Im wanting to set up an appt with a therapist but I am on the borderline. I’ve seen some bad Google reviews of people saying the therapists are required to do “small talk” but don’t get into the route of the issue right away. Is this normal? I just want help with my Pure OCD as soon as possible without wasting too much time on unnecessary things and get myself to feeling better.
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 🙂
@Deborah Ward Thank you! This is really insightful 🙏🏻
@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 🙂
@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
@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🙂
@Deborah Ward And as a patient I will verify Deborah’s statement
@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.
@GusLopez It was a great question! and great answer! Wishing you the best, Gus! 🫶🏻
@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?
i am starting NOCD therapy on monday and was just curious on others’ experiences! what happens in your sessions, generally speaking? how do you feel during and after? i’m excited but also nervous to start. i’ve been in talk therapy for years with minimal improvement with my ocd, so im hopeful to start feeling better.
I have an appointment this Wednesday and it’s my first one and I’ve been told the first 2 appointments are diagnostic appointments Obviously initially im anxious as I’m sure most people usually are. I’m anxious that I’m going to be told it’s not ocd (classic) and I’m worried I’ve been doing things wrong (in how I handle my ocd) I just wanted to ask if anyone has any pointers or tips for preparing for the first 2 sessions? I want to be honest and be prepared but I also feel anxious to speak about all my intrusions, obsessions etc. Anyways if anyone has any advice I’d appreciate it, Thank you :) Izzy I’m not sure if this is triggering but I included a trigger warning just in case <3
Should I start therapy? What if I say something that they think is odd, strange, illegal, etc.? What if they tell me it is not OCD? These are just a small handful of the things that I have heard from people who are worried about starting therapy. And, it is unfortunate that these types of questions, and the fear of their answers, keep people suffering. If you have these questions, I want to know about them. I hope that you will gain some insight and inspiration to take that step and try out NOCD ERP for your OCD. So, let me hear from you and let's overcome these fears together. Ask me Anything in the comments below.
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