The Center for Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy is now offering an intensive outpatient treatment for individuals struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The intensive outpatient treatment is designed to benefit those who have traditional forms of OCD including contamination concerns or germ concerns, those who experience intrusive thoughts or those who experience an over-attached responsibility to protect others through physical or metaphysical harm factors (see What is O.C.D.?). This treatment is appropriate for individuals who have had other treatment failures. Individuals who may have a more severe symptom presentation may benefit from this treatment. In addition, the intensive treatment program is advantageous for those requiring a short-term treatment effect, such as individuals in jeopardy of losing employment due to the impairing nature of their symptom presentation, or persons who have difficulty managing the cost of the more typically protracted treatment process. Additionally, those who have had difficulty abiding to the discipline required to complete homework in between sessions individually, as required by more traditional treatment, may benefit from the support and guidance of an intensive treatment team. Those who may feel uncomfortable in a more traditional inpatient psychiatric unit where they would be sharing space with persons who experience more diverse and severe psychological pathologies may find this program to be advantageous. The benefits of engaging in an intensive program are supported by research which suggests that individuals enrolled in an intensive exposure-based program are capable of achieving and maintaining similar goals as individuals enrolled in a standard weekly treatment program. An essential component in maintaining treatment success is the weekly follow up appointments. This component involves an integration and application of the success attained during the intensive period into the person’s home based life experiences.

The initial step of the treatment involves a screening to assess the individual’s qualifications for the program. This time-intensive treatment is overseen by Dr. Phillipson and is directed by our treatment team of licensed psychologists and pre-doctoral psychology fellows. This program entails engaging in exposure and response prevention (EX/RP) therapy. Anxiety-provoking challenges are comprehensively outlined during the initial stages of treatment. During ensuing sessions, these challenges are confronted in collaboration with the support, guidance and expertise of our treatment team. Sessions occur up to 5 days per week. In addition to engaging in EX/RP, this program is inherently sensitive to contributing personality conditions which have deleterious effects to the treatment process. These contributing personality conditions (i.e. Borderline Personality Disorder, Narcissistic Personality Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder) typically impede the relationship building process. The identification and inclusion of these personality factors represents a vital enhancement to the constructed treatment plan.