evidence-based Therapy

for Anxiety, OCD, ADHD, and Relationships

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Anxiety, OCD, & related Disorders

Anxiety disorders, phobias, and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) often manifest as persistent, distressing fears or urges that interfere with daily life, such as chronic worry, intrusive thoughts, panic attacks, or rigid avoidance of “unsafe” situations. These experiences can feel overwhelming and difficult to control, leading individuals to adopt unhelpful coping strategies that may provide short-term relief but ultimately reinforce the cycle of anxiety.

Evidence-based treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and the Unified Protocol (UP) offer effective ways to break this cycle. These approaches help individuals identify and shift unhelpful patterns of thinking and behavior, increase psychological flexibility, and build tolerance for difficult emotions. Through these treatments, clients learn to respond to anxiety with curiosity rather than fear, gradually reclaiming their lives in alignment with their values.

Signs of Anxiety

  • Persistent worry that feels excessive or difficult to control

  • Restlessness, agitation, or feeling “on edge”

  • Fatigue or difficulty sleeping due to mental overactivity

  • Muscle tension, headaches, or gastrointestinal discomfort

  • Difficulty concentrating or feeling mentally “foggy”

  • Avoidance of situations that trigger anxiety

  • Irritability or heightened sensitivity to stress

  • Anticipating worst-case scenarios despite reassurance

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) that cause distress

  • Compulsive behaviors or mental rituals performed to reduce anxiety (e.g., checking, counting, cleaning, reassurance-seeking)

  • Recognition that obsessions and compulsions are excessive or irrational, but feeling unable to stop

  • Significant time spent on rituals (often an hour or more per day)

  • Impairment in functioning due to compulsions or fear of acting on intrusive thoughts

Phobias (Specific Phobia, Social Anxiety Disorder, Agoraphobia)

  • Intense fear triggered by a specific object, situation, or social context

  • Immediate anxiety response that may include panic symptoms (racing heart, dizziness, sweating)

  • Avoidance of feared situations, sometimes to the point of interfering with daily life

  • Fear that is disproportionate to the actual danger posed

  • In social anxiety: fear of embarrassment, judgment, or rejection; physical symptoms during social interactions

Panic Disorder

  • Recurrent panic attacks: sudden episodes of intense fear or discomfort peaking within minutes

  • Physical symptoms: chest pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, nausea, chills or hot flashes

  • Fear of having future attacks or losing control

  • Avoidance of situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable (often overlaps with agoraphobia)

Agoraphobia

  • Fear or avoidance of situations where escape may feel difficult or help may not be available during a panic-like episode

  • Commonly avoided settings include crowded places, public transportation, open spaces (e.g., parking lots), enclosed spaces (e.g., theaters, elevators), or being far from home

  • Anxiety about being alone outside the home or needing a “safe person” present

  • Avoidance behavior that can severely limit daily functioning, sometimes leading to being housebound

  • Often co-occurs with panic disorder, though it can exist independently

Related Conditions

  • Health anxiety – excessive worry about illness despite medical reassurance

  • Perfectionism – rigid self-standards, fear of making mistakes, often linked with anxiety or OCD

  • Reassurance-seeking – frequently asking others for validation to reduce worry or doubt

  • Hypervigilance – constant scanning for threat or danger, often with a heightened startle response

  • Emotional numbing or shutdown – avoidance of feelings or internal experiences as a protective strategy

At Rise Psychology, Dr. Lauren Helm specializes in evidence-based treatment for anxiety-related disorders, including:

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

  • Social Anxiety Disorder

  • Panic Disorder

  • Agoraphobia

  • Specific Phobias

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

  • Illness Anxiety Disorder

  • Somatic Symptom Disorder

Treatment approaches used at Rise Psychology may include:

  • Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) – the gold-standard treatment for OCD and related fears

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – to challenge unhelpful thoughts and build more flexible coping strategies

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – to increase psychological flexibility and values-based action

  • The Unified Protocol – a transdiagnostic approach that targets the shared emotional processes across anxiety disorders, phobias, and OCD

Healing does not require eliminating all fear; rather, it involves learning to coexist with uncertainty and distress in new, adaptive ways. Through empathic guidance, skillful practice, and ongoing feedback, you can build resilience, reduce avoidance, and reclaim a sense of agency, presence, and purpose in your everyday life.

At Rise Psychology, Dr. Lauren Helm offers evidence-based therapy for anxiety, OCD, phobias and related conditions.