Rachel Bacon, LCPC

12/03/2025

Finding a therapist can feel overwhelming and daunting enough, let alone trying to find a therapist who is trained in treating OCD; however, finding a specialized OCD therapist is crucial for recovery! This is not because therapists aren’t skilled, but rather, OCD requires specific, evidence-based treatment.
Many well-meaning therapists can accidentally reinforce OCD by relying on talk therapy alone, avoiding exposure work, providing reassurance, or utilizing non-evidence-based treatments for OCD.
Below are some helpful tips to consider when embarking on your search for a therapist.

04/15/2025

Emetophobia— the intense fear of vomiting- isn’t just about the fear itself. It’s getting caught up in the cycle of fear and anxiety that keeps it going.

You start feeling anxious, maybe your stomach feels weird, and suddenly your brain’s like, “Uh oh—what if I get sick?” So you start avoiding certain foods, skipping social stuff, maybe Googling symptoms... and yeah, it calms you down for now. But all of that avoiding actually teaches your brain, “This is super dangerous—we better stay alert!”

Anxiety about getting sick leads to various safety behaviors. These safety behaviors can provide temporary relief from the distress and anxiety, or even just contain these feelings from escalating.

However, these safety behaviors only reinforce the fear over time, tricking the brain to believe that danger is always just around the corner.

The more we try to avoid or control the fear, the more powerful it feels. Over time, this creates a loop where anxiety feeds avoidance, and avoidance feeds the fear.

The path forward involves gently breaking the cycle—learning to sit with uncertainty and rebuilding trust in your body.

03/26/2025

Did you really let your intrusive thoughts win?

There’s a viral trend saying, “I let my intrusive thoughts win”—but most of the time, those aren’t actually intrusive thoughts.

🔸 Intrusive thoughts: Usually Ego Dystonic, meaning they do not align with our beliefs, values, and who we see ourselves to be. They are unwanted, distressing, and often recurring. These types of thoughts are more commonly linked to OCD and anxiety.

🔸 Impulsive thoughts: Usually Ego Syntonic, meaning they align with personality, emotions, beliefs, and values. These are more so rooted in sudden desires or urges to do something without much thought.

03/24/2025

OCD thrives on the cycle of fear and temporary relief. But the more we give in, the stronger it grows. Breaking free means learning that OCD’s logic is faulty—and that we can trust ourselves instead.

🔸 Intrusive Thought: What if I hurt someone?
🔸 Attached Meaning: Having this thought must mean I’m dangerous.
🔸 Emotions: Anxiety, distress, fear
🔸 Compulsions: Avoid knives, eat alone, suppress anger, avoid crime podcast/stories, etc.
🔸 Short-Term Relief: Anxiety lessens—but I never get to learn that I would not act on the thought.

And so, the cycle repeats. The key to breaking free? Responding differently to intrusive thoughts. It’s not easy, but healing starts with small, brave steps.

03/17/2025

Sensory Overload on Hulu highlights the importance of awareness, understanding, and inclusivity of sensory processing sensitivity commonly experienced by neurodivergent individuals. Definitely a must watch!

The new film follows a group of people working to shift the narrative around the sensory sensitive community.

03/13/2025

Tics are involuntary— not a choice, not a joke, and not something to ‘just stop.’ Tourette’s is often misunderstood, leading to harmful stereotypes. Awareness & understanding matter! Tourette Association of America

03/03/2025

The search for certainty is inherently tied to anxiety because absolute certainty is an impossible goal. Life is full of unpredictability, and the more we try to control or guarantee outcomes, the more anxious we become when faced with uncertainty. Instead, we want to build confidence in our ability to handle whatever comes our way!

02/26/2025

OCD is more than just the fear of germs or needing things to be lined up in just the right way. Often this is how the media portrays OCD— handwashing, germs, counting, lining things up, etc. But OCD is so much more than that. OCD is a complex mental health condition with many different subtypes, each centered around distressing and unwanted thoughts (obsessions) leading to physical or mental behaviors (compulsions) to reduce distress. Many subtypes often go unrecognized, leaving people feeling misunderstood or misdiagnosed. Awareness matters!

02/12/2025

Hi there & welcome!👋 My goal is to provide education about OCD, anxiety, and overall mental health. I'm here to be a helpful resource but remember-- this is not a substitute for therapy. Glad to have you here!