Online OCD Therapy: Addressing Common Concerns

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Introduction: Exploring Online OCD Therapy

Online OCD therapy is here to stay and there are many reasons why! It is very understandable to experience different concerns when thinking about starting online treatment for OCD and anxiety. However, when engaging in online OCD treatment and interventions for other mental health issues, you will truly receive many benefits! 

During online treatment for OCD and anxiety, you will be able to receive ongoing therapy sessions that might not take place otherwise. For example, you no longer have to plan out the commute to your therapist’s office or miss time from work. You can easily schedule this over a lunch hour or right when you get home from work. There are many other benefits of participating in online CBT for OCD treatment. These include the following:

  • Therapy is accessible despite any physical limitations
  • Teens can easily join therapy sessions after school with no worry about how to get to their therapist’s office
  • Therapy can be accessed from many different locations and there is no concern over the nearby location of a therapist office 

Forward Thinking Psychological Services™ actually offers treatment for OCD and anxiety in four different provinces across Canada! We provide online therapy services in Ontario, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and New Brunswick. Contact us to learn more!

Virtual therapy for OCD counselling also allows for excellent rapport and personal connection due to excellent technological advances in teletherapy platforms. At Forward Thinking Psychological Services™, we use the Owl practice teletherapy platform. It allows for high quality online therapy sessions, screen sharing of information as well as a user-friendly system that people can easily navigate. 

Online OCD treatment has also been shown to be effective. This is critical. It is imperative to ensure that the treatment you are receiving is supported by research. This can increase your confidence and comfort in pursuing this type of treatment for OCD. Online CBT for OCD therapy is delivered to both adolescents and adults. 

1. Accessibility and Convenience: Overcoming Barriers to Online Therapy

People often say that the accessibility and flexibility of online therapy services make it the best choice when wanting mental health treatment. It can also be very difficult to find a nearby therapist who is able to provide the best OCD treatment. What if the therapist doesn’t live near you? How might you then access their services? This is not something that you have to worry about when it comes to online OCD treatment. Looking for a practice that can provide virtual services to you, even if they do not live in your neighbourhood is now possible!

You also might enjoy the convenience of joining a session during problematic weather conditions or after a long day at work. Instead of needing to commute to a faraway location, you can log in to a secure and confidential session from the comfort of your own home. Working with a therapist during teenage OCD treatment also allows youth to join a session after school without needing to rely on their parents to get them somewhere. 

Individuals might also have physical limitations that can impact their ability to access in-person therapy sessions. That is no longer an issue when it comes to online OCD and anxiety treatment. No longer does one have to worry about stairs or buildings that have limited accessibility. 

At Forward Thinking Psychological Services™, we offer OCD and anxiety treatment across Canada. You can access our online services if you live in Ontario, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and New Brunswick. No longer do you have to worry about finding a therapist near your home. We can help you from all across Canada! Contact us today to learn more!

2. Ensuring Effectiveness: Research and Evidence for Online OCD Therapy

Research has shown us that OCD treatment online is effective. What does the research tell us?

In a 2022 study, a large group of individuals with OCD received video teletherapy. It was found that “Treatment resulted in clinically and statistically significant improvements, with a 43.4% mean reduction in obsessive-compulsive symptoms (g=1.0; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.03) and a 62.9% response rate”. Furthermore, “treatment also resulted in a 44.2% mean reduction in depression, a 47.8% mean reduction in anxiety, and a 37.3% mean reduction in stress symptoms. Quality of life improved by a mean of 22.7%” These results are very meaningful. Results were significant and the effect size was large and similar to studies that are conducted with in-person Exposure and Response Prevention therapy.

Given these types of findings, we can proceed with confidence in receiving this type of treatment. 

What might make this type of treatment so effective? Although we might not know all the reasons, it is thought that working with individuals within their natural home environment can be highly effective. This is because it allows therapists to conduct exposure therapy coaching sessions with triggers within the person’s own environment. This can help you to gain a sense of mastery during exposure work with high stress triggers with the help of your therapist. Recreating these situations in an office setting can be impossible. Yet another benefit of online OCD treatment!

3. Establishing Therapeutic Rapport and Connection in the Virtual Space

You might think – how can I truly connect with a therapist in a virtual setting? The amazing thing is that you can do almost anything within a virtual space. Your therapist will take the time to get to know you properly and ensure that you feel comfortable and confident during your therapy sessions. 

Is virtual therapy the best treatment for OCD in terms of what I can do during a therapy session? One could argue that it is the best treatment for OCD with respect to exposure therapy work that can be accomplished. 

What are the types of exposures you could do during online treatment for OCD and anxiety? The coaching possibilities for ERP are endless and may include:

  • Coached cooking sessions to target contamination-based OCD and harm-related OCD themes (i.e., not engaging in excessive hand washing and using knives and sharp objects)
  • Coached daily tasks of living, such as toileting, showering, tooth brushing and getting dressed
  • Coached laundry to target excessive hand washing rituals 
  • Coached walks or public transit trips – just take your earbuds and your therapist will be with you the whole time!

Having your therapist present in different creative ways during ERP treatment for OCD can provide you with comfort and confidence to carry out difficult tasks. These activities might be things you have avoided doing for a long time. With the strong therapeutic relationship made during OCD treatment online, you can begin to approach things that are important and meaningful to you. 

4. Privacy, Comfort and Confidentiality: Maintaining Security and Trust During Online Therapy

Online therapy for OCD and anxiety treatment also allows for excellent rapport and personal connection due to fabulous technological advances in teletherapy platforms. At Forward Thinking Psychological Services™, we use the Owl practice teletherapy platform. It allows for high quality virtual therapy sessions, screen sharing of information as well as a user-friendly system that people can navigate. 

Its systems are also highly secure, with many excellent features. These features include:

  • Login pages that are unique to the practice you are working with
  • Data loss protection
  • Data back on Canadian serves
  • Compliance with all college regulatory requirements
  • Password protection for every user, 2F authentication systems and encrypted PDFs that can be set to you
  • Secure Owl messaging system to allow you to connect with your therapist between sessions 

All of these features and more should allow you to feel confident and secure when joining your therapy session!

5. Balancing Individual Needs: Personalized Approaches in Online OCD Therapy

The best OCD treatment ensures a unique and tailored approach to any individual. These needs should be discussed during an initial session with your therapist. At FTPS, we also engage in treatment planning during our initial session and ensure that this is collaborative and fits with what you are looking for. Contact us to find out more about our collaborative OCD treatment online that is offered across Canada. We work with individuals in Ontario, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and New Brunswick.

Parent coaching and OCD work is a unique approach that is easily facilitated within the context of online OCD treatment for teenagers. Parents can join a session from work or home – it really doesn’t matter! When they join they can then learn from their child’s therapist how to coach ERP practice at home and the best language to use when OCD behaviour emerges. This is a very valuable aspect of online OCD treatment for teens. 

What types of interventions can be used during online OCD treatment for teens? These could include:

  • Reviewing psychoeducation with parent and teen present in session together
  • Reviewing skills that have been learned in session so parents can help support these skills outside of sessions
  • Parents can provide important updates from the previous week
  • Live coached exposures can be done so parents can understand how this works and coach their teens at home in between sessions

Of course, information is only shared with a loved one with the full consent of the individual undergoing therapy. 

Conclusion: Embracing the Benefits of Online OCD Therapy

We hope this blog provided you with a lot of helpful information regarding the benefits of online OCD treatment as well as reviewing any common concerns that you might have!

In summary:

  • Online OCD therapy is convenient and accessible
  • There is excellent research to support the benefits of engaging in online OCD treatment
  • This approach can be very individualized and involve loved ones for additional benefits!

Now that you know how beneficial OCD treatment online can be, you might be wondering where you can find it! Does FTPS provide online OCD treatment near me? We certainly do! We provide online therapy sessions across Canada, specifically in Ontario, Nova Scotia, British Columbia and New Brunswick. We work with youth and adults who are experiencing moderate to very severe symptoms of OCD. 

Contact us and learn more about our team as well as our CBT offerings for OCD therapy for adults and teens. We look forward to hearing from you!

References
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35587365/
https://www.verywellmind.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-online-therapy-2795225

DISCLAIMER: This content is meant for informational and educational purposes only. Only a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist can diagnose a mental health disorder. The content of this website is not meant to be a substitute for therapy. Visiting this website should not be considered to be equivalent to a relationship with FTPS. Mental health concerns should only be discussed in the context of providing professional services after the consent process has been completed with a qualified FTPS associate outside of our website.