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Many people misunderstand the diagnosis of OCD as simply a preference for cleanliness or organization. In reality, it is a significant mental health condition that causes debilitating intrusive thought patterns and distressing compulsive behaviors, both of which can severely impact your everyday life.
You can find relief through OCD treatment without medication. The team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic in Palo Alto, California, helps people overcome their OCD symptoms using neurofeedback and psychotherapies.
OCD is a chronic mental health condition. It occurs when a person has recurring, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) and uses specific behaviors (compulsions) to attempt to decrease or get rid of the obsessions.
Sometimes, obsessions and compulsions are clearly connected. For example, an obsessive fear of contamination might lead to a compulsion to clean.
Other times, the link isn’t as obvious, especially to others. A person might feel an overwhelming need for things to feel or look just right, even if they can’t fully explain why. These urges may not always seem logical or consistent, but they are felt deeply and are difficult to ignore.
Anyone can experience unwanted thoughts or anxiety-driven behaviors from time to time. With OCD, these symptoms cause significant distress and disruption to daily life and normal routines. OCD can prevent you from living a normal life because your thoughts and actions feel beyond your control.
If you’re concerned about having obsessions and compulsions that are starting to take over your life, call Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic today to schedule a consultation.
OCD isn’t limited to just one demographic or social group—it can affect anyone. An estimated 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children in the United States have OCD. Most people with OCD begin to experience symptoms by the time they reach adolescence.
The condition is more common in those with:
Medication is a common intervention for OCD. It often has a place in mental health treatment, but it doesn’t make up the whole picture. OCD treatments without medication help individuals identify their underlying anxieties, stressors, and triggers and then provide support as they create healthier thought patterns and coping strategies.
The team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic uses several treatment methods to help patients who have OCD. These non-medication interventions offer alternative OCD treatment options that may have fewer side effects and can lead to long-term healing.
Neurofeedback is a form of brain training used to treat OCD. It’s an all-natural approach that makes lasting changes at the source: imbalanced brain waves.
Research proves that neurofeedback is an effective way to help improve brain function, including for those with OCD. Guided by your brain map, your provider can use neurofeedback to train your brain and restore a more balanced environment.
Light therapy improves cellular function and stimulates energy production, activities that can significantly improve your mood. This non-invasive approach can be particularly effective for seasonal patterns of depression.
Therapy is the most common intervention for OCD, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is highly effective. CBT empowers individuals to examine their thought patterns and respond to them more effectively.
The team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic offers cognitive behavioral therapy and other forms of psychotherapy to help you with your OCD. In CBT, clients build a supportive, caring relationship with one of the team’s psychologists.
Our team can determine which treatment options will be most effective, based on your unique situation and needs. Together, you can learn to decrease your symptoms of OCD and retake control of your life.
Undergoing a thorough assessment gives you a better understanding of how best to move forward with an effective treatment plan for your OCD. It’s common to have a coexisting condition with OCD, and it’s important to identify all possible diagnoses to ensure a proper treatment plan.
The team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic uses multiple specialized tests that provide insights into your symptoms, written out clearly for you in your assessment report. The report also includes clear next steps to start you on your OCD treatment path.
Treatment plans are individualized, so timelines for results vary from case to case. Individuals participating in talk therapy, like CBT, often experience improvements after a few sessions. Clients may see significant or complete results in around six months to a year, depending on the number of sessions. Neurofeedback may take longer to show substantial improvements.
Improvements are generally incremental, so clients can start to see symptom improvements early on. The full length of a treatment plan offers deeper healing, insights, and future-focused recovery.
The Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic does not accept health insurance. However, we’re happy to offer a superbill for services rendered, which you can use to seek reimbursement from your insurance provider. Reach out to speak to a member of our team about costs and financial barriers to treatment.
OCD treatment without drugs is an excellent option for children. Therapy options like CBT come with minimal risks, offering children a safe way to address their obsessive thoughts and change their compulsive behavior patterns.
Therapy can be an especially effective OCD treatment for kids who are still learning to understand and process their own thoughts and feelings. Support from a clinician (along with the child’s parents) offers insights that they may not be able to access on their own.
Neuropsychological assessments are an invaluable diagnostic tool for psychiatric, developmental, and neurocognitive conditions like ADHD, depression, autism, and dementia. The team at Abbey Neuropsychology Clinic in Palo Alto, California…..
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our service received today on our initial sessions preparation call was excellent. Julia did a first-class, thorough and helpful job. We were very appreciative of her knowledge and helpful approach. Donovan Byrd2024-06-13Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Lemme just put in the review first YET i have not particiapted with their activities with Abbey. I would love to participate but just want to genuinely ask how do people afford this without insurance (500+ per therapy sessinon and ~7k evaluation) on a regular basis. Or are there any other ways that can compensate the fees. Any insights are greatly appreciated! Cancy Han2023-10-18Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I'm a successful startup founder but in the last 20 years I've spent over $250k on doctors, psychiatrists, therapists, dual-diagnosis clinics, and even crazy stuff like IV-ketamine therapy to figure out "what is wrong with my brain". The Abbey Clinic gave me the answers; now they're providing my therapy. I have yet to find a comparable clinic in the Bay Area. For me, they were truly a lifesaver. Shout-out to Dr Korsmo, Dr Barrett, Jordann, and Andrew. 🙏 Pete Curley2023-01-04Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Reports show tremendous improvements in simple attention, complex attention, executive functioning, cognitive flexibility and tremendous improvement in alpha and beta waves control after 6 months. We saw immediate improvement in communication after the first month. Later on, we saw improvement in attention and executive functioning. The team we are working with at Abbey clinic is professional, friendly and supportive. Special thanks to Andrew Moses who conducts the Bi-weekly sessions. He is very nice and friendly. We would also like to thank Rachel and Paula who meet with us to discuss and explain the reports, results and future plans. Sally El-Ogeil2022-12-25Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Amazing place to work! Rachael Little2022-12-17Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I feel that my experience with Abby has been excellent. The price is very very high and insurance usually does not cover it but it is definitely worth it if you have a lot of money to spare. I feel almost like a completely different person now, more focused, less anxious, and more relaxed. H S2022-12-17Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We were fortunate to hear about Abbey Clinic from our neighbor. I had no idea how to find a therapist. Both my kids are pretty regular learners and didn't really need much support outside of school, but when my teenager's life went completely sideways junior year from a brain injury, the biggest help were the sessions with Rachael Little. The sessions taught him coping skills and methods to approach life. He is doing so well in college and still uses the things he learned with Rachael. Thank you! Greta Kim2022-05-28Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. All 5 members of my family have been served by Abbey Clinic - it's that good. We started with one kid as a test, and then continued on through the whole family because the experience with the first was so great. The report and insights given from the testing of my 3 kids has been hugely beneficial to their school and social lives. My daughter did brain training to help with her ADHD. We saw noticeable improvement. The same teenage daughter has made wonderful progress with her anxiety by meeting with Dr. Stephanie Abbey for psychotherapy. Personally, I met with Rachael for psychotherapy to help with my Autism. It was the kind of thing where I knew I needed to do it, and my wife encouraged me, but I wasn't very excited and definitely a little nervous about embarking into psychotherapy. Now looking back, I am THRILLED with the outcome. Rachael equipped me with frameworks and tools to make my life (and those around me) SOO much better. Our family is incredibly grateful for our interactions with Abbey Clinic. Strongly recommend! Stefan Lusvardi2022-05-26