OCD Intensive Therapy

What is an OCD Intensive?

Sometimes, weekly individual therapy isn’t enough to make significant progress when struggling with OCD. If you or a loved one feel like progress is slipping or daily functioning is worsening, it might be time to explore a more intensive treatment approach. Intensive OCD therapy offers longer sessions, increased frequency, greater flexibility, and the opportunity to practice in real-world settings. These elements often lead to faster and more substantial progress compared to traditional weekly sessions.

OCD intensive therapy is offered for individuals struggling with OCD, Specific Phobias, Social Anxiety, and Panic related disorders only.

Snapshot of what makes an OCD Intensive unique

  • Find relief from even the most debilitating and severe OCD symptoms

  • Multiple hours of therapy per week tailored directly to an individuals needs and specific situation.

  • The ability to do therapy in public setting that OCD may be associated with

  • At-home therapy sessions

  • Incorporating family members or loved ones into therapy sessions

  • Ability to face OCD with a professional, in the settings that are most difficult or “triggering”.

  • Quicker progress

  • Jumpstart OCD progress rather than the traditional several weeks it takes to get started in traditional therapy.

At Trek Therapy, we have thousands of hours of intensive OCD therapy experience. We have seen some of the most intense OCD cases improve through intensive therapy. To learn more about whether this option is right for you, please reach out!

What is Obsessive compulsive Disorder?

The phrase “I’m so OCD” is often used casually in everyday conversation to describe traits like pickiness or particularity, but this trivializes the reality of living with obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD is a serious and potentially debilitating condition that goes far beyond being "particular." It often targets deeply important aspects of a person’s life, including their values, relationships, and self-worth. OCD can manifest in ways that are shameful or taboo, making it incredibly difficult to talk about openly. Unfortunately, it is frequently misunderstood or misdiagnosed by mental health and medical professionals, or mistaken for reflections of someone's character. At Trek Therapy, we understand the complexities of OCD. Whether your symptoms are distressing, embarrassing, or seem impossible to manage, we are here to help. The good news is that OCD is highly treatable, and with the right support, individuals can lead meaningful, fulfilling lives. You don’t have to face it alone.

Obsessions: The term we use for the undesired fears or themes that OCD latches onto: Harm, Contamination, Religion/scrupulosity, Sexual, etc.

OCD is a cycle. The relief that comes from compulsions never feels good enough for very long and only leads to the cycle restarting.

Compulsions: Repetitive undesired ways of thinking or acting in order to feel better, make compulsions go away, or feel safer.

Common Symptoms of OCD

OCD is very diverse, you may have all the symptoms on this list or completely different ones. That’s OK!

OCD shows up both in our thoughts and/or actions

  • Fears around harm, harming others, harm coming to you

  • Feeling contaminated by something like germs, or even morality

  • Fear of death coming to you or others, or being responsible for a death

  • Fear or obsession over relationship concerns, cheating/infidelity, attraction

  • Sexual related fears such as: being attracted to people you don’t want to be such as children, family members, sexual orientation, sexual harm, even physical sensations of arousal happening.

  • Religious based concerns or fears such as: doing something wrong, going to hell, sins, and more.

  • Obsessions around blinking, swallowing, urge to urinate.

  • Everything or certain things needing to be or feel “just right”

  • Intrusive thoughts about anything

  • Fear of throwing up

  • Fear of panic attacks

  • Obsessing about being a good or bad person

  • Constantly thinking about a mistake in the past

  • Obsessing over medical concerns or health

  • Obsessing over physical sensations in the body that feel real.

  • Obsessing about mental health, anxiety, getting better/progress.

  • Perfectionism, optimization, maximization

  • Magical thinking: “If I don’t do this something bad might happen”

  • Rituals/compulsions can come in endless forms: tapping, touching, rubbing, counting, memorizing, checking, researching, mental reviewing, “figuring it out”, overly logical, washing or cleaning, praying, reviewing memories, obsessing over physical sensations in the body, repeated thoughts or actions, avoidance, and more.

  • Some people report that their OCD is entirely mental giving themselves the title “pure O” with no obvious physical compulsions.

  • And much, much more!

We also treat OCD-related disorders at Trek Therapy.

These can include:

  • BFRB’s: Skin Picking (excoriation or dermatillomania), Hair pulling (Trichotillomania)

  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder

These disorders are often treated very similarly to OCD with some adjustment.

What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

Living with social anxiety can feel like constantly battling an invisible weight that grows heavier in social situations. Every interaction, even with friends or family, becomes a source of intense self-doubt. You overthink every word, every gesture, fearing judgment or rejection, even if others don’t notice or care. The idea of speaking up in a group or being the center of attention feels unbearable. Your heart races, palms sweat, and a feeling of dread lingers long before an event.

The mind spirals with "what-ifs"—what if I say something wrong? What if they don’t like me? This internal noise can drown out the present moment, leaving you feeling disconnected and isolated, even when surrounded by others. You might avoid social situations altogether, missing out on connections, but the isolation itself only deepens the anxiety.

On the outside, it’s easy for others to assume you're shy or introverted. Maybe you can even mask all the anxiety and completely pass for being normal. But inside, it’s a constant struggle to mask the overwhelming sense of fear. It’s not just nervousness; it's a deep-rooted worry that you’re somehow inadequate or unworthy of social inclusion. This ongoing cycle of worry and avoidance can lead to frustration, self-criticism, and a feeling of being trapped in your own mind.

Common Symptoms of Social Anxiety

Social Anxiety is very diverse, you may have all the symptoms on this list or completely different ones. That’s OK!

  • Physical anxiety symptoms throughout the body such as: sweatiness, heart racing, tension, stomach issues, headaches, and more

  • Fear of being judged

  • Fear of being the center of attention

  • Avoidance of groups of people or even leaving the house at all

  • Trouble making eye contact

  • Overthinking and rehearsing past or future social interactions

  • Catastrophic thoughts about being judged, social mistakes

  • Extremely negative self talk, low self-esteem or self compassion

  • Struggle making relationships or feeling like you fit in

  • Fear of speaking up or sharing your own opinions

  • Social interactions feel exhausting

  • Difficulty with dating.

  • And so much more!

What is Panic Disorder or Panic Attacks?

For someone experiencing panic attacks, it’s like being suddenly caught in a storm of fear with no warning. Your heart races, your chest feels tight, and it’s hard to catch your breath, making you feel like you're suffocating. Your body shakes, and you may feel dizzy or nauseous, convinced something horrible is about to happen—even if there’s no reason for it. Your mind spins with worst-case scenarios, and you feel completely out of control, as if your body is betraying you. In the moment, it’s terrifying, and no matter how much you try to calm down, it’s hard to escape the overwhelming sensations. Afterward, you’re left feeling drained and shaken, with a lingering fear that the attack could return at any time. It’s a silent struggle that others may not see, but it’s real, and it’s exhausting.

Common Symptoms of Panic Attacks

Panic attack experiences are very diverse, you may have all the symptoms on this list or completely different ones. That’s OK!

  • Intense physical symptoms can be diverse: chest tightness, shortness of breath, rapid breathing and heartbeat, dizziness, nausea, sweating, numbness, dry mouth, tingling

  • You may feel that something terrible is happening medically such as a heart attack

  • It can feel like the symptoms have come completely out of nowhere

  • You may throw up

  • Mentally you may feel terror, like something terrible is going to happen

  • You might feel out of control, a sense of being out of your body or dissociated, or that things don’t feel real around you.

  • Intense anxiety

  • You may a strong urge to escape, this can even include suicidal thoughts or urges

  • Between panic attacks you may be in a constant state of fear of when the next attack will happen.

  • You may start to avoid more places or avoid leaving the house or your room in the hopes that this will prevent another attack.

  • You may be afraid of having a panic attack in places that would feel dangerous, or embarrassing such as in public, on an airplane, at work, etc.

  • You might feel completely powerless and lacking control over panic.

  • Ultimately, the more you try to fix the panic, the more panic you experience.