OCD Center of Los Angeles

Serving the community since 1999

Specializing in OCD and related conditions

In-Person and Online Therapy
Individual & Group Therapy

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Exposure and Response Prevention: Is It Effective Via Telehealth?

OCD Center of Los Angeles June 29, 2022 11:48 pm No Comments

Chanel Taghdis, LMFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, discusses the efficacy of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD and related conditions when conducted via teletherapy.

Exposure-Response-Prevention-OCD-Anxiety
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) conducted via teletherapy is effective for OCD and related conditions.

The year of 2020 presented challenges that no one anticipated. A new and misunderstood virus created a world-wide pandemic resulting in shutdowns across the globe. Schools were closed. Restaurants and businesses were closed. Offices were closed. With social distancing becoming the new standard, employees transitioned to working from home. What did this mean for therapists and clients? A pause in treatment? Panic? Uncertainty? Maybe at first, but technology quickly came to the rescue. It is now 2022 and treating clients for a variety of mental health disorders online has become the new normal. At the OCD Center of Los Angeles, we have offered teletherapy for OCD and anxiety disorders for many years, but never at this magnitude. After two years of this transition, the question is: Is online therapy for these conditions as effective as face-to-face, in-person treatment?

What is teletherapy and how does it work?  

Teletherapy is essentially therapy conducted over the computer using a webcam. It is the exact same treatment that is done with clients in person and the only difference is that it is done via camera. The platform we use for online therapy is very similar to Zoom, but it has a higher level of security meant for health care professionals. It includes multiple features and provides a sense of safety that the client’s confidentiality is protected due to the high encryption. 

(more…)

Mindfulness-Based Response Prevention for OCD and Anxiety

OCD Center of Los Angeles May 22, 2022 2:38 pm 14 Comments

Chris Cincotta, LMFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, discusses how to implement an effective mindfulness-based response prevention approach for the treatment of OCD and anxiety, and how to prevent mindfulness from becoming just another compulsion

Response Prevention for OCD and Anxiety-300
Mindfulness-Based Response Prevention is a
valuable approach in managing OCD and anxiety.

A martial arts student went to his teacher and said earnestly, “I am devoted to studying your martial system. How long will it take me to master it?” The teacher’s reply was casual, “Ten years.” Impatiently, the student answered, “But I want to master it faster than that. I will work very hard. I will practice every day, ten or more hours a day if I have to. How long will it take then?” The teacher thought for a moment, “20 years.”

~A Zen Story

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) takes away your confidence in your beliefs, and completely turns you on your head; breaking your trust in others, and most of all, trust in yourself. Trust can be regained through treatment. It is not a mystery how to treat OCD. The gold standard of treatment for OCD is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). The two dominant theories pertaining to the understanding and treatment of ERP for OCD are Emotional Processing Theory (EPT) and Inhibitory Learning (IL). Treatment should be clear and understandable. This article focuses on how to stop doing compulsions – the “RP” in ERP. A simple mindfulness-based response prevention approach will help you move away from your mental and physical compulsions, thus leading to successful OCD treatment, and ultimately moving you towards what you value in your life and living the life you want to live.

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2021 Online OCD Conference

OCD Center of Los Angeles September 29, 2021 6:16 pm No Comments
OCD Center of Los Angeles - 2021 Online OCD Conference
OCD Center of Los Angeles therapists Kelley Franke, Lauren McMeikan Rosen, Elena Fasan, and Mary Sponaugle.

We are happy to announce that four staff therapists from the OCD Center of Los Angeles will be giving presentations at the upcoming Online OCD Conference being offered by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF).

This year’s Online OCD Conference is being held Friday, October 8, 2021 through Sunday, October 10, 2021. The conference will feature 70 presentations and 36 discussion groups on OCD and related conditions.

Three of this year’s presentations will feature OCD Center of Los Angeles staff therapists, including:

What To Do When Obsessions Overlap With Genuine Interests
Kelley Franke, LMFT, Lauren McMeikan Rosen, LMFT, and Kevin Foss, LMFT
Friday, October 8, 2021 11:00 am to 12:15 pm (Eastern time)

Navigating OCD In the World of 12 Step SUD Recovery
Lauren McMeikan Rosen, LMFT and Stacey Conroy, LICSW
Sunday, October 10, 2021 12:45 pm to 2:00 pm (Eastern time)

Thinking the Unthinkable: Living with Stigma and Shame-filled Obsessions
Kelley Franke, LMFT, Lauren McMeikan Rosen, LMFT, Elena Fasan, LCSW, and Mary Sponaugle, LMFT
Sunday, October 10, 2021 2:30 pm to 3:45 pm (Eastern time)

(more…)

Trichotillomania: My Journey to Treatment and Recovery

OCD Center of Los Angeles January 4, 2021 1:39 pm 22 Comments
Trichotillomania and its treatment
Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling Disorder) can be effectively
treated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).

“This time, I will stop doing it for real”, I would tell myself time and time again, as I convinced myself that some new strategy I came up with was going to get me to stop pulling out my eyelashes. I believed I had come up with a genius plan after I scheduled an appointment to get eyelash extensions, a lengthy process that consisted of a professional gluing individual pieces of hair onto my existing eyelashes to create fuller, longer lashes. I had always wished that I had more eyelashes, and I thought that if I spent my hard-earned money on lashes that I love, I obviously wouldn’t pull them out, right?

Wrong.

Sadly, I repeated this mistake more than once. Despite my perfect consistency, I always found myself saying “next time will be different” as I convinced myself that if I lost enough money, the punishment would deter me from pulling out my eyelashes ever again. Many lost eyelashes later, I reached a point where I finally realized that no amount of punishment, reward, or compliments on my appearance would magically reverse my hair pulling.

My desire to have long, beautiful eyelashes was no competition for the satisfying relief I felt each time a hair came out. With each hair I pulled, I felt I was removing a massive amount of anxiety from my body as I released the hair into the world, flying away from me. Of course, this relief was short-lived, and usually left me feeling ashamed and embarrassed to face the world. Unfortunately, whenever an irresistible urge crept up on me, I never cared about the emotional and physical consequences until after it was too late.

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How Learning to Live with COVID-19 Can Help Kids Manage OCD

OCD Center of Los Angeles December 7, 2020 5:10 pm No Comments

Elena Fasan, LCSW, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses how parents can teach their children concrete skills to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, and how these same skills offer the added benefit of helping kids to cope more effectively with OCD.

Skills for managing COVID-19 and OCD
Skills used in coping with COVID-19 can also
help kids to manage OCD more effectively.

In so many ways, COVID-19 reminds me of OCD. The virus is an invisible enemy that triggers anxiety, much like OCD. Dread lurks beneath the anxiety. This underlying dread, an intense feeling that something terrible will happen, is the crux of OCD. Regardless of the content of the intrusive thoughts, those diagnosed with OCD fear a disaster is waiting to occur if they do not mitigate danger by excessively engaging in ritualistic behaviors, known as compulsions. OCD leads one to over-think, to be extra careful, and to be hyper responsible and hyper vigilant, as does the threat of COVID-19. OCD disrupts one’s life, well being, feeling of safety, and daily routine. So does COVID-19. Engaging in OCD compulsions sucks up time, energy, and attention. The same can be said of COVID-19. Experiencing OCD symptoms can be isolating. COVID-19 safety guidelines, including stay at home orders, wearing a mask in public, and social distancing are also isolating. As of yet, there is no cure for COVID, nor is there currently a cure for OCD. Whether one’s anxiety is caused by OCD, by COVID-19, or by both, a panoply of triggers await when venturing out into the world, away from the safe cocoon of one’s controlled home environment.

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When OCD Comes Between Us: Relationship OCD and Recovery

OCD Center of Los Angeles July 8, 2020 1:02 pm No Comments
When OCD Comes Between us: Relationship OCD and Recovery
Laura Yocum, Lauren McMeikan, and Kelley Franke of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discuss Relationship OCD
(ROCD) at the Online OCD Conference on August 2, 2020.

The OCD Center of Los Angeles is happy to announce that three of our staff therapists will be presenting a panel discussion at the upcoming Online OCD Conference being offered by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF).

Our panel discussion is titled “When OCD Comes Between Us: Relationship OCD and Recovery”, and will take place on the internet at the following time:

Sunday, August 2, 2020

11:00 am – 12:15 pm Eastern time
(8:00 am – 9:15 am Pacific time)

The panelists for this exciting program are:

  • Laura Yocum, LMFT
  • Lauren McMeikan, LMFT
  • Kelley Franke, AMFT

(more…)

Q&A: Online Therapy for OCD, Anxiety and Related Conditions

OCD Center of Los Angeles April 16, 2020 10:28 am 12 Comments

An interview with Tom Corboy, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles, about online, webcam-based therapy for the treatment of OCD, anxiety, and related conditions.

Online therapy for OCD and anxiety
Online Therapy is an effective and convenient option
for the treatment of OCD, anxiety & related conditions

What is online therapy and how is it done?

Online therapy is just therapy conducted over the internet via webcam. It is exactly the same as face-to-face treatment that occurs in a therapist’s office, with the only significant difference being that the therapy occurs over the internet.

Our online treatment program focuses on Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which has consistently and repeatedly been found by researchers to be the most effective treatment for all forms of OCD and for most related conditions.

CBT is particularly well-suited to being conducted online because it uses a structured treatment protocol that is easily adapted to online treatment. Our program uses two structured treatment manuals that every client receives, and which are central to therapy. Conversely, psychoanalysis and other forms of traditional talk therapy focus on largely unstructured treatment approaches that are not conducive to online treatment.

Besides OCD, what other conditions does the OCD Center treat with online therapy?

We treat a number of conditions that are related to, or similar to OCD. These conditions have obsessive-compulsive qualities that are quite similar to OCD, and are frequently described as Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. Some of the other conditions we treat include Phobias, Social Anxiety, Health Anxiety, and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) such as Dermatillomania (compulsive skin picking) and Trichotillomania (compulsive Hair pulling).

Is online CBT effective for OCD and these other conditions?

There have been scores of studies on online therapy, and they have consistently found this approach to treatment to be just as effective as in-person treatment. One study even found online treatment to be more effective, mostly because the treatment was viewed by study participants as being easier to access than in-person treatment, and so they were less likely to discontinue treatment.

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Making Peace with Uncertainty: Living in the Midst of a Pandemic

OCD Center of Los Angeles April 6, 2020 3:13 pm 23 Comments

How can we use what we know about uncertainty and anxiety to support those who find themselves understandably anxious about COVID-19 and all of the fallout surrounding it?

Making Peace With Uncertainty-Living Amidst a Pandemic
We can’t eliminate uncertainty, but we can
learn to relate to it in a more productive manner.

I cannot count how many times over the last few weeks I have either said or heard the phrase “These are unprecedented times” – and they are. Granted I’ve only spent 34 years on this globe, but in that time my government has never before instructed me to limit time outside of my home or weighed in at all with regard to my proximity to strangers. I’ve never purposefully distanced myself from my parents over concerns for their safety. I’ve never seen so many empty shelves in stores, and if you’d told me on New Year’s Day I’d be wearing a mask on a routine shopping trip, I would have been perplexed to say the least. We each have our own lists of news and firsts, ranging from the strange to the devastating. This novel coronavirus brings with it a great many novel experiences.

What seems to be at the forefront during this strange moment are predictions. Some of these predictions are necessary – how many people will be infected and will we have hospital space to care for them all? How can we prevent the spread of this disease? How many jobs have been, and will continue to be, impacted? How can we support those who are without income?

We have some ideas and some answers, all of which are important as we attempt to save lives, maintain our medical system and support those who’ve lost income. All this said, the common thread that binds us all in this uncharted territory is uncertainty. We can’t know the answers. As each day unfolds it is increasingly clear just how uncertain the world is.

(more…)

My Journey to Becoming an OCD Specialist

OCD Center of Los Angeles September 30, 2019 12:55 pm 10 Comments

Debra Dalton Stein, MFT, of the OCD Center of Los Angeles describes her journey as a psychotherapist from working primarily with eating disorders, to becoming an OCD specialist.

Debra Dalton Stein, MFT, of the Santa Barbara branch of the OCD Center of Los Angeles
Debra Dalton Stein, MFT, of the Santa Barbara
branch of the OCD Center of Los Angeles

One of the greatest barriers to effective therapy for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is the lack of mental health treatment providers trained in the treatment of this condition. Most graduate school programs provide a broad overview of the counseling process, without offering much in the way of specialized training for specific conditions such as OCD. As a result, most psychotherapists have a limited understanding of OCD and its appropriate treatment.

Prior to 2013, like so many other therapists, I didn’t know a lot about OCD or its treatment. I was aware that people with OCD had compulsions such as excessive hand washing, and checking doors and stove knobs, but that was about it. Up until that point, I had spent much of my career – over 20 years – working at various treatment programs that focused on other diagnoses, and specializing in the treatment of eating disorders in my private practice. I’d had an eating disorder myself in my 20s, and like all eating disorders, it was a nightmare. And just like so many people struggling with OCD, I found it extremely difficult to find appropriate help (that is, once I finally gave up trying to do it myself). (more…)

OCD vs. GAD and How to Tell the Difference

OCD Center of Los Angeles July 10, 2019 12:44 pm 28 Comments
OCD vs. GAD
OCD and GAD both thrive on our
over-attention to unwanted thoughts.

People struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are often misdiagnosed as having other psychological conditions. One of the most common misdiagnoses for this population is Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This diagnostic problem arises for two reasons. First, the distinction between OCD and GAD is somewhat vague. And second, many treatment providers have only a limited understanding of the varying ways in which OCD can manifest. While this issue may seem like an esoteric concern to some, making a proper diagnosis is important for those struggling with either condition, as the primary treatment for OCD is different than the treatment for GAD.

(more…)
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Recent Articles

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    1 Comment
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  • Exposure and Response Prevention via TeletherapyExposure and Response Prevention: Is It Effective Via Telehealth?
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    14 Comments
  • OCD Center of Los Angeles - 2021 Online OCD Conference2021 Online OCD Conference
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    22 Comments
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    10 Comments
  • OCD vs. GADOCD vs. GAD and How to Tell the Difference
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  • OCD is Fake News: The brain is a machine for jumping to conclusionsOCD is Fake News
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  • Doubt, Denial, and OCDDoubt, Denial and OCD
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  • Scrupulosity OCDScrupulosity: Where OCD Meets Religion, Faith, and Belief
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  • Harm OCD: Symptoms and Treatment
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  • Casey Anthony, Reasonable Doubt, and OCD
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  • ABCs of DermatillomaniaThe ABC’s of Dermatillomania / Skin Picking Disorder
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  • HOCD / Gay OCD: Challenges to Treatment
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  • Thought Suppression and OCD
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  • Social Anxiety / Social Phobia: Alone With Witnesses – Part 2
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  • Social Anxiety / Social Phobia: Alone With Witnesses – Part 1
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    9 Comments
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) Research – Year in Review
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  • Binge Eating Disorder / Compulsive Overeating and Its Treatment
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    7 Comments
  • Gay OCD / HOCD Treatment
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    196 Comments
  • Gay OCD / HOCD / Sexual Orientation OCD
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    752 Comments
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Teens
    Increasing numbers of teens are having elective cosmetic surgeries to address body image issues, without fully considering the physical and psychological risks involved. […]
    No Comments
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Body Image in the News
    A discussion of BDD and recent news reports about the condition. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. Serving clients in California and internationally. […]
    1 Comment
  • Treatment of OCD and OC Spectrum Disorders in Children
    The OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for the treatment of OCD and anxiety in children and adolescents. […]
    No Comments
  • Trichotillomania, Skin Picking Disorder, and the Resistor’s High
    The OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses treatment of Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling Disorder) and Dermatillomania (Skin Picking Disorder). […]
    8 Comments
  • Memory Hoarding in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
    Many people with OCD engage in 'memory hoarding', a mental compulsion to over-attend to the details of an event, person, or object. Memory hoarding is done with the belief that the event, person, or object carries a special significance, and may be important to recall exactly as-is at a later date. […]
    266 Comments
  • OCD and the Law – Part 3
    An Australian pro boxer assaults a 70-year old man on a ferry boat and claims his OCD made him do it. Last of a three part series on OCD and the law. […]
    No Comments
  • OCD and the Law – Part 2
    A Kentucky man murdered his wife and then tried to claim that his OCD led him to kill her. Part 2 of a 3 part series. From the OCD Center of Los Angeles. […]
    4 Comments
  • OCD and the Law – Part 1
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    1 Comment
  • OCD Stockholm Syndrome
    Something akin to the Stockholm Syndrome occurs in some people who struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ( OCD ). […]
    2 Comments
  • Athletes With Anxiety
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    1 Comment
  • Social Anxiety in Baseball Revisted
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  • Treatment of OCD and Anxiety: A Brief History
    A look at how the treatment of OCD and related anxiety disorders has changed over time, especially the development of CBT and mindfulness for OCD. […]
    3 Comments
  • Tiger Woods, Sex Addiction, and OCD – Part 2
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    4 Comments
  • Tiger Woods, Sex Addiction, and OCD
    Many people, including professional psychotherapists, incorrectly think of sex addiction as a type of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This article reviews the essential differences between these two conditions and, how therapeutic strategies used for the treatment of OCD are unlikely to be successful when treating sex addiction. First of a two part series. […]
    18 Comments
  • Latisse and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
    The drug Latisse is prescribed to lengthen eyelashes, but it has significant, under-reported side effects. This raises two questions - is Latisse safe, and does its marketing exploit women's body image concerns? […]
    2 Comments
  • Proposed DSM-5 Changes for OCD and Anxiety Disorders
    The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has proposed significant revisions to its "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition" (DSM-IV). Tom Corboy of the OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses changes planned for the new DSM-5, specifically those relevant to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related anxiety-based conditions. […]
    7 Comments
  • Reassurance Seeking in OCD and Anxiety
    Those with OCD and other anxiety based conditions often seek reassurance that their unwanted thoughts and feelings are not a threat. The OCD Center of Los Angeles discusses the problem of using reassurance seeking as an anxiety management strategy. […]
    92 Comments
  • Phobia Treatment in Unconventional Settings
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  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and Cosmetic Surgery
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    No Comments
  • OCD & Anxiety: The Year 2009 in Review
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    2 Comments
  • Bizarre, Disturbing, Weird, and Unwanted Thoughts in OCD
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    26 Comments
  • Emetophobia treatment at the OCD Center of Los Angeles with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emetophobia and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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    85 Comments
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    186 Comments
  • Cyberchondria: Health Anxiety in the 21st Century
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    8 Comments
  • Is Compulsive Overeating OCD?
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    No Comments
  • Cy Young, Zack Greinke, and Social Anxiety
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  • Exposure Therapy for OCD and AnxietyExposure Therapy for OCD and Anxiety
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    46 Comments
  • Social Anxiety Research
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    No Comments
  • OCD Awareness Week
         […]
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  • CBT and Evidence Based Psychotherapy
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  • OCD, Mental Health, and the National Health Care Debate
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  • Childhood OCD, Strep Infections, and PANDAS
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  • OCD and the Swine Flu – Part 2
    Panic about the Swine Flu continues, despite facts that suggest there is no cause for increased concern. […]
    No Comments
  • 2009 Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation Conference
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  • New Trichotillomania Research
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    No Comments
  • Parenting a Child With OCD
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    No Comments
  • Social Anxiety in Baseball
    A look at the recent rash of pro baseball players struggling with Social Anxiety Disorder. […]
    No Comments
  • Michael Jackson and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
    A look at the sad tale of Michael Jackson and his mental health issues. […]
    No Comments
  • OCD and the Swine Flu
    The past few months have seen an avalanche of news stories on the Swine Flu, despite its relatively low impact in the US. […]
    No Comments
  • Meet the OCD Center of Los Angeles Staff
    Meet the OCD Center of Los Angeles Staff […]
    No Comments
  • Welcome to the OCD Center of Los Angeles Blog
    Welcome to the OCD Center of Los Angeles Blog […]
    No Comments

    

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