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AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety

By: Natasha Daniels: Child Therapist Child Anxiety and Child OCD Expert
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If you’re raising a child or teen with OCD or anxiety, you’re in the right place.


Parenting a child with OCD can feel confusing, exhausting, and isolating, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. Each week, therapist Natasha Daniels shares practical, evidence-based strategies to help you understand how OCD and anxiety really work, respond in ways that support recovery, and feel more confident as a parent.


Whether your child struggles with contamination OCD, intrusive thoughts, reassurance seeking, perfectionism, moral OCD, social anxiety, panic, school refusal, or other anxiety-related challenges, you’ll learn realistic tools you can use at home right away.


Drawing from more than 20 years of clinical experience and her own journey parenting children with OCD and anxiety, Natasha breaks down complex topics into clear, compassionate guidance that parents can actually apply. Episodes cover OCD treatment, ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention), reducing family accommodation, managing meltdowns, supporting therapy, and navigating everyday challenges with confidence.


Whether you’re newly discovering that your child’s anxiety may actually be OCD, searching for better ways to help, or simply looking for reassurance that you’re not alone, this podcast is here to support you every step of the way.


Welcome to AT Parenting Survival: Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright Anxious Toddlers LLC 2026 Hygiene & Healthy Living Parenting & Families Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships
Episodes
  • 8 Signs You Don’t Fully Understand Your Child’s OCD

    8 Signs You Don’t Fully Understand Your Child’s OCD
    Jun 30 2026

    Even the most dedicated parents can unintentionally miss what OCD is really doing.


    If you’ve ever wondered why your child’s OCD keeps changing, why the same strategies don’t seem to work anymore, or why treatment feels like it’s not getting to the root of the problem, this episode is for you.


    In this episode, I’ll walk you through eight common signs that you may be viewing your child’s OCD through a lens that keeps you focused on the surface instead of what’s driving it underneath. When you begin to understand how OCD actually operates, you’ll know what to pay attention to, what to stop chasing, and how to respond in ways that support lasting recovery.


    This episode will help you shift from reacting to OCD’s content to understanding its patterns—so you can parent with more confidence and help your child make meaningful progress.


    Resources Mentioned:

    • Get the free podcast PDF Handout of this episode

    • Parent Course: How to Teach Kids to Crush OCD

    • Video: How OCD is Like an Octopus

    • Podcast: When Reassurance Becomes an OCD Compulsion: How to Respond Differently

    • Podcast: When OCD Recovery Feels Worse Before It Feels Better


    ***

    This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to

    https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting


    This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.


    Parents, do you need more support?


    🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️


    Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:

    https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com


    Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):

    https://atparentingcommunity.com


    Take one of my FREE webinars:

    www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars


    Check out my books:

    www.Natashadaniels.com/books


    🌸 Other social places I hang out:


    http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival

    http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvival

    http://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvival

    http://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • When OCD Recovery Feels Worse Before It Feels Better

    When OCD Recovery Feels Worse Before It Feels Better
    Jun 23 2026
    Starting treatment for OCD can be one of the most hopeful steps a family takes, but it can also be one of the most confusing. Many parents expect that once their child begins therapy, exposures, or a new approach at home, things should immediately improve. Instead, they are often surprised when anxiety spikes, meltdowns increase, or OCD seems louder than ever.In this episode, I explore why OCD recovery can initially feel worse before it feels better. OCD thrives on avoidance, distraction, reassurance, and other coping strategies that provide short term relief. When children begin treatment, they often stop relying on those unhealthy coping mechanisms and start facing their fears directly. While this is an important part of recovery, it can temporarily make anxiety and distress feel more intense.I explain how OCD is not a passive disorder. It actively fights back when challenged. It may convince children that therapy is making them worse, tell them not to talk about their fears, flood them with more intrusive thoughts, or create intense distress during ERP and other evidence based approaches. Parents using strategies like SPACE may also notice an increase in emotional reactions as OCD loses its grip.Parents will learn why these early bumps in the road are often a normal part of the recovery process and how to prepare for them. I share practical ways to set expectations, build coping skills, develop a plan for tolerating distress, communicate effectively with therapists, and support children without pushing them too far too fast.If you have ever wondered whether treatment is working because things seem harder than before, this episode will help you understand what may really be happening and how to stay the course with confidence.Resources Mentioned in Episode:Free Anchor Series for parentsClick here to get your PDF Handout for this episodeYouTube video on how OCD sabotages therapyYouTube video on how OCD shuts down communicationMy BooksMy Kids and Teen OCD Course***This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go tohttps://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parentingThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.Parents, do you need more support? 🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:https://atparentingsurvivalschool.comJoin the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):https://atparentingcommunity.comTake one of my FREE webinars:www.Natashadaniels.com/webinarsCheck out my books: www.Natashadaniels.com/books🌸 Other social places I hang out:http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvivalhttp://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvivalhttp://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Common OCD Themes Even Therapists Sometimes Miss

    Common OCD Themes Even Therapists Sometimes Miss
    Jun 16 2026
    Many OCD themes are frequently misunderstood, misdiagnosed, or completely overlooked because they don’t match the stereotypes most people associate with OCD. In this episode, I dive into the OCD themes that often fly under the radar, including Moral OCD, Harm OCD, POCD, SOCD, ROCD, disgust based OCD, symmetry OCD, and Just Right OCD.I talk about how these themes can present in children and teens, why they are often mistaken for anxiety, behavioral issues, personality traits, or even hidden desires, and how shame and mental compulsions can keep kids struggling silently for years.You’ll also learn why OCD is not always driven by fear. Some themes are fueled by disgust, discomfort, uncertainty, or an overwhelming feeling that something is “off” or incomplete. I break down how OCD can lead to reassurance seeking, confession, avoidance, mental reviewing, and hidden rituals that many parents and even therapists may miss.I also discuss what parents can do if they suspect OCD is being overlooked, including how to educate themselves on OCD themes, help their child understand what OCD is doing, trust their gut, and seek out proper OCD specific support and ERP therapy.If your child has ever struggled with intrusive thoughts, shame around certain thoughts or feelings, hidden compulsions, or behaviors that never fully made sense through a traditional anxiety lens, this episode will help you better understand what may really be happening beneath the surface.Resources Discussed in Episode:Join our FREE series: How to Be an Effective Anchor for Your Kids with OCDGet your PDF handout of today’s episode here.OCD Therapy through NOCDOCD Therapist DirectoryKids and Teen Course on OCDFREE Therapist Workshop on OCDCrushing OCD Workbook for KidsChloe and The Bossy Cloud OCD Picture BookBTTI OCD TrainingTexas OCD Institute***This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go tohttps://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parentingThis podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.Parents, do you need more support? 🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:https://atparentingsurvivalschool.comJoin the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):https://atparentingcommunity.comTake one of my FREE webinars:www.Natashadaniels.com/webinarsCheck out my books: www.Natashadaniels.com/books🌸 Other social places I hang out:http://www.facebook.com/ATparentingSurvival http://www.pinterest.com/ATparentingSurvivalhttp://www.instagram.com/ATparentingSurvivalhttp://www.twitter.com/Parentingsurvival Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
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Thank you so much for these podcasts, they are helping me to understand and adapt my way of communicating with my children.
My teenage daughter has social anxiety and OCD, and I hope that when i have learned some more from you I can be in a position to help her.
I cannot seem to get any professional help right now, so atleast I can try to educate myself a little and hopefully gain some skills.

Amazing

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