OCD Therapy

OCD is not your fault, and it is treatable

OCD can make your own thoughts feel like the enemy. Unwanted thoughts, images or urges keep showing up, and the rituals you use to feel better take more and more of your time.

Having those thoughts doesn't say anything about who you are. OCD is very treatable, and with the right approach, many people take back a lot of the time and energy OCD has been taking from them.

Understanding OCD

OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) has two parts. Obsessions are unwanted thoughts, images or urges that cause intense anxiety or discomfort. Compulsions are the things you do, out loud or in your head, to make that feeling go away, like checking, cleaning, counting, seeking reassurance or mentally reviewing.

Compulsions bring relief for a moment, but they teach your brain that the thought really was dangerous. So the thoughts come back stronger, and the rituals grow. That's the OCD cycle.

OCD is more common than most people think. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that about 2 in 100 adults in the U.S. will have OCD at some point in their lives, and it often starts in childhood or the teen years.

OCD often shows up alongside anxiety, depression or ADHD. Your therapist looks at the whole picture, not just one label.

What OCD can look like

OCD looks different for everyone, and it can look different in kids than in adults. These are some of the things we help with most often:

• Contamination fearsWorry about germs, illness or dirt, and washing or cleaning to feel safe.
• CheckingGoing back again and again to check locks, appliances, messages or your own memory.
• Unwanted thoughtsUpsetting thoughts or images that feel scary or wrong and won't go away.
• Just right feelingsNeeding things to be even, ordered or done a certain way until it feels right.
• Reassurance seekingAsking others, searching online or replaying events to be sure everything is okay.
• Time lost to ritualsRituals and avoidance taking up hours and making your world smaller.

In kids and teens, OCD often looks like needing things "just right," repeated questions, long bedtime or bathroom routines, or getting very upset when a ritual is interrupted.

You're not the only one who feels this way

When people reach out to us about OCD, a few things come up again and again. Many tell us they:

• Feel like their life is shrinking around compulsions and fears.
• Were doing better for a while, and are scared because symptoms are coming back.
• Are specifically looking for exposure and response prevention (ERP).
• Have been on waitlists for a long time and just want to get started.

If any of this sounds familiar, you're in the right place. You don't have to keep fighting OCD on your own.

What we'll work on together

Therapy for OCD is active and structured, and you're always in charge of the pace. Your therapist gets to know you and how OCD shows up in your life, then builds a plan with you. Your work together can include:

• Understanding the OCD cycle. Learning how obsessions and compulsions feed each other, so you can spot OCD's tricks.
• Exposure and response prevention (ERP). Facing triggers in small, planned steps without doing the ritual, so your brain learns the anxiety passes on its own.
• Changing your relationship with thoughts. CBT skills that help you treat intrusive thoughts as noise, not facts or instructions.
• Cutting back reassurance. Finding new ways to handle doubt, and helping family members respond in ways that don't feed OCD.
• Planning for setbacks. Knowing what to do if symptoms flare during stressful times.

ERP is the approach with the strongest research behind it for OCD. For children and teens, we bring parents in so the whole family learns how to respond to OCD.

How therapy can help

Everyone's path is different, and there's no set timeline. With steady ERP and CBT practice, many people find that over time they:

• Spend less time on rituals and checking
• Feel less thrown by intrusive thoughts
• Get back to places and activities they had been avoiding
• Rely less on reassurance from others
• Have more time and energy for what matters to them

Progress isn't always a straight line. Your therapist will check in with you regularly about what's working and adjust the plan as you go.

For parents: when it's your child

OCD in kids can be confusing. Your child might ask the same question over and over, need to redo things until they feel right, or melt down when a routine is changed. You may find yourself helping with rituals just to keep the peace.

We work with children, teens and their parents together, so you learn how to support your child without feeding OCD. If your child has Illinois Medicaid and needs more support, our Pathways to Success team can also come to your home.

Types of OCD we treat

• Contamination OCD
• Checking OCD
• Harm and intrusive thought OCD
• Symmetry, ordering and "just right" OCD
• Health anxiety and reassurance seeking
• OCD during pregnancy and after a baby
• OCD in children and teens

Getting started

1. Reach outClick Start Today or call (630) 635-0577. Our team gets to know what you're looking for, checks your insurance (we accept Illinois Medicaid and most private insurance) and matches you with a therapist who fits. Have a preference, like a female therapist? Just let us know.
2. Your first sessionMeet in person in Wheaton or Chicago, or by telehealth from anywhere in Illinois, with extended hours from 8 AM to 8 PM, seven days a week. Your therapist gets to know you and what you'd like to change. There's no pressure to share everything at once.
3. A plan that fits your lifeTogether you set goals that matter to you and check in regularly on what's working.

Sources: NIMH, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder statistics; NIMH, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder