Ep.3 - Mary Beth Spang, Psy.D. candidate from Southside: mental health, OCD, (iterated) diagnosis

“The Convos,” a podcast series by Storyburgh, is hosted by its Founding Director, Will Halim. In the second episode, we are joined by Mary Beth Spang from Southside, and the discussion covers a range of intriguing topics: Mary Beth’s connection with Pamela Monk, the ringleader of StoryburghLive!, and their collaborative efforts in the Storyburgh project. Her journey as a working therapist dealing with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which inspired her to pursue a doctorate degree in Psychology at Carlow University. Prior to this, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Penn State and Harvard respectively. The pressing issue of the scarcity of mental health professionals, attributed to the challenges in acquiring the necessary qualifications and accreditations to practice in this field. The use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), emphasizing the critical role of accurate mental health diagnoses. The discussion also delves into the various treatment options and diagnosis. Both of them may require several iterations for optimal results. Mary Beth Spang is also the Storyburgh's #BridgingYourMind mental health editor.