How can I be absolutely certain……? ….that I turned the stove off before I left the house? ….that I WON’T be exposed to deadly bacteria after touching a public doorknob? ….that I WON’T actually fulfill the image in my head about pushing someone into…
One issue that suffers of Harm OCD should be aware of is the fact that many people are not well informed about this form of OCD, and often misinformed about OCD in general. As with many things that require experience and expertise, correctly diagnosing and…
Harm OCD is an extremely distressing subtype of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder that can have debilitating effects on one’s mental health. To briefly review, in Part 1 of this series, we outlined some of the core themes of Control, Certainty, Responsibility/Guilt, and Character, which Harm OCD sufferers…
Postpartum depression is a phenomenon that may be familiar to many, even those who do not have children of their own. However, much less widely known or discussed is the anguish of Anxiety or OCD in the Perinatal and Postpartum stages, which affects an estimated…
Very few things are considered as morally egregious and devastating as the inappropriate sexual treatment of minors – and for good reasons of course. The term Pedophilia is used to refer to individuals who experience recurrent and intense sexually arousing fantasies, urges, or behaviors involving…
Harm OCD is a common subtype of OCD in which the sufferer has unwanted and intrusive thoughts of doing something harmful to oneself, or to someone else. This form of OCD is often especially troubling because it can cause someone to question their own basic…
Recently, Dr. Martin Hsia spoke with Natasha Daniels of the Anxious Toddlers to Teens online community to discuss important aspects and examples of Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP) in treatment for OCD. The interview addresses the differences and overlaps between Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and…
This past month, CBT SoCal’s Clinical Director, Dr. Martin Hsia, gave a lecture on Understanding and Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) for the San Fernando Valley Society for Clinical Social Work. The presentation awarded continuing education units for attendees, and addressed the various types of OCD…
This past month, CBT SoCal’s Melody Jazeb, Kristin Howard, and Martin Hsia attended the fourth annual OCD SoCal conference at Mariner’s Church in Irvine, CA. The conference was the association’s most well attended to date, as Jeff Sparr, artist, speaker, and OCD sufferer, used his…
This past week, CBT SoCal’s Dr. Martin Hsia was invited to speak at a Lunch and Learn event at Fusion Academy in Pasadena. The presentation was titled “Beyond Perfectionism and Washing Hands: Hope for OCD in all forms,” and can be viewed via the Facebook…
Most of us have heard of obsessive compulsive disorder? However, what is obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD)? Stuart Ralph, host of The OCD Stories podcast, interviewed clinical psychologist Dr. Steven Phillipson about the difference between OCD and OCPD. Phillipson explained that OCD is a disorder…
This past month, MEL Magazine’s Adam Elder interviewed and quoted CBT SoCal’s Dr. Martin Hsia for a series on irrational fears. More specifically, Elder and Hsia collaborated on pieces focused on fears of crowds (Agoraphobia), fears of germs (akin to Contamination OCD), and fears of…