Treatment for OCD in Children in New York
Is your child struggling with repetitive thoughts or doubts that are causing them fear and anxiety? Do they have a preoccupation with germs or dirt to the extent that they wash their hands excessively or avoid touching certain surfaces? Are they easily agitated if they do not follow the rules and rituals that OCD demands of them?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can impact kids very early in their childhood years. When children begin displaying signs of OCD, it may affect every area of their lives. Read on to learn more about the symptoms and where to seek treatment.
Understanding Childhood OCD
Most people are surprised to hear that OCD is highly prevalent in kids. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 1 out of every 200 children is affected by OCD in their life. There are a number of reasons why OCD symptoms begin manifesting in children. Besides genetics, some other causes could be that they are experiencing more anxiety from conflict at home, life transitions or traumatic incidents.
With the best of intentions, you may have told or heard someone tell your child, “Stop behaving like that.” However, for anyone suffering from OCD, they need strategies to stop the unwanted behavior. The problem with saying, “stop,” is that they can’t just make the obsessions go away.
Their behaviors are influenced and dictated by obsessive thoughts that ruminate in their mind. Forcing a child to resist these behaviors can actually strengthen their negative thought patterns, which become more influential over the child.
Signs and Symptoms of OCD
Perhaps your child is having trouble paying attention at school because they’re constantly focused on their thoughts. Or maybe they are so stressed out by having to regulate their behavior that they often have headaches or stomach issues that prevent them from going to school. Signs of OCD in children can include:
- Obsessing or worrying: They may become obsessed with details and the need to know or remember everything. They might also have constant worries, such as thinking about loved ones dying or going away.
- Compulsions or rituals: Rituals and repetitive behaviors, such as checking and re-checking, counting and recounting, or handwashing, may be disrupting their life or forcing you to schedule things around their compulsions.
- Stress and anxiety: Obsessions and rituals can lead to significant stress for children with OCD. Your child might seem anxious, worried or frustrated. They may also be tired or get upset when they cannot carry out a ritual. Or maybe their sense of self-worth is suffering because they have trouble socializing at school, making friends or participating in activities.
- Physical signs: OCD can even impact children’s physical health. For instance, severe food adversities may be negatively affecting your child’s diet or eating habits. Their skin may even turn raw or rough from washing or bathing excessively.
Parents only want the best for their children, but they don’t always have the tools needed to intervene on their own. However, with the help of OCD treatment for children at Courageous Kids Counseling, you can gain the awareness and skills needed to help your child manage symptoms and overcome OCD.
When to Seek Help
If your child has symptoms of OCD that interfere with their daily life or cause distress, reach out to a mental health professional. More specifically, if symptoms take up more than a few minutes of the day or if you find yourself changing your behavior or routines to accommodate your child’s OCD, it’s likely time to see a professional.
For example, symptoms might keep your child from getting to school on time or make it hard for them to get ready for bed in a reasonable amount of time. You might also notice your child performing tasks to relieve stress or anxiety, rather than for play and enjoyment.
Types of OCD Treatment For Kids
OCD has a way of consuming people’s lives — children especially. Fortunately, through treatment for OCD in children, your young one can learn the necessary strategies to stop these unwanted behaviors so they can lead a happier life. Effective treatment methods can include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques: One method we use is CBT, which focuses on how thoughts, emotions and behaviors influence and feed off one another.
- Exposure therapy techniques: We also use exposure therapy, or exposure and response prevention (ERP), where we safely walk your child through situations where they may feel the need to act on their impulses. Using their imagination, we will collaborate with your child to use what they learned with us in real-time to interrupt their behaviors.
Dealing with OCD can be debilitating for children. Child OCD therapy services provide a safe place where children can work on overcoming their obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. It teaches them new strategies to interrupt their behavior patterns in a way that is healthy, productive and self-affirming.
Our Approach to OCD Treatment for Children
At Courageous Kids Counseling, we take the following approach in treating OCD in kids:
Discussing History
We will begin the therapy process with a free consultation to discuss the behaviors and thoughts that prevent your child from living a fulfilling life. During this first session, we will ask you to fill out an intake form that will go into more detail about your child and their history.
Validating Experiences and Establishing Trust
We understand that OCD is overwhelming enough for children, especially when it requires working in a new environment. That’s why we believe that it’s better to take things one step at a time and begin by validating and normalizing their experience first.
Instead of changing their behavior to correct them immediately, we work to establish a relationship with them and earn their trust. We want to empower your child to know that we are here to help them and that change is possible.
Interrupting OCD Thoughts and Behavior Patterns
Though in subsequent child OCD treatment sessions, we may continue talking about what is contributing to your child’s obsessive thoughts and behaviors, we place more emphasis on interrupting unhelpful thoughts and behavior patterns. We do this through a few different therapeutic methods, including CBT and exposure therapy.
Tracking Progress and Successes
At times, we will even suggest keeping a video journal or writing about experiences so children can see how they modified their behaviors between child OCD treatment sessions.
The Parent’s Role In Childhood OCD Treatment
Helping kids learn how to cope with OCD is a collaborative experience in counseling. We encourage parents to help their child in the following ways:
- Discussing strategies that work: Parents are strongly encouraged to be part of this process by providing information and learning strategies that help their children.
- Practice between sessions: Parents also need to help keep their children accountable for practicing altered behaviors between sessions.
- Positive reinforcement: When a child resists their compulsions, it can be helpful for parents to use positive reinforcement techniques, which we can teach in our sessions together.
- Open communication with us: In some cases, many parents believe their children may be exhibiting signs of OCD after an illness. Known as PANDAS, OCD behaviors occur after a child recovers from a strep throat infection. If you believe this may be the situation for your child, please let us know so we can treat their behaviors because of PANDAS.
In the past, you may have felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. OCD treatment for children is a process that takes time, but it provides a remarkable transformation in their life.
Benefits of OCD Treatment for Kids
Here are just a few of the benefits OCD treatment can provide for your child:
- Validation and acceptance: OCD can be an isolating experience for many children, which leads them to believe that they are the only ones who deal with it. However, therapy helps children to see that a lot of other kids struggle with unwanted behaviors also. This can help them feel acceptance and confidence in therapy.
- Reducing symptoms: We can help your child identify their OCD symptoms and practice changing unhealthy behaviors over time. Children can learn to face their fears without engaging in compulsive behaviors, often reducing the intensity of obsessions and frequency of compulsions.
- Improved quality of life: When OCD symptoms are no longer in their way, children can navigate life with less stress and better well-being. They can engage more fully in school, feel more confident and less isolated in social situations and forge healthier relationships with peers.
- Stronger family relationships: OCD treatment for your child might also improve the bonds within your family. At Courageous Kids Counseling, we take a collaborative approach with children and their families, empowering you to support your child and help them overcome their symptoms. This can reduce stress at home and help you understand your child better, knowing how to minimize triggers and encourage positive behaviors.
- Long-term stability: With regular therapy sessions and treatments, we can help your child learn the situations that might trigger their OCD symptoms and ways to address them. This way, they can move through life with more confidence, knowing they can control their symptoms.
Schedule a Consultation for Compassionate Child OCD Therapy Services
OCD doesn’t need to control your child’s daily life. At Courageous Kids Counseling, we understand the importance of early intervention to make sure your child gets the support they need. Our experienced team specializes in personalized treatment plans, so we can address your child’s specific challenges with OCD. We offer flexible scheduling options and are here to answer your questions and guide you through the process of starting treatment.
Begin your child’s journey to healing. Request a free consultation with us today.
Meet Our Team
Erica Smuckler
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Owner & Clinical Director
Specializing In
TraumaDepressionAnxiety
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Frequently Asked Questions and Concerns About OCD Treatment Services for Kids
You may still have questions about OCD treatment for children. Here are our answers to common questions and concerns:
1. Does Childhood OCD Go Away?
OCD is highly treatable, especially in children — whose brains are still highly malleable and teachable. However, anxiety is usually at the root of most OCD issues, so it may be possible that stress could trigger some symptoms in the future. Fortunately, by learning how to manage anxiety, your child can respond to stress effectively. In that way, treating OCD in children early will help them lead more fulfilling lives later on.
2. My Child’s OCD Is So Bad, I’m Not Sure What Can Be Done at This Point
OCD is a debilitating condition, but with support and knowledge, your child absolutely can start to feel better. In OCD treatment for kids, will help your child learn helpful behaviors that relieve their anxiety so they no longer have to rely on faulty coping mechanisms that disrupt their life. In turn, they can feel calmer, secure and more confident in who they are.
3. How Do You Help a Child With OCD at Home?
You can help your child by participating in their OCD therapy and reinforcing positive behaviors at home. We’ll help you make a plan for exposure therapy and support your child as they work through their triggers. For instance, if your child is fearful of germs, you might encourage them to pick up garbage from the floor or clean the dishes.
We also encourage parents to contact us between sessions if they need additional help. By collaborating, we can provide the best treatment possible for your child.
4. What if a Child Doesn’t Practice the Strategies They Learn in Therapy?
Change is hard, so we start slowly to provide education on how anxiety and OCD work. It’s a process, but we will gradually introduce strategies to help your child find long-lasting relief. Our best advice is to have patience as your child works to unlearn unhelpful behaviors. We can always revisit and modify our OCD treatment plans for your child.
