Lesley Dorfman, PhD
Compassionate CBT: Specialized OCD Counseling in San Diego
Living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can feel like being trapped in an exhausting loop. At its core, OCD involves intense compulsions that function very much like an "itch" you cannot resist scratching. While performing a compulsion might offer a brief moment of escape, that relief is only temporary. Soon, the urge returns, and the cycle begins again.
Many individuals struggle with specific rituals—ranging from physical actions to mental behaviors like counting—to manage intrusive thoughts. These are goal-directed behaviors designed to alleviate anxiety and resolve the agony of uncertainty. However, because the relief doesn't last, these rituals must be performed over and over, consuming your time and energy.
If you feel stuck in this repetitive loop, seeking professional OCD counseling in San Diego can help you break free. Using evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), we work to help you resist the "itch" without the need for rituals. By learning to sit with uncertainty rather than fighting it, you can reclaim your life from the demands of OCD. Choosing specialized OCD counseling in San Diego ensures you have a compassionate partner to guide you toward lasting relief and mental clarity.
OCD Resource
International OCD Foundation
POSSIBLE REASONS FOR ONSET OF OCD
- Family history
- Trauma may contribute
- A more rapid onset (PANDAS), a condition in children (rare) after an Streptococcal infection.
TIPS
The 15 minute rule for OCD
The idea is to delay (using learned CBT tools) to delay your response to the obsessive thoughts or urges (compulsions). By delaying, and using CBT tools, you may find less compulsions and ritual.
SUBTYPES OF OCD and helpful articles
Violent or sexual obsession https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/am-i-a-monster-an-overview-of-common-features-typical-course-shame-and-treatment-of-pedophilia-ocd-pocd/
Fear of harming your kidshttps://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/but-i-love-my-kids/
Fear of harming others (driving)https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/driven-to-distraction-hit-and-run-ocd/
Violent obsessionshttps://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/expert-opinion-violent-obsessions/
Contamination OCD and contaminationhttps://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/expert-opinion-contamination/
Emotional contamination https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/emotional-contamination/
Sexual orientation Obsession: How do I know if I’m not really gay/straight? https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/sexual-orientation-obsessions/
Pure O or Compulsive reasoning OCD.
Relationship OCD (ROCD) https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/relationship-ocd/
Dermotillomania or Skin Picking Disorder
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22706-dermatillomania-skin-pickin
Trichotillomania
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/trichotillomania/symptoms-causes/syc-20355188
Here is a helpful article for telling others you have OCD
Sensorimotor obsessions https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/when-automatic-bodily-processes-become-conscious-how-to-disengage-from-sensorimotor-obsessions/
Existential and Philosophical OCD https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/to-be-or-not-to-be-that-is-the-obsession-existential-and-philosophical-ocd/
Perfectionism. https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/perfectionism/
Hyperawareness. https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/watch-yourself-people-who-compulsively-observe-themselves/
OCD in diverse populations
Latin American Trans-Ancestry Initiative in OC (LATION) GENOMICS PROJECT: INFORMATION AND GETTING INVOLVED https://iocdf.org/expert-opinions/latino-genomics-project/
HELPFUL BOOKS
Overcoming Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts, Sally M. Winston, PsyD and Martin N. Seif, PhD
‘Pure O” Letting Go of Obsessive Thoughts with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Chad Lejeune, PhD