It’s time to break free from mental traps, and take back your life! If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you may struggle with mental compulsions —such as ritualistic counting or “emotional checking.” You may even believe that these compulsions will reduce your anxiety or prevent something “bad” from happening. But the truth is that mental compulsions can be debilitating, and greatly impact your life, your career, and your relationships. So, how can you break free from this vicious cycle of overthinking? This workbook offers evidenced-based skills drawn from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness to help you reduce rumination, worry, and other mental traps, so you can live with more freedom and vitality. You’ll gain a better understanding of what mental compulsions are , how they differ from obsessions, and how they interfere with your life. You’ll also learn proven-effective skills and strategies to help you gain control of your mental compulsions, and guided journaling exercises to help you put these tools into practice. You don’t have to let intrusive thoughts, overthinking, and worry hold you back. This step-by-step workbook will help you reduce the rumination and other mental compulsions that keep you trapped in your mind, so you can finally take charge of your life. “There is a misconception in the obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) world that you can always tell when someone is engaging in a compulsion. We know that this is not true because we cannot see the mental compulsions that people are displaying in response to their obsessions. And, while we still cannot read the minds of those with OCD, we have a better insight into how they work, thanks to this excellent workbook that Lauren Rosen has written. Thank you for advancing the field and opening our eyes, our ears, and our minds to acknowledging, assessing, and treating the mental compulsion side of OCD.” ―Patrick B. McGrath, PhD , chief clinical officer at NOCD, fellow of the Association for Behavioral and Contextual Science (ABCT), and author of The OCD Answer Book  and Don’t Try Harder, Try Different “Lauren Rosen has written a clear, compassionate, and much-needed guide for tackling one of the most misunderstood aspects of OCD. This workbook is an essential tool for anyone struggling with mental rituals―and for clinicians supporting them.” ―Jonathan S. Abramowitz, PhD , professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and author of Getting Over OCD “In The Mental Compulsions Workbook for OCD,  Lauren   Rosen brings clarity to an issue that has long been a source of great confusion for OCD sufferers and treatment providers alike. When a person with OCD is engaged in mental activity that isn’t working, what exactly are they doing in there? This warm and accessible workbook goes beyond simply naming mental compulsions and gives the reader concrete things to look for and do. Finally, a guide that offers more for addressing mental compulsions than ‘Oh, just drop it.’” ―Jon Hershfield, MFT , director of The Center for OCD and Anxiety at Sheppard Pratt, author of When a Family Member Has OCD , and coauthor of The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD “Mental compulsions are widely misunderstood, and as a result, often missed in the recovery from OCD. Lauren’s book is an important step in working effectively with these peskier compulsions. Lauren is a compassionate person and therapist whose deep understanding of mindfulness as an antidote to mental compulsions is an asset to her patients, and her readers.” ―Stuart Ralph, MA, MSc , creator of the The OCD Stories podcast, and cofounder of The Integrative Centre for OCD “For too long, mental compulsions have been overlooked in conversations about the OCD experience. Lauren Rosen’s book fills this important gap with clarity and depth, offering innovative metaphors, relatable examples, and thoughtfully designed experiential exercises. Grounded in research yet written in compassionate, accessible language, it translates evidence-based principles into tools that both clinicians and individuals with OCD will find invaluable. This is a timely and much-needed contribution to the field.” ―Amy Mariaskin, PhD , director of the Nashville OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center, and author of Thriving in Relationships When You Have OCD “ The Mental Compulsions Workbook for OCD is a master class in understanding mental rituals―the hidden villain of OCD. Lauren guides readers to disentangle obsessions from invisible compulsions, to accept intrusive thoughts and urges without judgment, and to reduce how frequently they get trapped in the vortex of OCD’s endless mental loops. Grounded in evidence-based practices, this workbook transforms recovery into an empowering road map―from uncertainty to clarity; from compulsions to a life of intentionality and joy.” ―Josh Spitalnick, PhD, ABPP , owner and CEO of Anxiety Specialists of Atlanta, coauthor of The Co