Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can feel like it is wreaking havoc and ruining your busy life but therapy can change this so that you can thrive. We spoke with one of our therapists, Jacquelyn “Jacqui” Lewis, who specializes in OCD treatment.
As you’ll see, Jacqui also helped us to understand what intensive OCD therapy means for adults, how it differs from once-a-week standard therapy, how it differs from intensive OCD therapy for kids and teens, and what it might look like for real adults in the San Francisco Bay Area / Silicon Valley who are living with OCD.
How Adult OCD Differs From Child and Teen OCD
While the foundational aspects of OCD—obsessions and compulsions—remain the same, the content of these symptoms often shifts with age. In children and teens, OCD symptoms are frequently tied to their immediate developmental environment, such as school routines, friendships, or family dynamics. Adults, however, may experience symptoms that intersect with broader life transitions or cumulative responsibilities, such as managing a household, maintaining a career, or navigating long-term relationships. Jacqui explains,
“During the young adult, middle adult, and later adult phases of life… transitions like graduating college, serious relationships, having children, career changes, and aging can bring a focus on new threats to safety. OCD likes to focus on keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe, having certainty in life, making things perfect, and worrying what others think of us.”
For example, an adult may develop compulsive checking behaviors to ensure their child’s safety or obsess over workplace interactions due to fears of social rejection. These symptoms often intertwine with the natural stressors of adult life, making them harder to identify and manage without specialized support. Jacqui also explains that what might have felt like anxiety in younger years can turn into OCD as an adult:
“For adults (18+) facing symptoms of OCD, many can see an evolution from what they previously assumed were long struggles with anxiety, to something that has more rules, rituals, and higher distress, into a diagnosis of OCD.”
For a comprehensive look at OCD Types and Symptoms, start here.
How Adult OCD Symptoms Present
Adult OCD symptoms often intersect with the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of life in the Bay Area, particularly for those in the tech industry or balancing complex personal responsibilities. These symptoms can include:
- Excessive checking behaviors: For example, repeatedly ensuring that work emails are perfectly worded or double- and triple-checking that you’ve logged out of shared devices at the office.
- Fear of contamination: Avoiding communal coffee machines or office kitchens due to concerns about germs, or carrying and using disinfectant wipes excessively at shared workspaces.
- Intrusive thoughts about harm or morality: Obsessing over whether a casual comment in a meeting offended a colleague, followed by repeatedly apologizing or overanalyzing the interaction.
- A need for perfection: Spending hours reformatting a PowerPoint presentation or tweaking code for a work project, fearing it isn’t “good enough,” even when deadlines loom.
- Obsessions about relationships: Constantly second-guessing a partner’s feelings or overanalyzing friend groups on social media, fearing exclusion or misunderstanding.
- Difficulty making decisions: Feeling paralyzed when choosing between two job offers or debating over a seemingly minor detail in a project, fearing the “wrong” choice will have catastrophic consequences.
- Health anxieties: Spending hours researching symptoms online, convinced that burnout-related fatigue might actually be a serious illness, or avoiding the gym out of fear of germs.
These examples illustrate how OCD symptoms can intertwine with the realities of adult life in the Bay Area, where career ambitions, technological connectivity, and personal expectations often amplify the challenges. Palo Alto Therapy’s intensive OCD therapy for adults helps clients address these unique pressures while empowering them with tools to manage their symptoms and thrive.
Why Choose Intensive Therapy?
For adults whose OCD symptoms significantly disrupt their daily lives, weekly therapy may not provide enough support to foster meaningful progress. Jacqui says,
“Some adults may enter treatment because the ways they’ve been coping with OCD have reached a point where they can no longer manage on their own; the impact to their relationships have become intolerable to loved ones; jobs may be in jeopardy; being able to attend family functions/activities may have halted. Others may enter treatment because they are confused as to why anxiety is now appearing more intense, and they may end up with a new diagnosis of OCD.
Someone who may be able to benefit from more intensive OCD treatment would be someone who has a significant impact to their daily life, and once or twice a week therapy is not enough. They are needing/requiring more support to engage in ERP, unable to complete their exposure homework on their own. They may want to have a running jump toward progress, and have noticed their once a week therapy is not getting them there.”
The intensive program at Palo Alto Therapy is structured to address these needs, offering:
- A focused environment to tackle complex OCD challenges.
- Psychoeducation on OCD to empower clients with knowledge about their condition.
- Ample time for exposure therapy (ERP), guided by a therapist to build confidence and resilience.
- Practical strategies for navigating daily stressors and responsibilities.
This approach not only addresses the immediate impacts of OCD but also equips clients with tools for long-term success.
Balancing Intensive Adult OCD Therapy With a Busy Life
Living and working in a high-pressure environment, it can feel impossible to prioritize mental health, especially when OCD symptoms are becoming increasingly unmanageable. Our therapists understand that time is valuable and recognize how difficult it can be to carve out space for treatment. However, untreated OCD doesn’t just affect mental health—it also decreases productivity, disrupts focus, and negatively impacts relationships, both at home and at work.
When OCD symptoms spiral, they often lead to wasted time and energy, such as endlessly double-checking emails, ruminating over decisions, or avoiding certain situations entirely. This loss of time and mental bandwidth can make even simple daily tasks feel overwhelming, creating a cycle that further reduces your efficiency and quality of life. In the long run, investing time into intensive adult OCD therapy can actually save time by reducing these disruptions and equipping you with effective tools for managing symptoms.
An intensive OCD program provides maximum support in a focused, time-limited format to address these challenges head-on.
Jacqui Lewis elaborates:
“Being able to participate in an intensive program means there is more time to look at daily life stressors, provide important psycho-education on OCD, and have time to practice exposure therapy together; often times, a 45-60 minute session once a week, is not enough support for someone who is struggling with the interference of OCD on their daily lives. Being able to make the commitment of a couple months to dedicate to treatment, can have significant longer-term progress, setting the client up for success to continue through once-a-week therapy after completion of the program.”
The immersive nature of intensive therapy offers the depth of care necessary to make meaningful progress in a shorter amount of time. And while committing to a couple of months may seem daunting, this time investment is designed to provide long-term relief and productivity gains. Your therapists and support team at Palo Alto Therapy will work with you to find a schedule, including video appointments, that takes your busy life into consideration. If you’re ready to commit to intensive adult OCD therapy then we are ready to help you do it.
Transitioning to Ongoing Care Without Disruptions
One of the benefits of Palo Alto Therapy’s intensive OCD therapy for adults is that it seamlessly transitions to ongoing, once-a-week therapy when you’re ready. This “step down” model allows you to maintain continuity of care with the same therapist you’ve been working with during the intensive program. There’s no need to start over, retell your story, or adjust to a new provider. This consistency ensures that the progress you’ve made is reinforced while building on the therapeutic relationship you’ve already established. This approach not only supports your busy lifestyle but also aligns with Palo Alto Therapy’s commitment to personalized, client-centered care.
Ready to Thrive?
Palo Alto Therapy’s Intensive OCD Therapy for Adults can help empower you with actionable strategies. If you’ve been managing OCD on your own or feel that weekly therapy isn’t enough, this program offers a practical, supportive way to make meaningful progress without completely disrupting your busy life.
Contact us today with your questions about OCD therapy or to find out more about the launch of Intensive OCD Therapy. You can learn more about licensed California therapist Jacquelyn “Jacqui” Lewis here or learn more about all of our therapists here.
You Might Also Find It Helpful To Read:
- What Types of OCD Therapy Near Me Help Most?
- What Is Obsessive Compulsive Syndrome? Two Licensed Therapists Tell Us About OCD Trends and Treatment in Silicon Valley
- In-Person vs. Online Therapy for OCD: Finding the Right Fit for You and Your Child