Share Tweet Share Pinterest Email Contamination OCD is one form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in which people suffer from excessive worries about infectious germs and microbes, and may wash their hands or disinfect in a very extreme or specific way. This has been portrayed before in films like As good as it gets (above), and The Aviator (below). Many known figures have spoken openly about suffering from this form of anxiety, including Howie Mandel, Cameron Diaz, and even Frank Sinatra. Contamination OCD can be incredibly distressing, and can lead to habits such as: Washing to the po ..read more

Share Tweet Share Pinterest Email We’ve all felt a little insecure about our appearance from time to time. However, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is something different. When someone suffers from BDD, they have an intensely negative body image that impacts their mental health in a way that can make it difficult to function in their daily lives. In a previous article, we defined BDD as an intense preoccupation with a perceived flaw in appearance that causes significant distress. People with BDD often worry constantly about their appearance and try to alter or hide their perceived flaws. In th ..read more

Share Tweet Share Pinterest Email Colleague and mentor Dr. Ryan Howes presented the Distinguished Member award to Dr. Hsia. Earlier this year, CBT SoCal’s Dr. Martin Hsia was honored as the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Member of the year award by the San Gabriel Valley Psychological Association (SGVPA). The Distinguished Member award is nominated and voted on annually by members of the association, and presented at SGVPA’s primary professional event of the year, the January Jubilee. Due to COVID conditions at the beginning of the year, the 2022 Jubilee was rescheduled for April ..read more

Share Tweet Share Pinterest Email Most people have a favorite movie or television series. Often times, people draw lessons and inspiration from those stories that can act as powerful metaphors to be utilized during therapy. CBT SoCal’s Dr. Jason von Stietz recently joined a panel discussion held on the Sanity Podcast, hosted by clinical psychologist Dr. Jason Duncan. The panel also included Drs. Simon Rego, Kristin Szuhany, and Sandra Pimental, all of which are distinguished clinical psychologists practicing in New York. This podcast episode continued a discussion that began during this year ..read more

Share Tweet Share Pinterest Email Do you find yourself spending long periods of time focusing on a certain aspect of your appearance? Do you find certain aspect of your appearance to be greatly flawed? Have you attempted to hide or alter your appearance in ways that are very time consuming, stressful, and lead to negative consequences to your life? If so, you might be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) . The Centre for Clinical Interventions (CCI) in Australia provides information and resources to people with BDD. What is body image? It is not uncommon for someone to feel unsatisfi ..read more

Share Tweet Share Pinterest Email At the end of a long stressful day, do you watch something new that you’ve never seen before or do you put on your favorite episode of an old classic? Many chose to de-stress by watching an old classic that they’ve seen dozens of, if not more, times before. The Office ended nearly a decade ago, and Friends aired it’s final episode nearly two decades ago. Yet, both television shows remain as popular as ever online. In a recent article for Time, journalist Anna Goldfarb wrote about how re-watching your favorite television shows is actually good for your mental ..read more

Share Tweet Share Pinterest Email Competitive athletes face a variety of physical and mental stressors. The many demands of sport can add up and, combined with other factors, can lead to issues with depression and anxiety in athletes. CBT SoCal’s Dr. Jason von Stietz, will lead an educational workshop titled, “Cognitive behavioral therapy for depression and anxiety in competitive athletes” for the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology. Dr. Jason von Stietz is a licensed psychologist specializing in OCD, anxiety, insomnia, and sport psychology. H ..read more

Share Tweet Share Pinterest Email Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a complex mental illness and it is important for therapists to have as many tools in their tool box as possible, metaphorically speaking. Recently, Dr. Martin Hsia, CBT SoCal’s Clinical Director, led a staff training on a relatively new approach to treating OCD called Inference-based therapy (IBT). What is inference-based therapy? Developed in the late 1990’s by researchers in Canada, IBT is a cognitive approach to addressing OCD. IBT argues that obsessions are internally generated obsessive doubts rather than intrusive ..read more

Share Tweet Share Pinterest Email As awareness of athlete mental health needs is on the rise, it is important for psychotherapists to be knowledgeable of sport psychology and the needs of athletes. CBT SoCal’s Dr. Jason von Stietz recently led a staff training, which gave an overview of the field of sport psychology.  Dr. von Stietz specializes in sport psychology and had a variety of training experiences including holding positions as a sport psychology intern at the Major League Baseball Youth Academy in Compton and sport psychology postdoctoral fellow at Whittier College. Dr. von Stie ..read more

Share Tweet Share Pinterest Email Sport psychology is a growing field and many mental health professionals are taking steps to gain the necessary training to support athletes and performers. CBT SoCal’s Dr. Jason von Stietz is the co-chair of the Los Angeles County Psychological Association (LACPA) Sport Performance Psychology Special Interest Group (SIG). The LACPA Sport Performance Psychology SIG helps mental health professionals in the Los Angeles area by providing an opportunity to network, support each other, and learn from experts in the field. Dr. von Stietz hosted a series of guest pr ..read more