[Deleted]
- Date posted
- 1y
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 1y
Hey there! Typically, the first 2 sessions are going to be “assessment” appointments. The goal of this is to make sure that we have all the information needed, that we as therapists get to know you a bit, that you as a client get to know your therapist, and any questions about treatment can be answered. This is very important to establish a strong therapeutic relationship, as the work ahead is going to be hard at times. It also helps your progress in treatment if you feel comfortable with your therapist! For OCD, we typically get to exposure practice within the third or fourth session. I hear you on wanting to get started on treatment as soon as possible so you can start getting relief. I can assure you that we as therapists are just as motivated to get you started on your treatment journey as well 🙂
allykayyallykayy
- Date posted
- 1y
@Deborah Ward Thank you! This is really insightful 🙏🏻
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 1y
@allykayy You’re very welcome. I wish you all the best on your treatment. I see how determined you are and that’s going to be a huge benefit when you start getting into exposures! Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
GusLopezGusLopez
- Date posted
- 1y
@Deborah Ward Hey, I came across this post and I had a question. Would you be able to tell us more about exposure practice? What is it consist of or an idea of what to look forward to
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 1y
@GusLopez Absolutely! First, we map out what your obsessions and compulsions are so we can get an idea of how your OCD affects you. Using this information, we work together to identify ways that we can purposely trigger your OCD. This is what we consider an exposure. During the exposure, we emphasize response prevention (not engaging in compulsions). This is a crucial part of therapy because it is how we disrupt the OCD cycle. Our goal here is that you learn to sit with your anxiety without needing to do compulsions to feel better. We engage in exposures together in session and then you are encouraged to engage in exposures on your own between sessions. Whichever NOCD therapist you get assigned to will give you lots of education throughout treatment, and be able to answer any questions about how ERP will specifically look for you and your OCD. We have various tools available and really work with you to make sure your treatment is customized for your individual journey🙂
NickDeLeoNickDeLeo
- User type
- OCD Conqueror
- Date posted
- 1y
@Deborah Ward And as a patient I will verify Deborah’s statement
GusLopezGusLopez
- Date posted
- 1y
@Deborah Ward Thank you Deborah. Oh wow, you have no idea how much relief and I’m in all an amazement of what I just read right now from your comment. It’s like music to my ears. It is like socks to my feet right now like I just don’t know how to explain it I can’t wait to get into this because it’s much needed at my age already. I’m 37 and I know I have OCD. It’s just it’s crazy. You know everything you say it’s like like puzzle pieces just like thinking that there’s hope for me. Thank you so much for answering my question and also thank you Ali K for posting this I realized so that I think you that it was on your post so I don’t mean to be the post bandit but I thank you for just posting something today.
allykayyallykayy
- Date posted
- 1y
@GusLopez It was a great question! and great answer! Wishing you the best, Gus! 🫶🏻
- User type
- Therapist
- Date posted
- 1y
@GusLopez You’re very welcome! I am so happy that you found the NOCD community here and were able to get information that connected with you🙂 Having OCD can feel very isolating at times, especially when others around you don’t quite understand what you’re going through. Are there any other questions you have that I can help you with?
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