Grant Leitheiser

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be a difficult battle to fight. OCD is characterized by obsessions and compulsions that interfere significantly with daily life. Therapists and researchers do not know the cause of OCD, yet we have found very successful ways to help alleviate the impact it has on your life.

 

Obsessions are persistent ideas, thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive and inappropriate and cause anxiety/distress. These can often be repeated thoughts about causing harm to others, contamination, and doubting whether one locked the front door.Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that prevent or reduce anxiety/distress. Many clients refer to these as the actions of “rules” that one must follow. Obsessions are the thoughts/images that cause the anxiety and compulsions are an attempt to reduce the anxiety from the obsessions.

 

My compassionate and direct approach is founded in research showing that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most successful form of counseling. Furthermore, it is known as Exposure and Ritual Prevention (EX/RP) in which I work with you slowly and help build emotional strength to eventually expose yourself to the situations that cause you anxiety (obsessions) and prevent yourself from doing the rituals (compulsions). Doing this teaches your body that your anxiety will decrease without the rituals and thus breaks the link between the message that you need to do actions to reduce the anxiety.

 

Exposure and Ritual Prevention can be a difficult yet rewarding and empowering process. Some clients choose to utilize medications or alternative medicines like homeopathy to help support them as they do their exposure work. I can support you through this process and develop a plan that meets your needs.