Christianity and Psychology: Part 1

Religion and psychology have had an interesting history, often marked with contempt, misunderstandings and misinformation from both sides.  In the next few blogs, we hope to address some of these issues.  While we are not expressed experts in religions, will consult with pastors (e.g., current leaders of churches who have at least a Master’s degree)…

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What I learned at ADAA this year…

Last week I was in Washington DC for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) annual conference.  The conference attendance was one of the highest in recent years, and it was a good opportunity to see what new research and clinical skills have been developed. Here’s a few of the things I learned this…

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Thinking about Thinking: Emotional Reasoning

                          As we continue thinking about thinking, let’s examine emotional reasoning: “Thinking something must be true because you “feel” (actually believe) it so strongly, ignoring or discounting evidence to the contrary.” This is a common thinking pattern we often see with phobias.  For…

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The 24th Annual OCD Conference

  Dr. Hsia will be speaking at the International Obsessive Compulsive Foundation conference in San Francisco this July, 2017. He will be on a panel with several other distinguished clinicians and researchers, discussing how OCD treatments can and need to be adapted to better fit diverse populations. As Dr. Hsia has a significant background in…

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3 Things you Should Know About Panic Disorder

1.     You’re not actually going to pass out, have a heart attack or go crazy – it just feels that way. The hallmark of panic disorder is strong physical sensations that may feel like one is having a serious physical problem, such as a heart attack. Often, because of these sensations, people avoid places where…

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Associated anxiety issues: Trichotillomania, Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Misophonia

The OC Anxiety Center is primarily known for the treatment of anxiety disorders, and in particular OCD, panic, and specific phobias.  While treatment for other anxiety disorders fall well within the realm of OCAC, a number of similarly treated issues are also addressed.  Trichotillomania (hair pulling), BDD (Body Dysmorphic Disorder, the belief that…

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The Basics of School Refusal

Getting through school refusal

With the beginning of a new school year, the OC Anxiety Center has seen more children with school refusal come in through our doors. “School refusal” is a general term with a myriad of causes. Is it a fear of embarrassing oneself in front of others, a dislike of academics, a bully at school, or panic disorder? These are just a few possible causes for …

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Exposure and Response Prevention: It’s Scary and it Works

The “new” buzzword in treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), even though it’s been around for decades. Many general providers now list as one of their modalities of treatment as CBT, and when looking for a psychologist a good question is “Are you a cognitive behavioralist?” Note that the question isn’t…

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What do I look for in a Therapist or Treatment Center?

We often hear from our patients, “I’ve seen several psychologists before, but none of them of have been helpful until I started working with the Anxiety Research Center. Why doesn’t everyone do what you are doing?”

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