Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is a unique condition in which an individual experiences recurrent obsessions and/or compulsions. Obsessions are thought of as repetitive and intrusive thoughts or images that give rise to feelings of anxiety or distress. Compulsions are thought of as ritualistic or compulsive behavior that an individual feels compelled to engage in to manage the distress elicited by obsessions.

While responses to disturbing obsessions such as a ritual, compulsion, or reassurance-seeking behavior may offer short-term emotional relief, they can inadvertently reinforce the OCD cycle and worsen it over the long term.

Researchers have consistently found the most effective treatment for OCD to be a component of CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP. The "exposure" component involves strategically facing the external situations or internal thoughts or images that are likely to trigger the intrusive obsessions and urge to engage compulsions.

The "response prevention" component involves delaying and resisting the urge to engage in the short-term compulsive or reassuring behavior.

In place of the old compulsive response, we will work to practice and apply more effective strategies such as mindfulness, cognitive reappraisal, and attentional refocusing to learn to accept and tolerate uncomfortable experiences, while acting towards your life goal of finding freedom from OCD.

ERP is a proactive and directive approach to treatment in which clients will learn to understand the nature of the cycle that maintains OCD, establish proven approaches to break free from the OCD cycle, and increase their ability and confidence in tolerating uncomfortable thoughts and feelings while acting towards greater freedom and meaning in life.