Welcome to Austin Counselling

Name: Austin Counselling Services
Address: 118 Main Street North, Airdrie, AB, T4B 0R3, CA
Telephone: (403) 606-4809

At Austin Counselling we strive to create a place where evidence-based treatment meets compassion, warmth, humor, and empathy. We envision a place where people can have a safe space to process difficult and complex emotions.

We believe healing comes from action by gaining skills and confidence to heal from OCD, anxiety, insomnia, grief, stress, overwhelm, fear, panic, or sadness.

It's time for you to move forward with a future of joy, laughter, courage, strength, and wisdom.

Reach out today for next steps.

We are proud to provide services in Alberta and Nova Scotia.

We Specialize In

Obsessive Compulsive Related Disorders

We specialize in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Related Disorders. Many are aware of OCD, however Body Dysphoria also falls under this area.

Did you know that Repetitive Body Focused Behaviors such as: Trichotillomania or Dermatillomania (Skin Picking) are also within the OCD-related disorders.

Anxiety

Anxiety can present in many forms, such as excessive worry, racing thoughts, physical tension, restlessness, sleep difficulties, or avoidance of certain situations.

Anxiety therapy focuses on helping clients understand how anxiety shows up for them and why, while building skills to respond in ways that feel more manageable and empowering.

Loss and Grief

Experiencing any form of grief can be overwhelming and difficult. There is no timeline for processing grief, and we all grieve in our own way.

We offer empathetic guidance to help individuals find meaning and resilience in their pain. With a compassionate approach, we create a safe space for you to explore your emotions and process your grief. Grief shows up in many forms, your dont have to be alone.

Trauma

At Austin Counselling, we believe that everyone is unique and deserves a counselling experience tailored to your needs.

People grow and change along with the seasons of their lives. We hope to support you where you are at, one step at a time.

Healing from trauma requires patience, understanding, and support. Our team is trained in evidence based trauma-informed approach, such as EMDR and Play Therapy with a focus on creating a safe and nurturing environment where you can explore your experiences, process emotions, and regain a sense of empowerment.

Together, we work towards healing the wounds of the past and building a foundation for a brighter future.

Austin Counselling is growing 🌱

We are already in AB and NS, and growing to look at adding a contract therapist who loves thoughtful therapy, learning new things, and doing meaningful work with clients.

Our practice focuses on OCD, anxiety, and body-focused repetitive behaviours, and we care a lot about creating a space where both clients and clinicians can grow.

If you’re a therapist who is curious, compassionate, and enjoys collaborative work, this might be a great fit.

Perks of Joining Us:
 Booking and CM platform provided (Owl Practice)
 Office space for in-person services
 Admin Support - direct billing options
 Marketing strategies
 Competitive Commission

Send a message or email if you’d like more details.

📚 Natalya’s Book Pick:

“Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCD: A Scientifically Proven Program for Parents” by Eli Lebowitz, PhD

If you’re parenting a child with anxiety or OCD (or supporting a family who is), this book is a powerful, hope-filled read.

Instead of focusing on forcing children to face fears before they’re ready, this book empowers parents to create change by shifting their own responses in ways that are compassionate, evidence-based, and effective.
You’ll find:
🧠 A research-backed approach based on the SPACE program (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions)
💬 Clear scripts and practical strategies you can use right away
💛 A focus on connection, empathy, and reducing reassurance cycles
🏡 Tools that strengthen the whole family system
🌱 Realistic hope even when kids feel stuck or resistant to treatment

Parenting an anxious child comes with constant questions: “Should I protect them or push them? How do I support without reinforcing fear?” This book offers clarity, confidence, and a path forward.

This is one of Natalya’s top recommendations for parents navigating childhood anxiety and OCD.

👉 Have you read this one? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

YES! We do direct billing 🙌

We offer direct billing to the following insurance providers:
✅Sun Life
✅Alberta Blue Cross
✅Medavie Blue Cross
✅Desjardins
✅Green Shield
✅Manulife
✅Canada Life
✅Equitable Life
✅People Corporation

A quick reminder! Before your appointment, it’s important to check:
- If your plan covers services from a Registered Clinical Social Worker (MSW)
- Whether your plan allows direct billing
- How much coverage your plan provides per session

This helps you avoid any billing surprises and focus on what matters… your care.

📩 Have questions about insurance? Contact us. We’re happy to help!

The holidays can bring a lot of assumptions about OCD, many of which simply aren’t true. From “everyone has a little OCD” to “just avoid your triggers,” these myths can increase shame, misunderstanding, and isolation during an already difficult season.

In this post, we’re breaking down some of the most common holiday myths and misconceptions about OCD.

✨ Swipe through to learn:

• What invisible compulsions really look like

• Why OCD is far more common than people think

• How myths can increase shame and family conflict

• Why avoidance makes OCD stronger, not us safer

• And why no two people experience OCD the same way

Understanding OCD better helps reduce stigma, builds compassion, and opens the door to real support, especially during the holidays.

“The more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer because smaller things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of suffering.” - Thomas Merton

You aren’t alone. At Austin Counselling, we specialize in helping people navigate:

✔️ OCD
✔️ Anxiety
✔️ Depression
✔️ Trauma

We believe your journey is unique, and your counselling should be too. We are here to support you as you plant your seeds of change for a better tomorrow.

Call us at (403) 606-4809
Email: info@austincounselling.ca

Let’s take that next step together.
https://www.austincounselling.ca/

For many, this time of year brings extra stress, intrusive thoughts, and pressure to keep up with expectations. When you have OCD, the holidays can feel like everyone else is enjoying something you’re just trying to survive.

But here’s the truth: you deserve to enjoy (or at least tolerate!) the holidays, too. Swipe through for practical ways to prepare, cope, and care for yourself so the holidays feel a little more manageable and meaningful.

December and the holidays can be beautiful …and really overwhelming. If this time of year feels stressful, lonely, or complicated for you, you're not alone.

Let’s talk about it.

What is something that you enjoy this time of year & what is something that stresses you out?

What people say about ERP and effective OCD treatment.

“For the first time, I realized it wasn’t me—it was OCD. That shift gave me hope.”

“Exposure therapy was hard at first, but it showed me I could handle my fears without rituals.”

“OCD used to take up all my mental energy. Now I have room to focus on my family, hobbies, and career.”

“My thoughts don’t scare me the way they used to. They’re still there, but I don’t react the same.”

“I never thought I’d get better, but OCD treatment gave me tools I use every day. I’m living proof recovery is possible.”

“Living in remission from and living joyfully with OCD doesn’t mean my mind is free of intrusive thoughts—it means those thoughts no longer control my choices or define my life. Recovery gave me the freedom to live in line with my values, not my fears.”

“OCD is serious enough on its own. That’s why in treatment we make room for humour, play, and even fun. Facing fears doesn’t always have to feel heavy; sometimes laughter is part of the healing.”

“Don't forget to have fun along the way - OCD is serious enough - I really liked the challenge of taking away the 'seriousness of OCD’.”

Postpone, postpone, postpone.

Postponing rituals works because it breaks the automatic cycle between urge and action. Even delaying for 30 seconds teaches your brain that the urge is not an emergency and that discomfort can be tolerated without ritualizing.

Over time, urges naturally fade on their own, and each postponement builds confidence and a greater sense of control.

Instead of OCD calling the shots, you learn that you can choose when—or if—you respond, which gradually reduces the power of the rituals.

✨ POCD & Sexual OCD: Intrusive Thoughts and Shame

Many people with OCD experience unwanted, distressing, or taboo thoughts. In POCD (pedophilia-themed OCD) and Sexual Content OCD, these thoughts are ego-dystonic. This means they go against the person’s true values and intentions. That’s why they feel so alarming and shame-inducing.

OCD twists these thoughts into “evidence” that something is wrong with you. But the truth is:
➡️ A thought is just a thought.
➡️ Intrusive thoughts are not a reflection of who you are.
➡️ Having a thought doesn’t mean you want it or will act on it.

With ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) and the right support, it is possible to break the cycle, ease the fear, and reclaim your life.

💬 If you’re struggling with these thoughts, you are not broken. Support is available. austincounselling.ca

📚 Natalya’s Book Pick:
Everyday Mindfulness for OCD: Tips, Tricks, and Skills for Living Joyfully by Jon Hershfield, MFT & Shala Nicely, LPC

If you’re living with OCD or supporting someone who is, this book is a must-read.

It’s packed with practical tools designed specifically for people managing OCD—helping you calm intrusive thoughts, ease compulsions, and build a more mindful daily routine.

You’ll find:
🌿 Step-by-step mindfulness exercises for real life (not just the meditation cushion!)
🧩 Guidance that works hand-in-hand with ERP and CBT
💬 Real-life examples and gentle encouragement throughout
💛 A focus on joy, self-compassion, and living fully

Mindfulness is a very important core skill when working with OCD. This book is one of Natalya’s go-to recommendations!!

👉 Have you read this one? Share your thoughts in the comments!

✨ Ego-Dystonic Thoughts: Why OCD Uses Them Against You

OCD is often called the “doubting disorder” because it targets what matters most: your values, your identity, your relationships, your sense of safety. One of the ways it does this is through ego-dystonic thoughts: intrusive thoughts that feel completely out of alignment with who you are.

These thoughts feel disturbing because they go against your core self, and that’s exactly why OCD latches onto them.

👉 Swipe through to learn:
• What ego-dystonic thoughts are
• Why OCD fixates on them
• How they become a trap
• How recovery helps you break free

If you’re struggling with OCD, know that support is available. Austin Counselling can help you take the next step toward peace. austincounselling.ca

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” - Viktor E. Frankl

Externalizing OCD: Creating Space and Distance

Externalizing OCD - By labelling the thought as “OCD” instead of “me,” clients practice separating themselves from the disorder.

Instead of “I’m a bad person for thinking this,” it becomes “OCD is throwing this thought at me again.”

This reduces shame and helps clients see the disorder as the source of the intrusions, not their core self.

Normalizing Repetition - OCD repeats fears endlessly. These statements highlight that predictability.

When a client says, “I’ve seen this trick before,” they start to recognize the thought as a symptom pattern rather than a meaningful alarm.

That recognition takes power away from the obsession.

Pure O: The Myth of “Only Obsessions”

Many people say, “My OCD looks different. I don’t do rituals, I just get stuck in my head.”

This is often called “Pure O” (purely obsessional OCD)… but the truth is that there is no such thing as OCD without compulsions.

Even if they’re not visible, mental rituals like rumination, reassurance-seeking, or avoidance are still compulsions.

Understanding this matters because it helps people see:
✔️ You’re not “doing OCD wrong.”
✔️ Your experience is valid.
✔️ ERP works with mental rituals too.

Takeaway: Pure O is never really “pure.” Mental rituals count, and recovery is still possible.

📲 Want to learn more about OCD and recovery tools? Follow along for the rest of this series

Earlier this year, award-winning actor Will Poulter (@willpoulter) shared his experience with OCD, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts with Happy Place (@happyplaceofficial).

“One of the cruellest things about OCD is that often those intrusive thoughts and the worst thing you can imagine IS the worst thing you can imagine and is something your OCD has created precisely because it is the antithesis of how you actually feel. It actually takes what you value most or the version of yourself you most want to be, your idealistic self, the way that you want to conduct yourself, your idealistic behaviour, and it creates a subverted version of that whereby it convinces you that the opposite is going to happen or you're going to become the opposite of who you want to be.” -Will Poulter

You may recognize Will Poulter from such movies as The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Maze Runner series, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, or The Revenant.

We loved what he had to say about his experience with OCD. It’s true! OCD often weaponizes a person’s core values, turning their most cherished traits or moral compass against them, which creates intense distress. This is particularly true for specific subtypes like POCD, postpartum OCD, and moral OCD.

OCD doesn’t target your weaknesses. It targets your strengths. It finds what you value most (your goodness, your love, your morality) and then uses those exact values to generate doubt and fear.

This is why OCD can feel so cruel! However, it is also why, with proper understanding and treatment (like CBT or ERP), people can begin to see through the lies and reclaim their peace.

A little Halloween fun from Natalya and her son! Wishing everyone a safe night full of treats, laughter, and maybe just a little mischief. 👻 🎃

✨ The Shape-Shifting Nature of OCD ✨

Why does OCD keep switching themes?

OCD is sneaky. Just when you feel like you’ve gotten a handle on one fear, it seems to find a new angle.

Here’s why:

👉 OCD craves certainty.
Many people with OCD care deeply about doing the right thing, protecting others, and preventing harm. Those qualities reflect compassion, not weakness. But OCD can twist those qualities into overwhelming doubt, guilt, and the urge to “fix” everything.

👉 The trap of over-responsibility.
OCD convinces you that you’re responsible for preventing every possible mistake, disaster, or harm… even when it’s completely out of your control.

👉 OCD latches onto what matters most.
Your values, your fears, your relationships, your identity. As those grow and change, OCD adapts too.

It’s like having a shape-shifting bully: when one fear stops working, it moves to another. That’s why so many people say, “I finally got a handle on it… and then BAM—it’s something new. Will I ever get a break?”
Understanding this pattern is the first step toward breaking free from its grip.

✨ A Deeper Dive Into OCD ✨

This new series is all about exploring the parts of OCD that are often confusing, overwhelming, or misunderstood.

Over the next 5 weeks, we’ll break things down piece by piece so you can better understand what’s really going on and feel less alone in the process.

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming:

Why OCD keeps switching themes

Pure O: The myth of “only obsessions”

POCD & Sexual OCD

Magical Thinking and Rumination

Magical Thinking vs. Superstition

What rumination really is (and how to stop feeding it)

Why OCD uses ego-dystonic thoughts against you

The goal: to bring clarity, compassion, and practical tools to anyone living with OCD or supporting someone who is.

OCD is a mental health condition driven by intrusive thoughts and the compulsions meant to quiet them. The Doubting Disorder.

The OCD cycle begins with an internal disturbance (an intrusive thought, image, feeling, or urge) that triggers distress. To cope, the brain urges a compulsion, which is a behaviour or mental act meant to bring relief. But here’s the catch: that temporary relief actually feeds the OCD, which reinforces the obsessions over time.

👉 This is where disruption makes a huge difference!

By recognizing the cycle and pausing before the compulsion, we can begin to rewire the pattern and reduce OCD’s grip. It’s hard work, but the good news is that it’s possible!

The best part is that you don’t have to do it alone. Austin Counselling is here to help you build clarity, courage, and the tools to move forward. When you’re ready, we’re ready too.

Different theme, same pattern… Let’s talk OCD subtypes.

OCD can show up in many different ways, but underneath every theme is the same cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Subtypes are just different ways this pattern plays out.

OCD subtypes refer to the specific themes your obsessions and compulsions focus on, like germs, harm, or needing things to feel “just right.” They’re not formal diagnoses, but recognizing them can help people feel seen and understood. The slides in this post show just a few examples of some different OCD subtypes.

OCD themes can shift over time, and it’s common to experience more than one at once. What’s important isn’t which subtype you have, but understanding the cycle and how to treat it.

Austin Counselling specializes in helping people with OCD through Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a proven therapy that breaks the cycle of obsessions and compulsions. With personalized support, we’ll help you face fear with confidence and reclaim your peace.

Learn more: https://www.austincounselling.ca/ (link in bio)

"There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn't." - John Green

You’ve probably heard someone say, “I’m so OCD,” to describe being neat or picky. However, OCD is not a personality trait. It’s a complex mental health condition that deserves to be taken seriously.

Here are some common myths we often hear and what the reality actually looks like. If you or someone you love is struggling with obsessive thoughts or compulsions, know that support is here, and healing is possible.

At Austin Counselling, we blend evidence-based care with warmth, humour, and compassion. We’re here to help you build the skills to manage OCD. Reach out when you're ready. We're with you every step of the way.

Today's affirmation: "I choose to speak to myself as I would to someone I love."

It's a myth that OCD is just about being “extra clean” or liking things to be organized. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not a personality quirk... It’s a mental health condition that affects people of all ages.

OCD is a cycle of obsessions (intrusive thoughts, images, or urges) and compulsions (repetitive behaviours or mental acts done to relieve the distress those thoughts cause). These cycles can take over hours of someone’s day and seriously affect their well-being and quality of life.

It’s also important to know that intrusive thoughts are ego-dystonic, meaning they don’t reflect what the person actually believes or wants. That’s why they’re so distressing. For example, someone with harm OCD might think, “What if I hurt someone?” but immediately feel panic and say, “I would never do that! What’s wrong with me for thinking that?”

👉 Key point: OCD thoughts feel alien or out of place — like your brain is saying something you completely disagree with.

So, while many people experience occasional intrusive thoughts or repetitive habits, OCD is more intense, time-consuming, and disruptive. You might not see it on the surface, but for those living with OCD, the internal experience can feel like a constant battle.

Austin Counselling blends evidence-based care with warmth, humour, and compassion. We’re here to help you build the skills to manage OCD, anxiety, and overwhelm to move toward a life filled with clarity, courage, and joy. Reach out when you're ready. We're with you every step of the way.

What do OCD obsessions and compulsions really look like?

OCD goes far beyond what many people assume. It's not just tidying up or washing hands — it's intense, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that create anxiety, and repetitive behaviours or mental rituals (compulsions) that are done to try and reduce that anxiety.

➡Some common obsessions include:
Contamination: fear of germs, illness, dirt, or harmful chemicals

Violent: fears of causing harm to oneself or others, or distressing violent imagery

Sexual: intrusive, unwanted sexual thoughts, often disturbing or taboo

Perfectionism: fear of making mistakes, forgetting something important, or needing things to feel "just right"

Religion/Moral: obsessive guilt, fear of offending God, or worries about being immoral or "bad"

➡Common compulsions include:
Washing/Cleaning: excessive handwashing, showering, grooming, or cleaning objects

Checking: making sure no harm was done, no mistakes were made, or that things are “safe”

Repeating: repeating body movements or tasks, often a certain number of times

Mental: silent counting, praying, reviewing, or trying to cancel out “bad” thoughts

Other: arranging things until they feel right, avoiding triggers, or constantly asking for reassurance

🔑 The key difference between OCD and everyday worry? OCD thoughts and behaviours are ego-dystonic, meaning they go against a person’s values and desires. People with OCD don’t want to think or act this way, but the compulsions feel necessary just to get through the day.

“You're imperfect, and you're wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging.” - Brené Brown

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Get In Touch

Ready to take the next step toward a healthier mindset? Contact us today to schedule an appointment or to learn more about our services. We’re here to support you.

Phone: (403) 606-4809
Email: info@austincounselling.ca
Address: Unit 4, 118 Main Street N,
Airdrie, AB T4B 0R2