About this episode
Can you stop being a "fixer" and start building your feeling muscle?
In this episode of The OCD Whisperer Podcast, Kristina Orlova speaks with Dr. Jenn Rapkin, a Naturopathic Physician, bodyworker, and author of The Feeling Muscle. Together, they explore the powerful intersection of mindfulness, parenting a child with OCD, and learning how to sit with the "just right" discomfort that keeps so many of us stuck in rituals.
Dr. Jenn opens up about:
• Her hidden battle with OCD as an adolescent in the 70s and 80s
• The heartbreaking moment her 8-year-old son was swallowed by "Just Right" OCD
• Why she had to go against every motherly instinct to stop accommodating his rituals
• The reality of residential treatment and finding the "recipe" for her son's recovery
Whether you’re navigating OCD yourself, supporting a child through treatment, or struggling to sit with uncertainty, this episode offers a profound roadmap for building the emotional strength to outlast the storm.
📲 About Jenn Rapkin (guest):
• Naturopathic physician & bodyworker
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjennrapkin/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575991456912
• Web Page: https://drjennrapkin.com/
✂️ TIMESTAMPS:
[00:00] – The Secret to Outlasting Pain: Can you build a "muscle" for your emotions?
[01:57] – The 1970s Silent Struggle: Growing up in a "crowded" mind before OCD had a name.
[04:38] – The Barcelona Nightmare: How COVID triggered an 8-year-old’s "Just Right" trap.
[06:33] – The Resistance: Why adults (and kids) would rather ritual than feel.
[08:49] – The Nuclear Option: When outpatient care fails and residential is the only way out.
[10:32] – The Nurturer’s Dilemma: Why "helping" your child is keeping the OCD alive.
[12:53] – The Grief of Parenting: Admitting your marriage and life have become "small."
[14:58] – The Trigger Loop: What happens when a parent’s OCD meets their child’s.
[18:58] – The Whiteboard Revelation: The "Bell Curve" secret to sitting with discomfort.
[21:44] – The "Handshake" Method: A step-by-step guide to practicing with frustration.
[26:07] – The Fleeting Truth: Why we trust our joy but believe our pain is permanent.
[29:20] – The Witness vs. The Fixer: How to hold space for someone else’s storm.
✅ Free Resources & Links
🎁 Free OCD Survival Kit & Classes → www.shorturl.at/KcTxM
📖 OCD CBT Journal → www.shorturl.at/7pUxB
🌐 Website → www.korresults.com/
✍️ OCD Academy→
