.Now in its second printing, with a number of enhancements, this workbook is a valuable resource for women suffering from anxiety or OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) particularly regarding taharas hamishpacha (family purity), mikvah, and related issues.It is not a guide to the halachos (laws) of taharas hamishpacha. Rather, it enables a woman who has anxiety regarding these matters overcome her anxiety, by guiding her through an evidence-based step-by-step program using proven cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques. It can be used as a self-help book or as a treatment manual in a therapy setting.
The book teaches how to deal with uncertainty, fear of taking risks, and extreme fear of sinning. It addresses how women can learn to face these challenges without compromising on their Jewish values. And to the contrary, how Jewish values encourage living with joy and happiness rather than anxiety and fear.
It teaches how to learn to take risks, how to identify feared consequences, and how to set up an exposure hierarchy. It also teaches bossing back techniques and what to do (and not to do) about obsessions in general, and specifically before and after tevilah. The book includes reproducible worksheets and mikvah preparation timetables.
Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky shlita: This work is of great usefulness for those struggling with these matters.
Rabbi Yehuda Jacobs (mashgiach, Beis Medrah Govoha, Lakewood, NJ): This book combines Torah wisdom with the practical knowledge needed to address these issues.
Rabbi Avrohom Spitzer (Skver Dayan) and Rav Eliezer Harari shlita: This work will help women fulfill the mitzvah with happiness and in a relaxed manner.
Rabbi Yaakov Forchheimer attests to the knowledge of the author, and that the work is consistent with halachah.
Dr. Elna Yadin and Dr. Jonathan Huppert, renowned experts in the field of Anxiety and treatment of OCD, both note that the book was written with sensitivity, and -- at the same time -- is consistent with evidenced-based practices.
It has also been enthusiastically endorsed by Dr. Jonathan Grayson, one of the world's top experts in OCD, and author of Freedom from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Personalized Recovery Program for Living with Uncertainty.
About the Author: Rabbi Dovid A. Kaufman is Rav of Beis Medrash of Medina Road in Lakewood, NJ. For many years, he has been involved with helping those suffering from anxiety and OCD.
