OCD Therapy

Could I Have OCD?

OCD can be a scary diagnosis to consider. Thanks to popular shows like The Big Bang Theory and Monk and movies like The Aviator and As Good As It Gets many people think they know what OCD looks like. But the reality is that OCD presents in many ways, some of which are completely invisible to others.

If you’re experiencing OCD symptoms, then you know it’s not a fun or quirky personality trait that helps you keep your house clean. It is fueled by deep anxiety and fear of uncertainty or lack of control. Like many mental health disorders, there is a spectrum of severity from mild to severe symptoms, and you may notice that your symptoms increase during stressful phases of life and decrease when things are more settled.

Your OCD symptoms could include compulsive behaviors, like organizing, rewriting things, repeated checking, or cleaning. Or your symptoms could all take place in your mind as is the case with obsessions and mental compulsions like counting, praying, or saying mantras. You don’t want to be ruminating on these things or doing these behaviors. You know they don’t make sense and aren’t helpful, but it’s the only way you feel safe or like you have some control in your life.

You Can Get Unstuck

Good treatment starts with pinpointing where your OCD is showing up and making your life more difficult that it needs to be. So after your initial, more general assessment session, we’ll spend a session teasing out your particular pain points and prioritizing where we want to start.

I combine classic Exposure and Response Prevention therapy (ERP) with aspects of Internal Family Systems (IFS) when I treat OCD. I help clients get to know and understand the parts of themselves that are fueling their OCD symptoms and learn how to stop getting sucked into the cycles of anxiety and compulsion those parts create.

Treating your OCD will require you to be brave in the face of uncomfortable situations and scenarios. We won’t do anything you aren’t ready to do, and I will be there with you every step of the way. I believe and trust in your strength and motivation to get yourself unstuck.

On the Other Side of OCD

An important part of treating OCD is identifying your “why”. Choosing to expose yourself to the very things you’re most afraid of can be daunting, so we spend time regularly tapping into a vision of your life that is possible without the OCD. My clients dream and work toward their days not being dictated by OCD so they can take vacations with their families, spontaneously go out with their friends, achieve more at work or school, or take their kids to public places like the park or a museum. When treatment is finished, you’ll be able to do all these things and more. You will feel a sense of freedom and possibility and trust yourself to handle whatever challenges life throws your way.

Treating OCD online

A lot of my work with clients takes place online. I started working this way during the pandemic and have found that it works just as well, and in some cases better, for clients as coming to see me in my office. Meeting online gives clients more flexibility to fit therapy into their busy lives without the time it takes to drive to my office. For OCD treatment specifically, it gives you opportunities to do some brave exposures in your own environment with me there for support and encouragement. It also means I can see folks anywhere in the states of Tennessee and Florida. I find that most people are familiar with the concept of online meetings at this point, but if you have any questions about how it works, I’m happy to answer them!