Ashley Rush, MS, PLPC

04/06/2026

Great explanation of scrupulosity in OCD.

Official website of the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln.

03/25/2026

Food anxiety can look similar on the outside…
but what’s happening underneath can be very different.

Two people might avoid the same foods, restrict their eating, or feel overwhelmed at mealtimes
but the why behind it matters.

Sometimes it’s about fear.
Sometimes it’s about sensory overwhelm.
Sometimes it’s about rules, safety, or trying to feel “just right.”

And that distinction is important
because the path to healing isn’t one-size-fits-all.

This isn’t about labeling yourself perfectly.
It’s about getting curious enough to understand what your brain is trying to do…
so you can respond in a way that actually helps.

✨ If food feels complicated for you, what do you notice is underneath it, fear, discomfort, rules, or something else?

03/19/2026

03/16/2026

"Reassurance seeking via AI can be subtle and often just looks like information gathering or emotional support. A general rule of thumb is to mindfully pause before typing anything into an AI chat and ask yourself the following questions:

Does this feel urgent?
Am I seeking to get rid of an uncomfortable feeling?
Does the emotion I am feeling lean more toward distress than to curiosity?"

Have I used AI to help compare different types of pillows I could buy?

03/13/2026

"Getting unstuck from checkup dread isn't about forcing yourself to feel fine about it. It's about changing your relationship with the uncertainty the appointment stirs up."

Dreading your annual physical? Discover why health anxiety spikes before doctor visits and how CBT, ERP, and ACT help you stop the cycle.

03/12/2026

This is a great FREE support group I share with my clients.

You are invited! Chris Trondsen, LMFT, a clinician with OCD, and his mom, Liz Trondsen, are excited to remind you about our March, virtual, free Family and Loved Ones OCD Support Group.

It will be held this Saturday, March 14 for two hours, from 11 AM – 1 PM PST.

Brooke Miller will be joining us to discuss her life experience as a person with OCD. Email info@ocdsocal.org to request the Zoom link and visit www.ocdsocal.org for more information!

She has lived with OCD since childhood and has experienced multiple subtypes, including contamination, perfectionism, moral scrupulosity, and relationship OCD. Her journey has included ERP treatment, eating disorder recovery, and navigating additional diagnoses like panic disorder, Bipolar II, and PTSD.

She is a parent of two children with OCD, her 13-year-old son (also diagnosed with PANDAS) and her 11-year-old daughter who was recently diagnosed. She speaks from both lived experience and the ongoing reality of parenting kids with OCD.

She is a registered nurse, an International OCD Foundation Advocate, President of OCD Wisconsin, and a presenter with NAMI’s Ending the Silence program.

She would like to discuss these topics:

– What OCD can actually look like in kids (beyond stereotypes)
– Parenting a child with OCD while also managing your own OCD
– How to support kids through ERP (and manage accommodations vs. support)
– Navigating school, family dynamics, and daily life with OCD
– The emotional impact on parents/caregivers (guilt, fear, burnout)
– Hope and recovery and what progress really looks like

Please join us this Saturday for a wealth of information on both living with OCD and parenting children with OCD!

We will see you this Saturday, March 14th from 11 AM -1 PM PST! 👋🏼

The event is open to loved ones, family members and spouses of someone with OCD, as well as people with OCD—or anyone else interested. Email info@ocdsocal.org to request the Zoom link and visit www.ocdsocal.org for more information!

02/25/2026

Evidence based care for OCD ,ERP (or augmenting treatment modalities like ACT), will help you get on the other side of the torment created by OCD. Please find a clinician trained in the treatment of OCD. Consult the IOCDF search engine to find a provider in your region . The link to “ Find Help” is also in the link in our story.
https://iocdf.org/find-help/

02/12/2026

Important!! All therapists who treat OCD should be aware of these symptoms, they show up often!

02/10/2026

Interesting study using MRI!

A new study reveals that certain brain regions are more active in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) during cognitively demanding tasks. The findings could help inform new ways in which the condition is treated and assessed.

11/17/2025