Dr. Heather Stone

I just read your article on compulsive giving in the RPA newsletter.  It’s informative and very well written. Thanks for taking the time to write this piece and for sharing it with all of us.  Well done!

I have read every article that you have placed on your website. Honestly, I have never felt that anyone understood me. But your articles, insight and compassion are incredible. I was diagnosed with ocd when I was ___. I am now ___ and dealing with existential ocd. I wished that you were my psychologist. A heartwarming greeting,

I want to be sure to tell you this. Your voice in your articles is AMAZING. Your practice of combining genuine compassion with therapy is who you really are. I think that your combination of intelligence, education, science background and compassion is unique and exactly what your potential readers would benefit from.

Dear Dr. Stone, I wanted to reach out to you because I just read your article, “Searching for Bad News: The Circuitous Path of Obsessive Thinking” and I’ve never heard of anyone explain OCD like that, and in such specificity. But as I read, I realized that the way you defined it is exactly what I’m going through.  I have been obsessed with the idea that my _______ is cheating on me for years.  Before that, I was obsessed with safety and well-being.  Unfortunately, over the years, I haven’t been able to find someone that could successfully work me through this.  I would love the opportunity to work with you.

I appreciate the sharing of your wisdom via your website. Your reflections are insightful and powerfully moving. I’m inspired by your words and the healing that you’re fostering in the world. I’ve passed some of your reflections on to people who I believe might benefit from your knowledge. No need to respond, but please know that your positive reach extends farther than you might realize. I just wanted to send my thanks. In gratitude,

Your writing is both thought provoking and inspiring. Undoubtedly I will reference it often as I contemplate and plan treatment. Your openness and vulnerability and willingness to share helps me to be a better therapist and a better person. I appreciate you.

Hi, I read and continue to read your articles as they completely resonate with me. You seem to understand or have knowledge about how I feel and you are the only one I feel that does. Unfortunately I have been to many therapists and psychologists who try to help but get so frustrated. The article you wrote that I turn to over and over again is “Searching for Bad News”.

Dr. Stone, We have never met, but I had to come on here and thank you. I have really been struggling lately and found an article today on your website that I think will be life changing for me. I have suffered with anxiety since I was a little girl and diagnosed with OCD – Intrusive Thoughts when I was in high school. I have really been struggling the past couple of years wondering if maybe i got a wrong diagnosis and am really just a bad, controlling person. Most everything I read on OCD was not applying to me. Then I came across your article that you wrote. It’s me. I could not even believe what I was reading. It described me in every sense. It was the article titled Searching for Bad News. I just had to write and thank you. I have bookmarked the article and plan to read it every time I am obsessing over the unknown. Reading it brought me to tears. It reassured me that I do have OCD which in a way was comforting. Thank you so much for taking the time to write that article. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

Hi Dr. Stone, I just read your article “Searching for bad news” and it touched me SO DEEPLY I just had to tell you. The article really gave me a deep insight into my behaviors and behavioral tools to use. I have been doing EMDR and CBT, but there were parts of this article that clicked with my spirit. Whenever I feel an urge to check, I’m going to open your article. Thank you, for providing this information publicly. I just wanted to share that with you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m so grateful to have run across your work.  It’s been very comforting during a difficult time. You have more of an impact on others than you realize, I think 🙂

I’m an OCD sufferer. I have fought and whipped this thing multiple times in my life. But my recent bout came as usual, unexpected and I was trying all the techniques but then after reading your article on searching for bad news, I realized what I thought was the right technique was actually wrong which explained why it wasn’t working. I was wore out and really struggling. Ugh I hate this disorder. It can be so complex and confusing. But I am so so so incredibly grateful for people like you who write articles on this stuff and how best to deal with it. Your article today was life changing for me and so I just had to write to express my sincere gratitude for that article and everything else you write and do to help others. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I read your article on searching for bad news and it changed my life. God bless you!!

Dear Dr Stone, I live in Melbourne, Australia, so I won’t be visiting you for therapy any time soon! However, I’d just like to say thank you for some of the material on your website, particularly the articles on searching for bad news and self-compassion. I’ve been struggling with a nasty case of harm OCD for over a year now, and your articles have been very helpful to me. This is an incredibly cruel disorder. Thank you for helping to lighten the burden for me.

Hi Heather, I just finished reading your work “searching for bad news” and was amazed about how it resonates, pinpoints and deeply explores issues I have been battling my whole life. Thank you!

Hi, I’m a ___ year old living in Canada, and I came across your article while I was researching “Cheating OCD”. I have to say, I loved it and connected with it on a fundamental level. I’ve been dealing with a lot of internal conflict, and always thought I just had an anxiety issue. I started picking up books earlier on anxiety, but most of them don’t touch on this specific set of fears. But after reading your article, it feels like I have some form of clarity, and for the first time it feels like someone actually put into words the way my mind works. Thank you.

Good evening, I needed to reach out to you. I was searching for something that might help me with my problem, and found your article. When I read it, I immediately recognized the “you did something” person as me. I was floored at how accurately it described the person I am. It is a truly horrible, painful and exhausting feeling. I’m just trying to get started on this journey of fixing myself. Better late than never. I have a long way to go. Your article did me a great service. Did it fix me? No. What it did accomplish is to make me realize I’m not alone, and that there are people out there suffering from this, and people who understand it. I don’t believe you were hard on our group, you were simply matter of fact about it. I decided I needed to reach out to you and say thank you. It provided some relief internally. You’ve given me the ability to verbalize how I feel and think. It’s a good start. I wish this problem was as easy as turning it off, but I know it’s going to be an uphill battle…and I’m going to need some help. Thank you again for the article. I needed to read it.

I have just finished reading your article, “searching for bad news” after I tried to find out what is wrong with me. This is the first article I’ve read that describes exactly what I feel and the unwanted behaviors I engage in. I have seeked out therapy before but always felt somewhat misdiagnosed. This is why I am reaching out to you. I felt so understood by your article. It makes me feel less crazy and more validated that this is an actual problem I am dealing with and that my thought patterns do not actually represent the truth. It’s tiring to be constantly afraid. Your clients are very lucky to have such a great therapist!

I just wanted to reach out and thank you for your kindness and wisdom in your articles. I self identify with the group “you did something bad.” When scouring the internet a couple of years ago for information and help on my condition, I found so much solace in your articles (the older ones on a black background) on hypervigilance, coping with ambiguity, and searching for bad news — which when trying to find again just now to reread for comfort, I saw you have updated them on your new website. I can’t stress enough how deeply I connect with them. Sending love and light. –David

Beautiful, I just learned about Willingness yesterday and wow! A whole new ball game.