What are you doubting?

In my practice, I use Inference-Based CBT, a cognitive treatment developed specifically to treat OCD. In I-CBT, we begin by helping you understand why you believe your OCD doubts. The foundation of treatment rests on the fact that if you weren't doubting yourself, you would not get pulled into the cycle of distress, fear and compulsions that characterizes OCD. During the first stage of therapy, you come to see how and why OCD based reasoning feels real and important. One thing that makes OCD so convincing is that the OCD reasoning process involves the deployment of factual information about terrible things. This leads you away from the real world and narrows your focus onto potential catastrophes that anyone would be desperate to avoid.

Why this bad thing?

I will never dispute the existence of bad things or insist that they can never happen. Instead, we become curious about why these particular bad things seem likely to you, while other objectively terrible things do not lead you into the OCD spiral. The next stage of treatment is focused on helping you learn to trust in your ability to distinguish between OCD created doubts, and real world problems that require your attention. You learn to appreciate the way you are already skilled at using your senses and your knowledge to navigate the world safely. Finally, we help you practice living your life as someone who trusts yourself and knows that OCD is safe to ignore.

Therapy is safe.

Many people with OCD avoid therapy because they have misconceptions about what treatment will entail. You may imagine that it will be like a sadistic game show where you are exposed to your worst nightmares and forced to do things that you find terrifying or repulsive. You may not have told anyone about the things that you are afraid of, because you might be concerned that you will be judged, or that by naming your fears you could somehow make them more likely to come true. You may also worry that therapy will just be paying money to sit across from someone who is arguing with you about how statistically unlikely and untrue your doubts are. I can confidently say that therapy with me is going to be very different from any of these unhappy scenarios. In my experience, clients feel immensely relieved, even exhilarated by the process of learning to deconstruct the OCD narrative and leave it behind. Please reach out to set up a free 15 minute consultation call.

Contact me via email: mstevenstherapy@protonmail.com

An overview of treatment options.

I-CBT

In my practice, I am happy to offer I-CBT, a powerful, creative treatment that helps people with OCD recover by deconstructing the false, but emotionally resonant story that OCD tells them. I-CBT is a newer treatment in the US. I-CBT has a strong evidence base, especially for people whose compulsions are primarily mental, or who struggle with taboo themes that make ERP challenging. I-CBT works well for people who have never been in treatment and are looking for an alternative to ERP and ACT. It's also great for people who have experience with ERP and ACT and are interested in having more options for recovery.

ERP

With Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), you learn that not doing your compulsions does not lead to disaster, and that you are capable of feeling intense distress without "going crazy." ERP is the origin of the myth that therapy for OCD is going to be like "Fear Factor" or another twisted game show. Some of that may be due to bad branding, because the word "exposure" usually has negative connotations. In fact, ERP when done well is safe, humane and empowering. You may have heard that Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the only treatment for OCD. Although ERP the most well-known treatment for OCD, it is not the only effective treatment available.

ACT

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is another great evidence based treatment for OCD. With ACT, you practice accepting and defusing from your OCD thoughts and emotions. You learn that avoiding your thoughts and the things that trigger them actually intensifies your anxiety and makes the thoughts have more power over you. You commit to understanding what your values are, and living your life according to those values, even if that means feeling distress when your OCD is triggered.

If you would like to discuss treatment options, please reach out to schedule a 15 minute consultation call.

Contact me via email: mstevenstherapy@protonmail.com