Psychoanalytic Therapy vs OCD Therapy

Well-executed OCD treatment is very distinct from standard psychoanalytic therapy.  Clients are often surprised at the different energy and must readjust their expectations.  Here are the top four ways in which OCD therapy differs from standard Psychoanalytic therapy:

1. OCD Therapy assigns homework

Homework for OCD treatment is a critical component of the therapy.  Every serious OCD therapist assigns exposures and compulsion logs.  Therapists may take some time to reach out between sessions to assure that their client continues progress throughout the week.  

2. Psychoanalytic therapy is client-directed while OCD therapy is therapist-directed.

Though sometimes it may be necessary to honor the client’s immediate needs, OCD therapy cannot be hijacked by current stressors.  While sometimes therapists and clients step back from OCD work in order to examine a time-sensitive crisis, usually these conversations are a distraction from the OCD and can suck important energy from the long-term process.  Likewise, because OCD tends to entrench, jumping from crisis to crisis session after session can be a defense mechanism to keep from confronting the obsessions and compulsions.  

3. In OCD therapy, each session has a defined purpose and moves a client closer towards their specific goals.   

Psychoanalytic therapy ebbs and flows with client’s readiness, mood shifts, and energy.  OCD therapy should generally follow a prepared plan.  OCD therapy is not meant to be long term, but rather focused, intense, and purposeful.  While psychoanalytic therapy can last for years, true OCD therapy may only be needed for a few months.   An OCD therapist needs to continually be checking in to see if progress is in fact measurable.   

4. OCD therapy sometimes leaves a client feeling dysregulated, whereas psychoanalytic therapy is usually designed to be soothing.  

Unfortunately, OCD therapists must accept the fact that we are often pushing our clients out of their comfort zones and don’t get the privilege of being short term “nice”.  Evidence based Exposure Response Prevention shows us, however, that compassionate but firm treatment for compulsions is necessary for OCD healing.  While we do not get to always show short-term empathy and allow our clients to choose an easier path, OCD therapists believe that the most compassionate thing we can do is set our clients up to succeed long term.  

Please contact Kairos Wellness Collective to schedule a consultation to learn more about OCD Therapy and our other resources.