• Home
  • The Blog
  • The Book
  • The Podcast
  • OCPD Resources
  • About OCPD Therapy
  • Psychotherapy Services
  • Contact

914-319-5049

garytros@aol.com
Login

Login
The Healthy Compulsive Project: Help for OCPD, Workaholics, Obsessives, & Type A PersonalityThe Healthy Compulsive Project: Help for OCPD, Workaholics, Obsessives, & Type A Personality
The Healthy Compulsive Project
  • Home
  • The Blog
  • The Book
  • The Podcast
  • OCPD Resources
  • About OCPD Therapy
  • Psychotherapy Services
  • Contact

The Healthy Compulsive Project:

Healing OCPD & Taking the Wheel of the Driven Personality

Psychotherapist & Jungian analyst Gary Trosclair explores the perils & potentials
of the driven personality for compulsives and their loved ones–removing the disorder from Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

Recent Blog Posts

Breaking Horses: 6 Signs That You’re Micromanaging
July 1, 2025

How do we know if we are micromanaging? If you constantly look over someone’s shoulder, give them detailed instructions, distrust them, and make mountains out of molehills, it will discourage creativity, diminish morale, and disrupt relationships. It may even lead to them ignoring you. It brings about the opposite of your desired effect. Productivity, responsibility and ingenuity all decrease. It's like trying to break a horse to train it. Instead we need to macromanage, to consider the larger picture of our values and priorities.

Read More
Navigating Challenges for the Perfectionist Father: From the Horrific to the Heroic
June 14, 2025

How do perfectionist and compulsive traits shape fatherhood? This post explores the challenges and opportunities for the obsessive father—how those traits can either alienate or elevate, harm or heal. Learn how self-awareness, values, and mindset can help fathers navigate the line between heroic and harmful.

Read More
Should You Unearth the Past? How Looking Back Can Help us Move Forward
May 27, 2025

Is burying the past holding you back? Most of us live as if we are still in the past without being aware of it. Discover how understanding your personal history can help you reclaim buried strengths, rewrite limiting stories, and live more freely in the present.

Read More
This is Not a Test: 3 Steps to Winning the Battle Against Insecurity
April 29, 2025

Insecurity is often the cause of people becoming unhealthy compulsives rather than healthy compulsives. It’s as if life were a test and, fearing we will fail, we resort to rules, rigidity and control to prevent failure. It can be so prevalent, yet so hard to see, that it’s like the air we breathe. But rather than trying desparately to pass the test, we can take a pass on the test, and adopt ways of living that have more meaning.

Read More
Want to Make Life Easier? Break the Habits that Make It More Difficult Than It Needs to Be
April 8, 2025

Life is not easy, and we actually make it harder if we imagine we can sashay through it effortlessly. But we can also make life more difficult than it needs to be by imagining that the path forward is steeper than it really is. To make life easier let's explore the effect of the "Mountain Mirage," its causes and its cures.

Read More
Four Blocks to Releasing Resentment and Offering Forgiveness
March 25, 2025

Whatever the motivation for withholding forgiveness, it usually hurts the holder more than it hurts the offending person. And as I’ll show in this post, not forgiving may be part of a larger mindset which blocks not just connection with that one person, but also a more fulfilling life.

Read More
How to Help a Partner, Friend or Relative Who Feels Suicidal
March 4, 2025

How do you help a partner, relative or friend who feels suicidal? The situation is disturbing for anyone, and can be even more difficult for people who take too much responsibility and need to have things fixed and resolved. There are limits to what is within our control. And many of us feel too much responsibility in a situation like this. We like to think that there must be a solution to any and all problems—if we could just figure it out and work hard enough to execute that solution. But that’s very idealistic, if not naïve. Hopefully, and ideally, hearing themselves as they talk to you, and hearing you mirror their feelings empathically and simply, will help them realize that what needs to die is not they themselves, but their unrealistic standards, black and white thinking, and self-attack. Their dictator, tyrant, or judge.

Read More
Four Ways the Need for Control Smothers the Flames of Romantic Love
February 11, 2025

Romantic love requires a mindset different from the controlling one, a mindset characterized by allowing, openness and flexibility. Valentine’s Day and anniversaries can serve as opportunities to celebrate and welcome what feels like the chaos of passion—including those deliciously dangerous feelings of being out-of-control. It's like getting out of the prison of control. You can’t force romantic love. You can only surrender to it.

Read More
Clinging to Sacred Cows:  Identity and Worth in the Compulsive Personality
January 21, 2025

People with compulsive and obsessive tendencies tend to hold on to things—money, objects, time and ideas. We imagine that these things we hold on to make us more secure. But too often they bring us more stress than security. Some of the things we hold on to constitute our identity and worth. These are sacred cows in the worst sense—traits that we feel we can’t question much less let go of. And these cows are a heavy burden to carry. We’ll start with a story from the Buddha, explore scarcity mindset, and talk about two examples of women struggling with their sacred cows. Finally, we’ll discuss how letting go of sacred cows can lead to more fulfillment.

Read More
Wield the Shield Wisely: How to Not Be Defensive
December 31, 2024

Few of us make it through life without ever getting defensive.  Shields are universal and archetypal. But, at the risk of being dramatic, how defensive we get can dramatically affect our relationships and careers. Some people keep their Shield of protection up almost all the time. Others ram it into the other person's face. Both of these can severely limit not just relationships and work, but, as we'll see, your psychological growth as well.

Read More
Explore the Blog

Recent Blog Posts

Breaking Horses: 6 Signs That You’re Micromanaging
July 1, 2025
Read More
Navigating Challenges for the Perfectionist Father: From the Horrific to the Heroic
June 14, 2025
Read More
Should You Unearth the Past? How Looking Back Can Help us Move Forward
May 27, 2025
Read More
This is Not a Test: 3 Steps to Winning the Battle Against Insecurity
April 29, 2025
Read More
Want to Make Life Easier? Break the Habits that Make It More Difficult Than It Needs to Be
April 8, 2025
Read More
Four Blocks to Releasing Resentment and Offering Forgiveness
March 25, 2025
Read More
How to Help a Partner, Friend or Relative Who Feels Suicidal
March 4, 2025
Read More
Four Ways the Need for Control Smothers the Flames of Romantic Love
February 11, 2025
Read More
Clinging to Sacred Cows:  Identity and Worth in the Compulsive Personality
January 21, 2025
Read More
Wield the Shield Wisely: How to Not Be Defensive
December 31, 2024
Read More
Explore the Blog

Featured Blog Posts

difference between OCD and OCPD

What is the difference between OCD and OCPD (compulsive personality)?

Your colleague Mitch works very late hours, insists on perfection in team documents, and can get pretty bent out of shape at meetings, letting people know exactly how they should be doing things. He needs to have things a certain…

May 18, 2018Read More
compulsive behavior

The Hidden Drive Behind Compulsive Behavior: Carl Jung’s Path to Wholeness

Discover Carl Jung’s insights on compulsive behavior and how blocked growth can lead to obsession. Learn how to unlock your potential through individuation.

May 19, 2018Read More
compulsive exercise

Compulsive Personality: A New and Positive Perspective

Compulsive. It’s not the kind of trait that will get you a wink on a dating app. But let’s re-frame this: people who have a compulsive personality have a lot to feel good about–if they manage their energies well. Let’s…

May 30, 2018Read More
compulsive personality blog

The Healthy Compulsive Project: Taking the Wheel of the Driven Personality

Why A Compulsive Personality Blog? It’s so hard to stop. Hard to stop working, thinking, perfecting, controlling, planning and doing. This drive can be tormenting. But it can also be fulfilling–both the doing and the finishing. What determines whether it’s…

May 31, 2018Read More
partner with OCPD

How to Get Along With a Partner With OCPD (Compulsive Personality)

A partner with OCPD (obsessive compulsive personality disorder), can be really difficult to live with. They usually aren’t aware how extreme their rigidity has become and are often convinced that they’re right all the time. Their perfectionistic, controlling and workaholic…

June 20, 2018Read More
obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

How Do I Know If I Have Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder? And So What If I Do?

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) As many as one in 12 people have the medical disorder known as Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) without knowing it. In fact, while it’s prevalent and well established as a diagnostic category,  it is one of…

September 16, 2018Read More
why compulsive people get depressed

Why Compulsive People Get Depressed Part 1: The Missed Potential of Low Mood

Constance was meticulous in everything she did. She was famous, and at times infamous, for accuracy at her job, for her fastidiousness in her home, and for her painstaking protocol when running the PTA.  Her friends and colleagues said that…

February 8, 2019Read More
OCPD anxiety

Keys to Facing OCPD Anxiety and Fear

People who are compulsive, workaholic or Type a personality have a, well, special relationship with anxiety. It propels them to get lots done, but it also makes it hard for them to enjoy life. And those at the unhealthy end of the compulsive spectrum, those who have Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD), have such pressing anxiety that they may never enjoy life.

January 26, 2020Read More
OCPD book

The Healthy Compulsive Book Has Arrived!

Recognizing OCPD and The Driven Personality A woman who recently realized that she had OCPD (obsessive-compulsive personality disorder) and had been reading my blog sent me a note sharing a few thoughts about her experience. These explain why I began…

February 8, 2020Read More
obsessive-compulsive types

Understanding the Four Types of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality to Achieve Balance

[Available in audio format at Google Podcasts and Apple, and Spotify.] As I’ve gotten to know more people with obsessive-compulsive personality through my clinical work, writing, and online groups, I’ve come to recognize that there is a great deal of…

May 16, 2020Read More
origins of OCPD

The Origins of OCPD: Genes, Environment, and the Two Other Factors Most People Don’t Consider

Many people wonder how they became controlling, driven, and perfectionistic. Or, to use the clinical label, they wonder about the origins of OCPD (obsessive-compulsive personality disorder). Mental health professionals generally agree that a combination of genes and environment, nature and…

July 25, 2021Read More
OCPD Change

Can Someone With OCPD Change?

I recently finished therapeutic work with a man whom I’ll call Fred. His story addresses the question, “Can someone with OCPD change?” and it illustrates the challenges involved. I was certain that Fred would ruin his marriage with his rigidity…

August 14, 2021Read More
core fears

Naming and Taming The Core Fears That Control Us

In a previous post [podcast episode 28] I wrote about the anxiety that people with obsessive and compulsive personalities face, distinguishing surface fears from deep fears, and suggesting four steps for working through the deeper fears that lead to our…

August 17, 2022Read More
OCPD Podcast

Announcing the Healthy Compulsive Project Podcast

Wait, The Healthy Compulsive? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Not in my book. And I’ll tell you how I got there. Five years ago I launched The Healthy Compulsive Project, starting with a blog, and later adding a book. Today I’m…

July 19, 2023Read More
Bully

The Compulsive Leader-Teacher: Bully or Mentor?

Key to becoming a healthier compulsive is identifying the type of obsessive-compulsive personality (OCP) that you inhabit most of the time. If you start watching, you may realize that you gravitate toward certain clusters of personality traits and behaviors within…

November 7, 2023Read More
people pleasers

The Compulsive Server-Friend: People Pleaser or Well-Rounded Helper?

This is the third of four posts describing in greater detail four types of obsessive-compulsive personality. These types overlap, and my terms for them are intended as invitations to flexibly explore your own tendencies–not as iron-clad categories to imprison you.…

December 5, 2023Read More
planner

The Compulsive Thinker-Planner: Obsessive Procrastinator or Productive Visionary?

This is the last in a series of four posts describing in greater detail four types of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality (OCP).  You can have the same basic driven, perfectionist tendency of the obsessive-compulsive personality and end up a Thinker-Planner rather than…

December 19, 2023Read More
compulsive drive

How to Get Your Compulsive Drive to Work for You.

Some people seem to use their compulsive tendencies adaptively, while others are used by their compulsive tendencies maladaptively. This could mean the difference between being productive and connected, versus being stuck and at odds with others. This interview explores what makes the difference, and how to get your compulsive tendencies working for you.

March 5, 2024Read More
psychological hoarding

How to Keep Psychological Hoarding from Crowding Your Mind and Blocking Your Fulfillment

We’re all familiar with the results of typical hoarding behavior: newspapers piled in towers reaching for the celling, old mechanical parts bursting the seams of the garage, or a thousand rolls of toilet paper crouching in the basement just waiting…

April 16, 2024Read More
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on PinterestShare on Reddit

The Healthy Compulsive book is now available in paperback in addition to hardcover and e-book format:

Healthy Compulsive Book

Healthy Compulsive Book

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

The Healthy Compulsive Podcast

Apple Podcasts

Spotify Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Audible Podcasts

Categories

  • Art & Culture
  • Everyday living
  • Introductory
  • Jung/Archetypes/Spirit
  • People/Stories
  • Psychotherapy
  • Relationships & Family
  • Science: Research & Theory
  • Uncategorized

Recent Posts

  • Breaking Horses: 6 Signs That You’re Micromanaging July 1, 2025
  • Navigating Challenges for the Perfectionist Father: From the Horrific to the Heroic June 14, 2025
  • Should You Unearth the Past? How Looking Back Can Help us Move Forward May 27, 2025
  • This is Not a Test: 3 Steps to Winning the Battle Against Insecurity April 29, 2025
  • Want to Make Life Easier? Break the Habits that Make It More Difficult Than It Needs to Be April 8, 2025

Archives

If you’d like to use your time in psychotherapy more effectively, check out my book on therapy.

psychotherapy

Available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Contact Us

We're currently offline. Send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.

Send Message

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

You can click here or on the book below to order The Healthy Compulsive on Amazon today!

© 2025 · Gary Trosclair, The Healthy Compulsive Project

  • Home
  • The Blog
  • The Book
  • The Podcast
  • OCPD Resources
  • About OCPD Therapy
  • Psychotherapy Services
  • Contact