An Official Affiliate of the IOCDF
Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) are self-grooming behaviors—like pulling, picking, biting, or scraping—that can cause physical damage. These behaviors often target areas like the hair, skin, lips, nails, or cheeks and tend to be repeated despite attempts to stop. You may have heard of Trichotillomania (hair-pulling) and Excoriation Disorder (skin-picking).
Written by Eva Pesta
What made you want to get involved with OCD Louisiana?
I began attending the OCD Louisiana consultation group over a year ago to better support my patients. In participating in the monthly meetings, I saw the OCD LA board members’ hard work and passion and felt inspired to do more within the organization.
What is your background?
I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker originally from Pennsylvania. I moved to New Orleans in 2006 to attend Loyola University New Orleans for a degree in Sociology. After graduation I spent years working in the service industry and eventually went back to school to get my Master’s in Social Work. I’ve been working in the social work field since 2013, primarily with substance use disorders and trauma.
What is a fun fact about you?
I’ve been to 37 countries, I’ve walked at least four miles every day for the last three years— rain or shine, and I’m sober. I have a love of native plants so much that I am currently working to certify my yard as a native plant habitat.
Eva Pesta is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She lives in New Orleans and volunteers with OCD Louisiana.
Written by Taylor Lee
What made you want to get involved with OCD Louisiana?
I grew up in a corner of Louisiana with very few providers who had extensive experience or training with this tricky disorder, so I have first hand knowledge of the need for increased awareness and access to effective treatment in our area.
Written by Michele Carroll
Selecting the person who listens to your deepest, darkest thoughts and fears, and then helps you overcome them, isn’t an easy task. In some ways, it’s similar to purchasing a car or choosing a college, but even more important. You’re going to be investing your trust, time, and your mental health in the person you choose, so here are some things to consider before deciding on a provider.
Written by Chance McNeely
What is peer support?
Surrounding yourself with empathic people “who get it” is a great tool for anyone enduring life’s ups and downs. Achieving this can be difficult, though, especially for people who suffer from mental health challenges. The concept of peer support has been around for decades and, in 2007, the service was officially established as being “evidence-based” by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This simply means that evidence shows a substantive, positive correlation between peer support and long-term recovery. Over the past 15 years, peer support has grown as a profession where individuals with lived experience contribute to the recovery of others in a variety of settings: from long-term, in-patient facilities to private, telehealth peer services and everything in between.
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