Is Psychotherapy Useful If You Have OCD?

What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is a form of therapy that focuses on using psychological methods to help treat patients. It is an umbrella term for a variety of therapies such as Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT),  Psychodynamic therapy, and Psychoanalysis among many more.

It is important to note that medication in conjunction with psychotherapy is common. The purpose of psychotherapy is to help the patient rid himself or herself of troubling symptoms or flawed personality traits that have been hindering their own personal growth. 

This is applicable to those with depression, OCD, or other anxiety disorders. Psychotherapy can help you combat and deal with daily problems that stem from OCD or other mental health related issues by talking about the problems and then creating a plan to handle them moving forward. 

How Long Until I See Success?

Psychotherapy can be short term or long term depending on what type of issues you are dealing with. For something like OCD, it would be a long process so as to continually develop skills to live a more productive life.   However, each individual problem can take a short time to deal with. The bottom line is you will see your progress. 

The Takeaway

Current research indicates that most people who undergo Psychotherapy experience positive changes in their life.  Studies have also demonstrated its success through brain imaging techniques. 

Psychotherapy is a great treatment to try because of its success rate alone. It can be very conducive when accompanied by medication.  You have to be fully engaged in the process to have success in this treatment though. Regardless, we here at Pathways Neuropsychology can help you create a path forward to help treat your OCD and other mental health conditions that are obstructing your daily life.