Take What Serves. Leave the Rest.

OCD is very clever at getting people to immerse themselves in fake stories that feel very real, and pull them away from the present moment. As a Twin Cities based OCD therapist, Sierra Claeson works with her clients to help them learn how to not take OCD's bait, and stay connected to the here and now. 

In this week's episode of the podcast, Bryan talks to Sierra about her work treating OCD, her passion for inference-based cognitive...

Asking for help with your mental health can feel really hard. However, leaning into support is a powerful act of courage. 

In this week's episode, Bryan and Dr. Anastasia Ristau talk about stepping into the space of vulnerability and surrendering into help. 

Dr. Ristau is a licensed psychologist and Director of Psychotherapeutics at PrairieCare. 

As always - take what serves you, and leave the rest. 

(This podcast is not meant to r...

Lucy Grantz lived almost 30 years with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and didn't know it. She is now a therapist specializing in the treatment of it. 

In this week's episode Bryan talks to Lucy about a number of things, including:

• Getting diagnosed with OCD in her 40's. 
• Interacting with mindfulness practices while living with OCD. 
• Focusing on living the "middle path". 
• Creating space for the grief that comes with an OC...

Receiving a mental health diagnosis can activate a wide array of emotions. 

In this episode, we're exploring how a diagnosis can be an empowering experience - even as you experience all the other emotions that might be coming along with it, too. 

Bryan is joined, once again, by Dr. Anastasia Ristau. They discuss how a diagnosis can validate what you're experiencing - and give you a path forward to show up for your life in a more ex...

Here we are in the change of seasons. No doubt that this time of the year holds great beauty. It can also feel tender for some of us when it comes to our mental and emotional health. 

In this week’s episode we’re talking about it.

Bryan and Kelly Grosklags talk about meeting ourselves gently as we ride the many seasons of our life. They discuss why the season change can sometimes be difficult - and ways to nurture yourself through ...

It's been about eight months since Bryan has been working as a mental health therapist. In this episode, he shares some of what he's learned along the way that may help you if you're in therapy - or interested in exploring the process. 

Bryan is interviewed by Kelly Grosklags about what the past eight months have been like for him. They talk about finding a therapist that is a good fit, the safe space that is often cultivated in a ...

To be uncertain is to be human. 

And yet, sitting in uncertainty can be a very uncomfortable experience. 

In this week's episode, Bryan explores with Dr. Anastasia Ristau what it means to nurture our relationship with uncertainty - and how to start showing up for our life in the midst of the questions. 

If uncertainty is feeling especially prominent in your life right now, this episode is meant to provide some comfort and hope.

As ...

Rumination can feel all-consuming when we're in the depths of it. Churning over and over again in our mind - thinking we're solving our worries. In reality, rumination is often pulling us further and further away from what's most important to us. 

In this episode, Bryan talks the process of noticing when we're ruminating - and reconnecting to what's most important to us in the present moment. 

As always - take what serves you, and ...

Many are experiencing strong emotions about the upcoming Presidential election. In this week’s episode, we’re talking about.

Bryan talks to Dr. Anastasia Ristau about the process of taking care of yourself if things are feeling emotionally charged right now.

Dr. Ristau is a licensed psychologist and Director of Psychotherapeutics at PrairieCare.

As always - take what serves yo...

We all experience thoughts that can feel distressing and sometimes pull us away from how we want to be living our life. For people living with OCD, this experience is amplified. 

This week, Bryan talks to Dr. Marisa Mazza who is helping people living with OCD maneuver the noise of their mind and lean into what’s most important to them. She talks about disengaging from our thoughts, rooting into our values, and her definition of wha...

Summer is a time of the year that many look forward to. It can also bring with it some nuances that may play a role in our mental and emotional health. That's what we're exploring in this week's episode. 

Bryan chats with Dr. Anastasia Ristau about the shifting in day-to-day routines that happens in the summer for some of us. They also explore the expectations that we may place on this time of the year, the unique challenges facing...

Each and every day we have different portals that arise along the path. Uncomfortable spaces that we step into - often with meaningful experiences on the other side. 

Although the pull to avoid the portal is strong - Bryan explores, in this episode, the importance of having the courage to step in. He talks about how it often leads to living a life in alignment with what's most important to us. 

Bryan explores creating space for our...

Have you ever felt like the constant need to "heal" and "grow" sometimes pulls you away from living life in the present moment? 

We're exploring this in today's episode. 

In this conversation with Dr. Anastasia Ristau, Bryan talks about finding that balance of doing the "deep work", and also noticing when we might be slipping into the mentality that we constantly need to be "fixed".

Dr. Anastasia Ristau is a Licensed Psychologist a...

This episode is intended to help anyone experiencing the impact of infertility feel less alone.

In this week's episode, we're hearing the story of Beth Anderson. Beth opens up about her experience with infertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, which has included seven miscarriages over the past four years - and also the birth of her beautiful baby boy.

Beth shares what the journey has looked like for her and her husba...

Expressing his mental and emotional experience through drawing has been a healing outlet for Justin Jordan-Lake. He's now sharing his art through "The OCD Blog", providing light for others living with obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

In this week's episode, Bryan talks to Justin about his OCD journey, his approach to recovery, the intention behind "The OCD Blog", and much more.

You can follow "The OCD Blog" on Instagram: @theocdblog...

What does it mean to be gentle with yourself? 

In the fast-paced world we find ourselves in, it can sometimes be hard to cultivate a sense of gentleness towards ourselves. Bryan explores this more deeply with Dr. Anastasia Ristau in this week's episode. 

They discuss how "being gentle" may look different for everyone, how a gentle action towards ourself may vary depending on what we're experiencing in the moment, and much more. 

Dr...

Many people with OCD experience obsessions related to God, spirituality, and their faith. Reverend Katie O'Dunn is helping bridge the gap between spiritual traditions and effective treatment for OCD. 

In this episode, Bryan talks to Katie about religious and moral scrupulosity and how it can manifest for some people living with OCD. She also talks about how she is reframing effective OCD treatment as a spiritual practice, and how s...

Learning to truly lean in, feel, and express what is arising in our body is some of the most nuanced and deep work we can step into as a human being. Especially living in a world that is often telling us to keep our emotions hidden. 

In this episode, Bryan talks to Dr. Anastasia Ristau about the process of honoring our own emotional landscape. As mentioned in the episode, this conversation was inspired by this video on TikTok. 

Bry...

Lauren Rosen started experiencing symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) when she was seven years old, and wouldn't be properly diagnosed for 17 years. She's now transformed her own journey into a career as a mental health therapist supporting people living with OCD.

In this episode, Bryan talks to Lauren about her mental health story, the manifestation of OCD often referred to as "Pure OCD", mindfulness, Acceptance & ...