Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Our obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) enhancement for our Family Based Mental Health program provides intensive, in-home support based on Structural Family Therapy and Family Systems Theory to assist families who are facing serious emotional and/or behavioral disturbances. Our staff utilizes Exposure and Responsive Prevention (ERP) interventions. We currently are the only local in-home therapy provider to offer this level of treatment.
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Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that impacts people of all ages and backgrounds. OCD occurs when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings. Compulsions are behaviors an individual engages in to attempt to get rid of the obsessions and/or decrease their distress. It currently affects approximately 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children in the U.S.
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OCD is often stigmatized by minimizing statements.
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Myth: OCD is just about hand-washing, cleaning, and being neat.
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Fact: Triggers related to cleanliness and symptoms related to washing make up only a small part of the range of OCD triggers and symptoms. People with OCD can have obsessions related to a wide variety of things, including losing control, hurting others, unwanted sexual thoughts, and many more. Similarly, the anxiety caused by these obsessions can be lessened by different compulsions, such as “checking” (e.g., re-checking door locks, repeatedly making sure the oven is off), “repeating” (e.g., doing the same action or ritual over and over to be sure it was done “correctly”), and “counting” (e.g., doing things in certain numbers, counting items to certain numbers).
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Myth: OCD is not that big deal. People just need to relax and not worry so much.​
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Fact: Triggers related to cleanliness and symptoms related to washing make up only a small part of the range of OCD triggers and symptoms. People with OCD can have obsessions related to a wide variety of things, including losing control, hurting others, unwanted sexual thoughts, and many more. Similarly, the anxiety caused by these obsessions can be lessened by different compulsions, such as “checking” (e.g., re-checking door locks, repeatedly making sure the oven is off), “repeating” (e.g., doing the same action or ritual over and over to be sure it was done “correctly”), and “counting” (e.g., doing things in certain numbers, counting items to certain numbers).
Our Family Based Mental Health OCD speciality started in 2017. We received feedback from local professionals in the community about the high need for this specific program. We began with one team, comprised of one Master’s and one Bachelor’s-level clinician, and then expanded to two teams. Our teams participate in ongoing clinical consultation with a graduate from the International OCD Foundation’s Behavior Therapy Training Institute who also has a strong background in family therapy. They also participate in the Western Psychiatric Hospital Family Based training, which is a 3-year certification process. Along with weekly in-office supervision, our teams have direct opportunities to enhance development and learning.
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Teams are able to provide in-home training to family members and other providers on the treatment team (schools, case managers, etc.) Teams work to provide psychoeducation to family members on evidence based, best practice treatment for OCD--Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP) and are able to use family therapy skills to assist in dynamic changes to reduce accommodations within the home for treatment refractory clients.
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Our Family Based staff utilize various techniques to develop appropriate goals for clients, focusing not just on OCD and ERP treatment, but also the systemic family shifts that can support this treatment process: