The OCD & Anxiety Center

12/24/2025

Practicing gratitude offers numerous mental health benefits, including reduced anxiety and depression, increased happiness and self-esteem, and improved emotional resilience.

Posie has shared some things that she is grateful for this holiday season. If you’re visiting the Oak Brook Office today, help Posie grow her list by adding your own or comment something you’re thankful for below!

12/24/2025

Posie is making sure she faces her needle phobia in the form of getting her flu shot before flying back to the North Pole!

12/22/2025

ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder) can look like extreme picky eating, however, has anxiety at its root. This could be about textures, how it’s prepared, or brand specific foods.

Posie has noticed some shifts in food preferences so is working to try a variety of preferred, non preferred, and new foods as a challenge! What are some foods that are a challenge for you to eat?

12/22/2025

You don't have to wait for anxiety to calm down before doing something meaningful to you. You are capable right now💪

12/19/2025

🚨 We interrupt our regular programming for a Friday appreciation post ✨

As the year winds down, we here at The OCD & Anxiety Center would like to take a moment to express our appreciation for Maha (Dr. Zayed) and Christian, and for the leadership and support they bring to this organization.

Maha’s vision and guidance set the tone for the work we do, and Christian’s dedication behind the scenes helps keep everything moving forward day after day. Together, they create a foundation that allows this practice and this team to thrive. Thank you for being at the helm!

With gratitude from all of us at OAC 💜

12/19/2025

Emetophobia, or the fear of vomiting, is something we treat frequently at OAC. Today, Posie is targeting her avoidance behaviors by facing the sight of (fake) vomit, head on. The vomit prop pictured is just one of many exposures used at OAC to treat and other specific phobias.

12/19/2025

Posie is practicing cooking foods that can leave us feeling uncertain in how they are cooked or prepared, chicken and dairy! While it is important to be mindful in the kitchen, we don’t need to let these fears consume what should be a fun holiday activity!

12/17/2025

Yesterday, our elf Posie showed us the power of enjoying life with a snowball fight! In our new blog, we take a closer look at why joyful, values-based activities belong in OCD and anxiety recovery and why they are not avoidance.

Read about it here:

When someone begins Exposure and Response Prevention therapy for OCD or anxiety, they often expect the process to feel difficult. ERP is a structured, evidence-based treatment that teaches the brain to tolerate discomfort instead of escaping it. Because exposure work is designed to bring up anxiety,...

12/17/2025

Posie’s a little tied up at the moment... practicing sitting with uncertainty that the candle or light string could spark a fire.

12/17/2025

Once you learn cognitive distortions, you start noticing them all over your daily thinking. This week's carousel covers the most common patterns and how they shape anxiety. Which have you noticed?

12/17/2025

Posie is trying to enjoy visiting OAC by having a snowball fight with friends. A big part of OCD and anxiety recovery is reconnecting to enjoyable and values-based activities!

12/16/2025

Posie is challenging her social anxiety by singing Christmas carols to a friendly audience! What’s your favorite holiday song? Comment below!