Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition involving unwanted, recurring thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions).
People with OCD may feel driven to perform certain behaviors or mental rituals to reduce anxiety or prevent something they fear from happening. These patterns can become time-consuming and interfere with daily life, relationships, school, or work.
OCD can take many forms, and symptoms can look different from person to person.
How Can Therapy Help?
Therapy can help you understand the patterns that maintain OCD symptoms and develop healthier ways to respond to unwanted thoughts and anxiety.
Depending on your needs, therapy may help you:
- Understand obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors
- Reduce avoidance and reassurance-seeking
- Learn to respond differently to unwanted thoughts
- Build tolerance for uncertainty and discomfort
- Reduce the amount of time OCD takes from daily life
- Develop healthier coping strategies
- Improve functioning at home, work, school, or in relationships
- Address anxiety, depression, or other concerns that may occur alongside OCD
Treatment is individualized based on your symptoms, experiences, and goals.
Who Can Benefit From OCD Therapy?
Therapy may be helpful for individuals experiencing recurring unwanted thoughts, urges, or images and/or repetitive behaviors or mental rituals that are difficult to control.
You may benefit from support if you:
- Spend significant time checking, cleaning, counting, or repeating behaviors
- Experience intrusive or unwanted thoughts
- Frequently seek reassurance from others
- Avoid situations because of fears or intrusive thoughts
- Feel distressed by uncertainty
- Find that OCD symptoms interfere with relationships, work, school, or daily activities
OCD can occur in many different forms. Experiencing an unwanted thought does not mean you want it to happen or that it reflects who you are.
What Can We Help With?
Our clinicians can provide support for concerns related to:
- Obsessive thoughts and intrusive thoughts
- Compulsive behaviors and mental rituals
- Checking and reassurance-seeking
- Contamination fears and cleaning rituals
- Fear of making mistakes or causing harm
- Perfectionism and excessive doubt
- Difficulty tolerating uncertainty
- Avoidance related to OCD symptoms
- Anxiety associated with obsessive-compulsive patterns
OCD Support at Modern Me Psychology
At Modern Me Psychology, we understand that OCD symptoms can be distressing and may significantly interfere with everyday life.
Our clinicians provide individualized therapy focused on helping you understand your symptoms, develop effective coping strategies, and make meaningful changes. Treatment may incorporate evidence-based approaches such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), depending on your needs and treatment goals.
Our Clinicians Who Work With OCD
Related Approaches
Depending on your needs and treatment goals, approaches that may be incorporated into treatment include:
- Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Psychodynamic Therapy
Explore our ERP and Anxiety pages for additional information.
Ready to Get Started?
If OCD symptoms are interfering with your daily life, relationships, work, or peace of mind, therapy can help you develop new ways of responding to them.
Services are available in person at our Roselle, Illinois office and through telehealth for clients located in Illinois.
We accept several insurance plans, and coverage varies by plan and clinician. Contact us to confirm your benefits and whether your preferred provider and service are covered.
