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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Service

OCD is a psychiatric condition that involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors or compulsions. These behaviors are often done to reduce anxiety or prevent something from happening. Our providers are nationally recognized for their expertise in helping patients build skills to manage OCD.
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Comprehensive OCD services

If you or your loved one has OCD, you know firsthand how it can affect daily life, including relationships, work, and school. We offer the latest treatments across outpatient, partial, and residential settings, including one of the nation’s first OCD specialty outpatient clinics and the nation’s first residential OCD treatment program.

Part of Mental Health and Psychiatric Services

What is OCD?

OCD is a psychiatric condition characterized by persistent and intrusive obsessions and/or repetitive, time-consuming compulsions. These compulsions are performed repeatedly in an attempt to reduce the anxiety associated with an obsession and/or prevent a feared outcome. While OCD is often a lifelong condition, treatments can ease symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Common signs of OCD

Obsessions are intrusive thoughts or urges that cause distress. Common obsessions include:

  • Concern with order, symmetry, or exactness
  • Fear of accidentally causing harm
  • Frequent thoughts about particular sounds, images, words, or numbers
  • Sexually disturbing thoughts
  • Violent or disturbing images

Common compulsions include:

  • Excessive cleaning or washing (e.g., washing hands repeatedly, brushing teeth repeatedly or in a certain way)
  • Checking (e.g., repeatedly checking if the stove is turned off or the door is locked)
  • Arranging items in a particular fashion
  • Mental rituals (e.g., self-reassurance, repeating certain phrases)
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Our approach to OCD care

We provide the tools to help you recognize the signs of OCD and build skills to manage your symptoms for the long-term.
A team approach to treatment
Our psychiatrists, psychologists, pre/post-doctoral interns, and residents perform thorough assessments to assess OCD symptoms and screen for co-occurring conditions. We use established diagnostic criteria to tailor treatment and create a personalized care plan that meets your specific needs.
Exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD

ERP is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and the most effective psychological treatment for OCD. With guidance from a trained mental health professional, ERP helps patients gradually face situations that trigger obsessive thoughts while learning to reduce or stop compulsive behaviors.

Treatment is collaborative and tailored to each patient. Clinicians may also incorporate other approaches, such as cognitive restructuring, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness, and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills, to support progress and improve quality of life.

Habit reversal training for body-focused repetitive behaviors
Habit reversal training is commonly used to treat body-focused repetitive behaviors, such as hair pulling and skin picking. It helps patients become more aware of urges, identify triggers such as sensory, emotional, or situational cues, and use alternative behaviors to interrupt and replace these habits.
Comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics
Comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics is a type of behavioral intervention used to treat Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders. It helps patients become more aware of early warning signs of a tic, use alternative behaviors to interrupt or reduce the tic, and make changes to their environment to help manage stress and triggers.
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Our approach
These conditions are often grouped together because they share similar symptoms and may have related biological and genetic factors. Some patients experience more than one of these conditions.
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Conditions
As a national leader in psychiatric care, Mass General Brigham offers a wide range of behavioral health programs that may support people with OCD and related conditions. These services provide access to comprehensive evaluation, therapy, and treatment across the care continuum.

  • Child OCD Program

    We offer the latest therapies, medications, and care for children and teens with OCD. See how we can help manage their OCD symptoms and improve their lives.

  • Mental Health and Psychiatric Services

    Access compassionate mental health and psychiatric care across Greater Boston at Mass General Brigham, home to world-class experts from McLean Hospital.

  • Child OCD Program

    We offer the latest therapies, medications, and care for children and teens with OCD. See how we can help manage their OCD symptoms and improve their lives.

  • OCD Institute at McLean

    Learn how the OCD Institute provides compassionate OCD care for children and adults.

  • Adult Intensive Cognitive Behavioral Treatment Program

    The Adult Intensive Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (AICBT) Program at Mass General Brigham offers intensive cognitive behavioral treatment for a range of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.

  • Child Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Program

    The mission of the Child CBT Program at Mass General Brigham is to provide state-of-the-art cognitive behavioral therapy to children, adolescents and young adults with a range of emotional and behavioral problems.

  • Anxiety Service

    Access comprehensive services for anxiety disorders, including medications and therapies. Request an appointment.

  • Child Anxiety Program

    Access comprehensive services for your child’s anxiety disorder, including medications and therapies. Request an appointment.

  • Neuropsychological and Psychological Testing Service

    Offering diagnostic testing and comprehensive evaluations of cognitive abilities (memory, concentration, language, etc.), emotional functioning, and personality. Contact us today.

  • Learning and Emotional Assessment Program

    The Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Mass General assesses students and children ages 2 to 22 who have developmental difficulties and consults with their parents, teachers and care providers.

  • Depression Service

    Our compassionate behavioral health specialists offer the latest depression treatments and programs for children and adults. Learn how we can help.

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Services and programs

Contact the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Service

Call us to speak with a team member who can help you understand your options and guide you to the care that is right for you.
Phone

Massachusetts General Hospital:
617-726-6766

McLean Hospital

General:
617-855-3141

OCD Institute at McLean (adults):
617-855-2776

OCD Institute at McLean (children):
617-855-4660

International
International Patient Services
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