I’m an OCD therapist, professor, mom, and practicing Latter-day Saint. After working in community mental health and at a psychiatric hospital, I began working with people with OCD after a therapist friend, who was struggling to find an OCD therapist for her daughter at the time, encouraged me to pursue training in exposure and response prevention (ERP). I was intrigued by her suggestion and went on to receive world class training in the treatment of OCD and related anxiety disorders at the International OCD Foundation’s Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI). Shortly after I completed this training, I got a call from a friend who was serving as a stake president that ended up changing my practice (and my life!) forever.

A young man in his stake had recently returned home early from his mission after suffering crippling anxiety symptoms. He was consumed by fears that he wasn’t worthy, wasn’t capable of being a good missionary, and spent hours a day performing time consuming rituals that he hoped would restore his goodness in the eyes of the Lord. My friend said the missionary had been told he might have something called scrupulosity. He asked, “Do you know anything about this? Can you help?”

I knew a little bit about scrupulosity, and, while I had no direct experience treating it, I felt strongly that I should do everything I could to learn how to help this young returned missionary. That was the beginning of a years-long journey to understand the unique ways scrupulosity and related forms of OCD impact Latter-day Saints and to develop forms of treatment that are highly effective and rooted in a deep knowledge of Latter-day Saint culture, values, and faith. 

I am passionate about helping Latter-day Saints from all walks of life– including returned missionaries, BYU students, and anxious youth (and their parents!)--learn to manage their OCD symptoms and reclaim their faith. 

My formal qualifications include:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker in California, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana and Florida

• Graduate, International Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation (IOCDF) Pediatric Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI)

• Trained Provider, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)

• Adjunct Faculty, University of Utah College of Social Work

• Masters degrees from the Tulane University School of Social Work and Johns Hopkins University

I also speak and teach widely about scrupulosity, including appearing regularly on popular Latter-day Saint podcasts and at universities in Utah. Please check out some of my recent appearances HERE.