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Discover how starting obsessive-compulsive disorder therapy (ocdt) therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
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OCD counseling is a specialized therapeutic approach aimed at supporting individuals coping with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The goal of this counseling is to help clients manage and alleviate the distressing symptoms of OCD by systematically addressing their obsessive thought patterns and compulsive behaviors.
In OCD counseling, Thriveworks Henrico therapists use cognitive behavioral techniques, including exposure and response prevention, to assist you in addressing and managing your obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. An OCD therapist will collaborate with you to identify and modify irrational thought patterns while gradually and gently exposing you to anxiety-triggering situations, helping to disrupt the cycle of obsessive-compulsive rituals and promote healthier coping strategies.
Thriveworks OCD counseling in Henrico, VA is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
The number of sessions for OCD counseling is variable, contingent upon the individual’s unique needs, the severity of their condition, and their progress during treatment. Typically, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), commonly used for OCD, comprises around 12 to 16 weekly sessions, but the exact session count can be customized based on the individual’s response to treatment and therapeutic objectives. Some opt for a more extended duration to comprehensively manage symptoms and address complex issues.
Many people joke about having Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), but if you or your loved one has OCD it’s no laughing matter. OCD can clinically be broken down into two components. The obsessions part means that a person has repeated thoughts, urges or mental pictures that cause anxious feelings. They range from a fear of germs or getting contaminated, to seeing things around them as disorganized and out-of-place, thoughts of aggressive behavior towards others or themselves, and battling unwanted mental images that are sexual, harmful or religion-based.
The compulsions component refers to an individual with OCD having to repetitively act out certain behaviors in response to urges they have stemming from the obsessive part of their impairment. Those compulsive behaviors can include excessive hand washing or general cleaning, arranging items in a specific and precise fashion, counting repetitively, or constantly checking on the status of something around them like whether their home’s lights are on. These are also clinically referred to as “rituals”. People who experience OCD, which is about one percent of the adult U.S. population, may try to avoid certain situations that trigger their obsessions, or turn to drugs and alcohol to calm down. Children can also face the challenges of OCD, and over time parents or teachers tend to first recognize the issue.
In addition to the signs of OCD mentioned above, if you or your loved one has this disorder it tends to present with these symptoms:
These symptoms can come and go, ease up over time, or conversely, they can get progressively worse. Some people with OCD may develop a persistent motor or vocalized tic. Vocal tics are things like repetitive throat-clearing, grunting or sniffing. Motor tics show up through sudden, quick repetitive body movements like an eye twitch. OCD has no known cause but certain risk factors seem to exist including genetics, childhood stress and trauma, and actual physical brain developmental differences in the frontal cortex and subcortical regions.
If you or your loved one has OCD, mental health professionals typically treat it with medications, counseling or a combination of both. What needs to be taken into consideration is whether the OCD-affected individual also has other mental disorders like depression, anxiety, or body dysmorphic disorder, which means a person falsely perceives that part of their body is abnormal. Medications utilized to treat OCD include serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
Outpatient counseling, or coaching, approaches that have shown promise in children to adults with OCD include cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and other similar therapies such as habit reversal training. Researchers have also found that a type of CBT referred to as Exposure and Response Prevention (EX/RP) also shows promise in counteracting compulsive behaviors. It is becoming an effective adjunctive counseling resource in addition to other methods. The bottom line is that when you or someone you love is being challenged by OCD there are effective treatments available including outpatient coaching services.
As we’ve seen, when you or someone you care about experiences OCD it can cause other unhealthy conditions. Left unchecked, OCD can have a negative effect on your daily activities including relationships, schooling and job performance. You don’t have to go it alone any longer. At Thriveworks Henrico, VA our compassionate and helpful Counselors and Nurse Practitioners understand OCD and will work with you to overcome its tight grip as you progress towards a more positive outlook on life. For more information on our OCD coaching services, or how to become a certified Thriveworks Short Pump coach, call: (804) 205-3408 today or visit our Contact page now.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
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