OCD Therapy

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is often quite misunderstood. It is not simply a harmless personality trait or a way of describing someone with very particular habits. At its core, OCD is a condition when intense and distressful thoughts (obsessions) become stuck in your head, and the only way that it feels like you can be rid of them is by engaging in specific behaviours that temporarily reduce that distress (compulsions). However, as you have probably discovered, those compulsive habits often don’t fully alleviate the distress, and the behaviours themselves can start to get in the way of your daily life.

The real power that therapy brings is helping you break free from the debilitating cycle of obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.

OCD comes in many different forms that each have a particular set of challenges. Some of them can be very shameful and isolating and people with OCD often have challenges in several different parts of their lives. OCD affects each person differently so the first thing we will do is figure out how it is having an impact on your life. From there we will decide together how best to move forward to reach your goals.

The good news is there are ways to work with OCD that are shown to be quite effective. Many people find that CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) and ERP (exposure response prevention) make a profound difference in their lives and allow them to make great strides in managing their OCD symptoms. We also use mindfulness methods to help you become more aware of how your mind and body respond to different stressors and triggers.

Here at Spacious Mind Counselling we leverage these methods as part of a comprehensive approach to treatment and recovery. We will make sure that we listen to your story and understand the unique challenges and strengths that you have. This can also help you build resilience to face other challenging thoughts and circumstances when they come up later, leading to sustainable recovery.

Our therapists – available to meet you in Guelph or online – have experience in OCD and can help you break the cycle.  Counsellors Colin Hayward, Lauren Fiamelli, Nicole Konc, and Kaylen Leonienco can help you get back the time and energy that living with OCD takes away on a daily basis.  You can contact us at Spacious Mind Counselling for a complimentary 20-minute discussion.