OCD Therapy for High-Achieving Adults and Teens:
Break Free From the Mental Prison
OCD Treatment in Menlo Park, CA
When Success Comes With a Hidden Cost
You've built an impressive career. You're the person others turn to for solutions, the one who delivers flawless presentations, meets impossible deadlines, and makes it all look effortless.
But there's something you're not talking about.
The intrusive thoughts that hijack your focus during important meetings.
The compulsive checking - did you send that email correctly?
Lock the office door?
Say the wrong thing in that presentation?
The mental replaying of conversations, analyzing every word, searching for mistakes that might expose you as incompetent or dangerous.
You can't stop thinking about the germs you might have on you from the last thing you touched.
Worrying you are going to accidentally hurt someone even though you love them
Maybe it's the contamination fears that make you scrub your hands raw before client meetings, or the need to organize your desk in a specific way before you can start working. Perhaps it's the disturbing, unwanted images that flash through your mind - thoughts so disturbing you're convinced they mean something terrible about who you are.
You might perform these rituals - the checking, the mental review, the reassurance-seeking - because your brain insists something catastrophic will happen if you don't. Just one more time. Just to be absolutely certain. Just to make the anxiety go away.
From the outside, you look like you have it together. Inside, you're exhausted from the constant mental gymnastics. And if you’re tired of holding it all together alone, OCD treatment in the Menlo Park could be a place to finally exhale.
The Real Cost of Living With Untreated OCD
Here's what's actually happening: OCD isn't about being particular or organized. It's not a personality quirk or attention to detail that serves you well professionally. It's a cycle that's stealing your life.
You're spending hours each day trapped in mental rituals that nobody sees. Checking your sent emails repeatedly. Reviewing meetings or assignments in your mind, searching for evidence you said something offensive. Seeking reassurance from colleagues about work or from your friends that you didn’t say something stupid. Avoiding situations that trigger the obsessive thoughts - which means you're turning down opportunities, limiting your career, and missing out on experiences that matter.
The thoughts feel so real, so urgent, so dangerous that you believe you must respond to them. Your brain screams that if you don't perform the compulsion - if you don't check one more time, seek reassurance once more, or review that conversation again - something terrible will happen. Someone will get hurt. You'll lose your job. You'll be exposed as incompetent or, worse, dangerous.
So you comply. You give OCD what it demands. And for a moment, you feel relief.
But that relief never lasts. Because OCD always comes back with another demand. Another "what if." Another doubt that feels absolutely critical to resolve right now.
Maybe you've already tried therapy that didn't understand OCD. A well-meaning therapist who suggested you "just don't think about it" or "challenge the thoughts." Maybe they tried traditional talk therapy, having you explore where these thoughts came from, as if understanding their origin would make them go away.
It didn't work. Because that's not how OCD operates.
There's a Way Out - And It Doesn't Involve Fighting Your Thoughts
What if I told you that the goal isn't to eliminate intrusive thoughts or make obsessions disappear? What if the path to freedom isn't about winning arguments with your brain or proving the thoughts wrong?
At Choice Point Counseling, OCD treatment in Menlo Park is about something more powerful: changing your relationship with the thoughts entirely. Learning to let obsessions exist without responding to them. Building the skills to tolerate uncertainty without needing to check, review, or seek reassurance.
This is possible. And it works.
Evidence-Based Treatment That Actually Understands OCD
I'm Dr. Lorraine Wong, and I specialize in treating OCD using two highly effective, research-backed approaches: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT).
With over 16 years of experience as a board-certified clinical psychologist and a graduate of the world renowned Behavioral Therapy Training Institute developed by the International OCD Foundation, I understand exactly how OCD operates - and more importantly, how to help you break free from its grip..
What makes my approach different? Before becoming a psychologist, I worked in the corporate world. I understand the unique pressures you face: the performance expectations, the professional image you need to maintain, the high-stakes decisions where doubt feels intolerable. I know what it's like to navigate office dynamics, lead teams, and manage complex responsibilities while dealing with mental health challenges.
This isn't generic therapy. This is specialized OCD treatment in Menlo Park designed for professionals like you who need practical, results-oriented approaches that fit into your demanding life.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP): Breaking the Cycle
ERP is the gold-standard treatment for OCD, backed by decades of research proving its effectiveness. Here's how it works:
The Core Principle: OCD survives because of the compulsions. Every time you check, seek reassurance, or perform a ritual, you temporarily reduce anxiety - but you also strengthen OCD's power over you. You confirm that the obsession was dangerous and that you needed to act on it.
ERP flips this pattern. Instead of avoiding anxiety-triggering situations or performing compulsions, you gradually face the situations that trigger obsessive thoughts while resisting the urge to perform compulsions.
What This Looks Like in Practice: We create a personalized hierarchy of situations that trigger your OCD, ranking them from least to most anxiety-provoking. Then, working at your pace, you face these situations while learning to tolerate the anxiety without performing compulsions.
For a professional with checking compulsions around emails, this might mean:
Sending an email and resisting the urge to reread it
Gradually increasing the importance of emails sent without checking
Learning that even when you don't check, catastrophe doesn't strike—and you can tolerate the uncertainty
For someone with contamination fears:
Touching a "contaminated" surface and delaying hand-washing
Gradually extending the time before washing
Discovering that your feared outcome doesn't occur - and that you're stronger than you thought
The Result: Over time, your brain learns that the obsessive thoughts aren't dangerous signals requiring immediate action. The anxiety decreases naturally. The compulsions lose their power. And you reclaim the time and mental energy that OCD has been stealing.
Key Benefits of ERP:
Reduces the intensity and frequency of obsessive thoughts
Breaks the cycle of compulsive behaviors that keep you trapped
Builds confidence in your ability to handle uncertainty and discomfort
Provides long-term freedom from OCD's demands
Helps you engage fully in your career and relationships without OCD's interference
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT): Targeting the Root
While ERP focuses on breaking the behavioral cycle, I-CBT addresses the reasoning patterns that fuel OCD in the first place.
The Core Principle: OCD thrives on faulty inferences—jumping to conclusions based on imagination rather than reality. Your brain generates a "what if" scenario that feels real, urgent, and dangerous. Instead of recognizing this as an intrusive thought, you treat it as valuable information that requires investigation.
I-CBT helps you identify when you're relying on imagined possibilities instead of actual evidence.
What This Looks Like in Practice: We examine the reasoning process behind your obsessions. When an intrusive thought appears, we explore:
What actual evidence supports this fear?
Am I confusing a possibility with a probability?
Am I trusting my imagination over reality?
For an executive worried they said something offensive in a meeting:
The obsession: "What if I said something inappropriate and everyone thinks I'm terrible?"
The faulty inference: Imagining negative reactions that didn't actually happen
The I-CBT approach: Distinguishing between imagined scenarios and observable reality
The outcome: Reduced need to mentally replay conversations or seek reassurance
The Result: You learn to catch OCD's faulty reasoning before it traps you in compulsions. You develop confidence in distinguishing between real threats and imagined ones. The obsessive thoughts lose their credibility, and you stop engaging with them in the first place.
Key Benefits of I-CBT:
Targets the root cause of obsessive thinking
Helps you differentiate between imagination and reality
Reduces the believability of intrusive thoughts
Builds confidence in your own judgment
Provides tools to challenge OCD's logic before compulsions take hold
Individual Therapy: Personalized Treatment for Your Unique OCD
Every person's OCD is different. Your obsessions, compulsions, triggers, and life circumstances are unique to you. That's why my approach is entirely personalized.
What Individual Therapy Includes:
Comprehensive assessment of your specific OCD symptoms and how they impact your professional and personal life
Collaborative treatment planning that integrates both ERP and I-CBT based on your needs
Gradual exposure exercises designed at your pace
Skills training to manage anxiety and tolerate uncertainty
Support navigating the challenges of reducing compulsions
Strategies for preventing relapse and maintaining progress long-term
Therapy is available:
In-person at my Menlo Park office (convenient to Palo Alto and Stanford)
Virtually throughout California, Michigan, Nevada and Washington
Sessions are 50 minutes and provide a safe, confidential space where you can be honest about your struggles without judgment. I understand the shame that often accompanies OCD - especially intrusive thoughts that feel disturbing or taboo. You won't have to hide or minimize your experience here.
OCD Treatment for Teens and Young Adults
If you're a parent watching your teen struggle with OCD, you know how heartbreaking it is to see them trapped in rituals, consumed by intrusive thoughts, or avoiding school and social situations because of their fears.
Maybe your teen is spending hours on homework because they have to rewrite assignments until they're "perfect." Or they're asking you the same reassurance questions repeatedly. Perhaps they're avoiding friends because of contamination fears or refusing to participate in activities they once loved.
Teen OCD often shows up differently than adult OCD—and it requires specialized treatment that accounts for developmental stage, family dynamics, and the unique social pressures teens face.
I work with teens (ages 13-17) using the same evidence-based approaches:
ERP adapted for adolescent development and motivation
I-CBT tailored to teen thinking patterns
Family involvement to support treatment success and to address family accommodations
Coordination with schools when needed
For high-achieving or gifted teens: OCD often targets areas of strength and identity. The straight-A student becomes paralyzed by perfectionism. The talented athlete develops checking rituals. The socially confident teen withdraws due to intrusive thoughts about harming others.
I understand how OCD exploits intelligence and sensitivity, turning your teen's greatest assets into sources of suffering. Treatment helps them reclaim their potential without OCD's interference. To expand your world and make it bigger, not smaller because of fear.
You Don't Have to Live Like This Anymore
OCD wants you to believe you're trapped. That you'll always need to check, seek reassurance, or perform rituals to stay safe. That the intrusive thoughts reveal something dark about who you are.
None of that is true.
You're not defined by your intrusive thoughts. You're not weak for struggling with OCD. And you don't have to keep fighting this battle alone.
With specialized treatment - ERP and I-CBT delivered by someone who truly understands OCD - you can break free from the cycle that's been stealing your life.
If you're exhausted from the mental rituals, tired of letting OCD make your decisions, or ready to reclaim the time and energy it's been taking from you, let's talk.
Contact Choice Point Counseling today to schedule your free 15-minute consultation.
Your path to freedom from OCD starts with a single choice.
Dr. Lorraine Wong, PhD, ABPP is a board-certified clinical psychologist with over 16 years of experience specializing in OCD, anxiety and related disorders. She is certified by the International OCD Foundation (BTTI Graduate) and holds advanced training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT). Former Clinical Director of The Feeling Good Institute and Certified Level 5 TEAM-CBT Master Trainer and Therapist.
Frequently Asked Questions About OCD Treatment in Menlo Park
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While anxiety and OCD can overlap, OCD has a specific pattern: intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that cause distress, followed by repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed to reduce that distress. If you find yourself caught in cycles of "If I don't do X, then Y terrible thing will happen," that's a sign OCD might be involved. During your free consultation, we can discuss your specific symptoms and determine whether OCD treatment is right for you.
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Many therapists aren't specifically trained in OCD treatment. Traditional talk therapy, or even general CBT, doesn't address the unique mechanisms that keep OCD alive. ERP and I-CBT are specialized approaches backed by extensive research specifically for OCD. If your previous therapy focused on analyzing where thoughts come from or trying to challenge them logically, you didn't receive OCD-specific treatment. This approach is different - and it works.
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No. ERP is gradual and collaborative. We create a hierarchy together, starting with situations that cause moderate anxiety and building up slowly. You're in control of the pace. The goal is to challenge yourself enough to make progress, but not so much that you feel overwhelmed. This isn't about flooding you with anxiety - it's about building confidence through manageable steps.
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Many clients notice significant improvement within 12-20 sessions, though this varies based on OCD severity and your engagement with treatment. Some people benefit from intensive therapy (longer, more frequent sessions) for faster results. The skills you learn in treatment provide lasting benefits - this isn't just symptom management, it's learning how to respond to OCD differently for the rest of your life.
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Absolutely not. I've worked with every type of OCD, including the kinds of intrusive thoughts people feel most ashamed about - harm obsessions, sexual intrusive thoughts, religious obsessions, and more. These thoughts don't define who you are, and they're far more common than you think. This is a judgment-free space where you can be completely honest about your experience.
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Yes. For clients who want accelerated results or who are traveling from out of the area, I offer intensive therapy sessions ranging from 2-8 hours. These extended sessions allow for deeper work and faster progress. Contact me to discuss whether intensive therapy might be right for you.
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Individual therapy sessions are $400 for 50 minutes. I'm considered out-of-network for insurance, but I provide receipts you can submit for reimbursement. Many clients find that specialized OCD treatment from an experienced provider is worth the investment, given the significant impact OCD has on quality of life. Use the Mentaya tool on my contact page to check your out-of-network benefits.
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Complete the contact form to schedule your free 15-minute consultation. We'll discuss your symptoms, your goals for treatment, and whether we're a good fit to work together. From there, we'll schedule your first full session and begin your journey toward freedom from OCD.