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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Therapy

“When I am working, I’m not so much disciplined as obsessive. I have this feeling that I need to clear everything away and get this down.”

- Anne Enright

OCD Therapy in West Los Angeles

Effective, Research-Based Therapy for OCD

When you don’t feel in control of your own mind and behaviors, life can be terrifying at times. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can often trap people in an endless cycle of recurring distressing thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors/rituals (compulsions). Although rituals may temporarily alleviate anxiety, they must be performed again when the thoughts return, which creates a never-ending loop that can begin to take over your life.

People with OCD often aware that their obsessions and compulsions are senseless or unrealistic; which can make it all the more frustrating to cope with. Unfortunately, the more you try to stop your obsessions and compulsions, the more you feed the anxiety and distress you’re seeking to eliminate.

At My LA Therapy, our therapists are trained to help you face what you’ve been avoiding so that you can break the painful cycle of OCD and get your life back. We will help you transform the damaging habits and beliefs that have led you here by helping you confront the underlying causes head-on. We will gently guide you through the process of healing your inner conflicts and facing your fears so you can get free.

OCD Symptoms and Signs

  • Presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both:
    • Obsessions are defined by 
      • 1) recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are experienced, at some time during the disturbance, as intrusive and unwanted, and that in most individuals cause marked anxiety or distress; and
      • 2) the individual attempts to ignore or suppress such thoughts, urges, or images, or to neutralize them with some other thought or action (i.e., by performing a compulsion).
    • Compulsions are defined by
      • 1) repetitive behaviors (e.g., hand washing, ordering, checking) or mental acts (e.g., praying, counting, repeating words silently) that the individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly; and
      • 2) the behaviors or mental acts are aimed at preventing or reducing anxiety or distress, or preventing some dreaded event or situation; however, these behaviors or mental acts are not connected in a realistic way with what they are designed to neutralize or prevent, or are clearly excessive.
  • The obsessions or compulsions are time-consuming (e.g., takes more than 1 hour per day) or cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

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More Signs and Symptoms of OCD

  • The obsessive-compulsive symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or another medical condition.
  • The disturbance is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder (e.g., excessive worries, as in generalized anxiety disorder; preoccupation with appearance, as in body dysmorphic disorder; difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, as in hoarding disorder; hair pulling, as in trichotillomania; skin picking, as in excoriation; stereotypes, as in stereotypic movement disorder; ritualized eating behavior, as in eating disorders; preoccupation with substances or gambling, as in substance-related or addictive disorders; preoccupation with having an illness, as in illness anxiety disorder; sexual urges or fantasies, as in paraphilic disorders; impulses, as in disruptive, impulsive-control, and conduct disorders; guilty ruminations, as in major depressive disorder; thought insertion or delusional preoccupations, as in schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders; or repetitive patterns or behavior, as in autism spectrum disorder).
  • Specified by “with good or fair insight”, “with poor insight”, and “with absent insight/delusional beliefs”.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Causes and Factors

The cause of obsessive-compulsive disorder isn’t fully understood. Factors that may increase the risk of developing or triggering obsessive-compulsive disorder include:

  • Biological/Genetic Factors – OCD may be a result of changes in your body’s own natural chemistry or brain functions and it may have a genetic component, but specific genes have yet to be identified. The brain is a very complex structure. It contains billions of nerve cells — called neurons — that must communicate and work together for the body to function normally. Neurons communicate via chemicals called neurotransmitters that stimulate the flow of information from one nerve cell to the next.
    • At one time, it was thought that low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin were responsible for the development of OCD. Now, however, scientists think that OCD arises from problems in the pathways of the brain that link areas dealing with judgment and planning with another area that filters messages involving body movements.
    • In addition, there is evidence that OCD symptoms can sometimes get passed on from parents to children. This means the biological vulnerability to develop OCD may sometimes be inherited. Studies also have found a link between a certain type of infection caused by the Streptococcus bacteria and OCD. This infection, if recurrent and untreated, may lead to the development of OCD and other disorders in children. Also, having parents or other family members with the disorder can increase your risk of developing OCD. Individuals with OCD have troubled relationships.

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More Causes and Factors of OCD

  • Environmental Factors – Some environmental factors such as infections are suggested as a trigger for OCD, but more research is needed. There are environmental stressors that can trigger OCD in people with a tendency toward developing the condition. Certain environmental factors may also cause a worsening of symptoms. These factors include abuse, changes in living situation, illness, the death of a loved one, work-or school-related changes or problems, relationship concerns. Also, if you’ve experienced traumatic or stressful events, your risk may increase. This reaction may, for some reason, trigger the intrusive thoughts, rituals and emotional distress characteristic of OCD.
  • Other – Maladaptive coping skills (e.g. suicidal behavior, poor quality of life); Lack of healthy activities (inability to attend work, school or social activities; contact dermatitis from frequent hand-washing); Other mental health disorders (OCD may be related to other mental health disorders, such as anxiety disorders, depression, substance abuse or tic disorders).

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Treatment

Treatment can help bring symptoms under control so that they don’t rule your daily life, which includes a combination of the following options:

  • Supportive care – Your doctor may perform a physical exam to help rule out other problems that could be causing your symptoms and to check for any related complications. There is no lab test to diagnose OCD, though a complete blood count (CBC), a check of your thyroid function, and screening for alcohol and drugs are sometimes included. The doctor bases his or her diagnosis on an assessment (psychological evaluation) of the patient’s symptoms, discussing your thoughts, feelings, symptoms and behavior patterns (how much time the person spends performing his or her ritual behaviors). With your permission, this may include talking to your family or friends. A referral to a mental health provider will also be made.
  • Psychotherapy – OCD will not go away on its own so, it’s important to seek treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of psychotherapy, is effective for many people with OCD. The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy is to teach people with OCD to confront their fears and reduce anxiety without performing the ritual behaviors (called exposure therapy or exposure and response prevention therapy). Therapy also focuses on reducing the exaggerated or catastrophic thinking that often occurs in people with OCD. Exposure and response prevention (ERP), a type of CBT therapy, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or psychosurgery, may be used to treat the disorder.
  • Medications – Certain psychiatric medications can help control the obsessions and compulsions of OCD. Most commonly, antidepressants (SSRIs) are tried first, alone or in combination with antipsychotics.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Therapists

Heather Totten
LMFT

Therapist
My LA Therapy - Lorie Nguyen (featured)

Lorie Nguyen
LCSW

Therapist
Sydney-Shaevel-Therapist (featured)

Sydney Shaevel
LMFT

Therapist
Tanya-Mailander-Therapist (featured)

Tanya Mailander
LMFT

Therapist
My LA Therapy - Brooke Sprowl (slider)

Brooke Sprowl
LCSW

Clinical Director, Founder, Therapist

What Our Clients Say

"With your help, I've finally started to understand that while my vivid imagination often wants to create terrifying monsters under the bed, in a lot of cases those monsters are nothing more than a heap of decidedly less-terrifying laundry I've avoided for too long that just needs to be aired out and put away. Which is definitely a lot easier than monster slaying. Thank you for shedding light in the dark places I was too afraid to face alone."
Anonymous Client
"After every session I come away feeling better prepared to start shining light into shadows I've hustled past for a long, long time... some rational ones, but a lot more aren't. Shame is such a stealthy master; He's been the monkey on my back for a long time. You totally called it. I'm so grateful for your guidance and skill and although sometimes I may shuffle and others I may leap, after our sessions I always feel like I'm moving forward."
Anonymous Client
"I want to thank you again for your continued help and expertise, and more specifically for yesterday's learning opportunity about how I can communicate more effectively. After your ultimately appreciated prodding you made me feel comfortable with the idea that expressing confusion or even doubt can serve as valuable conversation-assets, and I look forward to moving forward without those those self-inflicted parameters."
Anonymous Client
"Just wanted to share that yesterday's session with you, and a long, productive dinner table conversation with my wife last night, started to uncover a huge gap between perception and reality in my understanding of the status I held in our marriage. Our session opened my eyes to the fact that the inequity I've long felt comes from a place of assumed unworthiness. I'm so thankful for this journey we are taking together, with your help, towards deeper, more productive understanding."
Anonymous Client
"I have worked with many therapists in the past, but this is the first time I feel that I am making changes that are deep and lasting. Her counseling has truly helped me become free, even from things I wasn’t aware were affecting me. Brooke integrates many different approaches to provide balanced and effective therapy."
Anonymous Client
"You are truly an amazing person. I am so grateful for your sincerity and kindness– big-hearted and deep soulfulness. You are incredibly intuitive, insightful and wise. You are a gifted listener and a powerful speaker, passionate and genuine."
Anonymous Client
"Brooke is kind and warm, but not afraid to challenge you. She is caring, authentic and compassionate as well as intelligent and clinically skilled. Brooke possesses great wisdom and intuition, which she balances with knowledge and skill."
Anonymous Client
"Brooke has really helped me to overcome the problems in my life that I was starting to believe couldn’t change. I now understand where my depression and anxiety came from and they are no longer a part of my life. I now feel a sense of peace and purpose."
Anonymous Client
"I’ve recommended Brooke to so many of my friends and colleagues, I’m starting to feel like her personal cheerleader. But it can’t be helped. When I look back on the past year, without a doubt the most difficult year of my life, I can’t believe how far I’ve come."
Anonymous Client
"Brooke has been an incredibly positive influence in my life. I first came to Brooke in the midst of a divorce from my high school sweetheart and best friend. With Brooke’s gentle guidance and supervision, I began the most intense period of personal growth in my life."
Anonymous Client
 
Resources
  1. WebMD
  2. Mayo Clinic

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My LA Therapy | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Our warm and experienced therapists offer research-based, personalized therapy that addresses the root cause for your symptoms to create lasting change.
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My LA Therapy | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Santa Monica

Promenade

127 Broadway Suite 205
Santa Monica, CA 90401

My LA Therapy | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Santa Monica

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130 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405


My LA Therapy | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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San Fernando Valley

16055 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91436. 

My LA Therapy | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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12100 Wilshire Blvd. 8th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90025

My LA Therapy | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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Los Angeles, CA 90064

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