OCD Therapy for Children & Teens on Long Island
Specialized Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Gold standard evidence-based treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder provided by a board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist.
When OCD Is Quiet, High-Functioning, and Taking Over
Your child may be intelligent, capable, and successful, yet trapped in reassurance loops, checking behaviors, intrusive thoughts, or rigid routines.
• Repeated reassurance seeking
• Contamination fears
• Fear of vomiting (emetophobia)
• Academic perfectionism
• Bedtime rituals
• School avoidance
• “Just in case” checking
• Mental reviewing
• Avoiding certain foods
• Needing certainty
• Difficulty transitioning
• Exhaustion from anxiety
This is one of the most important things for parents to understand.
Most teens with OCD already know their thoughts don’t make sense. The problem isn’t insight… it’s how OCD demands certainty.
OCD does not improve through reassurance, processing feelings, or insight alone. It requires structured, exposure-based intervention.
Our practice provides specialized OCD therapy on Long Island for children and adolescents using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
Why Traditional Talk Therapy Often Isn’t Enough for OCD
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
The Gold-Standard Treatment for OCD
① Gradual Exposure
Carefully designed, step-by-step exposure to feared thoughts, situations, or sensations, without overwhelming the child.
② Response Prevention
Learning to resist compulsions, reassurance seeking, or avoidance behaviors that keep OCD stuck
③ Tolerance of Uncertainty
Building the capacity to sit with discomfort so anxiety decreases naturally, without rituals.
What to Expect
• Weekly structured ERP sessions
• Customized exposure hierarchy
• In-session practice
• Between-session assignments
• Parent coaching
• Coordination with pediatricians or psychiatrists
Most families see measurable progress within several months of consistent ERP.
OCD often recruits parents into reassurance and accommodation cycles.
Treatment includes structured guidance to shift these patterns.
Parents Are Part of the Treatment Plan
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents often presents as repetitive behaviors, intrusive thoughts, or persistent reassurance seeking that interferes with daily life.
Common signs include:
• Repeated checking (doors, homework, health concerns)
• Excessive handwashing or contamination fears
• Fear of vomiting (emetophobia)
• Mental reviewing or “just right” behaviors
• Reassurance seeking from parents
• Perfectionism that significantly slows academic output
• Bedtime rituals or difficulty separatingMany high-achieving children mask symptoms at school while struggling privately at home. When anxiety begins to control routines, relationships, or academic functioning, a specialized evaluation or ERP therapy may be indicated.
-
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is considered the gold-standard, evidence-based treatment for pediatric OCD.
ERP works by gradually exposing a child to feared situations, thoughts, or sensations while helping them resist compulsive behaviors and reassurance. Over time, the brain learns that anxiety decreases naturally without rituals.
Research consistently shows that structured ERP therapy is more effective for OCD than supportive or insight-based talk therapy alone.
At Duhning Psychological Services, PLLC, ERP is delivered in a structured, developmentally appropriate format tailored to each child’s symptom profile.
-
Traditional talk therapy focuses on discussing fears, exploring emotions, and building insight. While supportive, this approach does not directly interrupt the OCD cycle.
ERP is active and behavioral. Sessions include:
• Developing an exposure hierarchy
• Practicing exposures in-session
• Reducing avoidance and reassurance
• Teaching tolerance of uncertaintyERP targets the mechanism that maintains OCD rather than simply discussing the anxiety surrounding it.
For many families on Long Island, prior therapy has been supportive but not specialized. ERP provides a structured path forward.
-
Yes. OCD and ADHD can overlap — and are often misinterpreted.
A child with OCD may appear:
• Distracted
• Slow to start tasks
• Rigid
• Overly focused on details
• Avoidant of assignmentsHowever, the underlying cause may be anxiety-driven perfectionism, intrusive thoughts, or fear of making mistakes — not attention deficit.
As a board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist, Dr. Duhning is uniquely positioned to differentiate OCD from ADHD and other executive functioning concerns. When diagnostic clarity is needed, a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation may be recommended.
-
Absolutely.
OCD frequently impacts:
• Homework completion time
• Test performance
• Writing output
• Transitioning between tasks
• School attendance
• ParticipationHigh-achieving students may spend excessive time revising or checking work. Others may avoid tasks entirely due to fear of mistakes.
Specialized ERP therapy helps reduce avoidance patterns and restore functional academic engagement. When school-based concerns are significant, collaboration with educators or formal evaluation may be considered.
-
If anxiety feels intense, illogical, reassurance-driven, and stuck, it is important to seek the right treatment to prevent it from spreading and getting worse.