Specializing in Individual and Group Therapy For the Treatment of OCD and Related Conditions

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 seven weekly therapy / support groups for adults, three are for individuals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other related anxiety disorders, two are specifically for adults with Social Anxiety / Social Phobia, one is exclusively for adults with Trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) and/or Dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking), and one is exclusively for family members and loved ones of those with OCD and / or other anxiety based conditions. Below is information on each of our seven groups.

Tuesday Night Therapy / Support Group for Adults with OCD and Related Conditions

The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers a weekly low-fee therapy / support 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 Brentwood area of Los Angeles. The group is limited to eight (8) members, and is led by one of our professional staff therapists, Stacey Kuhl Wochner, LCSW. Please note that this group currently has two openings. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 824-5200 (ext. 1), or via email at director@ocdla.com. To learn more about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for the treatment of OCD and related conditions, click here.

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

The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers two weekly, low-fee therapy / support groups specifically for adults with Social Anxiety / Social Phobia. Our Tuesday night Social Anxiety / Social Phobia 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 are held every Tuesday evening from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at our offices in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. This group is limited to eight (8) members, and is led by one of our licensed staff therapists, Karen Pickett, MFT. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 824-5200 (ext. 1), 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 Therapy / Support Group for Adults with OCD and Related Conditions

The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers a weekly low-fee therapy / support 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 Brentwood area of Los Angeles. The group is limited to eight (8) members, and is led by one of our professional staff therapists, Stacey Kuhl Wochner, LCSW. Please note that this group currently has two openings. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 824-5200 (ext. 1), or via email at director@ocdla.com. To learn more about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for the treatment of OCD, 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 / support 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 are held every Wednesday evening from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm at our offices in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. This group is limited to eight (8) members, and is led by one of our licensed staff therapists, Jon Hershfield, MFT. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 824-5200 (ext. 1), 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.

Thursday Night Therapy / Support Group for Family Members and Loved Ones of Those With OCD and / or Other Anxiety Based Conditions

The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers a weekly low-fee therapy / support group specifically for parents, spouses, partners, adult children, and other loved ones of those who are suffering with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and / or other anxiety based conditions, including Pure Obsessional OCD, Postpartum OCD, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety (Social Phobia), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Phobias, Hoarding, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania. The primary goals of this group are to help participants learn how to more effectively respond to the symptoms being experienced by those they love, while at the same time reducing the stress commonly felt by family members and other loved ones.

Group sessions are held each Thursday evening from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm in our offices in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. The group is limited to ten (10) members, and to adults over the age of eighteen (18). Sessions are led by one of our professional staff therapists, Laura Yocum, MS. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 824-5200 (ext. 1), or via email at director@ocdla.com.

Saturday Morning Therapy / Support Group for Adults with OCD and Related Conditions

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, Hypochondria (health anxiety), and Generalized Anxiety. 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 every Saturday morning from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm at our offices in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. The group is limited to eight (8) members, and is led by one of our licensed staff therapists, Jon Hershfield, MFT. Please note that this group currently has two openings. Participation requires assessment prior to admission. For more information about participation in this group, please contact the OCD Center of Los Angeles at (310) 824-5200 (ext. 1), or via email at director@ocdla.com. To learn more about Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for the treatment of OCD and related conditions, click here.

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

The OCD Center offers a group specifically for adults with Trichotillomania and/or Compulsive Skin Picking (CSP), also known as Dermatillomania. This group focuses on providing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) combined with peer support. Meetings are held at our offices in Brentwood, and run from 1:00 pm until 2:30 pm each Saturday afternoon. In order to facilitate open communication and group cohesion, the group is limited to a maximum of ten (10) members.

Many individuals secretly suffer with Trichotillomania and 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. Our weekly group focuses on HRT, as well as on Mindfulness-Based CBT, two treatment modalities that have been found to be particularly effective with Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania.

This group is led by one of our licensed staff therapists, Jon Hershfield, MFT. Meetings are open to adults only, and are limited to a maximum of eight (8) 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) 824-5200 (ext. 1), or via email at director@ocdla.com. To learn more about Trichotillomania, click here. To learn more about Compulsive Skin Picking, click here.

Assessment For Group Therapy Participation

All groups are exclusively for adults over the age of 18, and all 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) 824-5200, or via email at director@ocdla.com.