As a Clinical psychologist, I've had the privilege of witnessing the profound impact that open and supportive communication can have on family relationships, particularly when it comes to topics like sexual orientation. When a child discloses that their sexual orientation to anyone, especially their parents, it's a pivotal moment that requires a response of empathy, understanding, and unconditional love. Here is some information on emotion-focused communication that I hope will be a helpful guide on how to navigate this conversation with compassion and sensitivity.

In our work we often get asked about the difference between Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD). While the acronyms and some symptoms may appear similar, these two disorders are fundamentally different in their nature, onset, and impact on an individual’s life. Understanding these differences is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

The use of AI is fast growing and is seemingly popping up everywhere. We’ve even started to see it be used by some of our clients to seek reassurance when they feel stuck with OCD intrusive thoughts. Seems like Google searches and Reddit searches just aren’t cutting it anymore. What is it that we need to be aware of exactly when it comes to relying on Chat GPT and other AI tech to seek reassurance for OCD triggers?

In today's society, the topic of mental health is gaining more attention and recognition than ever before. Yet, despite the progress made in understanding and addressing mental health issues, there still remains a pervasive stigma surrounding the topic. This stigma not only hampers individuals from seeking help but also perpetuates misconceptions and discrimination. To truly understand and combat this stigma, it's essential to delve into the history of mental health and explore the reasons behind its stigma.

The question of when to seek treatment for mental health concerns is a common one, often steeped in uncertainty and apprehension. So, when should one seek treatment? While the answer isn't always straightforward, there are certain signs that can help guide this decision.

‘Pure O’ is not an official diagnosis, but is rather a subtype of OCD that people experience. ‘Pure-O’ is characterised by intrusive thoughts, images or urges without any visible physical compulsions. Despite the name, people with ‘Pure O’ do actually engage in compulsions to alleviate their distress the same way as other OCD sufferers. The key difference is that the compulsions are done internally (i.e., in the mind), and therefore it doesn’t seem like a compulsion is occurring.  Examples of such internal compulsions could be replaying events over and over again in your mind, silently repeating phrases in your head, becoming hyper-aware of normal bodily sensations, avoidance of thoughts — just to name a few. So how dow e treat “pure-o” and is it different to the way we treat other forms of OCD?