Baylen Out Loud star Baylen Dupree is sharing a unique memory from her experience in therapy.
“I did do exposure therapy,” Dupree, 23, explained on the Tuesday, July 7, episode of the “Dumb Blonde” podcast. “My exposure therapy specifically was around horses. I was petrified of horses.”
Before marrying real estate agent Colin Dooley in May, Dupree wanted to do all that she could to overcome her fear and ensure her husband had a horse at the ceremony.
“A part of me did it for him because he wanted one at the wedding and I needed to get familiar with being around a horse,” she told host Bunnie Xo. “Another part of me wanted to do it because horses are so therapeutic and beautiful and perfect for people that are neurodivergent.”
Dupree — who has severe Tourette syndrome and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder — recalled her therapist’s request to get extra close to a horse during one hands-on session.
“I got to touch the horse, I got to brush the horse. I got to ride the horse. I also played with its s***,” she shared. “Yes, I did. I have the fear of germs, so I had to rub s*** on my hands without gloves on. [My therapist is] scraping it underneath my nails.”
Baylen Dupree Courtesy of Baylen Dupree/Instagram
To this day, Dupree can’t believe she agreed to do it. At the same time, she acknowledged her strong motivation to try something new in hopes of overcoming a fear.
“At first, I was like, ‘I’m not doing this,’” she recalled. “I did the hardest thing I possibly could have ever imagined and then I never have to do it again. And now all of those fears are gone. But it’s definitely shocking.”
In her TLC show titled Baylen Out Loud, Dupree allows cameras to capture her reality. Despite her daily challenges, the reality star and her extended family aren’t afraid to laugh and embrace the chaos that makes their everyday lives in West Virginia unique.
In her latest podcast interview, Dupree shined a light on her recent fear of germs. For a small period of time, it became so severe that she wouldn’t even drink out of her husband’s drink.
“I wouldn’t do sweaty hugs. I wouldn’t do handshakes,” she said. “I’d rather go in for a hug than a handshake because in my [mind], your hands are probably one of the dirtiest parts of your body.”
Baylen Out Loud airs on TLC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
