Episode 54 | Understanding OCD in Young People

In this episode, Janet speaks with Dr. Marlene Taube-Schiff about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in young people.

Dr. Taube-Schiff is a registered psychologist with nearly 20 years of experience working with adolescents and adults. She is the founder and director of Forward Thinking Psychological Services, a multidisciplinary practice serving clients in Ontario and British Columbia. A leading voice in the field, Dr. Taube-Schiff was one of the founding professionals behind Canada’s first residential treatment program for OCD at Sunnybrook, is a past president of the Ontario Psychological Association, and currently sits on the Scientific Advisory Committee for Anxiety Canada.

Janet and Dr. Taube-Schiff explore how OCD impacts a young person’s daily life, the emotions that often accompany it — including distress, disgust, and shame — and the most effective therapeutic approaches, including CBT, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Inference-Based CBT (ICBT). They also talk about the crucial role of parents in treatment and why early intervention can dramatically improve long-term outcomes.

You can find out more about Dr. Marlene Taube-Schiff’s work at Forward Thinking Psychological Services.