In this powerful episode, Valerie Probstfeld returns to share what it’s really like to live with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder—beyond the clichés. From invisible mental spirals and postpartum anxiety to shame, resilience, and rewiring your thoughts, Valarie brings deep insight and heartfelt storytelling. Whether you live with OCD, support someone who does, or want to understand your mental health better, this conversation will stay with you.

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Quote of the Episode:
“Thoughts are just thoughts—we give them too much credit.” – Valerie Probstfeld

What This Episode Covers:
This episode dives into Valerie’s lived experience with OCD—the obsessive thoughts, the quiet compulsions, and the constant mental “loops” that many never see. She opens up about the evolution of her symptoms, her relationship with shame, and the tools she uses today to cope and reclaim control, including mindfulness, gratitude, and naming her thoughts. We also explore the impact of media like Inside Out 2 and Disney’s portrayals of emotions and how writing has helped her reframe the narrative inside her mind.

Guest: Valerie Probstfeld
Valerie is a nurse practitioner, writer, speaker, and founder of To Mom Is To Love—a platform focused on mental wellness, gratitude, and living authentically. She’s a mom of three and firmly believes in creating mental space through mindfulness, neuroplasticity, and storytelling.

• Website: https://www.tomomistolove.com/
• Podcast: https://www.tomomistolove.com/podcast
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valerie_probstfeld/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090022943012
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQhKAdlZP8_tq2-zv3CqhrQ
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-probstfeld-23022448/
• New Book Available: To Mom Is to Love: Pioneering a New Kind of Motherhood, Paperback will be available on May 9th

Key Takeaways:

• OCD is not just about neatness or cleanliness—it often involves internal, invisible distress.
• Labeling thoughts as “OCD” helps reduce their power and shame.
• Emotional awareness in children’s media (like Inside Out 2) is helping normalize mental health conversations.

Actionable Tips:

1. Physically break the OCD loop: walk, clean, or move your body.
2. Use the phrase “this is the OCD, not me” to reclaim your thoughts.
3. Counteract negative thinking with gratitude and minor mental resets.

Timestamps & Chapters:
00:01:12 – Welcome back, Valarie
00:04:55 – What OCD feels like beyond the stereotypes
00:11:25 – Intrusive thoughts and perfectionism in motherhood
00:25:13 – Real-life OCD loop example: “I thought I hit someone.”
00:28:00 – How medication felt like putting on glasses for the mind
00:36:00 – Disney movies and emotional education
00:47:02 – Healing through journaling and narrative therapy

Resources Mentioned:

• Brain Lock by Dr. Jeffrey M. Schwartz
• Andrew Huberman’s Podcast (on OCD and neuroplasticity)
• The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
• John Gottman’s 5:1 Positive-Negative Ratio
• Pixar’s Inside Out 2

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