Although the names, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Personality Disorder (OCPD), sound very similar and there can be some similarities, they are actually quite different. Understanding these differences can be helpful if you’re seeking to better understand yourself (or a loved one).

Sometimes our brain needs to think fast and make quick judgements about a situation so we can act with speed and potentially save our life and others’ lives. In the field of cognitive psychology, these are called heuristics. Heuristics are mental shortcuts in our thinking process, that often happen automatically, and sometimes outside of our awareness. They can help us to quickly step on the car brakes if the brake lights on the car ahead of us light up without slowing down to consider Hmm... I wonder why they put their brake lights on? Perhaps they saw their favorite coffeeshop or wanted to get more space between them and the car ahead of them?

Your first therapy session is often called an “intake appointment.” They tend to be longer than most therapy sessions. The longer length of your first meeting gives you more time to share your experiences with your therapist and your therapist enough time to start getting to know you. At TherLively, your therapist will reserve 80 minutes for your first therapy appointment.

According to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) core beliefs are main ideas we have about how we see the world, others, or ourselves. Like all ideas, they may or not be accurate. Regardless of their accuracy, we tend to believe our core beliefs very strongly. Core beliefs feed into other beliefs we have about how the world works, and automatic thoughts we have in the moment. They shape our emotions and actions we take.

Exposure therapy is not as widely discussed in our culture as other forms of therapy. Furthermore, most therapists don’t specialize in exposure therapy. So, you might not have an in depth understanding of exposure therapy. However, exposure therapy can be very effective in helping people overcome numerous types of fears, panic attacks, PTSD, OCD, etc.

While some signs of perfectionism are often discussed, others often go unrecognized. We cover some of the more recognized signs of perfectionism, as well as some less well-known signs. Recognizing perfectionism and how it might impact your life can set you up to prevent stress, reduce anxiety, and experience more satisfaction in your day-to-day life.

If you’re familiar with the term “Pure O,” then it might surprise you to read that it’s a bit of a misnomer. It’s true: there are some helpful aspects to this term, which became more popular in the nineties. For example, some people who experience OCD symptoms that tend to manifest mentally, have felt misunderstood by the larger OCD community. The term “Pure O” has helped people more quickly identify others with similar symptom manifestations, and more readily connect with others who “get it.” However, mental rituals and cognitive avoidance are more common in OCD than this term might imply.

Exposure and response prevention (ERP; EXRP) is the gold standard for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD treatment). But if you’re looking for ways to augment your exposure work with your OCD therapist, there are three supports we recommend considering. Mindfulness meditation, aerobic exercise, and medication might by helpful additions to your OCD therapy.

Social anxiety is more common than you might think. It falls on a continuum. Read more to learn about how to know if you have social anxiety.

Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts (UITs) and Negative Automatic Thoughts (NATs) tend to be initially unpleasant. How we respond to them can have a significant impact on our lives. However, UITs are sometimes disguised as NATs and helpful approaches in responding to UITs and NATs often differ. Learning to distinguish UITs from NATs is an important first step in better addressing them.

Online therapy has become the new normal for therapy, but you might be wondering how to get the most out of online therapy. We’ve compiled a list of ten tips on how to get the most out of online therapy.

PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Trauma is any event where you feel like your life or your body was threatened (or that of someone close to you).

Our minds and bodies are designed to protect us from physical danger. Once our minds perceive something as threatening, the fight-flight-or-freeze-response can quickly activate in an effort to keep us safe.