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OCD Associates is a practice that specializes in the use of ERP to treat OCD. Every therapist at OCD Associates is intensively trained in ERP, and participates in ongoing training and case consultation.
OCD is an anxiety disorder that is characterized by compulsions and avoidance. People with OCD are afraid of making an irreversible mistake with permanent emotional consequences. They use compulsions and avoidance in an effort to guarantee that this won’t happen.
ERP stands for exposure with response prevention. Historically, researchers thought that ERP worked through desensitization. Therefore, it was believed that treatment had to make a patient feel anxious.
Our approach focuses on the elimination of compulsions and avoidance, not desensitization. We aim to minimize anxiety during exposure by eliminating rumination.
OCD symptoms aren’t random. They’re a coherent strategy meant to prevent a person’s worst fear from coming true. In contrast to approaches that see OCD as separate from the rest of the person or a mere neurological anomaly, our approach sees OCD symptoms as directly connected with the rest of who a person is and what they have experienced.
We believe that understanding the coherency and context of OCD symptoms is the starting point for effective ERP, and also facilitates treatment that goes beyond what ERP alone can offer. We begin treatment by developing an understanding of the emotional and relational factors driving symptoms, and continually address these factors both within and alongside ERP.
Our goal is to systematically dismantle OCD symptoms using ERP, while addressing the underlying dynamics that generate these symptoms in the first place.
On a cognitive-behavioral level, the most severe cases of OCD function the same way as the mildest ones. For this reason, a therapist who is armed with a clear understanding of the case and of how to implement ERP can help dismantle even severe OCD symptoms.
On a deeper level, symptom severity may reflect the intensity of underlying emotional and relational dynamics. Addressing these dynamics is therefore even more crucial in severe cases.
Many people with OCD also struggle with another issue, such as depression, trauma, autism, or borderline personality dynamics. While these issues have separate names, when they occur in the same person, they have to be understood as interlocking pieces of a single puzzle.
People who have not responded to ERP are often called treatment-refractory. This label implies that something is wrong with the patient.
In reality, though, there may have been something lacking in the treatment they received. For instance:
We work with patients over the internet using a HIPAA-compliant video-conferencing platform.
In order to work with us, you’ll need an internet connection and the ability to ensure your privacy during sessions.
We are currently able to work with patients in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The ideal candidate will be a person who:
For more information about the position or to apply, please email: info@ocdassociates.com