82. Marisa Mazza, PsyD | Treating OCD and Anxiety with Psychological Flexibility
Dr. Marisa T. Mazza is a clinical psychologist and founder of choicetherapy psychological services, inc. Dr. Mazza is passionate about providing evidence-based therapies, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindful Self-Compassion, to teens and adults struggling with OCD or Anxiety. She enjoys supporting individuals in learning new ways of interacting with thoughts and feelings. Her approach allows individuals to face their fears in a gradual and gentle way so they can get unstuck from thoughts and feelings and live meaningful lives. Dr. Mazza was formerly a board member of OCD SF Bay Area, the International OCD Foundation’s local affiliate, and was the Vice President of the San Francisco Bay Area Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. She is also the author of The ACT Workbook for OCD which we discuss at points throughout this episode.
Some of the topics we explore in this episode include:
-Marisa’s history of anxiety challenges
-How it has helped her grow and be connected to values as a clinician
-The role that shame plays in anxiety and OCD challenges
-Common OCD related challenges faced postpartum
-What lead to Marisa writing The ACT Workbook for OCD
-How to use ACT skills and exposure exercises flexibly in specific contexts
