cognitive-behavioral therapy

[Guest guest]

Hi, everyone.  My 15-yr-old son was diagnosed with OCD in Dec 2010, and has been

seeing a counselor since mid-Jan.  I have been doing extensive reading about

OCD, and I want my son's therapist to begin CBT with ERP.  Everything I read

says that is the most effective treatment for OCD.  (He is also seeing the

psychiatrist and is on Luvox, which decreases the intensity of his compulsions

but by no means eradicates them.) The counselor spends lots of time

" establishing rapport and trust " and exploring my son's depression and poor

self-esteem (which I feel is caused by the OCD and its impact on his schoolwork,

friendships, everything), and seems resistant to my wanting to bring the focus

back onto the OCD.  For instance, my son makes compulsive lists of his

interests--the counselor wants to analyze the content of the lists--I told him

the content doesn't matter!  He could be making lists of the periodic table of

the elements, for pete's sake--the

content is meaningless, the problem is the compulsion that tells my son he must

work on his lists for longer and longer periods each day or he can't function. 

The counselor then told me I wanted to take a " mechanical " approach.  I am so

frustrated.  I have purchased Dr. March's books " Talking Back to OCD " and

have expressed our interest in following the CBT outlined in the book.  Two

weeks ago I even gave the counselor a copy of the book, which he said he would

skim and discuss if he felt it was a worthwhile program, but he has not had time

yet.  You do not have to have a counselor helping you through the steps of the

program, but I do want all of us working together against the OCD while

supporting my son. My son likes the counselor, has been seeing him weekly for

over 3 months.  I feel I have been more than patient waiting for some actual

work on OCD to begin.  In Dec. the supervising psychiatrist started the meds and

told me CBT would

be the therapy of choice, but I have yet to see any. I am beginning to think

the counselor doesn't know where to begin.  Do I confront the counselor?  Just

try to start all over with a counselor more invested in CBT?  This has been so

difficult, watching my son go through this.