Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is anxiety at its most intrusive. You may struggle with keeping unwanted or disturbing thoughts or images out of your head. You may feel forced to perform repetitive routines (like checking, counting or repeating phrases) in order to feel “just right” or maybe to keep something bad from happening to you or your loved ones. You become a prisoner of your own mind.​

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Clinical Definition 
The presence of intrusive and unwanted thoughts, impulses or images (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions) aimed at reducing distress or preventing a dreaded event or situation.

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Our Approach

The International OCD Foundation has identified Exposure Response Prevention Therapy as having “the strongest evidence supporting its use in the treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.” With ERP, our therapists will help you through experiencing the discomfort of intrusive thoughts and practicing refraining from compulsive behaviors. With work, over time, the power of these thoughts lessens and the frequency of their intrusion decreases. 

You won’t be a prisoner any longer.

Available Programs for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

At NW Anxiety Institute, we offer several programs for OCD based on your needs:

• Individual Therapy 
  Meet with a highly-skilled therapist trained in Exposure Response Prevention. We’ll primarily meet in our office, but may also work with you in your home or wherever your OCD is most prevalent.
  
  
• Group Therapy 
  The Adult OCD Group is open to anyone 18 or older struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Meet with others facing similar challenges, gain support from your peers, and share your experiences.
  
  
• Focus Program 
  ​We offer a unique, intensive outpatient program (IOP) for quicker results in a focused setting. Experience daily therapy sessions (individual, group, and skills-based, family) over a minimum three-week timespan without the distractions of everyday life. 

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Working With Parents

You are not alone and we can help. Our team has extensive experience working with children and teens. But we believe working with parents is equally, if not more, important. We educate parents on understanding anxiety and recognizing the difference between anxiety and stress. We also help with identifying well-intentioned behaviors that may be maintaining your child’s anxiety. Most importantly, we train parents on active listening enhancement and using empathy to build stronger problem-solving skills. Check out our Parenting Anxious Kids page to learn more.

Parent's Corner
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One in 100 children suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. As the parent of a child with OCD, you may feel helpless, confused, and alarmed by your child’s behavior. You may notice that your child does the following:

• Gets upset when routines, such as bedtime, are changed
  
• Wants you to say an exact phrase back to them, such as “I love you”
• Starts over when interrupted while doing a task
• Performs movements that look like tics, but are done on purpose (like blowing air into their hands)
• Performs a series of body movements that are nonsensical and can be controlled (like shoulder shrugs)
• Must do a task a certain number of times or length of time
• Avoids particular numbers (like evens or odds, certain times on a clock, etc.) 
• Engages in repetitive reassurance-seeking behaviors (asking questions such as, “Will everything be ok?”

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