At the Anxiety and OCD Evidence Based Treatment Center, our mission is to help children, adolescents, and adults lead more fulfilling lives that are not held back by anxiety or OCD. People who experience OCD or excessive anxiety often find that their lives become smaller due to the avoidance that is associated with these problems. We work with people to help them break free of the patterns that can keep them stuck and live in a way that is consistent with their values rather than in service of anxiety or OCD. Our extensive knowledge and skills in using effective psychological treatments, in combination with our warm, supportive approach, enables our clients to make personally meaningful changes in their lives.

The primary approach we use is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), an evidence-based treatment that research has shown to be effective for a variety of mental health concerns among children, adolescents, and adults. CBT helps people gain awareness of the negative thinking and behavioral patterns associated with anxiety, learn skills for better managing anxiety, and practice using these skills to gradually reduce their avoidance of anxiety-related situations and handle them in new ways. In addition to CBT for anxiety disorders, we specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) for the treatment of OCD. In ERP treatment, we focus on helping people approach feared situations or thoughts while refraining from using rituals or compulsions, which supports long-term reductions in distress and avoidance. Our work also integrates elements of third-wave behavior therapies, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). These approaches use a variety of tools to teach mindfulness, emotion regulation, and willingness to have difficult internal experiences while living a valued life. Research shows that all of these CBT approaches result in significant improvements in anxiety, mood, and other disorders.

An important aspect of CBT that is often underutilized is actively changing problematic behavior patterns. For most people, this change involves approaching situations, thoughts, or feelings that have typically been avoided or dealt with in unproductive ways because avoidance maintains or worsens anxiety. We help our clients learn how to approach anxiety-provoking situations in a way that feels reasonable, by breaking down the problem into manageable steps. Research shows that the more time people devote to between-session practice, the more benefit they will see from therapy, so we ask our clients to practice some new skills and behaviors between sessions.

Our approach to treatment is strengths-based and collaborative. We understand that behavior change can be challenging, especially when fear is overwhelming. We work together with clients to develop treatment plans that fit each individual and their unique needs. When working with children and adolescents, we ensure that there is alignment on treatment goals and that everyone is working together as a team to support the youth. Our empathic approach enables people to freely explore their thoughts, feelings, and challenges in a way that fosters personal growth and supports adaptive change.