Watching your child struggle with obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors can be overwhelming and heartbreaking. At Weston Family Psychology, we specialize in treating OCD and related disorders in children, helping them break free from distressing cycles that disrupt their daily lives. Our compassionate, evidence-based approach empowers children to manage their symptoms, build resilience, and regain control, allowing them to lead happier, more fulfilling lives.
Start your child’s OCD treatment with compassionate experts today.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can significantly impact a child’s emotional and social development. Children with OCD experience intrusive thoughts, fears, or doubts that drive them to perform repetitive actions or mental rituals, seeking relief from their anxiety.
These behaviors, while intended to reduce distress, often interfere with their ability to focus, learn, and enjoy everyday activities. Early intervention and specialized treatment can help your child manage these challenges and thrive.
Identifying OCD in children can be challenging, as symptoms often manifest as repetitive behaviors or intense fears. Look for these common signs that may indicate your child is experiencing OCD:
Intrusive Thoughts: Persistent, unwanted thoughts or fears about harm, contamination, or making mistakes that cause significant anxiety.
Compulsive Behaviors: Repetitive actions like excessive handwashing, checking, counting, or seeking reassurance to ease anxiety temporarily.
Magical Thinking: A belief that specific thoughts or actions can prevent bad things from happening, leading to ritualistic behaviors.
Avoidance: Steering clear of certain situations, places, or activities to avoid triggering obsessive thoughts or anxiety
Obsessive Doubts: Repeated uncertainty about actions or decisions, even minor ones, causing them to check repeatedly or seek reassurance. They might question whether they completed a task correctly or worry excessively that something bad will happen if they don’t follow a particular routine.
At Weston Family Psychology, we provide tailored treatment plans that address each child’s unique needs, using proven therapies that help them confront their fears and reduce compulsive behaviors.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): ERP is the gold standard for treating OCD. It gradually exposes children to their fears while preventing the usual compulsive response, helping them learn to tolerate anxiety without resorting to rituals. This approach allows children to break the OCD cycle and regain control of their lives.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps children recognize and challenge the distorted thinking patterns that fuel their obsessions and compulsions. Through structured, engaging exercises, we teach practical strategies that build resilience and improve overall emotional well-being.
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT): I-CBT offers an alternative for children who may struggle with traditional ERP. It focuses on correcting faulty reasoning that leads to obsessive thinking, allowing children to trust their reality and reduce compulsive actions without prolonged exposure.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT helps children manage distressing thoughts and emotions without allowing them to control their behavior. By promoting mindfulness and acceptance, ACT teaches children to observe their thoughts without acting on them, fostering emotional flexibility and reducing anxiety.
From the initial consultation, our priority is to create a safe and supportive environment where your child feels comfortable exploring their thoughts and behaviors. Here’s what you can expect during the treatment process:
Initial Assessment: We begin with a comprehensive assessment to understand your child’s symptoms, triggers, and how OCD affects their daily life. This evaluation guides the creation of a personalized treatment plan tailored to your child’s needs.
Therapy Sessions: Our sessions are engaging and adapted to your child’s developmental level, incorporating interactive exercises, creative techniques, and play-based approaches to address OCD symptoms. We make therapy a positive and empowering experience.
Parental Involvement: Parents are a critical part of their child’s progress. We provide guidance on how to reduce accommodations that reinforce OCD behaviors, teach strategies to support your child at home, and involve parents actively throughout the treatment.
Choosing the right treatment is essential to helping your child overcome OCD. At Weston Family Psychology, we bring expertise, compassion, and a child-centered approach to every session, creating an environment that supports growth and healing.
Child-Centered Approach: Our treatments are designed to be manageable and supportive, ensuring your child feels safe and understood.
Expert Therapists: Our experienced therapists are skilled in treating pediatric OCD using the latest evidence-based methods, offering your child the best chance at recovery.
Family Involvement: We empower parents with the knowledge and tools needed to support their child, enhancing the effectiveness of treatment. Through SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) Treatment, we provide you with the knowledge and tools needed to support your child effectively, enhancing the impact of treatment.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation and start your child’s journey to a brighter, more confident future.
