You Are Not Your OCD
Gentle, Compassionate Treatment to Help You Take Your Life Back
OCD can feel relentless. It can turn your most loving thoughts, your deepest values, and even your quietest moments into sources of fear. At the Ogden Center for Change, we want you to know that you are so much stronger than your OCD, and that you don’t have to face it alone.
OCD is complicated and looks different for everyone. We are trained to recognize it in all its forms, not just the versions most often shown in movies and on social media. Treatment consists of three evidence-based approaches: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP- the gold-standard treatment for OCD), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT).
Having more than one approach lets us tailor treatment to you rather than fitting you into a one-size-fits-all program. Every approach is delivered through a compassion-focused lens. You learn to face the things that scare you gently, with kindness and with values-driven action, so you can reclaim your life and move toward what matters most to you.
It can feel terrifying to imagine disrupting the cycle of obsessions and compulsions. Having a caring, knowledgeable partner makes it manageable to push back against the OCD that has been in charge for so long.
OCD: Myths and Truths
Myth: OCD is about being neat, clean, or organized.
The truth: OCD is about distressing, unwanted thoughts and the compulsions used to relieve them. It can involve harm, relationships, morality, health, identity, or “just right” feelings, often with no cleaning or organizing at all.
Myth: Unwanted thoughts mean something about who you are.
The truth: Intrusive thoughts are common and don’t reflect your character. OCD attacks what you care about most.
Myth: OCD is rare, and it’s obvious when someone has it.
The truth: About 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children are affected. Many compulsions are invisible (mental rituals, reassurance seeking, avoidance).
Myth: People with OCD could stop if they tried harder.
The truth: OCD is not a willpower problem. It’s a brain-based disorder with a cycle that traps people. Effective treatment changes the cycle.
Myth: Everyone is “a little OCD.”
The truth: Occasional preferences aren’t OCD. OCD takes up significant time and causes real distress and interference.
Myth: OCD can’t really be treated.
The truth: OCD is highly treatable. Most people who engage in ERP-based treatment see meaningful improvement.
Areas treated
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Contamination OCD
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Harm or hyperresponsibility OCD
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Relationship OCD
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Religious or moral OCD (scrupulosity)
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“Just right” and symmetry OCD
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Health-related OCD
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Perinatal and postpartum OCD
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Sexual orientation and identity-related OCD
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Sleep issues impacted by anxiety
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Related concerns: skin picking and hair pulling
Frequently Asked Questions
OCD affects the whole family
OCD rarely stays with one person. Partners and family members often get pulled into rituals, reassurance, and avoidance, and relationships can feel the strain. OCD is best treated with family support. Our center’s providers, including our couples therapy services, can work together to support the whole family system through treatment and healing.
Who can attend?
We work with teens and adults, and with parents of children under 16. We have other providers who work directly with children, but parents are the main influence in a child’s life. Parent understanding and involvement are key to the best outcomes, so we teach parents how to support their child without feeding the OCD cycle.
Who is your provider?
Chelsea Whitby, AMHC is passionate about helping people recognize and learn to manage their OCD. OCD attacks a person’s values. It can feel terrifying to confide in someone the unwanted thoughts, feelings, images, sensations, and urges your brain is creating. Chelsea prides herself on creating a safe, non-judgmental environment where you can safely disclose your experiences and begin to make sense of them as you move toward recovery. She is dedicated to helping people regain their self-trust by learning how to build confidence in their ability to do hard things with compassion and courage.
What to expect
We begin with an assessment to understand your unique OCD, then build a step-by-step plan together at a pace that feels doable. Treatment is collaborative, and you’re never forced into anything. We typically recommend starting weekly (or more frequently if needed) so you can learn the skills to keep progressing at home. As you build confidence in managing OCD on your own, we taper sessions off. We offer in-person and telehealth sessions.
What is the cost?
We accept most major insurance plans and also offer self-pay.
Request An Appointment
Get in touch so we can start working together.