OCD Therapy
in person in Canton CT and virtual across CT
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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD, is a mental health condition marked by intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges called obsessions, and repetitive behaviors or mental rituals called compulsions. Compulsions are usually performed to reduce anxiety and distress, prevent a feared outcome, or make things feel “just right,” but they often provide only temporary relief and can keep the OCD cycle going and growing.
Obsessions: Repeated intrusive thoughts, images, ideas, fears or urges, such as contamination, harm, mistakes, symmetry, religious concerns, or taboo thoughts among many others
Compulsions: The things you need to do to make your thoughts and distress go away such as repetitive actions or mental rituals, such as washing, checking, counting, repeating, arranging, reassurance seeking, reviewing thoughts, and avoiding.
Distress and impairment: OCD becomes clinically significant when symptoms take substantial time, cause distress, or interfere with school, work, relationships, or daily life. Untreated, OCD is considered one of the most debilitating mental health problems.
Our Treatment Modalities Include
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT)
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) is an evidence-informed treatment approach for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Rather than focusing primarily on exposure exercises, I-CBT helps individuals recognize and correct the faulty reasoning patterns that fuel obsessive doubt, anxiety, and compulsive behaviors. By targeting the cognitive processes that give obsessions their sense of credibility, I-CBT offers a distinct perspective from traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
ERP is a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy and is widely considered a first-line treatment for OCD. In ERP, a person gradually and intentionally faces feared thoughts, situations, or sensations while resisting the usual compulsion or avoidance behavior. Over time, the brain learns that anxiety can be tolerated and that compulsions are not necessary to stay safe or reduce distress.
Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT)
For OCD, ACT can be defined as a values-based, acceptance-focused therapy that helps individuals stop letting obsessions and compulsions control their choices. Its goal is not to erase intrusive thoughts, but to help people respond to them with greater flexibility, mindfulness, and commitment to the life they want to live.
Other OCD modalities that may sometimes be used for personalized treatment options may include:
Mindfulness; DBT; CBT; EMDR; Family therapy and education