Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by obsessions (intrusive or unwanted thoughts, feelings, urges, or mental images) and compulsions (mental or physical behaviors done to stop, reduce, or avoid obsessions). Though OCD in the media is often depicted as being related to either germs or needing things to be orderly, OCD can attach to any topic: from worries about whether or not your partner is “the one”, to worries that you are attracted to someone or something inappropriate, to fears that you might be a bad person if you do not complete a particular action.

According to research conducted by the International OCD Foundation, between 81-98% of individuals with OCD are not receiving effective, evidence-based care. Here at Reveal Counseling, we use Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, the gold-standard treatment for OCD and one of the most established and effective treatment models.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that is the result of directly experiencing or vicariously witnessing an extremely dangerous, stressful, or potentially violent event. Most have some difficulty adjusting after a traumatic event, but if severe symptoms persist, they might meet criteria for Acute Stress Disorder or PTSD.

Some symptoms of PTSD include having intrusive thoughts or dreams about the event, or having a strong physical reaction when something reminds you of it. You might try to avoid triggers or thinking about it, become more irritable or jumpy, or have difficulty sleeping or concentrating. You might even blame yourself.

These symptoms are your brain’s way of coping with something incredibly distressing, and it is doing its best to prevent it from happening again. This is incredibly common, and you are not alone. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) are incredibly effective treatments for trauma-related mental health conditions.

There are many different forms of anxiety, from worries about daily life and responsibilities, to health, to social situations, panic disorders, or specific phobias.  Anxiety is normal and helpful for every human, and it’s protective. Without anxiety, we wouldn’t look both ways before crossing the street, we wouldn’t bother with emergency funds, we’d walk a little too close to the edge of a cliff.

• But when anxiety grows beyond this, when it is no longer helpful and instead interferes with our life, work, or daily functioning, is when it might benefit from receiving treatment. Both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) are clinically effective for this.

The founders of Reveal Counseling are both queer and neurodivergent and strive to offer practices that are affirming to those with these marginalized identities. We recognize that, although the treatment methods we provide are evidence-based in nature, the foundations of medical research have historically left out minority-group populations. We will remain humble while serving our clients and be mindful of feedback on what is and is not helpful, rather than assuming one specific approach to treatment is the key to success.