth for the whole family. So join the conversation!
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States