When Your Child with Moral OCD Worries About Witnessing Others’ Bad Behavior

When Your Child with Moral OCD Worries About Witnessing Others’ Bad Behavior

Is your child overwhelmed by guilt or anxiety after hearing someone curse, gossip, or break a rule? Do they feel responsible for what others do—even when it has nothing to do with them? This could be a sign of moral OCD, a type of OCD that creates distressing intrusive thoughts tied to morality, ethics, and being “good.”

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Contamination OCD around Semen (the thing no one wants to talk about)

Contamination OCD around Semen (the thing no one wants to talk about)

When OCD latches onto themes that feel embarrassing or “gross,” kids often shut down. But avoiding the topic feeds the shame and the cycle. This week’s YouTube video speaks directly to them — with clarity, compassion, and hope.

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PSP 411: When Your Child’s OCD Says a Loved One is Contaminated

PSP 411: When Your Child’s OCD Says a Loved One is Contaminated

There is nothing more disruptive and upsetting than OCD latching on to a loved one. Contamination isn’t just about germs – it can be about people, people our kids love. Families get thrown into chaos when OCD decides a parent or sibling is the source of contamination.

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Why OCD Makes Your Child Doubt Everything (Teach Them How to Fight Back!)

Why OCD Makes Your Child Doubt Everything (Teach Them How to Fight Back!)

Has your child ever known something was true but still felt unsure? Like, “Did I cheat on that test?” or “What if I accidentally said something bad?” That’s OCD creating doubt—over and over again!

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PSP 407: Helping Kids with OCD and Magical Thinking

PSP 407: Helping Kids with OCD and Magical Thinking

OCD can convince our kids that they have control over the uncontrollable. That is at the heart of magical thinking OCD compulsions. Magical thinking is when OCD convinces a person that if they do or don’t do something – they can prevent something from happening.

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The Vicious Cycle of Nausea, Anxiety and OCD

The Vicious Cycle of Nausea, Anxiety and OCD

Nausea is front and center for SO many themes related to anxiety and OCD. Feeling nauseous when you are anxious is incredibly common. So it is not surprising that anxiety, and even OCD, hijack that sensation and make it a theme in and of itself.

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PSP 398: Handling Your Child’s Anxiety, OCD and Christmas Break

PSP 398: Handling Your Child’s Anxiety, OCD and Christmas Break

Just because it is the holiday season doesn’t mean our child’s anxiety and OCD take a break. The holidays can stir up a variety of issues for our kids depending on their particular anxiety and OCD themes. 

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PSP 396: A New OCD Tool to Help Kids Practice Their Skills at Home

PSP 396: A New OCD Tool to Help Kids Practice Their Skills at Home

Often it is hard to get our kids into OCD therapy, and when we do, it can be an uphill battle to get them to practice those skills in between sessions. That is why I’m so excited to offer another tool to your at-home toolbox! 

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What’s Your Child’s Ground Zero for Their Contamination OCD?

What’s Your Child’s Ground Zero for Their Contamination OCD?

Contamination OCD is one of the most debilitating OCD themes because it can get out of control pretty quickly. When OCD tells you that you cannot touch something it starts an avalanche of rules and hypervigilance that can take over your life.

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PSP 383: The Power of Celebrating Small Wins with Anxiety or OCD

PSP 383: The Power of Celebrating Small Wins with Anxiety or OCD

Anxiety and OCD can create hopelessness. It can feel like such an overwhelming task to overcome these struggles. Often we focus on the end goal.

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Does OCD Make Your Child Worry They Are Going Crazy? (They’re not alone).

Does OCD Make Your Child Worry They Are Going Crazy? (They’re not alone).

OCD has the power to make us feel anything, including crazy. OCD can make us doubt anything, including our sanity. One of OCD’s sneakiest themes is the fear of going crazy.

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Does OCD Make Your Child Worry They’ll Get Poisoned?!

Does OCD Make Your Child Worry They’ll Get Poisoned?!

OCD loves to make our kids worry. It can make them doubt everything, including their safety. A common OCD fear is that they might get poisoned. This can look different for each person, but the main fear is the same. 

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PSP 373: Should my Teen with OCD Watch Turtles All the Way Down?

PSP 373: Should my Teen with OCD Watch Turtles All the Way Down?

John Green’s new movie Turtles All the Way Down goes a long way in helping the OCD community educate the world about OCD. But should your child or teen with OCD see the movie?

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Helping Kids Understand the Use of Imaginal Scripts to Get OCD Relief

Helping Kids Understand the Use of Imaginal Scripts to Get OCD Relief

OCD tools are not as effective if kids don’t understand why we are using them. That’s the reason I start with educating kids on the WHY around exposures and other OCD tools before we start.

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Is Anxiety or OCD Overwhelming Your Child?

Is Anxiety or OCD Overwhelming Your Child?

Anxiety and OCD are overwhelming. They can be so overwhelming that your child might not want to even try to work on their anxiety or OCD. But there is always hope. 

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