OCD and Anxiety Specialty Services

OCD is perhaps one of the more misunderstood diagnoses. It is often used incorrectly in casual settings (e.g., “I’m so OCD”) and is generally portrayed poorly on television. OCD is defined by both obsessions (worries, fears, and other distressing thoughts) and compulsions (rituals or repetitive behaviors that interfere with our lives). Though OCD is not under the umbrella of anxiety disorders, the role of anxiety is clear—because of something we are afraid might happen (e.g., “I will get sick and die if I touch things in public without washing my hands immediately after”), we are driven to engage in compulsive behaviors or rituals (e.g., dousing our hands with hand sanitizer after touching every item or surface) to try to prevent this from happening. Despite how OCD is discussed in popular culture, it is not a personality quirk. OCD is debilitating and controls our lives until we decide to take back our power and agency.

You may be surprised to learn that body dysmorphia (body dysmorphic disorder or BDD) is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder. When you stop to think about it, it makes perfect sense. BDD is characterized by preoccupation with (i.e., obsessive thoughts about) perceived flaws or deficits in our appearance and engaging in compulsive, repetitive behaviors (e.g., mirror checking, adjusting our clothes or body position, skin picking, reassurance seeking) or mental acts (e.g., comparing our appearance with that of others) in response to the perceived flaws. It is important to note that the things we consider flaws are either not noticeable by others or others view it as slight or minor. For example, a burn survivor who is self-conscious about obvious, severe scars on her face would not be diagnosed with BDD—the scars are significant and easily noticed by others, and there is very real social stigma toward body disfigurements.

Through evidence-based treatment, you can learn to reduce and manage both unwanted, obsessive thoughts and time-consuming compulsive behaviors. In doing so, you can spend your mental and physical energy doing things that are more meaningful, enjoyable, and fulfilling to you.

I offer evidence-based treatments for OCD, body dysmorphia, and other related obsessive-compulsive conditions including Exposure and Response/Ritual Prevention (ERP or ExRP), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), and mirror (perceptual) retraining (for BDD).

Bonus: eating disorders can sometimes happen alongside body dysmorphia. In fact, there is emerging research that compares eating disorders to OCD—we have obsessive thoughts about food and our bodies, and engage in compulsive behaviors such as bingeing and purging. The treatment for anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorders—Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Enhanced (CBT-E)—is based in many of the same principles as ERP and CBT-BDD.

There are many different anxiety-related diagnoses, such as generalized anxiety (GAD), social anxiety (social phobia) and other phobias, health anxiety, and panic disorder. We can also have anxiety secondary to a primary issue such as depression. Evidence-based anxiety treatment is designed to address the factors that reinforce anxiety and provide practical tools for managing and overcoming it. Often, we may want to dive into the past and figure out why we developed anxiety. While we can brainstorm educated guesses, the most important part of successful treatment is focusing on the now—“I have severe anxiety, so what do I do about it?”

Together, we will focus on how to reduce and manage your anxiety so you can move forward in life. I offer a supportive environment for individuals to explore their anxiety-related concerns and work towards long-term relief.

I offer evidence-based treatments for anxiety disorders including Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Exposure Therapy.