November 12, 2025

158. Self-Compassion & OCD: The Secret Habit Making Your Anxiety Worse

31 minutes

🧠 Can self-compassion really help you recover from OCD?

In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina Orlova speaks with Kimberley Quinlan, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, creator of CBT School, and author of The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD. Together, they explore how learning to treat yourself with kindness can transform your relationship with OCD and emotional suffering.

Kimberley opens up about:

• Why self-compassion is not weakness or self-indulgence

• How criticizing yourself actually increases stress hormones

• What it means to “be a safe place” for your own emotions

• Simple ways to start practicing compassion without triggering compulsions

Whether you’re living with OCD or supporting someone who is, this episode offers real strategies to reduce suffering, calm your nervous system, and heal with compassion.

📲 About Kimberley Quinlan (guest):

• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youranxietytoolkit/

• YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@youranxietytoolkit

• CBT school: https://www.cbtschool.com/

✂️ TIMESTAMPS:

[00:00] Meet Kimberley Quinlan — Therapist, Author, and OCD Expert

[01:18] What “Self-Compassion for OCD” Really Means (and Why People Get It Wrong)

[03:00] Why Being Kind to Yourself Isn’t Weak — It’s Actually Science

[04:40] The Stress Hormone Secret: How Self-Criticism Fuels OCD Suffering

[07:25] Real Compassion vs. Compulsions — The Long-Term You Strategy

[08:55] Becoming a Safe Place for Yourself: Handling Guilt, Shame & Emotions

[11:05] The Surprising Power of Doing Nothing With Your Emotions

[13:10] Why People Struggle to Accept Themselves (Even When They “Know” How)

[16:25] When OCD Tricks You Into Thinking Self-Kindness Is Dangerous

[19:00] Step-by-Step: The Self-Compassion Break That Calms Intense Feelings

[21:30] “You’re Not Alone” — The Humanity Behind Anxiety & Intrusive Thoughts

[23:10] Gentle Self-Kindness vs. “Screw You, Anxiety!” — Finding Your Style

[25:30] The Fear of Feeling Itself — Breaking the Cycle of Emotional Avoidance

[28:10] The Real Goal: Becoming a Safe Space for Every Emotion

[30:05] Where to Find Kimberley — “Your Anxiety Toolkit” Resources

✅ Free Resources & Links

🎁 Free OCD Survival Kit & Classes → www.shorturl.at/KcTxM

📖 OCD CBT Journal → www.shorturl.at/7pUxB

🌐 Website → www.korresults.com/

✍️ OCD Academy→ www.ocdacademy.thinkific.com/

📲 Stay Connected

Facebook: www.facebook.com/korresults

Instagram: www.instagram.com/ocdwhisperer/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@ocdwhisperer

Twitter (X): www.x.com/korresults

Website: www.korresults.com/

📩 Business Inquiries: [email protected]

✅ About OCD Whisperer

Welcome to OCD Whisperer! Each episode shares tools and insights for OCD recovery, managing intrusive thoughts, ERP therapy, CBT techniques, anxiety relief, and mindfulness practices. Join me for expert interviews and personal insights into overcoming OCD. Subscribe to find support, strategies, and hope for your OCD journey.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Please note while the host is a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in OCD and anxiety disorders in the state of California, this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for therapy.

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By Kristina Orlova

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