Symptoms I Treat

I work with individual adults and older adolescents experiencing significant anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and obsessive rumination. These conditions often co-occur with depression, anger, grief, self-doubt, shame, relationship challenges, and other unresolved emotional issues.

Therapeutic Approach

Recognizing that each person’s circumstances are unique and sometimes complex, I utilize a thoughtfully integrated therapeutic approach tailored to individual needs. Depending on the client, I may draw from a combination of:

·         Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

·         Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

·         Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

·         Rumination-Focused ERP (RF-ERP)

·         Metacognitive Therapy (MCT)

·         Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT)

·         Family Systems

·         Mindfulness-based interventions

My goal is to support clients in developing strategies that align with their values, goals, and personal tolerance levels to foster meaningful and lasting change.

Anxiety Disorders

While occasional worry is part of being human, anxiety disorders are more persistent and intrusive - and often unresponsive to “common sense” strategies. They can take the form of generalized anxiety, social anxiety, specific phobias, or panic attacks.

It’s common for individuals to struggle for years - often seeing several therapists before finding the right kind of help. Understanding how anxiety is triggered and maintained is key to developing an effective treatment plan. Anxiety thrives on control, and it manipulates fear and uncertainty to keep its grip.

Together, we will explore tools and approaches that match your level of anxiety and emotional tolerance. For lower levels of anxiety, techniques like mindfulness and emotional regulation may be sufficient. For more entrenched symptoms, evidence-based therapies such as ACT, CBT, and ERP have been shown to significantly reduce anxiety and restore quality of life.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is frequently misunderstood - not just by those who suffer from it, but also by their loved ones and, at times, by professionals. Many individuals with OCD hide their symptoms due to shame or fear of judgment, especially mental compulsions, which are less visible than physical ones.

At its core, OCD involves distressing, intrusive thoughts, images, or feelings, followed by an intense urge to neutralize them through rituals or avoidance. Despite efforts to relieve the discomfort, the anxiety rarely subsides completely, leading to increasingly time-consuming and life-disruptive compulsions.

Common physical compulsions include:

·         Repeated checking

·         Excessive hand washing or cleaning

·         Ordering or arranging

·         Perfectionism

·         Rituals involving light switches, tapping, or counting

These behaviors, while offering temporary relief, ultimately reinforce the obsessive cycle. Many people with OCD are painfully aware that their thoughts are irrational, yet feel powerless to stop the compulsions. This can lead to significant impairment in relationships, work, and overall functioning.

Treatment requires courage and a willingness to face discomfort head-on. ERP, often used in conjunction with CBT or ACT, is considered the gold standard in OCD treatment and has proven effective in helping clients regain control over their lives.

Obsessive Rumination

Obsessive rumination is not the same as problem-solving or deep thinking - though it often feels that way, making it especially confusing. It typically involves persistent, looping thoughts that feel urgent and sometimes, almost solvable. Since these symptoms occur internally, they’re often invisible to others, and they can begin subtly or even in childhood.

These ruminations may sound like:

·         “What if I did something wrong?”

·         “Why can’t I stop thinking this?”

·         “Does this mean I’m a bad person?”

·         “What if I’m going crazy?”

Despite efforts to "figure it out" or find certainty, relief never fully arrives. This cycle creates mental exhaustion and emotional distress and is sometimes referred to as Pure "O" (a form of OCD that involves primarily mental compulsions).

The issue isn’t the presence of the intrusive thoughts - it’s the compulsive mental response and the urge to resolve or neutralize them that maintains the disorder.

In treating obsessive rumination, I use a combination of ERP, ACT, CBT, and MCT to help clients learn how to disengage from these thought loops and respond to distress in a more empowering way.

Take the First Step Toward Healing

Recovery begins with a single act of courage. In just a few moments, you can choose to do something different - something that moves you forward. Reaching out to a skilled specialist can be the first meaningful step on your path to feeling better.

If you continue to approach things the same way, chances are, nothing will change - and you may feel even more stuck. Don’t wait to feel better before you take action. Instead, take action now, and in time, you’ll begin to feel better.

You don’t have to do it all alone and all at once. You just have to choose to win this moment.