The OCD Whisperer Podcast with Kristina Orlova

Did you know OCD is like an overprotective friend—one that targets what you love most? It sounds strange, doesn’t it?   In this episode of the OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina Orlova is joined by Dr. Thomas Ballas, a clinical psychologist specializing in OCD, anxiety, perfectionism, and trauma. Dr. Ballas provides therapy via telehealth across 42 states and brings a practical, evidence-based p...

In this powerful and candid episode of the OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina Orlova sits down with Hussain, the founder of The Struggling Warrior, a platform dedicated to raising awareness and educating people about OCD. With over a decade of personal experience, Hussain shares his journey from the onset of his OCD at a young age to his eventual path to therapy and recovery.   Hussain opens up...

In this deeply personal and enlightening episode of the OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina Orlova sits down with  Crystal  Propes—a wife, mother of three, and passionate mental health advocate.  Crystal  shares her lifelong experience with emetophobia (fear of vomiting), OCD, ADHD, and PTSD, offering a raw and honest look at what it’s like to live with intersecting conditions—and how healing is...

Living with OCD isn’t just about managing anxiety—it’s about reclaiming your life through your values. In this powerful episode of the OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina Orlova welcomes OCD therapist Lennon Jones, founder of Golden Hour OCD and Anxiety, to explore how personal values bring clarity, purpose, and resilience to Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy.   ERP, first line treat...

🧠 Episode Summary: Struggling with feeling ugly, ashamed, or alone? In this episode, Dr. Sony Khemlani-Patel shares insights from 25+ years of treating OCD and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). Discover how BDD affects self-worth, why it’s often misunderstood, and what real recovery looks like.     🔍 What You’ll Learn: • How Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) differs from body image issues and eating...

🧠 Episode Summary: What if your own mind was the biggest mystery you ever had to solve? In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Kristina Orlova sits down with writer and director Dillon Tucker, creator of the narrative feature film PURE O. Diagnosed with OCD himself, Dillon shares how the chaos, fear, and obsessive spirals of his own mind became the raw material for a deeply personal and gr...

Episode Summary: Do you feel trapped in endless loops of “what if”? Like your brain is constantly playing out worst-case scenarios, you can’t prove, but can’t ignore either? In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Frederick Aardema, clinical psychologist, OCD researcher, and co-creator of Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ICBT). Together, we unpack how faulty re...

🧠 Episode Summary: In this podcast episode, two close friends delve into a journey of battling OCD, confronting alcohol dependency, and the transformative power of support. They discuss the daily challenges of living with obsessive-compulsive disorder, the spiral into substance use, and how a steadfast friendship became the cornerstone of recovery.   🔍 What You’ll Learn: The difference between m...

You wash your hands… but did you really get them clean? You wiped down the package… but what if something invisible is still there? You tell yourself it’s fine, yet your brain won’t let it go. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In this episode of the OCD Whisperer Podcast, Kristina Orlova welcomes back Mike Parker, licensed clinical social worker and creator of the OCD Space YouTube channe...

There’s a quiet tension in love when you live with OCD—an unshakable feeling that something’s off, followed by crushing doubt: Is this real, or is it just my disorder? You learn to second-guess yourself, to dismiss your instincts, to stay in places that feel unsafe because your brain tells you fear is always a lie. But what if it isn’t?   In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina...

In this riveting episode of the OCD Whisperer podcast, host Kristina Orlova sits down with Mike Parker, a licensed clinical social worker and the creator of the popular YouTube channel OCD Space.   Together, they embark on a deep dive into the world of OCD and the transformative power of Inference based cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT). But what happens when doubt becomes the driving force behi...

Imagine struggling with intrusive thoughts that feel unbearable, unshakable, and all-consuming. You try to fight them, suppress them, or rationalize them away, only to find that they persist, growing stronger with every attempt to resist. But what if the key to managing OCD wasn’t in pushing these thoughts away, but rather in changing your relationship with them? In this thought-provoking episode...

Imagine this: A bright, capable adult, full of potential, yet paralyzed by the invisible grip of OCD. They live at home, rely on their parents for everything, and seem unable to take the first step toward independence. The parents, heartbroken and exhausted, wonder, “Where did we go wrong? How do we help without hurting?” It’s a delicate dance, a tightrope walk between support and enabling, betwee...

How well do we really understand the full spectrum of OCD? Many people—including professionals—struggle to recognize the various ways OCD can manifest beyond the commonly known themes. In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina Orlova welcomes Dr. Kimberly Glazier Leonte, PhD and Dr. Jacquelin Gouniai, PsyD, LPC, co-founders of The OCD Academy. They introduce the OCD Awareness Sca...

Many people struggle to speak up about their mental health needs, even when their treatment isn’t working. Why does self-advocacy feel so daunting?   In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina Orlova welcomes Jonathan Teller, a third-year clinical psychology PhD student at Northern Illinois University. Together, they explore the challenges of self-advocacy in healthcare and why it...

Did you know that many people with OCD still turn to medication as a first option, even though psychotherapy could be just as effective, if not more so?   In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina is joined by Dr. Amy Huberman, a psychiatrist specializing in OCD, anxiety, and trauma. Dr. Huberman discusses her journey from prescribing medication to focusing solely on psychotherap...

Ever had a moment where you felt like something bad would happen unless you did a specific thing—like touching a door handle just right or counting to a certain number? Now imagine that feeling controlling your every action, from the smallest decisions to the biggest ones. This is what life is like for those with magical thinking OCD. But how can you tell the difference between these intense fears...

What if the secret to overcoming OCD and mental health challenges isn’t just about managing symptoms, but truly understanding the whole person—mind, body, and spirit? Can therapy that treats us as a complete individual really lead to healing? Ever considered the role psychedelics, like ketamine, could play in mental health care? Or maybe a holistic approach to therapy is the game-changer you’ve be...

When we think about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), common themes like contamination fears or checking rituals often come to mind. However, there is another form of OCD—"Just Right OCD"—which centers on achieving an elusive sense of balance or correctness. In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, host Kristina Orlova sits down with Andrew Cohen, a licensed marriage and family therapist a...

When we think about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), our minds often go straight to the difficulties it brings—the obsessive thoughts and compulsive actions that can disrupt daily life. But what if there’s a side of OCD that’s rarely discussed, one that offers unique strengths?   In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Dr. Michael Alcée, a clinical psychologist and mental health educator...

Have you ever struggled with feelings of guilt, shame, or an overwhelming need to "do the right thing"? For individuals experiencing moral scrupulosity, a subset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), this focus on morality can become a debilitating cycle of self-doubt and fixation on being a "good person." In this episode, host Kristina Orlova welcomes Dr. Rachel LaFleur, a licensed psychologist...

Are you aware that the struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and eating disorders often go hand in hand, creating a complex web of challenges for those affected? Imagine grappling with the relentless pressure to control your environment while simultaneously battling intense fears surrounding food and body image. How does this intricate interplay shape the experiences of individuals liv...

Have you ever had thoughts so disturbing they make you doubt yourself? Pedophilia OCD (POCD) can bring intrusive fears that aren’t reflective of who you are—so let’s clear the air: having POCD isn’t the same as having pedophilia. Curious how this all works and how you can break free from its grip? In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, we are thrilled to welcome Rachel Tombaugh, a psychothe...

People with OCD often feel trapped by strict rules in their daily lives. These unwritten rules might mean always trying to control their thoughts, constantly seeking certainty, seeing anxiety as a sign of immediate danger, feeling personally responsible for preventing harm, analyzing every thought meticulously, striving for perfection in everything, and keeping their struggle with OCD hidden from...

Is it possible that the meticulous and often relentless nature of OCD could fuel the creative genius behind some of the most iconic music in the industry? In today’s episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Tyler Falcoa, an indie pop artist, music producer, and mixed engineer, discusses the intricate relationship between creativity and obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD). Tyler, who has managed OCD s...