Emily Davis, MS (She / Her / Hers)
Associate Therapist
Pennsylvania , New Jersey
OCD Support Group Registration Fee $25 (all clients)
Group Fee: $20 per session (10$ for current clients of TCFG who attend twice a month with their individual and couples therapist)
Description of The OCD Support Group:
This group is for individuals who are diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. This group is for individuals who find themselves spending more time than they want to on both mental and physical compulsions in their daily lives. It is required for individuals to be working with a Clinician already to manage obsessions and compulsions, whether that be at the Center for Growth, or another place for therapy. Though Clients don’t necessarily need to be using Exposure and Response Prevention in their therapy, this group uses ERP as its guiding framework, so an openness to learning about and potentially using it as a treatment method is a requirement.
What will this OCD Support Group consist of?
This group is designed to be a space where individuals can learn to manage their OCD in order to live in line with their values. The group will be led by one Clinician with experience working with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, however, the format is designed for group members to offer one another support. Within the group, individuals will share their current struggles with OCD, in addition to identifying goals, and provide/receive accountability from their Peers. This group will use ERP as the guiding treatment modality, and “reassurance seeking” without identifying and interrupting obsessive patterns will be gently re-directed by Therapist. This is in order to create a space in which individuals are held accountable for their treatment, and challenged to accept uncertainty rather than seeking it from other people in the group.
Skills Learned in this OCD Support Group:
- Integrating Exposure and Response Prevention into daily life
- Increasing self-awareness in order to identify obsessions and compulsions
- Increasing Peer support through sharing about the challenges arising in the management of OCD
- OCD as your super power
- Building stability
How will this OCD Support Group be set up:
Each week, Therapist will begin by briefly going over guidelines of group setting. Therapist then will give space for group members to check in about their past week. This will consist of group members reflecting on how they managed their OCD as it arose over the past week, and identify areas where they got “stuck”. Therapist will facilitate feedback-sharing among the group, and provide redirection as needed if members become off-topic, or begin to give one another “reassurance”, as this runs counter to the concept of accepting uncertainty as the treatment for OCD. Group members will set a measurable goal for the next week.
Who is appropriate for this OCD Support Group?
People who continually experience intrusive thoughts, and have difficulty going about their daily life without participating in either significant worry or compulsions. Either their therapist diagnosed them with OCD, or after meeting with their CFG Therapist, they were referred to this group. Currently using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), or being open to using ERP to manage obsessions and compulsions is a requirement. It is required for group members to be doing their own individual work outside of the group.
MAJOR BENEFIT OF THE OCD SUPPORT GROUP
Who is not appropriate for this OCD Support Group? Anyone under the age of 18, individuals with active eating disorders, and active suicidality. Additionally, individuals with significant trauma history as their primary treatment issue would not be a good fit for this group. Further, this group is not for people with generalized anxiety, social anxiety or panic disorder. There are better resources for these clinical issues outside of this group. This group will only consist of adults diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder living in Pennsylvania or New Jersey.
Location: Virtual in Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Registration Fee: $25 (all clients)
Fee: $20 per session (10$ for current clients of TCFG)
