OCD Treatment Program

PCH Treatment Center is one of a handful of residential programs in the country that offers an evidence-based approach to treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). PCH has constructed a stand-alone OCD in-Residence Treatment that features Cognitive Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, and medication management (when appropriate). While there are many OCD treatment centers in Los Angeles and throughout the country, very few offer our evidence-based model to treat moderate to severe OCD. The cognitive-behavioral approach differs from the PCH General Program which is centered around a psychodynamic model. However, PCH clients who enter the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder program have all the resources and treatment modalities available to them from our other programs, including the psychodynamic therapies and the ability to participate in the PCH Family Program.

Our Program

The PCH OCD Treatment Clinic recognizes that this disorder is a serious and debilitating neuropsychiatric condition that requires a highly specialized and comprehensive treatment approach. In order to overcome and restore quality of life in persons with OCD, treatment needs to be individualized to meet each person’s specific symptoms and the functional impairment that those symptoms cause. At PCH, a personalized treatment plan is developed and employed that addresses each patient’s unique OCD presentation. PCH Treatment Center offers an empirically supported core OCD program that relies on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold standard therapeutic approach for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. ERP is then supplemented with Cognitive Therapy, another treatment of choice for OCD and anxiety-based disorders, alongside pharmacological management (medication) as appropriate.

In addition to these cognitive and behavioral staples, PCH integrates cutting-edge complementary interventions to address co-existing psychiatric conditions that frequently accompany Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Mood disorders (depression or Bipolar Disorder), psychological trauma and personality issues frequently co-occur with OCD. In fact, Rachman proposed that depression may provide an avenue though which the disorder develops, suggesting that depressed mood may amplify the misappraisal of intrusive thoughts. Each client works with a team of experienced doctoral-level therapists and residential counselors trained in the delivery of ERP. The treatment team provides continuous support and guidance in a safe and supportive milieu for those patients who require the most immersive OCD treatment with residential option due to the severity of their condition. PCH also offers a Day Treatment Program for those who can benefit from a stepped-down version of the immersive program and for those who are ready to transition to a less acute level of care. The PCH team also includes a psychiatrist for the pharmacological management of OCD and related disorders.

Typically, the entire family is affected due to the nature of the disorder and the behavioral accommodation family members develop over time to cope with their family member’s OCD. Accordingly, family involvement is an integral part of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder treatment program at PCH.

Who is the Director of the PCH OCD Program?

Gerald Tarlow, Ph.D. is the Director of the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Program at PCH. Dr. Tarlow received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Montana. He has been on the Faculty in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry since 1978. In his role as clinical professor he teaches cognitive-behavioral therapy to psychology interns and psychiatry residents in the UCLA training programs. From 1994 to 2006, he served as Director of Psychological Services at the OCD Program at UCLA. In 1986 Dr. Tarlow established an outpatient private practice that specializes in treating anxiety disorders and related issues. In 2001 he was awarded a Diplomate in Cognitive Behavioral Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology. He has authored several books, including The Clinical Handbook of Behavior Therapy for Adult Psychological Disorders and The Clinical Handbook of Behavior Therapy for Adult Medical Disorders. He has published many articles and presented numerous talks on the treatment of anxiety disorders.

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a disabling and chronic neuropsychiatric condition characterized by distressing, intrusive thoughts (obsessions), and/or repetitive, ritualistic behaviors (compulsions). Individuals with the disorder report obsessions that include preoccupations with dirt or germs, worries that something harmful may befall them or others, fearing that a routine behavioral act such as locking the door or shutting off the stove was carried out incorrectly, as well as concerns with order and symmetry. Additionally, obsessions can present in the form of aggressive impulses and violent images of a sexual, religious, or blasphemous nature. Uncertainty and pathological doubt are also central features of the disorder, as individuals with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder display an impaired sense of knowing. Overestimation of danger and an inflated sense of responsibility are additional features of the disorder. Some patients are also concerned with fears of shouting obscenities in public. OCD sufferers struggle with the disorder for an average of 15 years before they tend to find an effective treatment. This is due in part to the limitations of conventional therapeutic approaches and the scarcity of therapeutic resources for OCD patients and their families.