Obsessive Compulsive disorder
my work with clients struggling with anxiety led me to working with clients with OCD as the they often co-occur. I treat OCD with Exposure and response prevention (Erp) which is the gold standard for OCD treatment. ERP is a Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that gradually exposes people to the situations designed to provoke a person’s obsessions in a safe environment while sitting with the discomfort you feel and resisting the urge to engage in the compulsions or rituals. It does not completely remove distressing situations and thoughts, but teaches you how to manage your ocd thoughts, images and urges so they eventually stop bothering you as much.
OCD wants you to believe that compulsions will make you feel better or keep the obsessions from happening, but it doesn’t work as obsessions always come back. in reality, compulsions teach you to run from obsessions which only gives them more power. By not engaging in the compulsions, you will learn to accept uncertainty and doubt and teach your brain that obsessions will go away on their own. ERP is hard work, but very effective if clients fully commit to the process. You will not be alone as i partner with you to get a handle on the obsessive thoughts.
