As a specialist in OCD and anxiety disorders, I utilize evidence-based practices including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Collaborative Problem Solving.
I specialize in treating:
– OCD
– Generalized Anxiety Disorder
– Social Anxiety Disorder
– Panic Disorder
– Phobias
– Body Dysmorphic Disorder
– Trichotillomania
– Body Focused Repetitive Movements
– Dermatillomania (Skin Picking Disorder)
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that has been proven to be effective in treating anxiety and depression. CBT looks into the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviors and helps you to recognize thinking patterns that are not serving you and learn to replace these thoughts with ones that do not cause distress.
What is ERP?
Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) is considered the gold standard in treatment of OCD and other anxiety disorders. ERP is based on the idea that to find lasting relief from your OCD or anxiety, you must face your fear head on and not engage in any ritual, compulsion, or avoidance behavior. You’ve probably tried this before with little success or increased anxiety, maybe even leading to a panic attack. The difference in engaging in ERP with a trained therapist and trying yourself is similar to trying to learn to learn a new language on your own. Sure, there are plenty of apps, but unless you practice having a conversation or immerse yourself in the language, it would be nearly impossible to become fluent. Fully allowing oneself to sit with the anxiety and not engage in a ritual is difficult, and let’s be honest, it’s scary. It might be hard to trust initially that doing so will actually lead to a reduction in anxiety. Continued engagement in exposure over time will lead to a reduction in overall anxiety and the urge to engage in a compulsion (called habituation). Having a therapist trained in ERP who specializes in OCD and anxiety can help you significantly on your journey.
