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Your Zen Friend
Ever wish you had a zen friend? Someone who could help you ease your tween or tween’s anxiety, while also supporting you, so parenting was more peaceful?
Well good news, host Lauren Wolfe, a therapist and mom who’s made it through those anxious teen years is here to offer parents some zen!
A full-length episode comes out every Tuesday. And "A Drop of Zen," a short guided meditation or a "Zen Bonus Boost," a mini episode, come out every Friday.
Your Zen Friend
The Parent's Roadmap to OCD Treatment: Choosing a Therapist, ERP, and Home Support
In this episode, I focus on how parents can find qualified therapists who treat OCD in children and teens, understand ERP therapy (the gold standard in OCD treatment) and support their child's recovery journey.
✨ What's Bringing Me More Zen
- Tune in till the end of the episode to discover my new favorite protein-packed snack that helps me through mid-day energy slumps!
- Click here to see where you can buy this snack for yourself
📻 Key Episode Highlights
- Finding qualified OCD therapists with specialized training
- Understanding ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) therapy - the gold standard in OCD treatment
- Practical strategies for parents to support children with OCD
- Essential resources for families navigating OCD treatment
⚠️ Finding Qualified OCD Therapists When seeking treatment for your child, look for specialists with:
- Experience with pediatric/adolescent OCD specifically
- Training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
How to find a qualified therapist who specializes in treating OCD in children and teens:
- International OCD Foundation directory: https://iocdf.org/find-help/
- Insurance provider networks
- University medical centers with OCD programs
- Ask your child's pediatrician for a referral
💡 Understanding ERP Therapy
- The therapist creates a hierarchy of feared situations
- Gradual exposure to anxiety-provoking situations
- Learning to respond to intrusive thoughts and obsessions
- Learning to resist compulsions
- Active participation at home through homework assignments
- Progress over perfection - celebrating effort and success
- Temporary increase in anxiety is expected initially
- Increased confidence and resilience over time
🏠 How Parents Can Support Their Child
- Reduce accommodation of compulsions
- Avoid offering reassurance
- Support ERP homework
- Manage your own anxiety about your child's distress
💌 Let's Connect!
- Website: https://www.laurencounseling.com/
- Email: yourzenfriendpod@gmail.com
- Instagram: @YourZenFriendPod
- Join our private Facebook group: Your Zen Friend
💛 If you're finding this podcast helpful, please share it with a friend—it's the best way to help the podcast grow in order to offer more free support to parents of anxious tweens and teens!
Remember: Parenting a tween or teen with anxiety is challenging, so take some time today (and every day) to do something kind for yourself! 💕
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and not intended to be a replacement for diagnosis, mental health therapy or psychological treatment of any kind. Please consult with your doctor or mental health provider in order to care for your physical or mental health.
