Podcast Summary: "When Your OCD Brain Tricks You"
Your Anxiety Toolkit, Episode 477
Host: Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT
Guests: Emily and Lindsay Stetzer, Co-Founders of Presently
Date: March 18, 2026

Episode Overview

In this inspiring and practical episode, Kimberley Quinlan is joined by sisters Emily and Lindsay Stetzer, co-founders of Presently, a company providing tangible mindfulness reminders through jewelry for people dealing with OCD and anxiety. Both sisters share their deeply personal and differing experiences with OCD, how their "OCD brain tricks" manifested across life stages, and the practical, science-based tools they’ve developed for recovery and daily resilience. They also offer listeners a concrete, four-step "pocket toolkit" for managing intrusive thoughts, and advocate for hope, acceptance, and values-driven living.

Key Discussion Points

1. Personal OCD Journeys: Two Different Paths

• Lindsay's Story (03:34–11:07)

  • OCD began in elementary school with "lining up" rituals and fears of causing harm if compulsions weren’t done.

  • Transitioned from external (visible) compulsions to mainly internal (mental) rituals as she aged.

  • Major turning point in high school: onset of existential OCD and first panic attack, triggered by overwhelming, unanswerable questions about reality and existence.

  • Describes realizing her experience was not unique after diagnosis and starting CBT.

    Memorable Quote:
    "My OCD has changed and became a chameleon... my OCD started at when I was probably elementary school. I started noticing it with... thoughts of if I don't line this up, something will happen to my family." (04:00)

• Emily's Story (06:21–11:07)

  • Childhood marked by intense separation anxiety and compulsive "confessing" of thoughts she felt were bad or wrong.

  • OCD symptoms morphed in high school into perfectionism and strict routines but were misattributed to being a "good student."

  • College led to resurfacing of symptoms, including sexual orientation OCD and repeated "checking" for reassurance.

  • Only after college did she seek therapy, shocked to learn her symptoms were classic OCD, despite growing up with Lindsay’s visible OCD rituals.

    Memorable Quote:
    "I would confess that... I had a thought, what happens if I grew up and started smoking cigarettes, like am I a bad person? And, like, things like that where, like, random thoughts would pop into my head and I'd have to, like, confess them out loud." (06:57)

2. Family and Diagnosis (11:39–13:47)

• The sisters are five years apart and struggled simultaneously, unknowingly, due to the differing ways OCD manifests.

• Both credit their mother’s advocacy and persistence in finding specialized treatment early.

• They discuss the relief and rapid help provided by knowledgeable clinicians.

  Notable Moment:
  “Our mom was pretty kick ass... she basically gathered all the information that she could find online at the time and got us the right help...” (12:53)

3. From Recovery to Advocacy: Creating Presently (13:56–16:49)

• The idea for Presently emerged during the pandemic when Emily, frustrated by not remembering therapy strategies in distress, sought a wearable, stylish reminder with evidence-based phrases.

• Realization: Most affirmation jewelry failed to address the real struggles.

• Sisters synthesized therapy mantras into jewelry to keep core CBT and mindfulness principles accessible.

  Quote:
  "...I really wish I had something that could, like, remind me of things that I learned in therapy... I want a nice piece of jewelry with a phrase on it." (13:56)

4. Living with OCD: Recovery as Ongoing Practice (17:28–18:58)

• Both sisters clarify that recovery is not about curing OCD but learning to live beside it, realign quickly, and choose action in the face of discomfort.

• They openly discuss feeling like "imposters" on better days—a common OCD theme.

  Quote:
  "OCD doesn't go away, and don't expect it to go away. You just have to learn how to, like, sit with it and just live with it." (17:28)

5. The Pocket Toolkit: Four Steps to Managing Intrusive Thoughts (19:36–24:50)

The Stetzer Sisters' Four-Step Pocket Toolkit:
Segment Start: 19:36

Step 1: Observe

• “I'm having a thought…”—state the thought or feeling, acknowledge its presence.
• Make space for it, rather than push it away.

Step 2: Feel

• Identify where anxiety or discomfort resides in the body (stomach, chest, legs).

• Practice naming and sitting with the feelings that arise.

  On Learning to Feel
  “Saying it out loud was a big challenge... you're giving it, like, a platform to stand on and kind of not letting it just hide in the corner...” (22:16)

Step 3: Accept

• Embrace the presence of uncertainty.
• Accepting you may never achieve absolute certainty, but you can choose how to respond.

Step 4: Align

• Choose to act in alignment with values (enjoy the moment, maintain relationships), not fear.

• “Choosing values over fear” means leaning into meaningful activities, even if anxiety lingers.

  Real-Life Example - Lindsay’s Canned Pasta
  “I literally can just not eat the pasta... but I'm not living how I want to live my life, which is I don't want to live under OCD control...” (24:50)

6. Practical Examples of Using the Toolkit (29:01–31:33)

• Emily shares about resisting a compulsion to wash her hands after touching “subway jeans,” describing step-by-step how she observed, felt, accepted risk, and aligned with her values (not washing, going to bed).

  Quote:
  “I let the feelings rise... chose to put the pair of pants in the hamper and not go to the bathroom, wash my hands... letting the uncertainty be there and accepting that maybe there are germs, maybe there aren't.” (29:01)

7. Advice for Listeners: Embracing Exposure, Mindfulness, and Normalization (31:52–33:43)

• Lindsay: Advocates for living with an “exposure lifestyle”—continual small acts of courage build resilience over time.

• Emily: Reminds listeners that thoughts are not facts, they are “passing clouds," and intrusive, scary thoughts are normal and human.

  Quotes:

  • “Doing an exposure lifestyle, always making sure you put time into doing these small exposures... just the smallest act propels you forward.” (32:39)
  • “My thoughts are passing clouds... you don't need to give weight to them.” (32:41)

Resources and Where to Find the Guests

• Presently Bracelets:
  • Instagram: @PresentlyBracelets
  • Website: presentlybracelets.com

Memorable Quotes

• “OCD is a chameleon... I didn’t know that this was the same moment I experienced my first panic attack, which was so scary...” (Lindsay, 04:00–05:30)
• “We realized that even though we both have totally different types of OCD, the tools that help us are exactly the same.” (Emily, 11:07)
• “You just have to learn how to, like, sit with it and just live with it.” (Lindsay, 17:28)
• “This is normal. You are normal. The thoughts you have are normal. The thoughts are not facts.” (Emily, 32:41)

Key Timestamps

• 00:03 – Introduction of Emily & Lindsay Stetzer, Presently
• 03:34 – Lindsay’s early OCD story
• 06:21 – Emily’s OCD story
• 13:56 – Birth of Presently during COVID
• 17:28 – How the sisters handle ongoing symptoms
• 19:36 – Introduction of the four-step “pocket toolkit”
• 24:50 – Real-life toolkit example: Lindsay’s “canned pasta” dilemma
• 29:01 – Real-life toolkit example: Emily's “subway jeans” scenario
• 31:52 – Biggest lessons for early-stage listeners

Conclusion

This episode offers a rich blend of personal narrative and actionable advice, emphasizing that while OCD morphs to "trick" sufferers in countless ways, core evidence-based practices—mindfulness, radical acceptance, exposure, and value-based living—prove effective across all subtypes. Listeners are encouraged to normalize their struggles, connect with community, and utilize tangible reminders and tools to support daily practice. A beautiful life, as the hosts reaffirm, is indeed possible with the right support, curiosity, and persistence.