An Important Difference Between Anxiety vs OCD Reassurance
AT Parenting Survival | Raising Kids with OCD & Anxiety
Natasha Daniels: Child Therapist, Child Anxiety and OCD Expert, Parenting Coach and Parent
4.9 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 31 March 2026
⏱️ 42 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Parents often hear the same questions from their child again and again, and it can be hard to know if answering is helping or making things worse. In this episode, I break down the important difference between anxiety reassurance and OCD reassurance.
While they can look similar on the surface, they serve very different purposes. Anxiety reassurance often comes from a child not trusting their ability to cope, while OCD reassurance acts as a compulsion that keeps the OCD cycle going. Knowing the difference can change how you respond.
If you are a parent who feels stuck answering the same worries, fears, or “what if” questions, this episode will help you understand when reassurance supports your child and when it unintentionally grows anxiety and OCD.
Links discussed during episode:
Get the PDF handout for this episode here
Free series: Survival Tools for Parents Raising Kids with Anxiety or OCD
Video: How Reassurance is a Compulsion
Podcast: How to Use Reassurance Cards
Podcast: How to Create an Effective Incentive Plan
***
This podcast episode is sponsored by NOCD. NOCD provides online OCD therapy in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. To schedule your free 15 minute consultation to see if NOCD is a right fit for you and your child, go to
https://go.treatmyocd.com/at_parenting
This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be used to replace the guidance of a qualified professional.
Parents, do you need more support?
🌸 Here’s are resources I offer parents 👇🏻❤️
Online classes for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD:
https://atparentingsurvivalschool.com
Join the AT Parenting Community (A membership designed to support parents raising kids with anxiety or OCD):
https://atparentingcommunity.com
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www.Natashadaniels.com/webinars
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Before we dive into today's episode, I want to make sure you know about something that could really |
| 0:05.2 | change the way you support your child with anxiety or OCD. I am running a free video series called |
| 0:11.7 | survival tools for parents raising kids with anxiety and OCD, and it is packed with practical |
| 0:17.6 | strategies and insights. Honestly, I wish every single parent had because you're going to |
| 0:23.4 | learn how to get your child to open up and communicate more. Who doesn't need that? Create exposures |
| 0:28.8 | that they'll actually want to do or be willing to do. And most importantly, build a home environment |
| 0:35.4 | that supports long-term progress and not just crisis |
| 0:39.8 | management like so many of us are doing. This is the kind of information that's hard to find |
| 0:45.3 | unless you're deep in the trenches, and I want to make it as accessible as possible. |
| 0:51.0 | Register now for free at atparenting Survival Series.com. The series runs from |
| 0:58.4 | April 16th through April 24th. I'll see you over there. Welcome to the AT Parenting Survival |
| 1:08.1 | Podcast, where you get help and guidance through the chaos of parenting a child |
| 1:12.3 | with anxiety or OCD. This show is for educational purposes and is not intended to replace the |
| 1:18.5 | guidance of a qualified professional. Here's your host, child therapist, Natasha Daniels. |
| 1:25.3 | Well, hello there, and welcome to another episode of the AT Parenting Survival Podcast. |
| 1:30.8 | Today, we're going to be talking about the difference between anxiety reassurance and |
| 1:36.3 | OCD reassurance. |
| 1:38.2 | As parents, we do both. |
| 1:41.1 | If your child has anxiety, we are providing reassurance all the time. |
| 1:45.7 | And if your child has OCD, you are more often than not hooked into OCD reassurance. |
| 1:52.4 | But they are vastly different. |
| 1:55.0 | And a lot of us have kids that have both anxiety and OCD. |
... |
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