Gina Abbondante: OCD story, panic disorder, ERP, I-CBT (#495)

The OCD Stories

Stuart

Bdd, Health & Fitness, Recovery, Hocd, Cocd, Rocd, Bodydysmorphicdisorder, Ocd, Anxiety, Obsessivecompulsivedisorder, Mental Health, Help, Mentalhealth, Depression, Advice

4.8 • 873 Ratings

🗓️ 20 July 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In episode 495 I chat with Gina Abbondante. Gina is a psychotherapist and clinical director at Change of Mind counselling.

We discuss her OCD story, panic disorder - having a panic attack as early as kindergarten, blood injection injury phobia, when OCD started, suicidal themed OCD, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), inference-based CBT (CBT), working with postpartum and postnatal parents, equine therapy, and much more. Hope it helps.

Show notes: https://theocdstories.com/episode/gina-495

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to The OCD Stories podcast, hosted by me, Stuart Ralph.
0:05.5	The OCD Stories is a podcast dedicated to raising awareness and understanding around obsessive,
0:11.1	compulsive symptoms. I do this for interviewing inspired therapists, psychologists, and people
0:16.8	who have experienced OCD. Welcome to the OCD Stories.
0:25.1	And welcome to episode 495 of the podcast.
0:32.5	And in this one, I got on Gina Abendente, Gina as a psychotherapist and clinical director at Change of Mind Counseling. So 495 are only five episodes away from episode 500, which is really weird to say.
0:39.3	I'm trying to think at the minute of how I mark this occasion and create something.
0:43.6	It's maybe a little bit different, but still interesting.
0:46.3	So watch this space.
0:48.6	But yeah, looking forward to episode 500.
0:51.1	And thank you to you guys, because whether you listen to one episode, this is your first or you've
0:55.8	listened to 495. I deeply appreciate you listening. You listening is what keeps me recording.
1:01.5	So yeah, I can't emphasize that enough. Thank you so much for the support. And in this one,
1:07.1	I chat with Gina about her OCD story so Gina is a therapist but she also has
1:12.3	lived experience of OCD we also talk about panic disorder having a panic attack as young as
1:18.1	kindergarten blood injection injury phobia when OCD started for her suicidal themed OCD
1:24.9	Exposure Response Prevention Therapy, inference-based CBT,
1:29.4	working with postpartum and postnatal parents, equine therapy and much more.
1:34.6	And a quick bit of fact-checking from me. So during the episode, I kind of accidentally
1:41.2	allude that my OCD started at Disney World in Florida.
1:45.8	That's not technically factually accurate.
1:48.0	It started at a diner in Orlando on my first day there.
	...

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