Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Do you experience thoughts, images, or impulses that make you anxious and keep popping into your mind repeatedly (i.e., obsessions)? Do you try to do things or think things in a certain way to try make the thoughts go away or to make yourself feel better (i.e., compulsions)? Many people have symptoms of OCD such as anxious thoughts of dirt or germs, hurting others by accident or carelessness, or making mistakes. People try to feel better by excessive washing or checking, for example, in order to "make sure" everything is okay. Some thoughts and behaviors seem to make no sense at all, or feel shameful, which can be particularly difficult to live with and causes much suffering.
Exposure and Ritual Prevention (EXRP) is regarded as the best, most effective treatment for OCD. First, we can work together to fully understand your OCD symptoms. Then, with my guidance and support, we can have you gradually confront your fears without doing your compulsive behaviors. You will learn over time that you "get used to it", your anxiety goes down, and you discover that nothing bad happens. In this way, we can free up your time and energy to live the life you want.
I have extensive experience helping individuals with OCD reduce their symptoms dramatically and continue to manage their OCD in the long term. I have interviewed over 200 family members about their symptoms and how OCD affects their lives. I have been successfully working with individuals with OCD for over 20 years, as well as training other mental health professionals how to help sufferers.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, or how quickly you want to improve, therapy can be provided once or twice weekly, or with "intensive outpatient" treatment, involving daily treatment for 3.5 weeks to reduce your symptoms very quickly.
Exposure and Ritual Prevention (EXRP) is regarded as the best, most effective treatment for OCD. First, we can work together to fully understand your OCD symptoms. Then, with my guidance and support, we can have you gradually confront your fears without doing your compulsive behaviors. You will learn over time that you "get used to it", your anxiety goes down, and you discover that nothing bad happens. In this way, we can free up your time and energy to live the life you want.
I have extensive experience helping individuals with OCD reduce their symptoms dramatically and continue to manage their OCD in the long term. I have interviewed over 200 family members about their symptoms and how OCD affects their lives. I have been successfully working with individuals with OCD for over 20 years, as well as training other mental health professionals how to help sufferers.
Depending on the severity of your symptoms, or how quickly you want to improve, therapy can be provided once or twice weekly, or with "intensive outpatient" treatment, involving daily treatment for 3.5 weeks to reduce your symptoms very quickly.
OCD Workbook
Dr. Lichner coauthored a workbook to help individuals with OCD manage their symptoms and get back to fully living their lives. It describes step-by-step the therapy program.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Have you experienced a traumatic event in your life such as sexual assault, combat, childhood sexual abuse, a severe accident or natural disaster? Do you find that reminders of the trauma keep popping into your mind and emotionally upsetting you? Do you avoid situations or places that feel unsafe to you now, even though others find them safe? Does your life in a number of ways feel limited?
We can work together using a very effective therapy called Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD. This therapy has been scientifically researched more than any other PTSD therapy, and has been shown to dramatically improve the symptoms of 80% of individuals, in as little as 8-15 sessions. We can help you talk about what happened, so we can emotionally process it together. We can develop a list of situations that you've been avoiding, and gradually have you approach those situations, relearning that they are safe and you can handle it. The therapy not only helps to reduce symptoms and improve the functioning of people's lives, it helps them feel more competent, self-reliant, and confident. It can help you reclaim your life.
I spent years working closely with the developer of this treatment, Dr. Edna Foa, at the University of Pennsylvania. For the past 10 years I have successfully treated individuals with PTSD, trained mental health professionals how to use the therapy, and closely supervised therapists treating individuals suffering from all different types of trauma.
We can work together using a very effective therapy called Prolonged Exposure (PE) for PTSD. This therapy has been scientifically researched more than any other PTSD therapy, and has been shown to dramatically improve the symptoms of 80% of individuals, in as little as 8-15 sessions. We can help you talk about what happened, so we can emotionally process it together. We can develop a list of situations that you've been avoiding, and gradually have you approach those situations, relearning that they are safe and you can handle it. The therapy not only helps to reduce symptoms and improve the functioning of people's lives, it helps them feel more competent, self-reliant, and confident. It can help you reclaim your life.
I spent years working closely with the developer of this treatment, Dr. Edna Foa, at the University of Pennsylvania. For the past 10 years I have successfully treated individuals with PTSD, trained mental health professionals how to use the therapy, and closely supervised therapists treating individuals suffering from all different types of trauma.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Do you consider yourself a "worrier"? Do you worry more days than not, about a number of issues in your life such as finances, relationships, and work/home responsibilities? Are you finding it difficult to control the worrying, and feel that you have a hard time relaxing and really enjoying your life?
We can work together to understand your specific daily anxieties. Then we can identify the thoughts and behaviors that are contributing to your constant high stress. Through this awareness, we can determine strategies that work best for you. For example, you may find that when facing a problem, you often think of the "worst case scenario" and your anxiety shoots up. We can help you slow down and think of other, perhaps more realistic, possible outcomes. Maybe learning a structured problem solving method is helpful for you, or relaxation exercises. There are a number of strategies we can try together. The goal is to practice the strategies that work best and make them new habits, to reduce unnecessary stress and instead let you enjoy your life.
We can work together to understand your specific daily anxieties. Then we can identify the thoughts and behaviors that are contributing to your constant high stress. Through this awareness, we can determine strategies that work best for you. For example, you may find that when facing a problem, you often think of the "worst case scenario" and your anxiety shoots up. We can help you slow down and think of other, perhaps more realistic, possible outcomes. Maybe learning a structured problem solving method is helpful for you, or relaxation exercises. There are a number of strategies we can try together. The goal is to practice the strategies that work best and make them new habits, to reduce unnecessary stress and instead let you enjoy your life.
Panic Disorder
Do you repeatedly experience a sudden rush of anxiety with physical feelings such as racing heart, sweaty palms, shaking, dizziness, or other sensations? Do you find yourself worrying about having another panic attack, or that you might have a heart attack or lose control? Perhaps you've been avoiding places where you've had a panic attack for fear you will have another one.
With my support and guidance, we can work together to purposely feel the physical sensations that you have during panic attacks using certain exercises. As you achieve success in "getting used to" tolerating safe physical discomfort, you can gradually encounter situations where you are anxious about having a panic attack. We will identify any thoughts or behaviors are contributing to feeling anxious, and work to change those. Ironically, the goal is to be "okay" with having a panic attack. The less anxious you are about having one, the less likely it will actually happen. With successful treatment, you can go anywhere you want, without anxiety holding you back.
With my support and guidance, we can work together to purposely feel the physical sensations that you have during panic attacks using certain exercises. As you achieve success in "getting used to" tolerating safe physical discomfort, you can gradually encounter situations where you are anxious about having a panic attack. We will identify any thoughts or behaviors are contributing to feeling anxious, and work to change those. Ironically, the goal is to be "okay" with having a panic attack. The less anxious you are about having one, the less likely it will actually happen. With successful treatment, you can go anywhere you want, without anxiety holding you back.
Specific Phobias
Is a particular fear interfering with your optimal functioning in life? People can become afraid of many things including needles, heights, flying, certain animals or insects, etc.
We can work together to understand exactly what you are afraid will happen when in the presence of these feared situations or objects, and then develop strategies to help you approach them in a gradual and safe way. We will build on your successes until your specific fear no longer has control over your life.
We can work together to understand exactly what you are afraid will happen when in the presence of these feared situations or objects, and then develop strategies to help you approach them in a gradual and safe way. We will build on your successes until your specific fear no longer has control over your life.
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To learn more about how Dr. Lichner generally works with all individuals click here.
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