Therapy for OCD

OCD has taken over your life.

It tells you what you can and cannot do, with whom and when. You follow its directions, rules, and rituals; you feel a temporary relief from the anxiety and fear.

But  OCD has given you false direction.

It always brings you back the square one, needing you to do it all over again, sometimes with new rules and rituals.

It is time to break the cycle and regain your power and strength.

When you schedule a session with me, we will work together to tolerate the discomfort, the unknown, and the uncertainty.

Ever since you were young, you’ve had unpleasant thoughts that have distracted you from living your life. No matter what you were doing or who you were with, your mind would create scenarios you couldn’t ignore. And as each one came up, you started to doubt who you are. In fact, you lost the ability to be adventurous and curious about life.

Now here you are as an adult and you are afraid you’re never going to get control.

A lot of the time you feel defeated and you’re not sure what your next steps are. Sometimes it seems like you’re broken.

You’ve grown used to being on edge and unsettled, but the feeling like something bad is going to happen keeps growing. You know if you don’t address it, you’re life will always feel limited.

When you seek support for OCD from Dr. Menije

• You will gain freedom from the limitations of OCD and build a more loving relationship with yourself
• You will have a clear picture of who you are so who you are in the world matches who you are inside
• You will know you are capable of getting out of your comfort zone so you can reach the new potential you hadn’t considered before
• You will have an easier experience living a life which will help you be more present in the special moments
• You will stop attaching meaning to your thoughts so you can stop blaming yourself for having different thoughts

The OCD Therapy Process

OCD Counseling is intended to help you tolerate your anxiety and to reduce your need to repeat certain patterns in your life. The goal in therapy is to give you better and healthier tools to manage your OCD and get back in charge.

Together, you and I will learn about different facets of OCD and work toward redefining the path you are on.

We will meet together weekly, for 50-minute sessions, and you will start to feel more clear and hopeful within a few weeks. Seeking therapy for OCD can be a short or long-term treatment option that depends on multiple factors, such as the severity of symptoms, history of treatment, one’s insight into OCD, other medical conditions and individual circumstances.

Here’s what to expect:
The therapy process starts with a Free 20-minute consultation. You will have the opportunity to elaborate on your current experiences that you wish to address in therapy. You will also learn more about my approach to treating OCD and cost.

During the first 2 to 3 sessions, we will have the intake process where we gather all the information we need to create a strong and accurate plan for you. After the first session, you will fill out a few forms to better evaluate the severity of your presenting problems. The comprehensive intake evaluation will help us identify the specific triggers and get a clear picture of your anxiety symptoms, as well as identify other components that may influence the treatment outcome. This process is necessary to create an individualized treatment plan that will be successful in helping you overcome OCD.

On-going sessions are designed to redefine your life with OCD. The goal of therapy is not to remove or cure OCD but to give you tools and insight that will help you break free from the limitations caused by the OCD symptoms. I utilize Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which are both evidence-based treatments for anxiety disorders. Each of these modalities has unique qualities and focus while complimentary for an effective outcome.

In sessions, you will learn to uncover underlying thoughts, attitudes and belief systems you may have that are unhealthy, negative or rigid. Once we identify these unhealthy thought patterns our goal is to find ways to challenge and reframe them. In addition to addressing your thoughts, we also explore behavioral changes to support your new way of thinking and at times use these action goals to challenge your thoughts. You will also learn how to practice balanced and flexible thinking to combat the black or white thinking OCD is used to view the world.

In ERP, a form of behavioral therapy, you will learn to confront your anxiety and fears by creating a hierarchy, which is the Exposure part of the model. The other part, Response prevention, is learning to do the opposite of your previous actions, compulsions, or urges. By exposing yourself to your worst fear and not doing what your OCD is telling you to do, you will learn that your worst fears will not come through and that body automatically in time reduces the anxiety. Over time and with enough practice, you will regain your strength, confidence, and sense of empowerment back into your life.

While you will never stop practicing ERP and challenging your unhealthy thoughts, after some time and significant improvement, you and I will review your treatment process and discuss ending therapy. We will create a termination plan to ensure that you have a solid idea on how to maintain your new behaviors and changes and have a strong support system to rely on.

OCD loves perfection and makes you believe that more you seek certainty the more perfect you are. By learning to embrace the uncertainty and the imperfection, you will build a sense of trust, compassion, and love in yourself.

More About Me

Hi, I’m Dr. Menije and I am passionate about helping you be in charge of your life, not OCD.

I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of California, San Diego Angeles and furthered my education with a master’s degree in psychology from Pepperdine’s University and a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. I am a licensed psychologist in the state of CA.

I have been treating OCD and OCD Spectrum Disorders since 2012. I completed the Behavioral Training offered by the International OCD Foundation’s Training Institute. Half of my practice focuses on OCD and Anxiety related experiences.
Therapy with me is the place to change your patterns and strengthen your self-confidence. Together, we will work on helping you break free from the vicious cycle of anxiety and judgment and instead build a true sense of trust in yourself.

Who Benefits Most from OCD Therapy

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often a long-lasting mental disorder in which a person has intrusive, unwanted, and reoccurring thoughts, images, or sensations (obsessions), and engage in repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) to reduce the anxiety caused by these thoughts.

OCD affects 2.2 million adults or 2% of the U.S. population at some point in their lives. OCD is equally common among men and women. It typically first appears in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood.

You will benefit from treatment for OCD if you are experiencing unwanted thoughts and anxiety about:

• Contracting an illness or contaminating others
• Losing control and harming yourself or others
• Religious or moral ideas, such as fear that you may have done something spiritually or morally wrong, or offend God.
• Not living in accordance with your true sexual orientation, that you might be with the wrong romantic partner, or you may not be faithful to your partner.
• Unwanted sexual thoughts about children.
• Uncertainty of intimate relationships.

You will benefit from treatment for OCD if you are experiencing behaviors or mental acts that include:

• Excessive double-checking of things, such as locks, appliances, and switches
• Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they’re safe
• Counting, tapping, repeating certain words
• Spending a lot of time washing or cleaning
• Praying excessively or engaging in rituals triggered by religious fear
• Seeking reassurances from others or the internet, such as google search
• Avoiding people, places, or things
• Making mental lists or reviewing thoughts, conversations, or actions

What does OCD Therapy cost?

Therapy for the treatment of OCD is a fee for service program, and I accept all major forms of payment. Please visit the Payment and Insurance tab under Getting Started for my session fees.

Due to my desire to make sure you maintain maximum privacy and wanting to provide you with the highest level of care possible without constraints from managed care, I am an out-of-network provider for all insurance panels; therefore, I am not affiliated with any insurance panel. Many PPO plans may reimburse in full or in part for my services. Unfortunately, HMO, Medi-Cal, and Medicare insurances do not reimburse, as they require that you see someone on their panel.

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Where and When Can I Schedule My First Session?

My office is conveniently located at 20501 Ventura Blvd, Suite 395, Woodland Hills CA 91364.

I also serve Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Tarzana, Encino, and the surrounding communities.

Your Next Steps

It is possible to feel empowered and confident to live your best life.

You will be able to manage the symptoms of OCD. You will also see that you can have your ideal life and pursue your dreams. Ultimately, you’ll find a way to get unstuck and start living the endless possibilities.

Right now, being in control of your OCD symptoms feels far off, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start taking the necessary steps to reduce the limitations of these symptoms. Your OCD will no longer steal your joy. You will have an easier experience of living a life, which will help you be more present in the special moments.

Your OCD does not have to mean that your life will always be chaotic. You are completely capable of busting out of your comfort zone, taking ownership of your dreams, and creating a new sense of self. You will repair your relationship with yourself and build a foundation based on self-trust, self-compassion, and acceptance.

To schedule an appointment for individual therapy sessions, please fill out the contact form and I will respond no later than 24 hours to schedule our free phone consultation

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