Join us for a free, live webinar on July 7 for a live Ask the Author event with ADAA member expert Dr. Reid Wilson, and discover a practical, science-backed approach to managing intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Drawing from evidence-based CBT and metacognitive therapy, Dr. Wilson will discuss his powerful “six-moment game” - a simple yet transformative mental health resource designed to help you regain control and refocus on what matters most.
Whether you’re living with OCD, supporting someone who is, or looking for effective mental health tools, this interactive session offers actionable strategies you can start using right away. Bring your questions and engage directly with the author in this unique live event.
In this webinar, you will:
Learn how to interrupt and challenge intrusive thoughts linked to OCD and anxiety
Discover practical techniques to shift attention and reduce compulsive behaviors
Gain a proven mental health resource to build resilience and reclaim your daily life
Reid Wilson, PhD, is a licensed psychologist who directs the Anxiety Disorders Treatment Center and the free self-help website, anxietiesDOTcom. He is an international expert in the treatment of anxiety disorders, with seven books translated into nine languages. His latest book is “Quiet Your OCD Brain.” He designed and served as lead psychologist for American Airlines' first national program for the fearful flier. Dr. Wilson served on the Board of Directors of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America for 12 years. He is a Founding Clinical Fellow of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and Fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Learn more about Dr. Wilson.
Please note: this public webinar is not eligible for continuing education credits.
Just another reminder to join me virtually on Friday, July 10, with the Center for Family Consultation. I’ll be presenting on how therapists stay curious in an impatient culture. I’ll have lots of creative exercises for you to do by yourself.
Anxiety turns our behavior into a prix fixe menu. Dial up the intensity in a relationship, and the brain might say,
Well, to start, you can choose between complaining to your spouse about them, or the spicier option, the high school friend group chat!
Then for our mains, we’ve got trying to fix the identified “problem person,” or the chef’s personal favorite, emotionally withdrawing.
Then some special sweets for dessert: you can recruit others to help you fix them, or cut off completely from the relationship.
These shortcuts serve a purpose. They can dial down the anxiety, at least in the short term. I’ve written a lot about how we tend to double down on familiar patterns, our favorite dishes, when stress is up in a system.
When people get interested in seeing themselves as part of the system, there is no set menu. This can be both unnerving and fascinating to realize that you can set aside fixing and withdrawing as options much of the time.
As a therapist, it is a privilege to get to hear people describe their efforts in this unfamiliar territory. This could look like:
A woman who stays interested as her brother tumbles through life’s challenges, as he comes up with solutions she’d never choose for him.
Parents who “check in” less frequently about the things that make their son anxious, instead being open to wherever the conversation leads.
Individuals who start to get to know their colleagues better, rather than always venting about the boss with them.
A leader who gets clearer about their own beliefs rather than trying to convince others they have the wrong opinion.
These positions do not “fix” others, but they can interrupt the familiar ways the anxiety gets managed. A person more responsibly managing their own stirred-up-ness does not have to find a person to fix, to manage, like a heat-seeking missile. They also don’t have to hit the eject button to calm down. You don’t have to be over-responsible, or unavailable, to get steady.
Questions:
If you were designing a prix fixe menu for your own anxiety, your own automatic reactions, what would be on that menu?
When have you been able to do something different? What did that look like?
How do you observe others inviting your fixing or encouraging your withdrawing? (Everyone plays a part!)
Reading: I just finished In Ascensionby Martin MacInnes and oh my goodness. One of the most beautiful science fiction novels I’ve read in years. If you like space and deep ocean mystery served with a side of family, then grab a copy.
**CLINICAL CONFERENCE -Join me virtually on Friday, July 10, with the Center for Family Consultation. I’ll be presenting on how therapists stay curious in an impatient culture. I’ll have lots of exercises for you!
**BONUS JOURNAL for the TRUE TO YOU paperback! I’ve created a digital bonus journal to accompany the paperback launch of True to You. Email me a copy of your receipt and I’ll send it to you.
Email me if you want me to speak to your group or you’re interested in doing family systems consultation/therapy with me.
Buy my books True to You and Everything Isn’t Terriblefor more in-depth stories of people working on their relationships and themselves. If you love them, consider giving them a review on Amazon so other folks can find them. If you haven’t gotten the free digital workbooks for them, email me.
