Dr Sasha's Blog

Most people use fidget (stim) objects to calm themselves down. You hold something in your hands, you fidget with it, and your attention goes somewhere else. That helps with regulation—especially if you’re anxious or overwhelmed. There’s nothing wrong with that. But you can also use the same objects in a more deliberate way—not just to reduce anxiety, but to stay with it and process it safely . What stim toys are usually used for Stim objects are commonly used for self-regulat

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is widely considered the gold standard for OCD. And it is powerful. It helps many people reduce compulsions, face fears, and regain functioning. But in practice, a significant number of people either: don’t fully recover relapse later or come out of ERP still feeling internally distressed, even if behaviours improved So the question is not whether ERP works. It’s what it doesn’t address . 1. ERP focuse

By Dr. Shoshana Garfield, with Dr. Sasha Mitrofanov The Part Most People Miss Change doesn’t happen just by understanding. It happens through practice . And one of the most important practices is: learning to be kind to yourself What Usually Happens Instead When people feel anxious or notice an unwanted thought, they often respond like this: “I’m so stupid” “Why did I do this again?” judging the thought judging the feeling This reaction feels natural. But it creates a problem

By Dr. Shoshana Garfield, with Dr. Sasha Mitrofanov It’s Not Just Thoughts A lot of approaches focus on changing thoughts. And that can help. But it often doesn’t fully solve the problem. Why? Because anxiety is not just a thought problem. Patterns Are Learned Through Repetition All habits—whether: how you relate to others how you relate to yourself or how you react emotionally —are learned through: repetition after repetition after repetition Over time, they become automatic

By Dr. Shoshana Garfield, with Dr. Sasha Mitrofanov Nothing Is Wrong This article comes from a conversation about clients who struggle with anxiety. A common experience is this: people feel better after a session… and then worse again later. This is what we call a dip . And the most important point is: Nothing is wrong. This is a normal and expected part of the process. Why Progress Isn’t Linear People often expect therapy to feel like steady improvement: better → better → be

Self-Talk and OCD: Bringing the Unconscious Into the Light When we speak about OCD, we often focus on obsessions and compulsions . But underneath both of those is something quieter and more constant: self-talk . Your self-talk plays a crucial role  in how you respond — or react — to OCD. What Is Self-Talk? Self-talk is simply your thinking  — but thinking isn’t only words. It can take many forms: Verbal:  sentences in your mind Images Bodily sensations Sounds Smells Tastes In