Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Service

The Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Service specializes in diagnosing children with OCD and providing them with individualized treatment using cognitive behavior therapy. This includes exposure and response prevention (ERP), which is the gold-standard treatment for children struggling with OCD and related disorders. For children and adolescents experiencing significant impairment, we also have an Intensive OCD Program that provides a greater level of care.

Developed by Jerry Bubrick, PhD, who was a nationally recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of OCD, the OCD Service has provided individual treatment for thousands of children in the NYC metro area and from around the world struggling with OCD and related disorders.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is one of the leading causes of mental health struggles in children and adolescents. Children with OCD are plagued with unwanted obsessions — thoughts, images and impulses — that cause anxiety.

In an attempt to fend off their anxiety, children with OCD will perform ritualized or repeated behaviors called compulsions. It may sometimes seem that children with OCD like doing things in a repetitive or set manner, but they are actually seeking to avoid anxiety. OCD can be devastating to a child’s life and can impact all areas of functioning, including life at home, at school and with friends.

There is a spectrum of disorders that share clinical characteristics with OCD and are treated in similar ways. Clinicians in the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Service have expertise in treating these disorders, which include:

• Trichotillomania
• Tourette’s syndrome
• Illness anxiety disorder
• Hoarding
• Body dysmorphic disorder
• Skin picking
• Chronic tic disorders
• Social anxiety disorder

Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is a technique that works by helping children address their obsessions in incremental steps in a safe, controlled environment. This allows children to experience anxiety and distress without resorting to compulsions, giving them a sense of control. By facing the symptoms head-on, children learn to tolerate their anxiety and, over time, they will discover that their anxiety has actually decreased.  In addition to sessions held at the Child Mind Institute, we can also work on exposures in other real-world locations such as on buses, in restaurants, around the city, and more.

Parents are our partners in care.  Our clinical team will train caregivers in the dos and don’ts of parenting an anxious child.  We also offer separate parent sessions to keep parents informed and ensure they are active participants in treatment

The frequency and intensity of treatment is determined by the severity of a child’s symptoms. For children with mild to moderate symptoms, weekly or twice-weekly sessions are usually recommended. If a child’s symptoms are severe, we may recommend our Intensive OCD Program, which offers treatment three hours a day, five days a week, and can make an extraordinary difference in a relatively short period of time. We tailor the length of treatment to each child depending on their specific needs. For some kids, this process can prevent a hospitalization.

If a child needs medication along with CBT, or has a co-occurring condition such as depression or a learning difference, we work with our team of child and adolescent psychiatrists, learning specialists and neuropsychologists at the Child Mind Institute. We can also partner with a child’s current therapist or psychiatrist.

To make an appointment, call us at 212.308.3118 or request an appointment online.