Therapy for OCD
OCD isn't a quirk or a love of tidiness. It's a cycle of unwanted, intrusive thoughts and the rituals you feel driven to do to make the distress stop. It can take hours of your day.
You might be noticing
- Thoughts, images or urges that feel against who you are
- Fears about contamination, harm, doing something wrong, or things not feeling "just right"
- Washing, checking, ordering, counting or mental rituals
- Asking loved ones for reassurance again and again
- Avoiding situations that might trigger the thoughts
How we help
Rituals bring brief relief, but they teach your brain the thought was dangerous, so it comes back stronger. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the leading treatment for OCD, helps you face triggers gradually while resisting the urge to do the ritual, until the distress fades on its own. We also use ACT and CBT to change your relationship with intrusive thoughts. Family members are often pulled into reassurance, so we can help them learn how to support you without feeding the cycle. Medication can help lower the intensity of obsessions and make the work more manageable.
A plan built around you
Every person is different and responds to different things. Your care can combine several evidence-based approaches, with or without medication. If questions come up about ADHD, autism or learning, psychological testing is available within the practice. And your plan can change as your needs do, including moving to another clinician on our team whose expertise fits better.
