In-Person & Virtual Group Therapy
NYAT offers multiple groups to supplement the individual treatment of OCD.
In-Person Groups
Exposure Lab Group
Exposure Lab is an Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) group designed to assist OCD patients who are participating in individual ERP the opportunity to implement additional exposures throughout the week. It’s an additional opportunity for directed and intensive exposure practice in alongside of individual therapy.
The goal of the group is to increase exposure practice for patients struggling with OCD by increasing opportunity and motivation and decreasing barriers to practice. Members have the opportunity to engage in their own exposures, as well as offer support to other members, as they engage in their own exposures.
Sessions are devised to accommodate members' individual themes and goals.
Exposure Lab Group is a closed group and requires a 6-week commitment
Social Anxiety Exposure Lab Group
Exposure Lab for Social Anxiety is an exposure-based group designed to augment individual therapy for patients who struggle with social anxiety.
The goal of the group is to increase exposure practice for patients struggling with social anxiety by giving them the opportunity to practice targeted, social anxiety-specific exposures in a therapeutic environment. Members have the opportunity to engage in their own exposures, as well as offer support to other members as they engage in theirs, with guidance from expert clinicians.
Social Anxiety Exposure Lab Group is a closed group and requires a 6-week commitment
GOAL Group
GOAL (Giving Obsessive-Compulsives Another Lifestyle) Group is consistent with the principles of Exposure Response Prevention and is intended to assist individuals suffering from OCD toward leading freer, more fulfilling lives.
It is a complement to individual treatment and is also appropriate for individuals who have successfully completed treatment and are seeking a form of relapse prevention.
The work that will be explored during the sessions includes:
Setting personal goals for growth and recovery
Removing shame and stigma associated with OCD
Enhancing motivation to face difficulties associated with treatment
Fostering community and minimizing isolation
Each group is divided into two parts: discussing an OCD-related theme and setting, and reviewing and trouble-shooting individual goals.
GOAL Group is ongoing. Join for a minimum of 4 sessions and choose weekly or bi-weekly.
GOAL Group meets Tuesdays from 6:30pm - 8pm
Virtual Groups
Friends & Family Group
NYAT invites family and friends to join in engaging discussion with the goal of empowering you to be a supportive presence for individuals suffering with OCD.
Some of the questions we’ll address:
How can you respond when someone you care about is struggling with OCD?
What can you say or do to support someone trying to choose not to engage in a compulsion?
How do you not lose sight of your own self-care when you’re invested in supporting someone
Our Approach
Using a combination of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, we have designed a program to educate and support individuals supporting loved ones with OCD.
This group aims to:
Enhance understanding of OCD and how it affects the sufferer in their life
Train participants to adaptively respond and manage challenging moments when someone is struggling with OCD
Provide a supportive environment to share personal challenges and successes
Increase ability to maintain personal self-care while caring for someone else
Friends & Family Group is a 6-week commitment
Virtual Exposure Lab Group
Virtual Exposure Groups provide participants with the opportunity to practice exposures at home (or on location elsewhere) with the support of a therapist and other participants.
Exposure Lab is an Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) group that’s designed to assist OCD patients who are in individual ERP to implement additional exposures throughout their week. It’s an opportunity for directed and intensive exposure practice alongside of individual therapy.
The goal of the group is to increase exposure practice for patients struggling with OCD by increasing opportunity and motivation and decreasing barriers to practice. It is expected that each participant have a planned exposure for each session, and the clinician will prompt each participant to do their exposure.
Participants are coached by the clinician and fellow participants to implement strategies to skillfully manage anxiety. Members have the opportunity to engage in their own exposures, as well as offer support to other members’ experiences.
Group concludes with discussion and goal setting around response prevention aspects as relevant to the day’s session exposure.
Virtual Exposure Lab Group requires a 4-week commitment.
Virtual Cooking Exposure Lab Group
This virtual group is for individuals with OCD who feel overwhelmed by being in the kitchen. We will directly face common fears that come up around cooking, such as:
Cleaning and contamination concerns
Handling raw chicken or other “gross” materials
Using knives and sharp tools
Cooking with heat and the stove
Perfectionism
This will be a highly experiential group! Together (virtually), we will chop, clean, measure, use the oven and stove, and confront the very tasks OCD tells you to avoid.
Goals of the Group
Reduce avoidance of cooking tasks that feel overwhelming
Increase independence and self-reliance in the kitchen
Practice tolerating anxiety and uncertainty while cooking
Possibly make something delicious along the way
Cooking Exposure Lab Group is a closed group and requires a 6-week commitment.
Getting Started
There are three ways to get in touch! You may call us at (212) 518-8162 email at admin@nyanxietytreatment.com or complete the form below to set up a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation with NYAT Director, Dr. Anna Edwards. She’ll be able to answer any preliminary questions you may have about the program.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Our Programs
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NYAT also offers a 3-day Exposure Boot Camp
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Join us for GOAL Group at Weill Cornell or Exposure Lab Group at NYAT’s office and out in the city.
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NYAT offers several virtual groups:
Friends & Family
Virtual Exposure Lab Group
Virtual Cooking Exposure Lab Group