Effective Therapy for Teens with OCD
If you’ve landed on this page, chances are you suspect your teenager has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and you’re trying to figure out the best way to help them.
If you're not sure whether your teen has OCD, below are some red flags your son or daughter might show:
If you're not sure whether your teen has OCD, below are some red flags your son or daughter might show:
- Repeated questions
- Needing to say or do things a certain way
- Complaints of strange or anxiety-provoking persistent thoughts
- Spending too much time on daily routines (e.g., washing hands or body repeatedly)
- Odd or repetitive behaviors (e.g., stepping, tapping, blinking, arranging)
Parenting a teenager with OCD
We do not get a manual when we become parents! And when we throw OCD into the picture - knowing how to best support your teen becomes much harder. On a daily basis, you might struggle with:
- I’ve answered the same question hundreds of times… but he keeps asking them, and I’m not sure my answers are helping!
- Sometimes she gets so stuck in a ritual (e.g., washing hands, tapping, counting, etc). I don’t know how to help her stop.
- When he or she feels nervous about something, it’s so hard to know how to help! Should I encourage him to do what is triggering his anxiety? Or should I avoid these situations for now, so that he doesn’t get so worked up?
If these are questions you’ve been asking yourself, you are not alone! I’ve heard them hundreds of times and though there are no easy answers, with effective OCD treatment – you will learn to navigate these tough situations effectively. And most importantly, you will learn to support your child or teen in beating OCD.
There are a lot of things that make parenting today harder than it was 20 years ago. But thankfully one thing that we can say is definitely easier today is access to effective OCD treatment for children and teens. We are lucky to live in an age where we know (based on tons of research!) that Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the most effective treatment for adults and children with OCD.
What exactly is ERP?
ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is a critical part of effective OCD treatment. ERP means that your child will learn to face their fears AND gradually stop doing the compulsions or rituals that they feel they NEED to do. Starting to do exposures is tough, but we will ease into it. We might first try delaying the compulsion or changing it.
In ERP your teen will practice facing their fears in a warm and supportive environment. With lots of exposure practice, they will learn:
In ERP your teen will practice facing their fears in a warm and supportive environment. With lots of exposure practice, they will learn:
- How to label thoughts as obsessive (e.g., persistent worry about feeling contaminated, not having things be “just right”, etc.)
- Having obsessive thoughts feels uncomfortable, but that discomfort is actually completely safe and will subside
- Doing a ritual to feel less anxious feels better in the moment, but only makes OCD stronger in the long run
- Resisting the urge to engage in a compulsion gets easier with practice
ERP Therapy for Teens with OCD
When choosing a therapist for your teen, working with someone with extensive experience and training in working with youth is essential.
A therapist specialized in working with teens with OCD should keep you closely in the loop about treatment because it is so important that YOU (the parent or caregiver) learn every skill that your teen learns in session.
I typically meet with patients for one weekly therapy session (50 minutes) – so lots of practice needs to happen between sessions in order for your child to experience improvement quickly.
Who better to support this practice than their parent (s) ? And importantly with teens - how do you do this in a way that is not perceived as annoying or cringe? We'll come up with a plan together that you and your teen can stick to.
I typically meet with patients for one weekly therapy session (50 minutes) – so lots of practice needs to happen between sessions in order for your child to experience improvement quickly.
Who better to support this practice than their parent (s) ? And importantly with teens - how do you do this in a way that is not perceived as annoying or cringe? We'll come up with a plan together that you and your teen can stick to.
Parents and I work together as a TEAM to help their teen learn to beat OCD.
Is my teen actually doing ERP therapy?
Unfortunately, I’ve had many families tell me their teen has been in therapy before and it didn’t work for them. But when I hear more about the therapy, I realize that usually what they’ve been doing is not CBT or ERP (the gold-standard, research-based treatment for OCD). Instead, I often hear that they have been working on a mix of:
- General talk therapy without a clear plan of working toward the teen learning to face their OCD triggers
- Focusing on relaxation skills when feeling nervous (e.g., deep breathing, how to try to distract yourself from obsessive thoughts, how to think positive)
- Therapist working exclusively with the teen, without including parent and discussing specific strategies on how to continue supporting them in managing OCD symptoms at home
Although general talk therapy and learning relaxation skills may be helpful for other issues, there is no research showing its effectiveness in the treatment of children and teens with OCD.
If your teen has OCD and their therapy is focused on some of the activities listed above, please be cautious and consider seeking a second opinion.
If your teen has OCD and their therapy is focused on some of the activities listed above, please be cautious and consider seeking a second opinion.
Should my teen start therapy for OCD?
Sometimes starting therapy is a tough decision to make because parents might feel guilty or ashamed about their child needing more help than they, as a parent, can provide. Some parents might feel that bringing their teen to therapy means that there is something wrong with them or that they are "crazy." But if your child is struggling with a toothache or chronic stomachaches – do you feel embarrassed about calling the dentist or a GI specialist?
We’ve made great strides as a society in reducing the stigma around seeking mental health services, but we’ve still got a lot to work to do on this front. OCD is a known illness with very effective, science-backed treatments. Don't let guilt or shame hold you back from doing what is best for your child.
We’ve made great strides as a society in reducing the stigma around seeking mental health services, but we’ve still got a lot to work to do on this front. OCD is a known illness with very effective, science-backed treatments. Don't let guilt or shame hold you back from doing what is best for your child.
OCD Therapy with Dr. Eli Penela
Making that call to start treatment for your teen is hard for many parents. Once you decide to make that call, I'd be honored to be part of your family’s journey toward helping your teen beat OCD. You can learn more about my expert training and approach to therapy to see if I'd be a good fit for your family.
I provide effective OCD therapy in English and Spanish throughout Florida and most states via tele-health (see all 43 states here). I also offer in-person sessions from my office in South Florida (Pembroke Pines).
I provide effective OCD therapy in English and Spanish throughout Florida and most states via tele-health (see all 43 states here). I also offer in-person sessions from my office in South Florida (Pembroke Pines).
