• Talking parental decision fatigue with Vivvi

    I’ve spent so many sessions with patients discussing anxiety over decisions, both COVID and non-COVID-related. It seems like we parents are constantly called upon to make choices, and after 2+ years of too many choices we are exhausted. I was so happy to partner with Vivvi’s Jessica Pallay and Not Safe For Mom Group‘s Alexis Barad-Cutler to discuss how to…

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  • My latest in The Washington Post: Managing parental anxiety when *everything* feels high-stakes

    Since the pandemic started, we parents have been reminded *every single day* that it’s our job to keep our kids safe. While we were aware of this responsibility before COVID-19, it seems like our experiences with COVID have amplified that feeling of responsibility, to the point where we’re becoming anxious about formerly inconsequential day-to-day childcare matters. I’ve been witnessing this…

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  • Worried about re-entry into the post-COVID world? Try exposure!

    Excited to have my first piece in the Washington Post! The piece details how you can use the principles of exposure therapy to manage your anxiety and dread about re-entry into the post-COVID world. I discuss how avoidance breeds anxiety and outline several “rules of exposure,” with input from several experts in the field. I hope you find this helpful…

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  • A message for my kids: It’s not you, it’s me

    My kids have been incredible during these pandemic/apocalypse/end-of-days-times. I, however, have not. I have started to lose my mind over really minor stuff (e.g. everything having to do with the procuring and disposing of food). I know I’m not alone in this, since all of of my mom and dad patients and friends have been experiencing the same thing. In…

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  • How to explain your stress to your kids

    It’s month 10 of Unprecedented Times, and needless to say all parents are at the end of their ropes (myself included: stay tuned for a longer blog post on this topic). I spoke with Steve Calechman at Fatherly about how parents can explain their stress to their children. Bottom line: We should not try to hide our negative emotions from…

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  • Anxious about the future? Try leading with “I wonder…”

    Like so many other families, my family recently experienced a COVID scare: We were exposed to someone who was exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID. While the person we were exposed to was awaiting the results of their COVID test, we felt compelled to quarantine. We didn’t want to send the kids to school or soccer or anywhere…

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Mom Brain Book
mom brain

Proven Strategies to Fight the Anxiety, Guilt, and Overwhelming Emotions of Motherhood—and Relax into Your New Self

About Me

I’m Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco, Ph.D., aka DrCBTMom. DrCBTMom.com combines the expert advice of a self-help book with the warmth and readability of a mommy blog.
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