• Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): The gold-standard treatment for OCD, helping you gradually confront fears, reduce compulsions and embrace the inherent uncertainty of life. This approach is rooted in habitation theory and inhibitory learning theory- essentially, with increased exposure to a fear, our brain gets to learn two things 1) that the feared outcome does not actually happen 2) compulsions don’t actually keep us safe and 3) even if the fear does come true, we can handle the discomfort better than we thought we could. Someone described this approach as walking through the haunted house and then realizing that even though it was scary, you were able to cope with it and thus became less scared to face the fear the next time.
• Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT): A specialized approach that focuses on challenging the misinterpretations and faulty inferences driving OCD obsessions. This approach does not include any exposure, instead it helps you decode the way OCD works cognitively, so that you can change the way your brain makes inferences before the compulsion even begins. Someone described this approach as “shining a light inside a haunted house and seeing that it’s all fake, and deciding to walk away.”
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Encouraging mindful acceptance of thoughts, utilizing cognitive diffusion techniques to “unhook” from intrusive thoughts, while committing to actions aligned with your values. This approach is wonderful to use in conjunction with either of the above approaches. Often times, because this approach is grounded in values based living, “natural” exposures occur. This means that instead of planning out an exposure with your therapist, you might do it naturally because it is a requirement for living in accordance to your values.

These modalities are tailored to your needs, ensuring that our work together respects your pace and goals.