AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

When your child has OCD, treatment doesn’t happen in a vacuum. OCD comes home with them. It impacts routines, relationships, school, behavior, and often the way the entire family functions.

So why are parents sometimes left on the sidelines of OCD treatment?

Parents can be one of the most powerful resources in a child’s OCD recovery. You see what happens between therapy sessions, you’re often the one navigating accommodations and difficult behaviors, and you’re in a unique position to help your child practice the skills they’re learning.
In this week’s episode of the AT Parenting Survival Podcast, I talk about what healthy parent involvement in OCD treatment can look like, what information you should have, when it makes sense for a therapist to protect your child’s privacy, and some red flags that may indicate you’re being left out more than you should be.
I also talk about how this changes once your child turns 18 and how parents can continue to be a valuable source of support while respecting their adult child’s privacy and autonomy.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re too involved, not involved enough, or whether you should be advocating for a bigger role in your child’s treatment, this episode is for you.

🎓 Learn more about my online courses for parents and kids with anxiety and OCD:
www.ATparentingsurvivalschool.com

⭐ Join the waitlist for the AT Parenting Community:
www.ATparentingcommunity.com

Get the free PDF handout for this episode at: www.natashadaniels.com/handouts
***
This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.

Parents, do you need more support?

🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️

Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com

Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com

Take one of my FREE webinars:
www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars

Check out my books:
www.Natashadaniels.com/books

🌸 Other social places I hang out:

http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the hardest parts of parenting a child with OCD is not knowing what’s actually going on. Your child insists they’re “fine,” avoids your questions, or simply can’t explain what they’re experiencing. It can leave you feeling confused, shut out, and unsure of how to help.
In this episode, I talk about why so many kids keep their OCD hidden, even from the people they trust most. You’ll learn why silence is often part of OCD itself and why pushing for answers can unintentionally make it harder for your child to open up.
We’ll also discuss practical ways to build trust, strengthen communication, and support your child, even when you don’t fully understand what their OCD is about. Because you don’t need to know every intrusive thought to begin helping your child make progress.
Mentioned in this episode:
Download the free companion handout:
www.natashadaniels.com/handouts
🎙️ Listen to my related episode, The First Steps to Progress: Trust and Communication:
https://childocdtherapist.com/trust-and-communication/
🧡 Join the AT Parenting Community for weekly classes, parent support, kid and teen groups, and a growing library of courses:
www.atparentingcommunity.com

***
This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.

Parents, do you need more support?

🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️

Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com

Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com

Take one of my FREE webinars:
www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars

Check out my books:
www.Natashadaniels.com/books

🌸 Other social places I hang out:

http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people think contamination OCD is about germs, chemicals, or bodily fluids. But what happens when your child feels like a thought, memory, word, person, or experience has become contaminated?
In this episode of the AT Parenting Survival Podcast, Natasha Daniels explores mental contamination OCD—a lesser-known but surprisingly common form of OCD that can leave children feeling like something is dirty, ruined, tainted, or unsafe, even though nothing has physically changed.
You’ll learn how OCD can convince kids that contamination spreads through intrusive thoughts, memories, emotions, people, places, and even words, leading them to avoid objects, throw things away, mentally “erase” thoughts, or start over in an attempt to feel clean again.
In this episode, you’ll discover:

What mental contamination OCD is and why it differs from traditional contamination fears
Common ways thoughts, memories, people, and experiences become “contaminated”
Why neutral objects, places, and activities can suddenly feel unsafe
The compulsions kids use to try to get rid of the contamination
Why reassurance and logic often backfire
How Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) helps children break free from the cycle
If your child suddenly refuses to wear certain clothes, avoids places that “feel wrong,” throws away perfectly good belongings, or believes a thought has somehow contaminated an object, this episode will help you understand what’s happening, and what actually helps.
Want more support?
Learn practical, evidence-based strategies to help your child overcome OCD inside my online courses at ATParentingSurvivalSchool.com.
Free Podcast Handout
Download the companion handout for this episode at:
NatashaDaniels.com/handouts

Videos on Contamination OCD

How to Handle Your Contamination OCD

Trying to Beat Contamination? OCD Doesn’t Play Fair.

This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting

***
This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.

Parents, do you need more support?

🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️

Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com

Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com

Take one of my FREE webinars:
www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars

Check out my books:
www.Natashadaniels.com/books

🌸 Other social places I hang out:

http://www.facebook.com/ATp

Understanding Your Ground Zero in Contamination OCD

***
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I talk with Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Chyllia Dixon about the emotional impact of growing up with a chronic illness and the unique mental health challenges children and families can face along the way.
Drawing from both her professional experience and her own childhood experience with Juvenile Myositis, Chyllia shares insight into what chronically ill kids may be carrying emotionally, the importance of helping children stay connected to the present moment, and ways parents can support their child’s mental health while navigating an ongoing medical condition.
We also talk about Chyllia’s children’s book, Ellie and the Oh (Ellie the Elephant), which encourages children to slow down and be present in the moment. All profits from the book are donated to the CureJM Foundation to help fund research and bring hope to children living with Juvenile Myositis.
Learn more about Chyllia at Hazelwood Mental Health and learn more about the CureJM Foundation at CureJM.org.

***
This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.

Parents, do you need more support?

🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️

Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com

Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com

Take one of my FREE webinars:
www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars

Check out my books:
www.Natashadaniels.com/books

🌸 Other social places I hang out:

http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It can be hard to tell whether OCD treatment is helping, especially when compulsions haven’t noticeably decreased, distress seems higher, or new themes suddenly appear.

But progress is not always measured by how quiet OCD looks on the outside. Sometimes treatment is preventing OCD from getting worse.
Sometimes a therapist is building trust and readiness before beginning ERP. And sometimes increased distress is a sign that your child is learning to face discomfort instead of immediately escaping it.

In this episode, I’ll walk through the common ways parents misjudge treatment progress and the less obvious signs that therapy may be working, from greater openness and willingness to attend, to applying skills across themes, doing more of what OCD once blocked, and beginning to feel more hopeful.

Download the free episode handout at www.natashadaniels.com/handouts and explore my OCD courses for parents, kids, and teens at atparentingsurvivalschool.com.
***
This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting

This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.

Parents, do you need more support?

🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️

Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com

Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com

Take one of my FREE webinars:
www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars

Check out my books:
www.Natashadaniels.com/books

🌸 Other social places I hang out:

http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival
http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.