OCD Associates

For more information or to inquire about treatment

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.

What is OCD?

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.

What is ERP?

ERP is a specific type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Clinical researchers consider ERP to be the gold standard for OCD treatment.

What makes our approach different?

A focus on rumination

Rumination is often mistaken for intrusive thoughts. Due to this error, therapists fail to realize that a patient is ruminating or lack the tools to help. We understand that rumination is the cornerstone of OCD. As such, it must always be a focus of treatment. Every therapist at OCD Associates is rigorously trained in the treatment of compulsive rumination.

A different approach to ERP

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.

An emotional and relational perspective

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.

We're happy to help all people who suffer from OCD. Even the most challenging cases.

Severe cases

The most severe cases of OCD function the same way as the mildest ones. A therapist can help dismantle even the toughest cases if they have a clear understanding of the case and how to implement ERP.

We offer intensive treatment options in cases where this is needed.

Complex cases

Many people with OCD also struggle with another issue, such as depression, autism, or borderline personality disorder. It’s true that these disorders have separate names. However, when they occur in one person, they have to be understood as interlocking pieces of a single puzzle.

Treatment-refractory cases

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 wrong with the treatment. For instance:

Special cases

We are experts in the treatment of sensorimotor (somatic) OCD and so-called Pure O.

Conditions We Treat

We treat all ‘types’ of OCD. These ‘types’ are really just themes, and most people with OCD have multiple themes:

Contamination OCD
Just right OCD
Religious or moral OCD (scrupulosity)
Pure O (compulsive rumination), including:
- Existential OCD
- Harm OCD (including Suicide OCD)
- Pedophilia OCD (POCD)
- Real event OCD
- Sexual orientation OCD (HOCD) and transgender OCD
- Relationship OCD (ROCD) and retroactive jealousy
- Sensorimotor OCD (somatic OCD)

We also treat these related disorders:

Specific phobia (e.g., emetophobia)
Social anxiety (social phobia)
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
Health anxiety and hypochondriasis
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), including:
- Hair-pulling (trichotillomania or TTM)
- Skin-picking (excoriation)
- Nail-biting (onychophagia)

We are a telehealth practice

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.

For more information or to inquire about treatment

DR. MICHAEL J. GREENBERG