We receive many calls from individuals looking for help with their anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders.  We’re not always able to help everyone (some people live out of state, some don’t have an anxiety disorder, while others are solely seeking medication), so we try to supply information as they seek other providers.  Here are a few things to ask about when looking for treatment of anxiety and related disorders:

• Do you treat the issue I’m having?

  • If you have a specific diagnosis, ask if they treat that issue.  Remember “Anxiety Disorder” is not a disorder.  “Anxiety” is a classification disorders with many disorders that comprise that category.  It’s similar to going to a mechanic and asking if they work on cars, rather than “Do you regularly replace fuel pumps on Audis?”
  • If they state they treat your issue, I would then ask what a course of treatment would entail.  If it is an anxiety or OCD issue, there should be a plan: approximate number of sessions, how often sessions would occur, and what the goal is. Importantly, there should be homework, and if the patient is a child, the parents should also be included in the treatment. It may not be an exact number of sessions or detailed out to what occurs in every session, but you should feel comfortable knowing there’s a plan of action that’s tailored to you or your child.
  • As anxiety and OCD disorders are known to respond well to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (“CBT”), asking about the clinician’s theoretical background is important and relevant, as well as their experience with your specific issue.

In general, after the initial consult you should have a sense that the clinician is well versed in the research and treatment of your specific issue.  Good questions include “How often do you attend and/or present at conferences specific to my issue (e.g., International OCD Foundation or Anxiety and Depression Association of America)?” “How often do you treat Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia, and do you engage in exposure with your patient?”. You want to feel comfortable both with the approach of treatment and the specific clinician you are working with, as both are necessary. I would note that being ‘comfortable’ with the clinician doesn’t entail being best friends, but that you can have a good working relationship with him or her, much in the way you would with a tutor or personal trainer.  Finally, ask as many questions as you need to so that you understand how treatment works with the individual you choose.  Treatment should be an open book of shared work based on science, not a shrouded mystery that makes you feel uncomfortable. Remember that there are solid, empirically based treatments that work quickly for anxiety and OCD, and your clinician should be able to describe them to you in a manner that you feel confident in your success.