Therapy for OCD
Many people associate OCD with keeping things in perfect order or clean. Though OCD can be this, OCD can appear in many different ways.
OCD is often described as "the doubting disorder" because it causes us to question our own judgment, intentions, and memory. The doubt is disturbing because it constantly reminds us of uncertainty, and keeps us focused on the possibility of something awful happening.
OCD is often centered around a "core fear." OCD urges us to take action to make sure this core fear doesn't actually happen. We can spend a significant amount of time engaging in repetitive actions, rituals, or mental activities in an attempt to obtain certainty, resolve doubt, and ultimately protect ourselves from the "core fear."
Common OCD Themes:
- Relationships
- Fear of choosing the wrong partner
- Responsibility and Harm
- Fear of accidentally doing something or forgetting something that causes harm to someone (for example, becoming violent, forgetting to turn off the stove, getting others sick)
- Fear of losing control and harming someone else intentionally.
- Suicidal
- Fear of being or becoming suicidal
- Contamination
- Fear of germs, dirt, or contamination
- Religious or Moral Obsessions
- Fear of committing a sin, acting against one's morals or religious beliefs, and fear of being a bad person.
- Sexual Orientation
- Doubting your sexual orientation and fear of living a lie.
Take back control from OCD:
I provide confidential and practical therapy using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Many clients suffering from OCD find these treatments to be helpful in regaining control over OCD.
I help alleviate OCD by assisting clients:
- Uncover and change behaviors and mental habits that keep us hooked in the vicious cycle of OCD.
- Discover new ways to respond to OCD and start building new helpful thought patterns.
- Build confidence in themselves and their ability to handle intrusive thoughts.
by Brian O'Sullivan, LMFT
Unhelpful Assumptions
Selective Attention
Anxiety vs Suffering
Common Concerns
To save money, most people prefer to use insurance. I do not accept insurance for a few reasons:
When using insurance, the insurance dictates how many sessions are needed for therapy. Not you and I.
Also, many people are unaware that therapy records must be sent to insurance companies throughout the course of treatment.
Lastly, most insurance companies require you to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder to qualify for therapy.
Confidentiality will be discussed at the beginning of our first session. In general, what we talk about is kept confidential, but I do have some limits:
- If you are in immanent risk to harming yourself
- If you are in immanent risk to harming others
- Suspected child abuse
- Suspected elder abuse
I take confidentiality very serious. It's the foundation to therapy and is especially important in a small expat community like Okinawa.
Contact Brian
Therapy for Social Anxiety
Do you fear being criticized or judged by others?
Do feel anxious when being observed?
Do you find yourself constantly focused on and imagining what others are thinking about you?
Social anxiety has a few important characteristics:
- Shame:
- "I'm socially inept"
- "I'm so awkward"
- "There's something wrong with me"
- Overestimating social threats:
- "They will all be focused on me and negatively judging me"
- "I'll be laughed at"
- "They'll think something is wrong with me or that I'm crazy"
- Underestimating ability to cope:
- "I won't be able to handle it"
- "I don't know what to do"
- "I'll lose control and go crazy"
- Underestimating social skills:
- "I don't know how to break into group conversations"
- "I'm not sure how long to hold eye contact"
- "I don't know how to stand up for myself"
- Avoidance and safety behaviors:
- "I'll just rush through the conversation and get it over with as soon as possible"
- "I'll just say something came up and stay home and watch movies instead"
- "I'll only go if John goes. He'll take the attention off of me"
Take back control from anxiety:
I provide confidential and practical therapy using CBT. Many clients suffering from anxiety notice a considerable difference in just a few sessions.
I help alleviate anxiety by assisting clients:
- Uncover and change behaviors that keep us hooked in the vicious cycle of anxiety.
- Discover new ways to respond to anxiety provoking thoughts and start building new helpful thought patterns.
- Build confidence in themselves, their social skills, and their ability to handle uncomfortable and challenging social interactions.
Contact Brian
“I don’t want to dig into my childhood”
Digging into your childhood in attempt to relieve anxiety is like trying to put out a fire by understanding what caused it.
I work with clients to find practical, tailored ways to retrain and rewire their brains long-term. Not analyze their past.
“I don’t want to be pushed to confront my anxiety”
This is the most common reason people wait to seek therapy.
I respect my clients’ anxiety and understand it’s there for protection.
My goal is to go at your pace and work collaboratively on goals and timelines. You’re in the driver’s seat.
“I’m too busy”
Therapy can feel like you’re adding to your plate when you should be taking things off.
Instead, therapy is a way to become more efficient at dealing with life’s responsibilities and stressors.
I am a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and hold Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology.
I have worked with clients from all different walks of life and dealing with a variety of mental health concerns. However, my interest and passion in anxiety has lead me to make that the focus of my work.
I work from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy perspective, which examines how our behaviors and thoughts can maintain and increase our feelings of anxiety.
My experience has taught me that by addressing anxiety and our relationship with it first, instead of focusing only on the past, a client can see faster and longer lasting results.
Confidentiality and acceptance are the foundations of my work. I take them both very seriously.
by Brian O'Sullivan, LMFT