OCD Therapy
in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Are Your Obsessions And Compulsions Causing Constant Distress?
Have you been struggling with unwanted, intrusive thoughts day in and day out?
Do you turn to compulsions for momentary relief or repeatedly ask for reassurance that everything will be okay?
Is it becoming difficult to handle work, school, or other responsibilities because of your symptoms?
You may regularly feel on edge, trapped in a pattern of fear, shame, anxiety, and guilt that seems impossible to escape. Your intrusive thoughts can feel overwhelming and distracting, and even when you know your fears are unlikely, you can’t help but fixate on worst-case scenarios.
Compulsions And Reassurance Can’t Soothe Your Anxiety
In an effort to feel safe or regain control, you might engage in physical or mental compulsions like checking, avoiding certain situations, or asking for reassurance from those around you. While these behaviors may bring a brief reprieve from your anxiety, they ultimately keep you stuck in a heightened state of alert. Over time, these compulsions can place strain on your daily life and leave you feeling misunderstood by your family, friends, and medical professionals.
Living with Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD) can feel lonely and isolating, but with the right therapist, successful treatment is within your reach. You do not have to continue struggling with these symptoms. There is a life beyond obsessions and compulsions, and OCD counseling can help you move forward.
Have any questions? Send us a message!
Society Promotes Inaccurate Stereotypes About OCD
Millions of people worldwide struggle with OCD, but it can be hard to recognize when our society perpetuates myths about this disorder. Lots of people believe that having OCD means being exceptionally clean, orderly, or afraid of germs. In reality, OCD is a serious anxiety disorder, not a personality quirk.
Everyone has occasional unwanted or anxious thoughts about things that are important to them, like their family, health, or safety. However, when an individual with OCD has thoughts like this, it triggers their “fight or flight” system, alerting them of danger, even when there’s no real threat. Their fear system gets “stuck,” and compulsions provide short-term relief from these distressing emotions.
Many Therapists Don’t Fully Understand How To Treat OCD
Unfortunately, even counselors can have misconceptions about OCD. People with OCD generally don’t see much progress through traditional talk therapy, and they can have trouble getting an accurate diagnosis. You might have tried to “get over” your obsessions or attempted to face your fears on your own, but this often leads to more compulsions and higher anxiety, which fuels the cycle.
OCD isn’t who you are—it’s a mental health condition that can be treated. Many well-intentioned professionals don’t understand how to effectively support people with obsessive compulsive disorder; however, therapy tailored to your specific needs can help you let go of obsessive thoughts, intense worry, guilt, and fear, and compulsions that don’t provide real relief.
Through OCD Therapy, You Can Find Freedom From Obsessions And Compulsions
If you’ve had little success with previous therapists, you might be hesitant to give therapy another try. But there is hope for major improvement. Through OCD therapy, you can change your relationship with your intrusive thoughts and decrease compulsions so that they can no longer control your behavior, your time, or your sense of self.
What To Expect In OCD Therapy Sessions
I take a solution-oriented approach to OCD therapy, with an emphasis on helping you regain day-to-day functioning and self-worth. When we begin working together, we might meet weekly, but we usually decrease sessions to every other week or once a month so that you can spend more time independently practicing your new skills and build confidence in your ability to manage your symptoms.
Before you start therapy, we’ll have a free consultation call to determine if we’re a good fit. During your first session, you’ll have the opportunity to discuss the specific symptoms you’ve been struggling with, and we’ll review your treatment plan.
Through counseling, you’ll understand the nature of Obsessive Compulsive disorder, why intrusive thoughts feel so powerful, and how compulsions and avoidance actually fuel anxiety. We’ll work on identifying and labeling intrusive thoughts and unhelpful thought patterns while gradually reducing compulsions, reassurance seeking, and avoidant behaviors that interfere with your life.
Treatment Approaches For OCD Therapy
My practice is centered around Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). These evidence-based modalities are known as the gold standards for Obsessive Compulsive disorder treatment.
ERP involves slowly and intentionally facing feared thoughts or situations while learning to resist compulsive responses. For example, if reassurance seeking has become a primary compulsion, therapy may involve sitting with this urge and allowing the anxiety to rise and fall on its own. Over time, this teaches your brain that while anxiety can be uncomfortable, it’s not dangerous, and you don’t need rituals to cope.
Furthermore, I integrate elements of mindfulness and acceptance-based strategies to manage the challenges of tolerating fear and facing uncertainty. Anxiety comes in the form of questions, and sometimes, we have to make peace with the fact that we don’t know what the future holds. This principle is at the core of OCD recovery.
In my practice, I encourage self-compassion. OCD is a serious condition, not a personal failing, yet many people with OCD are hard on themselves. It’s okay if you can’t “just stop” doing compulsions. Step by step, we’ll move through this journey together.
The goal of therapy isn’t perfection, but lasting symptom relief and a more flexible, meaningful life. With guidance, you can learn to manage your OCD, reduce its impact, and live without fear dictating your choices.
But You May Still Have Questions About OCD Therapy…
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Perhaps you’ve been in therapy before, but you just talked about your problems without the therapist providing you with real solutions for OCD. I’ve been a specialist in this field for over 20 years, and I understand the specific issues that make it so difficult for people to overcome OCD on their own. I have worked with many clients who get real results, and I know healing is possible for you, too.
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I take a practical, solution-focused approach to therapy. My approach is centered around ERP and CBT, which differ greatly from talk therapy. Instead of simply reflecting on your issues with no real structure, I’ll equip you with evidence-based skills and techniques that you can apply outside of sessions.
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Although I have a fee-for-service practice, I can provide you with a superbill receipt that you can provide to your insurance company for reimbursement, depending on your specific policy. My goal is to empower you with tools to help yourself through an impactful short-term course of treatment so that you are not dependent on therapy forever.
With Support, You Can Heal From OCD
Working with a therapist who specializes in OCD can be transformative. If you’re interested in booking a free consultation to learn more about my approach to OCD therapy, or you’re ready to schedule your first session, I encourage you to fill out my contact form to get started.
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OCD Therapy in
Fort Lauderdale, FL
800 E Cypress Creek Rd Ste. 404
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334