Blog
Free, practical writing on OCD, anxiety and what therapy is actually like. Everything here is written by me, and you're welcome to use it whether or not we ever work together.
The video work in social anxiety therapy
Seeing yourself on video is the part of social anxiety treatment people dread most, and the part they most often describe afterwards as the moment something shifted.
The post-mortem after social events, and why it hurts
The replaying afterwards is where social anxiety does a lot of its damage. Here is what the post-mortem is actually doing, and how CBT stops it rewriting the evening.
Social anxiety: the habits that feel like they save you
Gripping the glass, over-preparing, rushing your sentences, having a drink first. Each safety behaviour feels like it got you through. Each stops you finding out you did not need it.
Is it shyness or social anxiety?
Shyness is a temperament. Social anxiety is a condition that shrinks your life, one declined invitation at a time. Here is how to tell which one you are dealing with.
Why desire does not survive being monitored
You cannot feel anything for your partner any more, and you have taken that as the answer. Testing for a response is close to the most reliable way to abolish one. It returns when the checking stops.
SO-OCD runs in every direction, and that is the tell
Straight people get it about being gay. Gay and bisexual people get it about being straight, or not gay enough. If this were about orientation it would not be so indifferent to the answer.
Take the first step
A free consultation — no pressure, just a conversation to see how I can help.
What clients say
Working with Gisela is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I was incredibly nervous explaining my experiences with OCD over the phone when I had my initial consultation with her but from that very moment, I knew I had chosen the right therapist to work with.
Gisela was able to fit me in for my first one to one session at the Sanctuary within a week and although I was very nervous Gisela put me at ease immediately.
The Sanctuary is a beautiful building, and the therapy room is calming and welcoming, it is also conveniently situated on a main road with ample parking.