 Family Fun in Field |  Family At Church |  Father and Son |  Happy family |  Three generations of women |
|---|
Specialized OCD Therapy with ERP
People with Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) suffer from persistent, unwanted thoughts or images (obsessions) that cause extreme distress. To reduce the distress caused by their obsessions, most people with OCD engage in rituals (compulsions). The vicious cycle of OCD is that rituals provide only temporary relief from the anxiety of obsessions. Without treatment, OCD worsens. At its most severe, OCD impacts all elements of life: daily activities, relationships, school, work, and family life.
A type of cognitive-behavioral therapy called Exposure and Response prevention (ERP) has been shown to be highly effective in treating OCD.
At the Anxiety & OCD Treatment Center, our expert therapists provide individualized treatment for children, adolescents, and adults with OCD. We offer in-person appointments in our Farmington and Westport, Connecticut offices. We also offer remote ERP sessions for clients living in New York and Connecticut as well as in the 40 Psypact states.
Evidence-based treatment for OCD
Exposure and Response Prevention—often called ERP—is a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy. In repeated treatment outcome studies, ERP has been shown to be the most effective psychological treatment for OCD. ERP reduces anxiety, obsessions and compulsions by breaking the reinforcing cycle of OCD so that you unlearn the feared outcomes that underlie OCD. With support from our experienced therapists, clients face their feared thoughts or images (exposures) while refraining from ritualizing (response prevention) until they can face their obsessive thoughts or images with little or no anxiety. ERP can be very hard. Our therapists work collaboratively with you to build a carefully paced treatment plan so you get the most out of ERP.
Depending on individual needs, treatment may also incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Inference-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness-based strategies, parent work, or other evidence-based approaches.
OCD may include
-
Intrusive thoughts, images, or urges
-
Contamination fears and washing or cleaning rituals
-
Checking, repeating, counting, or arranging
-
A need for certainty or reassurance
-
Fear of causing harm or being responsible for harm
-
Religious, moral, relationship, sexual-orientation, or identity-related obsessions
-
Mental rituals, reviewing, avoidance, or repeated online research
When more support is needed
For some conditions and levels of severity, longer or more frequent sessions may be recommended. AOTC offers individualized intensive psychotherapy for appropriate clients. The initial consultation helps determine whether weekly outpatient treatment, intensive work, or another level of care is most suitable.
START WITH A CONSULTATION
If OCD is narrowing your life—or your child’s—we can help you understand the next steps. Call or text 860-613-6269 or schedule a consultation call. We will ask about your concerns, location, treatment history, and scheduling needs to determine if we are a good match for you - then pair you with an AOTC provider.
Call or Message: 860-613-6269
Weekly and intensive treatment options
Most clients with OCD do very well with weekly outpatient sessions. Others need a more intensive treatment program to achieve their goals. Intensive ERP is an excellent option for people with severe OCD, people who struggle to practice ERP outside of session due to characteristics of their OCD, people with limited time for therapy (e.g., students electing treatment during the summer or holidays), or people looking to improve as quickly as possible. A consultation helps determine the appropriate level of care and whether our outpatient or intensive services are a good fit.
