Hi, please help me find therapy

[EmmaBlakey]

I have a friend who has very little money, is there a Canada online therapy that is MST. And that my friend can go to, she is very tight, can't afford to do therapy. Or get diagnosed, is there anything out there in Canada that could help her have OCD treatment? I looked at iocdf.org but everything is way expensive.... I need under $80.00 per therapy session. She has no support, except for her friends. No family that loves her like her friends, and no good doctors that can help. They are sending her back and forth between family doctors and no one is doing anything for her. Very frustrating time rn. Please help.

[Nothing_but_books]

Hi, I found this. I hope it's useful.

affordabletherapynetwork.com/

[EmmaBlakey in reply to Nothing_but_books]

Thank-you! I will look into it

[Sallyskins]

It's difficult if you don't have money for therapy or can't access it for free. I don't know of any online courses, but there are quite a few self-help books that put you on the road to recovery.

I've found Overcoming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder very helpful - it has exercises and case studies that your friend can adapt to her own form of OCD, and the appendices have some of the standard OCD diagnostic tests that are used by professionals that she can fill out herself to gauge how bad her OCD is. She might want to fill these out at regular intervals so she can track her progress.

Another one I've found helpful is The OCD Workbook - it also has case studies and exercises. There are quite a few of these books on the market - just make sure they use CBT techniques.

Although face-to-face therapy with a professional is best, she could make a lot of progress using books like these. I did, myself, before I got appropriate help (I had a really bad therapist for quite a while who didn't so much as explain to me that it was OCD, let alone use CBT!)

If she doesn't find her particular OCD type described in a book, not to worry. Because OCD takes many forms - and each OCD patient is different. These forms do follow certain patterns, and the treatment is basically the same.

Perhaps it might help her to go over some of the CBT exercises with you and her other friends - but be patient with her, don't force her to go beyond what she feels capable of doing - CBT is like a gradual stretching process and little steps are usually the way to go!

[Natureloverpeace]

You’ve checked the Resource Directory at the IOCDF so that’s good. It may help to check with the individual provider to see if they have a sliding scale fee or will do a payment plan. It is usually cheaper to get treatment from a trainee who is working under the supervision of an OCD specialist. Research has shown that ERP treatment through video appointments can be just as effective as in-person. The therapist needs to be willing to go outside of their office to address certain things. That can be done by video or in-person.

Treatment can be prohibitively expensive but OCD left untreated will get worse and can lead to job loss.

ocdchallenge.com is a free resource that was designed by a well-known OCD expert. The disclaimer is that isn’t meant to replace therapy. The free livestreams provided by the IOCDF could be beneficial to your friend. Freedom from OCD by Jonathan Grayson, Ph.D. is one of the books most recommended by top OCD experts. Jon Hershfield and Kym Quinlan have books out that are highly recommended too.

ERP exercises need to be custom-fitted to the individual instead of using a cookie-cutter approach. If two people had the exact same obsessions and compulsions they would need different ERP exercises to address the factors associated with them. An individual’ values, in addition to their underlying core fear(s), need to be addressed in the treatment plan. The underlying core fear is not the same as the superficial fear. The OCD cycle is the same in all OCD subtypes but each person has factors in their OCD that are unique to them, no matter what the subtype. These subtypes are not clinical diagnoses. OCD is OCD from a clinical standpoint.

Jon Grayson, a top OCD expert has some great videos on YouTube. They may be on other platforms as well, I don’t know. Nathan Peterson and Natasha Daniels, both OCD specialists, have videos available too. OCD Stories is an excellent podcast. I would recommend avoiding OCD coaches. An OCD coach is a self-appointed title that sometimes a person with lived experience will adopt to educate or treat others. It is illegal to provide therapy without a license. No education or training is required to be an OCD coach

[Sallyskins]

I should add that your friend should make sure that anyone she pays for therapy is properly qualified and accredited. There are a lot of scammers and fakes who promise easy cures. Any therapist she uses should have expertise in OCD and should use CBT/ERP.

She could also ask her doctor for medication. The standard medication is an SSRI antidepressant like sertraline. It takes about 4-6 weeks to kick in. Medication can be a great help, but CBT is needed alongside it. A few people don't get on well with this sort of medication, but it really makes difference to many.

[Mcfly64]

Hi. I’m in Australia and my doctor after I was diagnosed , in consultation with a therapist, put me on a care plan which reduces the cost. I get 12 appointments per year. Maybe this is possible in Canada? I hope this makes sense.

[Scotsil127]

I am a therapist at NOCD.com --- we treat members all over the world! While cash pay is expensive, we do have the option where you can pay just $95 per week until your sessions are paid off. Take a look at their website, and if you like what you see, give them a call - and let them know Scott Silver referred you to them. NOCD has therapists who are specifically trained in ERP, which is the gold standard for treating OCD. Good luck!