Obsessive Compulsive Disorder:
Unwanted, horrific, repetitive thoughts.
An unstoppable drive to do things that seem ridiculous to you, cause you distress, or hurt your relationships.
Ruminating constantly about a fear or a decision, with no amount of reassurance or reason that can satisfy it.
Coping with thoughts that make you question your character, your sanity, or even your safety to be around others.
Fears about contamination, sins, being responsible for the well-being or survival of others through “magical thoughts” or actions.
Constantly needing to check or wash, yet never feeling fully sure you’ve done it correctly.
Does any of this sound familiar for you or someone you love?
You are not alone!
“Our daughter was nervous at first to talk to anyone outside of our family about her thoughts and feelings, but it didn’t take any time at all for her to feel comfortable talking to Cheryl. She was able to create word pictures to help our child understand what she was experiencing and most importantly she made sure our daughter knew she wasn’t alone in what she was feeling and thinking... (our daughter) slept for the first time in weeks that night.”
-Parent of an 11 year old
2024 Speaker:
Low Demand Parenting Summit
Hosted by Amanda Diekman
I was honored to share about OCD, Exposure Response Prevention, and Low Demand Parenting at this year’s summit!
Support In The Journey
I personally experienced Early Childhood Onset of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and have been navigating life with OCD/Scrupulosity for over 40 years.
I know how difficult it can be to get the right help. My story includes:
misdiagnosis and harmful improper treatment
acquiring proper diagnosis
successful treatment with CBT, medication, and counseling support
impact by PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infection)
Scrupulosity (OCD related to religious fears)
ongoing OCD management
obtaining my undergraduate degree in counseling, and extensive personal study.
Through What Helps, I hope to help you gain a better understanding of OCD, walk out of fear and shame, and become an advocate for yourself or your loved one.
Walk out of fear and shame.
Exploring barriers to help, supporting self-advocacy
“Our child was able to talk to her therapist about what she learned from Cheryl and they continued to use the same ‘language’ she had learned from Cheryl about her OCD.”
— Parent
“Our son was being treated for a ‘mood disorder’ - a very broad diagnosis given to him by his doctor. Based on Cheryl's recommendations of books and cognitive behavioral therapy treatment, it actually caused a change in diagnosis with our son's doctor. As our son explained to his psychiatrist how one of the books Cheryl recommended really resonated with him, the psychiatrist agreed… they changed the diagnosis and adjusted his treatment accordingly.”
— Parent of a young adult
“Right away, Cheryl put us at ease with her willingness to help and was so knowledgeable; it was so comforting to know that she knew and understood exactly what our son was going through. She was very positive and encouraging to us and gave us hope for our son.”
-Parents of a 33 year old
Real Support, Accessible Pricing.
It’s my goal to keep my pricing significantly below the standard market rate for individual & parent coaching, to help more families access the support they need.
20 minute initial session.
Free.
To connect with me, sign up for an initial tele meeting to discuss your story and see if peer consultation and support are right for you.
Never a sales pitch!
50 minute sessions.
See Prices & Packages
I would be honored to hold space to hear your story, offer insights on best practices, build felt safety through self-disclosure, and guide you in discerning next steps.
Other options include Direct Messaging with M-F 24 hour response times -often much less!
Great for those with anxiety in real time virtual conversations or with language barriers.
See Prices & Packages tab for more info & Discounts!
Open, honest support in a safe space.
Making Knowledge Accessible
A key feature of OCD is incredible shame. This can be compounded when a person makes the brave step to ask for help and is misunderstood. I will listen to your experience and help you to find a next step that feels safe to you.
My goal is:
To help you know you are not alone -truly.
To increase your self-understanding regarding OCD.
To equip you to know what to look for in a helping professional.
To explore ways to communicate your needs to those who support you.
To offer ongoing support as needed.
My experience includes:
Bachelor of Science in Counseling with a focus on
Faith IntegrationPersonal experience as a patient utilizing
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP), Systematic Desensitization, Habituation
Reality Testing/Inference, Reframing
Rational Emotive Therapy (RET)
Secular and faith based counseling approaches
Extensive reading in areas of OCD and Scrupulosity (religious aspects of OCD impacting both religious and non-religious people)
“I contacted Cheryl to help others because I have confidence in her ability to assist them in dealing with OCD/Scrupulosity. I have known Cheryl for years and trust her wisdom, approach and counsel.”
— Dr. David M. Dippold
Professor of Theology
University of Valley Forge
“I really appreciated (Cheryl) being there for me during one of the hardest times in my life… It wasn’t until I met with her that I learned that there are internal, as well as external, things that come with OCD. Hearing her story cued me in to a lot, as did resources (she) gave me. I used them while meeting with a psychologist. I'd tell anyone to meet with Cheryl.”
— Individual with OCD in her 20’s
What I do not offer:
I do not provide professional counseling. I am not a medical professional or licensed therapist. I am an individual sharing personal experiences and research in the context of peer consultation and support. My experience as an OCDer raising a PDAer offers insights into their overlap, but I do not have lived experience with the comorbidity of OCD and PDA.