The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsions Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) Paperback – December 1, 2020

I recently finished reading the book "The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD" by Jon Hershfield, MFT and Tom Corboy, MFT and I have to say I was quite impressed and have already started using many of their ideas with my current OCD clients (as well as clients with other kinds of anxiety disorders besides OCD!). Both authors clearly have a wealth of experience working with OCD and share a number of useful ideas, tips, and techniques in their book. Essentially, mindfulness is moment to moment nonjudgmental awareness of what is happening in your mind. When you start paying attention to what your mind is actually doing, it is really quite surprising how little of the time we really are present. So often we get lost in our thoughts, react to them without thinking, and get caught up in our thought streams which can take us into some very dark and scary places which are very far from the present moment. And this entire process takes place without us being aware that it is happening - we may not be aware that we have a choice to not pay attention to our thoughts and see then for what they are as just "thoughts" and simply not respond. As one develops the ability to be more mindful it is possible to notice these things happening and the very noticing then gives us the possibility of making a different choice. If, after touching a doorknob, I suddenly feel the urge to rush to the bathroom and wash the germs off my hands, I can mindfully be aware that I'm having thoughts about my hands being contaminated but also since I am now more aware I can make a choice to either do what I've always done, rush to wash my hands, or I can make a choice in the moment to stay with the discomfort and see what happens. Mindfulness allows me to be aware of the "automatic pilot" and to disengage from what may have become long-standing habits of responding to discomfort by seeking immediate relief. The authors also certainly incorporate more traditional Cognitive Behavioral Treatment approaches such as Exposure and Response Prevention and cognitive restructuring, but they add to our clinical repertoire these new techniques derived from mindfulness which I think only serve to enhance the effectiveness of these more traditional approaches.The book begins with several chapters on mindfulness, followed by a very useful chapter entitled "Acceptance, Assessment, Action", then there are nine chapters on applying their particular techniques to specific kinds of OCD, and finally a few chapters at the end on maintaining your progress and preventing relapse. I highly recommend this book to anybody who is suffering from any form of OCD, and, in fact, anyone suffering from other types of anxiety as well as I believe the

This booklet is great - I bought it shortly after I was diagnosed with OCD and you can tell that proper education/training on OCD went into the writing of this. It’s helpful to open this up when I’m ruminating a lot because it directs me in a way that I’m not always able to direct myself. Using a blank journal (for me) can sometimes run the risk of entrenching me further in an obsession so I like this. It not only provides exercises but education as well and it acknowledges the nuance of OCD by encompassing many different manifestations of it.

This process isn’t easy, especially if you are attempting self-help. Friends and family and fellow sufferers on forums online can definitely support you and help you feel less alone, but sometimes, it’s nice to have a professional who understands. Not every self-help book is helpful; you cannot relate, the techniques are rough, or the author is very distant from your suffering. You wish you could find someone who sympathizes- or better yet, empathizes- with all the nuances of the daily struggle you face.That is what you will find in this book. It is easy to digest, separated into three distinct parts: An introduction to mindfulness, a section of how your techniques apply to the different faces of OCD (harm-O, sexual orientation OCD, POCD, and many others), and a section on how the disorder affects your life and how you can communicate this to others.The author understands you; no joke. Everything is detailed down to how and why it will help you out. They know it’s hard. They know exactly what you’re thinking, what you may be reluctant to do, what you’re afraid of. You are prompted to write your thoughts, fears, and little mindset-changing sentences all throughout the workbook. You might not feel comfortable, but they know. You feel understood, and that’s the important thing.The book includes a collection of online and further book resources alongside their main features and how they can help you build upon what you have learned.I cannot recommend this enough.

The content is good and it's one of those rare books that actually addresses the manifestations of OCD beyond physical compulsions, including dealing with intrusive thoughts and some of the more taboo brands of OCD. I felt that it was a bit generic, however, and that beyond the explanations of the ways OCD manifests itself, it's really just a mindfulness workbook with little factoids about OCD.I think this book would be effective for someone just starting out on their therapeutic journey and/or for someone who can't afford a therapist, but it doesn't hold any secrets that you won't come across by googling "mindfulness" and "OCD" together.

Another great read for anyone battling OCD.

This book has helped me in so many ways. I love being able to learn about this condition because knowledge really is power. All the techniques he talks about in this book are very helpful. I would highly recommend this book to anyone suffering from OCD.