People with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder have a problem with stress-inducing, repetitive, recurring thoughts (obsessions) and corresponding actions or thoughts (compulsions) which reduce the stress of the obsessions.  Often, the compulsion causes a person to feel more certain, safe from harm, or safe from hurting someone else, at least temporarily.   Because the compulsion feels effective, it unfortunately actually reinforces the obsessions, and the obsessions come back.    

A simple example is checking several times to make sure a door is locked.  One check would be sufficient, but just to make sure, a person checks several times, perhaps building up in his mind that the danger in having an unlocked door justifies the multiple checks.  The compulsion may bring temporary relief, but it is an illusory relief, and the obsession comes back, over and over.    

Some obsessions and compulsions are just annoying (e.g., checking alarm settings multiple times), and many people get benefit out of brief psychological work to reduce those symptoms.  Some obsessions and compulsions though are so heinous or dark that a person can hardly admit they think these things.  They can spend a lot of time every day dealing with these thoughts, distracting their attention away from things they want to do, interfering with their ability to live freely.   Sometimes people with OCD have other problems, such as depression or Tourettes Syndrome, that can complicate matters.  There are other related disorders, such as hair pulling, that are in the OCD “spectrum” of problems.  

Cognitive and behavior therapies are often useful in the treatment of OCD, from mild to more serious symptoms.   Using these therapies, people can learn to decrease their obsessions and compulsions.  Using cognitive therapy, people can confront the illogical content of the obsessions and learn to live with everyday uncertainties. Using a combined cognitive/behavior therapy called “exposure and response prevention”, sometimes they learn to expose themselves to the obsessions and at the same time, prevent themselves from doing the compulsion.  This will break the bond between the obsession and the compulsion, which will cause the obsession to lose power.  I am very aware that for many folks with OCD, the idea that you might “have” to confront the obsession will sound like too frightening of a possibility.  I go at the pace the person is comfortable with.  

If a person requests, I can refer them for medical treatment of OCD.  Some people may request a very intensive treatment for OCD that happens over a short amount of time.   I can work within this paradigm as well. 

I am a member of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation.  I have received specialized training in the treatment of OCD through this Foundation.