Online Therapy for OCD

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OCD is arguably one of the most misunderstood and misidentified disorders despite up to 1 in 40 people having it. It is comprised of extremely distressing intrusive thoughts/images/urges which cause intense anxiety, and compulsions, either mental or physical, employed in attempt to ease the anxiety triggered by the obsession. A key component of this disorder is that the intrusive thoughts are opposite of the person's values and true desires.

 

Common obsessions sound like: 

• What if I'm a bad person?

• What if I'm not in love with my partner?

• What if I hurt someone I love?

• What if I offend God?

• What if I have an underlying heart condition?

• What if I contaminate my child and they die because of me?

• What if I lose my mind and go crazy?

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Common compulsions look like:

• Ruminating for hours on whether or not you're a bad person

• Checking to see if the obsession is true (ie. checking if you love your partner, checking if you're angry, checking if you turned the stove off)

• Replaying past events for evidence 

• Avoiding situations that may trigger you

• Seeking reassurance from others that the bad thing won't happen

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I often find people with this disorder to be some of the most caring individuals on this planet. This is exactly why the thoughts are so jarring and horrifying-- they are what the individual most fears becoming. The OCD brain believes that because a thought happened, it must be true/important/relevant. This is false, and together, we will work on helping you learn to separate imagination from reality (ie. what's going on in your brain vs. what's going on in the present moment) and understand that your thoughts  are not an indication of you becoming what you fear most. When these realities set in, compulsions eventually become unnecessary, and you will be back living the life you've longed to live. 

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As distressing as this disorder is, recovery is possible! Using evidence-based treatment strategies (treatments proven by research to be effective) is especially important when treating OCD, as general talk therapy can actually make symptoms worse. Not only do I specialize in treating the disorder, but I also have lived experience with OCD, making me extremely empathetic to the plight of my clients, and all the more passionate about them receiving proper treatment.

 

I have training in the three evidence-based treatment options for OCD: Exposure-Response Prevention, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, and Inference-Based CBT. Each of these treatment types have been shown to significantly decrease symptoms of OCD. The treatment strategy would be chosen based upon collaborative conversation with you. 

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If you are terrified of your thoughts and ready to get back to truly living again, please reach out today. You can read more on OCD here.

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