Structured group and individual therapy several days a week, with ERP at the center, while you live at home and keep up with work or school.
What we treat
OCD treatment
in Houston
Intrusive thoughts that will not let go, and the rituals you feel you have to perform to quiet them. OCD can take over hours of your day and wear you down. You do not have to manage it alone. We help you find care that works, and a way to take your days back.
Outpatient care in Montrose, Houston. Most major insurance accepted.
Understanding OCD
More than being tidy
or particular.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is widely misunderstood. It is not about liking things neat. OCD is a cycle of unwanted, distressing thoughts and the repeated behaviors a person uses to relieve them.
OCD runs on two parts that feed each other. Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that spike anxiety. Compulsions are the behaviors or mental rituals you repeat to make that distress go away, like washing, checking, counting, or seeking reassurance. The relief never lasts, so the cycle starts again. The National Institute of Mental Health describes OCD as recurring, uncontrollable obsessions, compulsions, or both.
OCD is more common than many people realize. NIMH estimates that about 1.2% of U.S. adults have OCD in a given year, and roughly 2.3% will at some point in their lives. It can center on almost any theme, from contamination to fears of harm to a need for symmetry. Wherever it shows up, it responds well to the right treatment.
What it looks like
Common signs
and symptoms.
OCD shows up as a loop: a distressing thought, and the ritual meant to neutralize it. Most people notice some mix of these, not all at once.
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Obsessions
Intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges you cannot shut off: fears of contamination, of causing harm, of something being wrong, or a need for things to feel just right.
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Compulsions
Behaviors or mental acts repeated to ease the distress: washing, checking, counting, ordering, retracing your steps, or asking for reassurance over and over.
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The toll it takes
Hours lost to rituals, avoiding whatever sets the thoughts off, exhaustion, and a quiet shame that makes it hard to talk about, even with the people closest to you.
When to reach out
When it may be time
for more support.
OCD exists on a spectrum. These are signs it may be worth talking with a professional rather than waiting it out.
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It is eating into your day
Obsessions and rituals are taking up more than an hour a day, or crowding out work, school, sleep, and time with people.
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Your world is getting smaller
You are avoiding more and more places, objects, or situations to keep the thoughts from starting.
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You cannot break the cycle alone
You know the fears are out of proportion, but stopping the compulsions on your own feels impossible.
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It is not coming alone
Depression, anxiety, or substance use is stacking on top of the OCD and making everything heavier.
Our approach
How we treat
OCD.
At The Lovett Center, OCD treatment is built around the methods that actually move it, delivered by clinicians who understand the disorder. Care begins with a thorough assessment, then we match the approach and the level of support to what you need.
The most effective treatment for OCD is a specific kind of cognitive behavioral therapy called exposure and response prevention. Cleveland Clinic notes that ERP helps you face what triggers the obsessions while resisting the compulsion, so the anxiety fades on its own and the cycle loses its grip.
ERP is different from general talk therapy, and it works best when it is done deliberately and with support. When medication is part of the plan, our prescribers handle it carefully and integrate medication management with your therapy.
Your care is delivered by our clinical team, led in our intensive outpatient program by clinicians like Jamie Patin, LCSW.
- A thorough clinical assessment
- Exposure and response prevention (ERP)
- Medication where it helps
- Care for any co-occurring conditions
Treatment options
Where OCD treatment
can start.
Most people with OCD are treated successfully on an outpatient basis. The right starting point depends on how much the OCD is affecting your life right now. If you are not sure, we will help you figure it out.
Regular individual sessions at a steadier pace. A good fit for milder OCD, or as a step down from more intensive care.
Our most intensive outpatient level: full days of structured treatment, with the freedom to go home each night.
How we work
Therapies we use
for OCD.
We match the method to the person. These are the approaches we most often draw on for OCD, with ERP at the center.
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Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with ERP
Exposure and response prevention is the gold-standard therapy for OCD. You gradually face triggers while resisting the compulsion, and the fear loses its power.
CBT and ERP for OCD -
Psychodynamic therapy
Depth-oriented work that helps you understand the fears and patterns beneath the compulsions, alongside the exposure work that OCD treatment centers on.
About psychodynamic therapy -
Group therapy
Practicing new skills alongside people who get it, a core part of our intensive outpatient program.
Explore group therapy -
Family therapy
OCD often pulls family into its rituals. Family work helps the people close to you support recovery instead of the compulsions.
Explore family therapy -
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
Skills for sitting with distress and urges without acting on them, which steadies ERP and helps when anxiety or depression come along too.
Explore DBT
Common questions
OCD treatment,
answered.
OCD treatment at The Lovett Center starts with a clinical assessment, then a plan matched to your needs: usually exposure and response prevention therapy and, when it helps, medication. Most people are treated on an outpatient basis through our outpatient program, intensive outpatient program, or partial hospitalization program, depending on how much structure you need. You live at home throughout.
Yes. ERP is a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy, and it is the most effective psychotherapy for OCD. Instead of talking through the thoughts, ERP has you gradually face what triggers the obsessions while resisting the compulsion you would normally use to relieve them. Over time the anxiety fades on its own, and the cycle loses its grip.
About CBT and ERPIt depends on how much OCD is affecting your daily life. Weekly outpatient ERP is enough for many people. When obsessions and rituals are taking over hours of the day and weekly sessions are not moving the needle, an intensive outpatient program adds structure and support without putting your life on hold.
About our IOPOften, yes, especially alongside therapy. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the medication most commonly used for OCD, and many people do best with medication and ERP together. At The Lovett Center, our prescribers evaluate each person and manage any medication carefully as part of the overall plan.
In many cases, yes. The Lovett Center is in network with major insurers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Optum, Magellan, and TriWest, and we also work with out-of-network benefits and self-pay. Coverage varies by plan, so the surest way to know is to verify your benefits with us.
Verify your insuranceYes, and often that is exactly what is needed. OCD frequently arrives with anxiety or depression, and sometimes alongside substance use. We build one plan that treats the whole picture rather than passing you between programs.
Dual diagnosis careYou are not alone
Relief from OCD is
within reach.
What you are dealing with has a name, and it has a proven way through.
When you are ready, a real person at The Lovett Center will listen and help you find the next step. No pressure, no commitment, just a conversation.
Every conversation is confidential. In a crisis, call or text 988 any time to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.