What can a psychologist treat OCD?
A psychologist can help a person with OCD face and overcome their fears and obsessive thinking while preventing them from engaging in compulsions to relieve their distress. This eventually reduces the intensity of their symptoms.
How to find a psychologist for OCD?
You can search online for “OCD psychologist near me” and may find people who offer therapy in private practice or in a hospital or clinic setting. You may check their credentials to see if they have experience in treating OCD patients. Some psychologists may also have specialization in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a treatment approach for treating OCD.
Who is a clinical psychologist?
A clinical psychologist is a mental health professional who has graduated with psychology or related subjects as at least one of their subjects, have completed their post graduation in the specialization of Clinical Psychology, and done their further studies such as M.Phil, PhD, or PsyD.
What therapy approaches do psychologists commonly use to treat OCD?
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is an effective mode of therapy that psychologists use for treating OCD. It is based on the premise that thoughts, emotions, and behaviours are inter-connected and that identifying and changing the negative patterns of one can positively impact the other two. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a type of CBT that is found to be extremely effective for the treatment of OCD. It focuses on exposing the person with OCD to their anxiety and fear causing obsessions, teaching them relaxation techniques, and preventing them from engaging in their compulsions.