Treating OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed to reduce the distress those thoughts cause. It is often misunderstood, frequently misdiagnosed, and commonly trivialized in everyday conversation in ways that do not reflect how disabling it can actually be.
Many patients we see with OCD have spent years managing it on their own, or have been treated for anxiety or depression without the OCD itself being identified. Effective treatment requires recognizing it for what it is and addressing it directly.
We treat OCD in adults, adolescents, and children.
How We Evaluate OCD
Every patient at Everhealth begins with a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. The core process is the same for every condition: a clinical interview, validated assessments completed before your visit, a review of your personal and family history, and a collaborative discussion about findings and next steps.
For OCD specifically, the evaluation focuses on the nature and pattern of obsessions and compulsions, their severity, their impact on daily functioning, and your history with previous treatment. If you have tried exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP) before, we want to know how that went. If you have not, we will discuss whether it should be part of your plan.
Your pre-visit assessments are tailored based on what you share in your intake. If OCD is a concern, you will receive screening tools designed to help your provider understand the severity and specific patterns of your symptoms.
How We Treat OCD
Treatment for OCD typically involves medication, education, and coordination with specialized therapy. Your provider builds a plan around your specific situation.
Medication Management
Medication is often an important part of OCD treatment. Your provider will discuss which options are best suited to your history and symptom pattern. OCD often requires specific medication strategies and sometimes higher doses than other conditions. Finding the right approach can take time, and your provider will explain what to expect along the way.
Psychoeducation
Understanding OCD is part of managing it. Your provider helps you learn how obsessions and compulsions interact, why certain responses maintain the cycle, and what realistic improvement looks like. For family members, understanding the condition can also change how they respond to it, which matters for treatment.
Lifestyle and Coping Strategies
Stress, sleep disruption, and routine changes can all affect OCD severity. Your provider works with you on practical strategies to manage these factors, specific to how OCD shows up in your daily life.
Ongoing Monitoring
OCD symptoms can fluctuate, and treatment needs to adapt accordingly. Follow-up visits track your progress, reassess symptom severity, and adjust the plan as needed.
Coordination of Care — ERP Therapy
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is considered the gold standard therapy for OCD. We do not provide ERP or standalone psychotherapy at our practice, but we strongly encourage it as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. We recommend ERP specifically, point you toward resources to find a therapist who specializes in it, and provide referrals when needed. If you already have a therapist, we coordinate care with them directly. Medication and ERP work best together for many patients.
TMS for OCD
For patients who have not responded adequately to medication, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) may be an option. TMS is a non-invasive, FDA-cleared treatment for OCD that uses targeted magnetic pulses to stimulate specific brain circuits involved in obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
The psychiatrist, Dr. Nazarani, directly evaluates and treats all TMS patients. TMS for OCD is considered when medication and other interventions have not produced sufficient improvement.
Who We Treat
In addition to adults, we treat OCD in the following age groups, each of which requires a tailored approach.
Children and Adolescents
OCD in young people can be mistaken for behavioral issues, anxiety, or perfectionism. Children may not be able to explain why they feel compelled to do certain things. Evaluation includes developmental context, and family involvement in treatment is especially important. Parents and caregivers play a significant role in how the condition is managed at home.
Learn more about care for children →Common Questions
OCD involves specific obsessions (intrusive, unwanted thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors performed to reduce the distress). It is not about being organized or detail-oriented. The thoughts are distressing, and the behaviors are driven by a need to neutralize that distress, not by preference.
For many patients with OCD, the combination of medication and ERP therapy produces the best outcomes. We do not provide therapy at our practice, but we recommend ERP specifically, point you toward resources to find a specialist, and provide referrals when needed. If you already have a therapist, we coordinate care with them directly. Your provider will discuss whether therapy should be part of your plan.
Every situation is different. Some patients benefit from long-term medication, while others may eventually taper with their provider's guidance. Your treatment plan will be based on your response and clinical needs over time.
Yes. With appropriate treatment, many patients experience significant reduction in symptom severity and improvement in daily functioning. Treatment does not always eliminate OCD entirely, but it can make it manageable.
Family involvement can be an important part of treatment, particularly for children and adolescents. Understanding the condition, learning how to respond to compulsive behaviors, and supporting treatment are all meaningful contributions. Your provider can offer guidance on this.
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If OCD is affecting your daily life or the life of someone you care about, the first step is a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. It is where we determine what is going on and build a plan specific to your situation.