Marilyn Pennington

My first career was in a clinical laboratory; I worked there for about 20 years. But I felt that there was something missing in regard to direct contact with people who could benefit from my services. So I went back to school and got a degree in social work, and started off from there. That's been about the second half of my life so far. It's been highly interesting, because everything I did before has been very applicable in therapy—not to mention all the things I've learned about therapy itself.

At the start of the pandemic, I pursued tele-mental-health jobs, because we weren't allowed to open up completely to do in-person therapy. I like how NOCD focuses on one health issue; I find OCD very interesting. It's a good fit for me.

I have worked mainly with anxiety and depression. I also have some experience treating schizophrenia.

It's a process that might be uncomfortable at times, but it will be effective in the long run. It's an evidence-based practice. Don't worry too much about the initial feelings that may come up in therapy. We will work at your speed. I'll ask you to do some intense work, but it will be worth it.

People have a wide range of intrusive thoughts. Because they're so diverse, your NOCD therapist has probably dealt with several of the themes that you have going on. It's perfectly OK to express those thoughts—they are just thoughts, and you won't be judged for your thought process.