THERAPY/SUPPORT GROUPS FOR OCD AND RELATED CONDITIONS

In addition to individual therapy, the OCD Center of Los Angeles currently offers ten therapy/support groups for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related conditions. Six of these therapy/support groups are exclusively for adults, and four are specifically for children and adolescents. These ten therapy/support groups are open to individuals with the following conditions:

OCD Pure Obsessional OCD (Pure O) Postpartum OCD Childhood / Adolescent OCD Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Hypochondria / Health Anxiety

Phobias Panic Disorder Social Anxiety / Social Phobia Trichotillomania Compulsive Skin Picking Olfactory Reference Syndrome

Research has shown that structured, group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be extremely helpful in the treatment of these conditions. Quite often, people with these issues feel extremely isolated due to the secretive nature of their disorders, and have never met another person suffering with similar anxiety symptoms. Our groups provide a safe and supportive environment in which people can actively address their symptoms with others who are also working to overcome similar issues. Group sessions include individual members tackling specific symptoms that have been particularly problematic. Group members discover that trying new, more productive coping strategies is often easier with the support of other group members who know just how difficult it is to face one's fears.

Of our six therapy/support groups for adults, three are weekly groups for individuals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other related anxiety disorders who have not completed a full course of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A fourth weekly group is limited to adults with OCD who have completed a course of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). A fifth weekly adult group is specifically structured as a therapy/support group for Social Anxiety / Social Phobia. Our sixth weekly group is exclusively for adults with Trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) and/or Dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking). Additionally, we offer four monthly therapy/support groups for children and adolescents with OCD and related conditions. Below is information on each of our ten groups.

Tuesday Night Introductory Therapy/Support Group for Adults with OCD and Related Anxiety Disorders

The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers a weekly low-fee therapy group specifically for adults with various types of OCD, including Pure Obsessional OCD and Postpartum OCD, and related anxiety conditions, including Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety / Social Phobia, Hypochondria (health anxiety), and Phobias. This group provides a structured format focusing on highly specialized Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques. CBT has been extensively researched, and has consistently been found to be the most effective treatment for most anxiety conditions. Techniques used in this group include Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Interoceptive Exposure, Cognitive Restructuring, and Meta-Cognitive Therapy. The primary goal of this group is to provide specialized CBT in an inexpensive group format.

Group sessions are held each Tuesday evening from 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm in our offices in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. The group is limited to eight people, and is led by one of our staff therapists, Stacey Kuhl, MSSA. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 335-5443, or via email at director@ocdla.com . To learn more about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for the treatment of OCD and related conditions, click here.

Wednesday Night Therapy/Support Group for Adults with Social Anxiety / Social Phobia

The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers a weekly, low-fee therapy group specifically for adults with Social Anxiety / Social Phobia. This group provides structured Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which has consistently been found by researchers to be the most effective treatment for Social Anxiety / Social Phobia. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques employed include Cognitive Restructuring, Imaginal Exposure, Meta-Cognitive / Mindfulness Therapy, and Exposure Therapy. The main goal of this group is to provide an inexpensive format in which clients can learn to address their specific social fears with less anxiety.

Group sessions areheld each week at our offices in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. The group is limited to eight people, and is led by one of our staff therapists, Maria Cervantes, MSW. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 335-5443, or via email at director@ocdla.com . To learn more about Social Anxiety / Social Phobia, click here. To learn more about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of Social Anxiety, OCD and related conditions, click here.

Wednesday Night Introductory OCD Therapy/Support Group for Adults

The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers a weekly low-fee therapy group exclusively for adults with various types of OCD, including Pure Obsessional OCD and Postpartum OCD, who have not previously been treated with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The group provides a structured format focusing on a highly specialized type of CBT known as "Exposure and Response Prevention" (ERP). This therapy has been extensively researched, and has consistently been found to be the most effective treatment for OCD. The primary goal of this group is to provide a venue in which group members can do the “exposure” assignments that are the key element of effective CBT.

Group sessions are held each Wednesday evening from 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm at our offices in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. The group is limited to eight people, and is led by one of our staff therapists, Stacey Kuhl, MSSA. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 335-5443, or via email at director@ocdla.com . To learn more about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for the treatment of OCD, click here.

Thursday Night Introductory Therapy/Support Group for Adults with OCD and Related Anxiety Disorders

The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers a weekly low-fee therapy group specifically for adults with various types of OCD, including Pure Obsessional OCD and Postpartum OCD, and related anxiety conditions, including Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety / Social Phobia, Hypochondria (health anxiety), and Phobias. This group provides a structured format focusing on highly specialized Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques. CBT has been extensively researched, and has consistently been found to be the most effective treatment for most anxiety conditions. Techniques include Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Interoceptive Exposure, Cognitive Restructuring, and Meta-Cognitive Therapy. The primary goal of this group is to provide specialized CBT in an inexpensive group format.

Group sessions are held each week at our offices in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. The group is limited to eight people, and is led by one of our staff therapists, Maria Cervantes, MSW. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 335-5443, or via email at director@ocdla.com . To learn more about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for the treatment of OCD and related conditions, click here.

Wednesday Afternoon Therapy/Support Group for Adults with Trichotillomania and/or Compulsive Skin Picking

Many individuals secretly suffer with compulsive hair pulling (Trichotillomania) and/or compulsive skin picking (Dermatillomania). Both conditions are characterized by recurrent, compulsive self-damaging behaviors, and both have been resistant to improvement with traditional psychotherapy. However, both conditions respond very well to a specific type of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy called "Habit Reversal Training" (HRT). This therapy has been repeatedly researched, and has consistently been found to be the most effective treatment for these and other habit control problems such as nail biting.

These conditions can wreak havoc on an individual's self-esteem, relationships, and professional life. In order to address these often overlooked problems, the OCD Center of Los Angeles offers a weekly therapy/support group for adults with Trichotillomania and/or Compulsive Skin Picking. Meetings are held each Wednesday in the late afternoon from 4:30 pm to 5:50 pm at our offices in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. The group emphasizes Habit Reversal Training (HRT) techniques, and is led by one of our staff therapists, Maria Cervantes, MSW. Meetings are open to adults only, and are limited to eight members. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 335-5443, or via email at director@ocdla.com . To learn more about Trichotillomania, click here. To learn more about Compulsive Skin Picking, click here.

Advanced OCD Therapy/Support Group for Adults

Our Advanced OCD group is designed specifically for adults who have already completed a course of individual Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy focusing on “Exposure and Response Prevention” (ERP) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. This therapy has been extensively researched, and has consistently been found to be the most effective treatment for OCD. The primary goal of this group is to provide follow-up treatment to help individuals to stay on track with the gains they have made in individual therapy. The group also serves as a form of relapse prevention. Additionally, the group provides an ongoing support system of other people who have also made significant reduction in their OCD symptoms through individual therapy using ERP.

Group sessions are held each Tuesday evening from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm in our offices in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. This group has been meeting since 1997, and is limited to twelve members. Participation requires individual Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy prior to admission. For more information contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 335-5443, or via email at director@ocdla.com. To learn more about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for the treatment of OCD, click here.

Group Therapy for the Treatment of Children and Adolescents with OCD

In addition to individual and group therapy for the treatment of adults with OCD and related conditions, the OCD Center of Los Angeles also offers individual and group therapy for children and adolescents. We currently offer four monthly, age-specific, therapy/support groups for children and adolescents with OCD and related anxiety conditions. These groups help children and adolescents better manage their OCD and anxiety symptoms, provide social support from others who experience similar symptoms, and help reduce the sense of shame that children with these conditions often experience. To learn more about our therapy/support groups for children and adolescents with OCD and related conditions, please click here.

Assessment For Group Therapy Participation

Please note that the Tuesday evening advanced group is open only to those who have already completed a full course of individual Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). All other groups require an assessment prior to admission and participation. Assessment does not guarantee admission to any group. The goal of our group therapy assessment process is to provide an accurate diagnosis, to explain group processes and procedures, and to discern whether or not the individual being assessed is an appropriate candidate for participation in group therapy at OCDLA. We reserve the right to restrict and limit participation in all therapy groups we offer. For more information about individual or group therapy for the treatment of OCD and related conditions, or to schedule an assessment, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 335-5443, or via email at director@ocdla.com