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Cali Werner | PhD, LCSW, CMPC

@caliwerner1

6.5K

followers

2003

following

Houston, TX📍
Expert @voiceinsport
OTQ Marathon
Athlete Rising, LLC
Therapist + Advocacy + Sport

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What if the same qualities that help you succeed—discipline, routine, and perfectionism—start working against you?

On this episode of The Hanley Effect, Dr. Cali Werner joins John Dyben and Rachel Docekal for a powerful conversation about OCD, anxiety, perfectionism, and mental health in athletes.

An accomplished distance runner who competed in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Dr. Werner also knows OCD personally. She shares how the pressure she placed on herself as an athlete intensified her symptoms—and how evidence-based treatment ultimately changed her life and career.

Today, Dr. Werner helps others navigate OCD and anxiety as a behavior therapist at the OCD Institute of Texas and through Athlete Rising, her practice focused on athletes.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of The Hanley Effect.

#TheHanleyEffect #OCD #Anxiety #MentalHealth #AthleteMentalHealth #Perfectionism #MentalHealthAwareness by @caliwerner1

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2 months ago

We live in a culture filled with messages about how to “get rid of” anxiety.

But what if getting rid of anxiety isn’t the goal?

Dr. Cali Werner reminds us that anxiety is part of being human. The important question is whether it has begun consuming our time, interfering with daily life, or keeping us from doing the things that matter.

On The Hanley Effect, Dr. Werner breaks down the difference between everyday anxiety and anxiety that may require professional support—and explains why learning to tolerate discomfort can be so powerful.

🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode.

#TheHanleyEffect #Anxiety #MentalHealth #OCD #MentalHealthMatters by @caliwerner1

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2 months ago

What if the same qualities that help you succeed—discipline, routine, and perfectionism—start working against you?

On this episode of The Hanley Effect, Dr. Cali Werner joins John Dyben and Rachel Docekal for a powerful conversation about OCD, anxiety, perfectionism, and mental health in athletes.

An accomplished distance runner who competed in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Dr. Werner also knows OCD personally. She shares how the pressure she placed on herself as an athlete intensified her symptoms—and how evidence-based treatment ultimately changed her life and career.

Today, Dr. Werner helps others navigate OCD and anxiety as a behavior therapist at the OCD Institute of Texas and through Athlete Rising, her practice focused on athletes.

🎧 Listen to the full episode of The Hanley Effect.

#TheHanleyEffect #OCD #Anxiety #MentalHealth #AthleteMentalHealth #Perfectionism #MentalHealthAwareness by @caliwerner1

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2 months ago

Sometimes a kid can look successful on the outside while anxiety is stealing the joy on the inside.

In this clip from The Roots That Last, Dr. Cali Werner shares how anxiety and OCD shaped her own experience as an athlete, and how parents can better support kids navigating pressure, perfectionism, and performance.

Full episode available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. taken in Ecclesia Houston by @caliwerner1

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2 months ago

This carousel came from something I’ve been living lately.

I’m quite pregnant, not feeling my best, and realizing I simply cannot keep saying yes to everything the way I normally might. I’ve had to turn down opportunities, step back from commitments, and choose to say “no” even when part of me worries I’m missing out, disappointing someone, or not doing enough.

And honestly? Saying no has been uncomfortable.
But it has also helped me notice how easily perfectionism can turn a good opportunity into pressure. The pressure to say yes becomes overwork. Overwork becomes exhaustion. Exhaustion affects performance. Then, instead of recognizing that we are depleted, we criticize ourselves and feel an even stronger need to prove ourselves.

That is the cycle this post is about.
I’m learning that honoring my limits does not mean I care less, lack ambition, or am becoming less capable. Sometimes saying no is the most values-aligned and sustainable choice I can make.

Maybe the goal is not to stop caring deeply.
Maybe it is to stop treating every opportunity like an obligation.

Where do you notice yourself getting stuck in this cycle?

Save this for the next time saying no feels like failure.

#perfectionism #burnout #selfcompassion #highperformance #athletementalhealth by @caliwerner1

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3 months ago

The difference between shooting a basketball “not to miss” and shooting a basketball “to make it” is the difference between anxiety and freedom! 🏀 ⚽️ ⛳️

Dr. @caliwerner1 talks about the power of recovering from mistakes in our latest episode. Listen wherever you get your podcasts!

🪄 by @dani_hooper_ by @caliwerner1

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4 months ago

Our interview with @caliwerner1 is out today!

We talk about running in the Olympic trials, her passion for treating and recovering from OCD . . . And SO much more! Listen whenever you get your Podcasts!

Special shout-out to @drlizocd for challenging us on what is possible—- because OCD treatment is effective and works! by @caliwerner1

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4 months ago

OCD doesn’t make you better. It makes you believe rituals are the reason you’re succeeding. But if your “routine” feels non-negotiable, anxiety-driven, and exhausting… it may not be helping your performance at all.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, remember: real performance comes from flexibility, not fear-and awareness is the first step toward freedom. by @caliwerner1

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5 months ago

You don’t have to coach yourself with constant pressure to perform at a high level. Keeping it light can be the elite mindset you may have needed all along.

In this episode on the @theanxietysocietypod with NFL kicker @zanegonzalez5 for the @miamidolphins we deep dive into all things anxiety, OCD, and performance mindset!

#elite #performance #mindset #athlete #nfl by @caliwerner1

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5 months ago

There are many ways to be an incredible mental health professional and a million different ways to dress when you do the work.

A moment for all of those showing up authentically in a fit that makes them comfortable ao they can invite those around them to feel the same.

Whether you're in a school, hospital, private practice, still in school, or elsewhere, keep showing up as ✨️you✨️

Interested in joining the next nationwide collaborative reel? Comment FITCHECK below and a I'll be in touch! by @caliwerner1

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6 months ago

Obsessions & Confessions LIVE with @caliwerner1 & @stickwiththeick happened today! Watch the recording here, and we can’t wait to see you again in May! 💕🎉

#ocdadvocacy #obsessions #confessions #mentalhealthpodcast by @caliwerner1

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6 months ago

We would like thank every one of you that helped to make the first Abbi’s College Cup a reality this week. It means the world to us to have the opportunity to bring conversations about mental health to the world of soccer. The soccer community filled our lives for many years as Abbi progressed through various levels of play and although this effort grew out of our grief, we are grateful to give back in a way that will impact the lives of other players.

To the mental health providers who gave their time and knowledge, thank you. @caliwerner1 @lenniew8 and Dan Kratz
To the coaches from Rice and Houston Christian Universities who helped organize this and brought their amazing student athletes, thank you. (Brian Lee, Nick Whiting)
To the Rice support staff who willingly pitched in to make this possible, thank you. (Brian McDevitt, Braxton Newman)

And of course we want to thank the student athletes who took time to listen, to participate, and share experiences on these very important topics. With your help, we hope to continue to normalize discussions about mental health with athletes. We appreciate you and hope you remember to #playlikeabbi

Last, but not least, we are grateful for @save.the.shot_by_tami for volunteering her time and sharing her incredible photography so we can now share the moment with you! by @caliwerner1

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7 months ago