In this episode, we explore the often misunderstood world of Meta OCD—a subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder where the obsession becomes the diagnosis itself. Clients plagued by questions like "Do I really have OCD?" or "Is this the right treatment?" can become trapped in a mental loop that stalls progress and fuels perfectionism, self-doubt, and avoidance.

We discuss how Meta OCD complicates therapy, disrupts client engagement, and challenges traditional treatment methods. From moral scrupulosity to obsessive intellectualization, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone working in mental health, or for those navigating OCD themselves.

💬 Key insights:

• What is Meta OCD and how does it differ from other forms?
• How perfectionism and compulsions manifest in subtle ways
• Why traditional OCD treatments may fall short for these clients
• The double-edged sword of reassurance in therapy
• How to foster self-worth and celebrate small wins

🔖 Chapters

00:00 Understanding Meta OCD

02:31 Defining Meta OCD and Its Implications

04:57 The Impact of Meta OCD on Treatment

07:59 Navigating Client Engagement and Reassurance

10:14 Perfectionism and Its Role in Meta OCD

12:24 The Challenge of Self-Identification

15:51 Recognizing and Addressing Meta OCD in Therapy

22:02 The Limitations of Manualized Treatments

#MetaOCD #OCDRecovery #MentalHealthPodcast #TherapyTalk #Perfectionism #MentalHealthMatters #TherapistTools #ClientEngagement #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #Scrupulosity #TherapyTechniques

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this insightful episode, we explore the tangled web of health anxiety, OCD, and death anxiety, unpacking how these psychological disorders often overlap and feed into each other. From obsessive thought patterns and compulsions to the deep-rooted fear of mortality, our speakers dive deep into the inner workings of anxiety disorders and what makes treatment so complex—and so crucial.

💬 We discuss:

• The blurred lines between health anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder
• How death anxiety often lies beneath our fear of illness
• Why reassurance-seeking can trap us in cycles of fear
• Coping strategies and evidence-based treatment approaches
• How therapists can help clients rediscover meaning beyond their mental health challenges

Whether you’re a clinician, someone living with anxiety, or simply curious about the human mind—this conversation will challenge your understanding and offer a fresh perspective on mental wellness.

🔖 Chapters

00:00 Understanding Health Anxiety and OCD

06:01 The Intersection of Health Anxiety and Death Anxiety

12:03 The Complexity of Health Anxiety and OCD

18:43 Treatment Approaches for Health Anxiety and OCD

24:22 Living Beyond Anxiety: Finding Meaning in Life

#HealthAnxiety #OCD #MentalHealthMatters #TherapyTalk #AnxietyTreatment #DeathAnxiety #CopingWithAnxiety #IntrusiveThoughts #MentalWellness #PsychologicalDisorders #AnxietyAwareness #MeaningBeyondAnxiety

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)—the gold standard treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)—through a clinical and ethical lens.

We unpack the delicate balance between challenging clients and protecting their autonomy, exploring how therapeutic trust, client consent, and collaborative exposure tasks shape the success of ERP. This conversation asks the tough questions: How far is too far in exposure therapy? And what happens when fear is no longer the enemy, but the doorway to healing?

💬 Key themes:

• The role of informed consent in exposure therapy
• Building trust and safety in the therapeutic relationship
• Understanding OCD beyond the symptoms
• Why a collaborative approach is more effective than a prescriptive one
• Recognizing when a therapist's anxiety enters the room too

🔖 Chapters

00:00 Introduction to ERP and Client Concerns

02:46 Understanding OCD and Its Impact

05:53 The Role of Trust in Therapy

08:53 Navigating Exposure Tasks Collaboratively

11:51 Ethics of Exposure Therapy

14:54 Client Consent and Collaboration

17:38 Managing Anxiety During Exposure

20:45 The Importance of Client Agency

23:44 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

#ERP #OCDTreatment #ExposureTherapy #TherapyEthics #ClientConsent #MentalHealth #TherapyPodcast #TherapeuticTrust #CollaborativeCare #AnxietySupport #OCDRecovery #EthicalTherapy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With suicide remaining a leading cause of death for people aged between 15-44 in Australia, clinicians in the OCD space need to ask the question: How do we differentiate between suicidal ideation and obsessive intrusive suicidal thoughts?

In this episode, we discuss how to work with a client when they come to you with suicidal thoughts, why it is critical to take all mentions of suicide seriously, and how to determine whether a person with OCD is presenting with suicidal ideation consistent with wishes to die or whether it's intrusive suicidal OCD.

This episode contains discussions about suicide. If you find this episode distressing and would like more support, please seek help from your local healthcare provider. If you're in Australia, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 at any time.

Resources and links:

• Lifeline website
• Webinars, books, and training by Melbourne Wellbeing Group
• OCD training workshops by Dr Celin Gelgec
• OCD focused supervision for healthcare professionals with Dr Celin Gelgec

Connect:

• https://www.melbournewellbeinggroup.com

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Felicity Phillips is the Founder of Weight of the World, a community-driven organisation supporting people with eating disorders and their carers through recovery. Weight of the World aims to provide peer support and education while challenging diet culture and promoting body neutrality.

In this episode, Felicity shares her personal journey from pre-professional ballet to developing an eating disorder and ultimately finding recovery, explains the alarming rise of "skinny talk" on social media and how algorithms target vulnerable users within seconds, and reveals the powerful parallels between eating disorders and addiction that challenge common misconceptions about these complex mental health conditions.

Resources and links:

• Weight of the World: A High Tea for ED Healing & Hope tickets
• Webinars, books, and training by Melbourne Wellbeing Group
• OCD training workshops by Dr Celin Gelgec
• OCD focused supervision for healthcare professionals with Dr Celin Gelgec

Connect:

• https://www.melbournewellbeinggroup.com.au/
• http://www.drcelingelgec.com.au/

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's normal to have doubts and questions about our relationships sometimes. Am I in love with my partner? Am I spending enough time with my parents? Are my friends mad at me? But what happens when those normal, passing concerns turn into an obsession?

In this episode, we explain the difference between ordinary relationship concerns and relationship OCD (ROCD), how to identify when ROCD is showing up, and what the next steps are for helping clients manage it.

Resources and links:

• Webinars, books, and training by Melbourne Wellbeing Group
• OCD training workshops by Dr Celin Gelgec
• OCD focused supervision for healthcare professionals with Dr Celin Gelgec

Connect:

• https://www.melbournewellbeinggroup.com.au/
• http://www.drcelingelgec.com.au/

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the final part of our two-part chat with Dr Bianca Mastromanno. In the last episode, Bianca discussed how she works with parents to process their childhood experiences and help them navigate parenthood themselves.

In this episode, Bianca opens up about her personal experiences with parenting anxiety, digs into the challenges faced by parents with OCD, the impact of OCD on early parenthood, and how clinicians can support parents during the vulnerable early days of new parenthood.

Resources and links:

• ‘Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts' by Karen Kleiman
• ‘Matrescence' by Lucy Jones
• ‘The Magic Years” by Selma H. Fraiberg
• Dr Bianca Mastromanno's website
• Dr Bianca Mastromanno on Instagram
• Dr Bianca Mastromanno on LinkedIn
• Webinars, books, and training by Melbourne Wellbeing Group
• OCD training workshops by Dr Celin Gelgec
• OCD focused supervision for healthcare professionals with Dr Celin Gelgec

Connect:

• https://www.melbournewellbeinggroup.com.au/
• http://www.drcelingelgec.com.au/

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Bianca Mastromanno is a Clinical Psychologist who works extensively in the perinatal space. Bianca uses a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach to support parents and children living with mental health concerns.

In this episode, Bianca explains how she works with parents with OCD or other mental health challenges to explore and process their own childhood experiences to help them navigate the emotional challenges of parenthood. She also reflects on what she's learnt from the parents she works with and from her own experiences as a parent.

This episode is part one of our two-part chat with Bianca. Keep an eye out for part two, where Bianca digs into how to better support parents with OCD through their pre and post-natal periods.

Resources and links:

• Dr Bianca Mastromanno's website
• Dr Bianca Mastromanno on Instagram
• Dr Bianca Mastromanno on LinkedIn
• Webinars, books, and training by Melbourne Wellbeing Group
• OCD training workshops by Dr Celin Gelgec
• OCD focused supervision for healthcare professionals with Dr Celin Gelgec

Connect:

• https://www.melbournewellbeinggroup.com.au/
• http://www.drcelingelgec.com.au/

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the final part of our two-part chat with Lindsay and Emily Stetzer. In the last episode, Lindsay and Emily opened up about their early experiences with OCD and how their lived experiences led them to create Presently Bracelets.

In this episode, Lindsay and Emily discuss the household dynamics of living in a family with OCD, the significance of non-accommodating support, and the role of exposure therapy, self-awareness, and trust in the recovery process.

Resources and links:

• Presently Bracelets website
• Webinars, books, and training by Melbourne Wellbeing Group
• OCD training workshops by Dr Celin Gelgec
• OCD focused supervision for healthcare professionals with Dr Celin Gelgec

Connect:

• https://www.melbournewellbeinggroup.com.au/
• http://www.drcelingelgec.com.au/

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lindsay and Emily Stetzer are sisters living with OCD and the Founders of Presently Bracelets. Presently Bracelets offer a range of bracelets to help you navigate intrusive thoughts and embrace the present moment. 

In this episode, Lindsay and Emily share their individual experiences with OCD and treatment, what helps them between sessions, and what they think therapists need to know from the perspective of someone with OCD. They also share how the phrase “my thoughts are passing clouds” led to the creation of Presently.

Resources and links:

• Presently Bracelets website
• Webinars, books, and training by Melbourne Wellbeing Group
• OCD training workshops by Dr Celin Gelgec
• OCD focused supervision for healthcare professionals with Dr Celin Gelgec

Connect:

• https://www.melbournewellbeinggroup.com.au/
• http://www.drcelingelgec.com.au/

This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.