OCD THERAPY · HERMOSA BEACH
OCD therapy in Hermosa Beach. Steady, small steps.
Erika Barker, LMFT, works with children, teens and adults with OCD at her Hermosa Beach office and online across California. Therapy uses cognitive behavioral approaches to help people face obsessive fears in small steps and rely less on rituals and reassurance. With children, parents learn how to respond at home.
Accepting new clients · Typical wait: 1 week
By Erika Barker, LMFT · Last reviewed
WHO IT HELPS
Is this for you? By age.
Children
- Washing, checking or redoing things until they feel “just right”
- Asking the same questions for reassurance
- Big upset when a routine or ritual is interrupted
Teens
- Intrusive thoughts that feel shameful or scary
- Time lost to checking or mental reviewing
- Hiding rituals from friends and family
Adults and new parents
- Unwanted thoughts that won’t go away
- Compulsions that take up time
- Intrusive thoughts after having a baby
HOW WE’LL WORK
How we’ll work. Less reassurance, more room.
OCD feeds on certainty and reassurance. The more rituals someone does to feel safe, the stronger the fear tends to get.
Using cognitive behavioral tools, we map out the fears and rituals, then practice facing them in small, planned steps while resisting the urge to neutralize them. With children, I coach parents on how to support without feeding the cycle.
- Ages
- 7 to 40
- Format
- In person in Hermosa Beach · Virtual anywhere in California
- Session
- 45 to 90 minutes
- Fee
- $225 per standard session · Sliding scale available · Other session options available
- Insurance
- Out of Network Insurance Accepted, Billing can be submitted for clients
- Location
- Hermosa Beach
HOW TO START
Three simple steps. No pressure.
Free phone consultation
15 minutes
Call or send a request. We talk briefly about what’s going on and whether I’m a good fit.
First session
45 to 90 minutes
We get to know each other and talk about what brought you in and what you hope will change.
Ongoing sessions
45 to 90 minutes
We work toward your goals together and adjust the plan as we go.
YOUR THERAPIST
Erika Barker, LMFT
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist · California LMFT #165219 · Verify license (opens in a new tab)
- MA, Clinical Psychology, Antioch University Los Angeles, 2022
What are signs of OCD in children?
Signs of OCD in children can include washing, checking, counting or redoing things until they feel “just right,” asking the same questions for reassurance, and getting very upset when a ritual is interrupted. Some children have frightening thoughts they are afraid to say out loud. Rituals that take up time or cause distress are worth a closer look.
Is OCD just being very neat or organized?
No. OCD is not a personality trait or a love of order. It involves unwanted, distressing thoughts, called obsessions, and actions or mental rituals, called compulsions, that a person feels driven to do to ease the distress. Many people with OCD have no interest in neatness at all.
How does therapy help with OCD?
Therapy for OCD with Erika uses cognitive behavioral approaches. Together, clients map their fears and rituals, then practice facing feared situations in small steps while resisting compulsions. Over time, this can make fears less powerful. Progress depends on the person, and Erika sets the pace together with each client.
How can parents help a child with OCD?
Parents often get pulled into rituals, such as answering the same question many times or changing routines to avoid upset. Erika works with parents on responding with warmth while slowly stepping back from those patterns, so the child can build confidence in handling uncertainty. This is a core part of child OCD work.
A FREE CONSULTATION
Start with a conversation. We’ll go from there.
You don’t have to have it all figured out. The first step is a free 15-minute phone call.
Accepting new clients · Typical wait: 1 week