“Of Faith and Great Anxiety” is run by Kari Ferguson. I’m a Latter-day Saint woman, wife, and mom who has been struggling with OCD for over ten years, although I didn’t always realize or accept that was what it was. Finally acknowledging that I needed to get outside help allowed me to realize what I was actually up against. It was only then that I was finally able to make real progress in fighting the OCD. As a mental health advocate, I want to help remove the stigma and silence regarding mental illnesses in our faith and in our society.
I have a BS in Recreation Management and Youth Leadership from Brigham Young University and a masters degree from Goldsmiths College, University of London, in Communication, Culture and Society. I also have a postgraduate certificate in Children’s Literature from the University of Roehampton. I have taken courses from the Beck Institute in Essentials of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and CBT for Anxiety and am certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. I’ve taught communications courses at Utah Valley University, and my husband and I currently run a mental health focused events planning company called Mental Illness Matters.
When I’m not fighting stigma and stereotypes, I love listening to music (especially along the lines of Belle & Sebastian or Architecture in Helsinki), finding/eating a good spicy chicken sandwich or almond croissant, antique hunting, going to Target, and, of course, writing. I currently own and run an online shop specializing in curated collections of children’s classics (books and vinyl) called Oh Hello Again.
My book The OCD Mormon: Finding Healing and Hope in the Midst of Anxiety came out Sep. 12 2017 on Cedar Fort.
You can also find me on The Mighty and LDS Living.
