Anxiety Specialists of Atlanta

Excellent contributions by our very own Dr. Spitalnick all about health anxiety!!

An amazing movie for kids, teen, or parents if you want to see real families talk about the journey of supporting a child with OCD and going through ERP treatment. It's a free screening, so take advantage of this opportunity, in support of OCD Awareness Week!

Please join us tonight, September 20, 2021 from 8-9pm EST (via Zoom) for our FREE monthly support group for Family members and loved ones who support or care for an adult (18+) with OCD. Led by Dr. Josh Spitalnick, this monthly group will bring together a community of support and healing, as you and your family support and care for other adult family members with OCD. This is not a treatment group, it’s a support group for adults (18+) ONLY. Our discussions will address the ...do’s and don’ts of support, family accommodations, treatment considerations, with an emphasis on self-care. For more information, or to access the ZOOM link, visit our EVENTS section for this group. https://anxietyspecialistsofatlanta.com//family-member-oc/

Just a reminder for those of you who want to support a great cause, this weekend is the "1 Million Steps 4 OCD" 5k walk (September 18, 2021). This is the annual walk fundraiser for the International OCD Foundation and the local affiliate, OCD Georgia, that me and my team proudly support. No one who works for OCD Georgia draws any salary support, its all volunteer efforts. Local fundraising money goes towards advocacy events, educational events, scholarships for OCD conferenc...es, and local grassroots community events. If you'd like to donate to our team, Team OCD Avengers, click below: We are so very close to our fundraising goal of $2,500. HUGE HUGE thanks to everyone who has joined and donated generously to our team. There are so many to thank, but we'd be remiss if we didnt give a shout out to some special families who have supported our team and this event for many years...THANKS to Maura and Jim Kelly (and all the Kelly kids!!), Laura and Seth Abrams, Nancy Spitalnick, those of you who have donated anonymously, and the 27 team members we already have!!! We hope to see you Saturday at the event (which is now in Newnan, GA NOT Chastain Park). #ocdga #iocdf #ocdawareness #ocdwalk #whyiwalk #ocdcommunity #ocdadvocate #ocd #ocdrecovery #ocdhope #ocdeducation #anxietysupport #ocdavenger

We are excited to announce the first of several new anxiety specialists joining our team, starting with Dr. Catherine Worthington. Dr. Worthington is a psychologist joining us as a Child and Adolescent Postdoctoral Fellow. She recently graduated from Spalding University, earning her Psy.D. after completing a predoctoral residency with Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital. As a CBT and exposure therapy specialist, Dr. Worthington is taking new clients starting the last week of S...eptember, with specialty areas of focus including social anxiety, medical/health anxiety, specific phobias, OCD, selective mutism, pediatric and adolescent sleep difficulties, and early-childhood behavioral feeding challenges. Dr. Worthington is currently in the process of seeking board certification in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (DBSM) and recently completed intensive training in Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE). If you want to learn more about her impressive background, click below!!! We are so very excited to have Dr. Worthington join our team as the mental health needs of our community continue to rise. Catherine, welcome to Anxiety Specialists of Atlanta, LLC!

Please join Dr. Spitalnick and an impressive panel of mental health experts discussing mental health in this pandemic era.

We couldn’t love this more. Nashville OCD, we love everything about your practice and want to support and promote such a wonderful and important group service for all in Tennessee.

Please join team OCD Avengers (Anxiety Specialists of Atlanta's team name) in September (9/18/2021) for the 1 Million Steps for OCD Walk fundraiser. Please walk with us, donate to the team, or send us words of encouragement. We are hoping to break $2,000 this year, and we know we can do it together as a community!! https://support.iocdf.org/team/366608

After significant growth over the past 7+ years, many things have changed in our clinic, but our dedication and passion for providing evidence-based psychological services, with a specialty in treating OCD and anxiety disorders, has never wavered. With that in mind, Dr. Josh Spitalnick couldn't be happier to announce Dr. Theresa Welles as our next Clinical Director, effective today, July 1, 2021. Dr. Spitalnick will continue to serve as CEO/Owner of Anxiety Specialists of At...lanta, and see clients weekly, but he will also be working hard to manage the growth of the practice and increase the availability, affordability, and diversity of our specialty services. In her new role, Dr. Welles will continue to see clients throughout the week, but she will also be overseeing, supporting, and developing the clinical staff, implementing strategies to ensure fidelity to evidence-based practices, and working with Dr. Spitalnick to expand the wonderful clinical services we currently offer. Dr. Welles, we are so excited to see all the great things you will do in this leadership role. The staff, the clinic, and the amazing clients we serve will all benefit with you as the Clinical Director. Congratulations for this much deserved role!

Our team is excited to announce that we will be offering a variety of recurring, monthly, FREE support groups to provide additional low-cost or no cost ways for our community to heal, build resilience, and take control back in your life. Our first support group, a Divorce and Separation Support Group, will be led by Dr. Theresa Welles and Dr. Christina Noble . This group is for those who seek a community of support and healing, as you move though the difficult process of end...ing and/or grieving a significant partner relationship. This group starts next week and will take place over Zoom on the last Wednesday of every month from 6-7pm EST. You must RSVP to get the secure Zoom link. Click below to learn more and register for this months first installment. https://anxietyspecialistsofatlanta.com//divorce-and-sepa/

Pure O....What is it? Is it real? Is it a diagnosis? What does it mean? Should we stop using the term? Why are there quotes around the term? Check out Dr. Josh Spitalnick's thoughts on this important and controversial topic for OCD sufferers, their loved ones, and therapists who specialize in treating OCD. https://anxietyspecialistsofatlanta.com/pure-o-ocd-blog/

This Saturday night!!!!! Ignite the Fire: Final thoughts on COVID 2020. Join us for an amazing night. We have a fantastic lineup of guests. 8 PM EST live on OCD Gamechangers FB page and YouTube channel.

Excited to offer more evidence-based free education and resources for anyone battling OCD! Check out our dedicated OCD section @ www.anxietyspecialistsofatlanta.com for local, regional, and national treatment options, web resources, information about intrusive thoughts/Pure O, PANDAS resources, and more. #ocd #ocdawareness #ocdrecovery #bestpractices #erpforocd

Join @anxietyatldoc (Dr. Josh Spitalnick) and so many other OCD warriors for a great event!! And please donate to a great organization. Well done @ocdgamechangers

In honor of OCD Awareness Week, OCD Georgia wants to know why you fight OCD. They are collecting anonymous messages of hope, inspiration, and compassion via Padlet. To add your own, visit the link provided in the caption! ..and thanks to our very own Dr. Katie Cullum for your active involvement with OCD Georgia!!!

We are so happy to announce that Dr. Megan Faye, our Postdoctoral Fellow (2019-2020), is no longer in her fellowship as she became a Licensed Psychologist here in Georgia yesterday!!! Better, she now stays on with us as a Licensed Psychologist and we...are...thrilled. Dr. Faye, from the day you interviewed with us for postdoc, we have been in awe of your composure, strength, and kindness. All of this, your dedication to best practices (and more) is why the people you care fo...r adore you, AND get better! From your entire team, congratulations on this accomplishment, for getting through the grueling years of graduate school and clinical training, and for doing so without losing your smile and wonderful sense of humor. https://anxietyspecialistsofatlanta.com/dr-megan-faye/

Still time to get involved in various OCD Awareness Week events, click below to learn more!! #OCDWeek

For any of you that have already donated to this great cause through the amazon links below, we know that Cara Spitalnick and her families is so appreciative. For those of you who want to donate in person, feel free to do so this Wednesday through Friday, September 23-25, 2020, from 10am-2pm, at our offices. Cara has put bins outside and small thank you bags for you to take, but please leave a note if you can to tell us who you are so Cara can send you proper thank you note. Our office address is 1360 Center Drive, Suite 200 (but the bin is in front or Suite 210, the right balcony), Dunwoody Ga, 30338. Cara, we are all so proud of you for the work you are doing for Solomon's Temple Homeless Shelter!!

Tomorrow night, we are talking about parent guilt when it comes to accepting help. We will cover screen time, hired help, self-care and other things that parent...s shouldn’t have to feel bad about. We explain why the best parents are happy parents. Join us in the no parent-shaming zone Tuesday night at 8 pm ET. Don’t forget to download the Podbean app to be able to join us https://www.podbean.com/podcast-app-iphone-android-mobile

This is too awesome and informative not to share about a poorly understood theme in OCD called Harm OCD. Thank you Amy Mariaskin and Nashville OCD for this gem!!

Welcome Lizzie Booher, APC, NCC, CCH (Associate Professional Counselor) to the team. She's an exceptional clinician who will spend the next two years finalizing her licensure requirements to become an LPC (under the supervision of Dr. Chris Noble, PhD). Like the rest of the team, she specializes in CBT, ERP, and OCD, she sees kids, teens, and adults, and among other unique interests and specialities, she addresses the intersection of video game/social media consumption and anxiety with clients of all ages. We are so fortunate to add such a poised young professional to the team, and she starts 9/22/2020. Please join us in welcoming Lizzie to the team.

Edited to Add: Cara has had so many positive responses! Thank you so much! She has put together an Amazon Wish List to make donating easy and more socially distanced. Amazon Link is in the comments. If you go to make a donation purchase, please choose Cheryl Mazur Spitalnick when asked about shipping. Her hidden address should be second on the list. Thanks!! To all of you that follow us, we so very proud to share this from Dr. Josh Spitalnick’s daughter who becomes a bat mi...tzvah on November 7, 2020. If you’re looking to do a good deed, read below as she is seeking donations (not money but specific supplies) for a homeless shelter that she’s very passionate about supporting. If you’d like to drop off supplies, you can DM Dr. Spitalnick or email him at [email protected] about drop off locations. Congratulations Cara on your upcoming Bat Mitzvah. See more

We are so excited to welcome Jen Powell, LPC, NCC, CCH to the team. As she is our lucky # 13 anxiety/OCD specialist, we couldn’t be luckier to have the opportunity to bring on such a warm, thoughtful, seasoned clinician who makes other clinicians around her even better. Please join us in welcoming Jen to the team!!

Yay, we’re now on Instagram!!

Dr. Katie Cullum embodies everything our team is about, including the integration of evidence-based therapists and treatment services, and addressing the whole family system where necessary, as Dr. Cullum has specific interests in couples and family therapy above and beyond her expertise in treating OCD and anxiety with ERP. We are thrilled to have Dr. Cullum joining the team and can’t wait to see what exciting and innovative services she brings to the Atlanta community in her new role with us. Click below to learn more about Dr. Cullum and please join us in welcoming her to the team!!

Maintenance of ERP and self-care/acceptance/compassion to your ups and downs after treatment are all important to address.

Effective August 2020, our team has several providers who are approved to provide treatment services via video (telepsychology) in any of the current 14 PSYPACT participating states. Our efforts to be PSYPACT approved is in direct support of our mission to increase the availability and accessibility of evidence-based treatment services for OCD and anxiety related disorders. To learn more, click below.