Effective therapy options and techniques for managing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and reclaiming control over your life.
Upstream Counselling provides specialized treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) using evidence-based therapies tailored to meet your specific needs. Our therapists are experts in OCD treatment approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)—widely recognized as first-line treatments for OCD. Our goal is to help you break the OCD cycle, manage intrusive thoughts, reduce compulsive behaviours, and improve your overall mental health.
OCD usually involves distressing obsessive thoughts, repetitive rituals, and compulsions that can interfere with daily life. Our therapy sessions focus on reducing symptoms and alleviating anxiety linked to OCD, whether you’re experiencing contamination fears, checking behaviours, or other compulsive patterns. Upstream Counselling is here to support you in building coping strategies that promote mental wellness and resilience, helping you achieve relief from OCD symptoms and regain control over your life.
With a compassionate and professional approach, our mental health professionals create a supportive space where people with OCD can discuss their struggles, gain understanding, and explore tools for effective symptom management. Working with us can be an essential step in achieving a greater sense of peace, breaking free from OCD’s hold, and restoring balance in your daily life.
At Upstream Counselling, we understand that managing OCD requires a comprehensive treatment plan. Our therapists focus on providing effective, individualized support to help reduce OCD symptoms, manage anxiety or depression, and promote long-term mental health.
Living with OCD can lead to feelings of frustration, guilt, or self-criticism. Our therapy addresses these emotional wounds and helps foster self-compassion, which is key to emotional healing.
OCD therapy provides tools to manage unwanted thoughts, repetitive behaviours, and intrusive thoughts. Our therapists guide you through techniques that help reduce compulsive behaviours and alleviate OCD-related anxiety.
Working on your emotional health through structured OCD treatment leads to a balanced and fulfilling life. Therapy can help decrease anxiety, reduce distress, and increase emotional resilience.
Our therapy equips you with skills to handle OCD symptoms more effectively, building resilience against current and future challenges. Resilience is essential for managing obsessive and compulsive tendencies over time.
OCD is often accompanied by high levels of stress and anxiety. We teach effective stress management techniques to help you cope with OCD triggers, anxiety, and distress in constructive ways.
OCD can strain personal relationships and make social interactions challenging. Our therapy focuses on enhancing communication skills and reducing OCD symptoms that interfere with your connections with others.
Take control of the process.
Beginning therapy can feel daunting but the truth is you decide what (and when) to share. Our diverse team specializes in a range of issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and relationship issues. No matter your situation, we're here to support your journey to empowerment and mental wellness.
Your therapist is your guide.
Finding the right therapist is key to achieving your goals. Dip your toes into the therapy experience by booking a free consultation with one of our registered psychotherapists. These appointments are an opportunity to address your questions and explore your challenges, needs, and aspirations.
Commit to the experience.
To maximize the benefits of counselling it’s important you attend sessions consistently. When in session, we encourage you to lead the agenda. (Remember, this is YOUR therapy!) Between sessions, we hope you will strive to apply new insights, practice new skills, and develop new habits that support personal growth.
Are obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviours taking control of your life?
A structured treatment approach can make a world of difference in managing OCD and improving your well-being.
Upstream Counselling’s OCD therapy is designed to help people with OCD confront obsessions and compulsions using effective techniques like ERP and CBT. Our therapists will guide you through a personalized treatment plan that addresses the unique symptoms of OCD, from obsessive thoughts to repetitive behaviours, intrusive rituals, and compulsions. By working with a skilled therapist, you can gain confidence in managing the OCD cycle and reducing anxiety tied to OCD symptoms.
ERP therapy, a specific type of cognitive-behavioural approach, involves gradual exposure to anxiety-provoking situations while learning to resist compulsive behaviours. It’s a proven form of treatment for OCD that, along with cognitive therapy, can help reduce the impact of unwanted thoughts, fears, and negative beliefs. We also integrate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness techniques which are beneficial, giving you a well-rounded strategy to manage OCD.
Take the first step towards managing OCD and reclaiming your life. Upstream Counselling provides a safe, nonjudgmental environment where you can openly explore your symptoms and work on a tailored treatment plan. Whether you’re dealing with checking compulsions, contamination fears, or intrusive thoughts, our therapists can help you manage OCD with a compassionate, results-oriented approach.
Experience the freedom and confidence that come from professional OCD therapy. At Upstream Counselling, we’re committed to helping you manage OCD symptoms, build resilience, and improve your quality of life with the support and guidance you need every step of the way.
At Upstream Counselling, we want you to feel comfortable with the counselling process. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about talking to a therapist about this type of therapy.
Upstream Counselling offers numerous effective type of therapy methods to treat OCD that address different types of OCD symptoms and needs, including psychotherapy and medication. Here’s an overview of the most common treatment options for OCD:
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT): CBT is an evidence-based treatment that helps people who have OCD learn to recognize and reframe negative thoughts. This type of cognitive therapy for OCD can reduce compulsions and alleviate distress.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): A specific type of CBT called ERP involves gradually exposing clients to distressing thoughts and situations while preventing compulsive behaviours. This type of treatment helps you manage your obsessions and compulsions over time.
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): SSRIs are a type of antidepressant commonly prescribed to help manage your symptoms of OCD by increasing serotonin levels in the brain. SSRIs can also be beneficial for clients with co-occurring anxiety and depression.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): TMS is a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate specific brain areas, offering a promising option for those with severe OCD who have not responded to other treatments.
These treatment options allow clients to work with their therapist to find the most effective combination of therapies to manage their symptoms and enhance overall mental health.
CBT is a widely used, evidence-based treatment for OCD that focuses on helping clients reframe obsessive thoughts and manage their compulsive behaviours. Here’s how CBT can help in the treatment of OCD:
Reframing Negative Thoughts: CBT teaches clients that thoughts are just thoughts and do not need to control their behaviour, helping them distance themselves from distressing thoughts and sensations.
Behavioural Exercises: Clients engage in exposure therapy, learning to face anxiety-provoking situations without resorting to compulsions, such as excessive hand-washing or checking.
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (I-CBT): This type of CBT is especially helpful for clients dealing with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and related mental health disorders by focusing on the reasoning processes behind obsessive thinking.
Skill Development for Long-Term Management: Clients develop tools and coping skills to manage their symptoms effectively, leading to a reduction in their level of anxiety and distress.
CBT provides clients with the tools to manage their obsessions and compulsions, helping them lead a healthier, more balanced life.
ERP, a form of exposure therapy, is an evidence-based treatment method designed to help people with OCD confront their obsessions and manage compulsive behaviours. Here’s how ERP supports OCD recovery:
Confronting Fears Gradually: ERP helps clients gradually engage in exposure to thoughts and sensations that trigger obsessions, such as “germ” fears, without acting on compulsions.
Preventing Compulsive Responses: Clients learn to tolerate distress without engaging in compulsive behaviours, helping them reduce their level of anxiety and distress over time.
Building Resilience to Obsessions: ERP enables clients to view thoughts and fears more objectively, understanding that thoughts are just thoughts and do not need to drive behaviour.
Structured Sessions with Therapist Guidance: Through ERP, clients work with their therapist to safely explore their fears and prevent compulsive responses in a supportive environment.
ERP is a powerful approach for managing any types of symptoms, helping clients regain control over their thoughts and actions.
Medication can be a valuable part of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder treatment, especially for those with severe OCD symptoms or co-occurring mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. Here’s how medication supports the treatment of OCD:
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): SSRIs are a type of antidepressant that helps balance serotonin levels, which can reduce anxiety and obsessions, making it easier for clients to manage their symptoms.
Combination with Therapy: Medication is often used alongside cognitive behaviour therapy or ERP, enhancing the effectiveness of talk therapy by reducing symptom intensity.
Addressing Anxiety and Depression: SSRIs can also help alleviate co-existing anxiety disorders or depression, offering additional relief for people who have OCD.
Support for Severe Symptoms: Medication may be especially beneficial for clients with severe OCD or those who experience suicidal thoughts, helping to stabilize mood and improve engagement in therapy.
Medication is an effective part of many OCD treatment plans, supporting clients as they work to manage symptoms and reduce distress.
Tracking progress in both the diagnosis and treatment of OCD is essential for understanding whether the methods you're using are effectively managing symptoms. Knowing whether your OCD treatment is effective involves observing changes in symptoms, distress levels, and daily functioning. Here’s how to gauge the success of OCD treatment:
Reduced Compulsive Behaviours: Successful treatment may lead to fewer compulsions, as clients feel less need to engage in rituals to manage anxiety and distress.
Lowered Anxiety Levels: Effective treatment should result in a reduction in overall anxiety, allowing clients to feel calmer and more in control of their mental health condition.
Lessened Impact of Obsessive Thoughts: Clients who find that obsessive thoughts are less distressing and easier to manage may be experiencing progress in therapy.
Improved Quality of Life: When treatment is working, clients can better engage in everyday activities and relationships, even when distressing thoughts occur.
Signs of improvement in OCD treatment indicate that the approach is effectively addressing symptoms and supporting a better quality of life.
Our team at Upstream Counselling is here to help you explore issues, gain insights, begin your journey towards healing, and work towards the goals you identify during the counselling process.
Personalized therapy designed to address specific mental health issues while also nurturing personal growth and well-being.
A counselling program focusing on fostering effective communication, resolving conflicts, and nurturing healthy relationships.
A program designed to support clinical growth, whether you’re a student or a seasoned professional.
Whether you have a question about counselling, or would like to get in touch about something else, drop us a line at info@upstreamcounselling.com or by using the contact form below. Our client care team will get back to you within one business day.
We are ready and looking forward to meeting you. Get started today by clicking the link below and booking your free 15-minute discovery call. All our services are private and confidential.
Disclaimer: Content on this website is for informational purposes only. Visiting this website does not establish any type of therapist-client relationship with Upstream Counselling or its staff. Information obtained from this site does not substitute for a thorough medical and/or psychiatric evaluation by an appropriately credentialed and licensed professional.
