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.

Welcome 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!