Online Counseling & Therapy
(320) 200-4190

Embrace a Life Beyond OCD

Living with the demands of OCD can be a challenge. Northpoint Counseling can help.

Britt Werre, LICSW

Founder & Counselor

Now Accepting Insurance

Northpoint is proud to announce that we are now accepting United Healthcare, Medica, and HSA payments.

How We Treat OCD

The most effective treatment for OCD is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy called Exposure Response Prevention (ERP). There is also promising new research to support the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in the treatment of OCD. If this is what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.

My approach is structured, yet flexible; collaborative; and person-centered. I seek to provide you with the resources and “tools” you’ll need to effectively manage distress and free yourself from the grip of OCD. We’ll work together to identify the combination of interventions and skills that best suits your needs and mental health goals, with the understanding that you know yourself best.

What is ERP?

Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that was developed specifically for the treatment of OCD. ERP is designed to treat both the obsessions and the compulsions that comprise OCD.

During ERP, the individual is asked to intentionally confront, or expose themselves to, the distressing thought, image, or situation that triggers the obsession. The individual is then asked to avoid engaging in any behavior, or response, that is aimed at reducing distress or preventing the feared outcome.

While the idea of intentionally doing things to provoke anxiety may sound counterintuitive, the intention is that the individual will come to learn that they can tolerate the distress or anxiety without engaging in the compulsion.

Types Of OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder affecting approximately 1.2% of the population, and occurs when a person gets stuck in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions. The type of OCD can vary and include:

Harm OCD

Harm OCD is a type of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder that involves  persistent intrusive thoughts of harming yourself or others.

Relationship OCD

Relationship OCD typically presents as thoughts about the validity of your relationships with others. 

Contamination OCD

Probably the most well known variant of OCD, Contamination OCD involves the intense fear of germs or illness.  

Perfectionism OCD

Also referred to as “Just Right” OCD, Perfectionism OCD is a subtype of OCD that is categorized as ongoing intrusive thoughts and behaviors centered around organization.

it is possible to “re-wire” your brain, and NorthPoint Counseling can help

Together, we will explore how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors contribute to anxiety, and learn evidenced-based strategies for managing anxiety more effectively so that you can invest that time and energy instead into pursuing the things you value. 

ABout Me

Britt Werre, LICSW

Founder & COUNSELOR

I’m trained in Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) for the treatment of OCD, and am currently certified as a clinical anxiety treatment professional. In addition to ERP, I also integrate concepts and skills from other evidence-based interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). 

Regardless of the specific approach we take, my overarching goal is to be present with you in this difficult time – creating space for you to feel heard and understood, and encouraging you as you build confidence in your ability to manage whatever comes your way.

Education and Licensure

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW, #26478)Minnesota Board of Social Work

Master’s Degree in Social WorkUniversity of St. Thomas and St. Catherine University

 

Additional Trainings and Certifications

4-day Intensive Workshop: Exposure and Response Prevention for OCDCognitive Behavior Institute Center for Education

2-Day Anxiety Certification Course: Integrate CBT and Exposure & Response Prevention for Treatment of GAD, Panic Disorder, OCD, Social Anxiety, & PhobiasAnxiety Training, LLC

Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP, #154594)Evergreen Certifications

FAQ's

When you click Book a Free Consultation, you’ll be scheduled for a free 20-minute phone consultation. This will be an opportunity for us to begin getting to know one another and to decide whether working together might be a good fit. I’ll be interested to hear a little bit about what brings you to therapy and what you’re looking for. We’ll also address any additional questions you have about the process.

If you decide to move forward, the next step will be to schedule your 90-minute intake session. This session will primarily be spent completing an assessment that will help me to get to know you better, including what brings you to therapy, your history, and any other factors that might be contributing to the issue of concern. We’ll also discuss your goals for treatment and work together to create a “treatment plan” or outline for how we’ll work together to achieve those goals.

After the initial 90-minute session, we’ll decide together how often you’d like to meet and how long you’d like each session to last. Typically, we’ll meet weekly for up to 50-minutes as we’re getting to know one another, but that’s open to change as we build rapport and begin making progress towards your goals.

If, at any point in this process, we decide that working together will not be a good fit, I’ll help you to find another resource or provider that might be a better fit for your needs.

For rates and help with insurance eligibility visit:

https://northpointmn.com/policies/

Great question! I’d like to be able to give you a straightforward answer, but it’s difficult to say for sure. That’s because every person and situation is so unique- while some people might only need 8-12 sessions, others might spend a year or more in therapy. It also depends on the style of therapy you’re looking for, whether that’s highly structured and goal-oriented or more exploratory and insight based.

What I can tell you is that we’ll discuss this further within the first session or two after I’ve had a chance to get to know you better. Typically, we’ll start with 12 sessions and reassess together from there. That being said, therapy typically “ends” when you feel that you’ve met your goals or gotten to the place that you came here for.

A “typical” session will vary slightly from individual to individual and largely depends on your goals and expectations for treatment. We’ll most often begin by checking in on how you’ve been feeling and coping between sessions, as well as reviewing any “homework” that may have been assigned in the previous session.

Then we’ll set an “agenda” for our session that day. As much as possible, I prefer to let clients take the lead on what they want to talk about or work on in a given session. Generally speaking, you’ll be asked to reflect, express your feelings, consider alternatives, and get comfortable with the uncomfortable! While this might feel new and intimidating at first, I’ll be there to support you along the way.

Online therapy looks much the same as in-person therapy, aside from the fact that we won’t be sharing a physical space. You can think of it kind of like meeting with your therapist over Facetime or Zoom, except that I’ll be using a HIPAA-compliant software that is secure and abides by health information and patient privacy laws.  

In fact, the most recent studies to date suggest that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy, with several added benefits. For those who live in remote locations or have transportation concerns, online therapy helps to remove those barriers and promote access to care (not to mention the time saved commuting to and from your session or the freedom to join the session from the comfort of your own home). 

That being said, online therapy is not a fit for every person and situation. We’ll discuss this further during your initial phone consultation to ensure that online therapy will be the right fit for you. If for whatever reason, it’s not, I’ll provide you with alternative resources for in-person therapy to better suit your needs. 

When you schedule an appointment with me, that time is set aside just for you. With this in mind, I request at least 24 hours notice in advance of a cancellation. You may call 320-200-4190 to cancel your appointment, or send an e-mail to britt@northpointmn.com

Missed appointments (i.e. “no-shows”) or appointments canceled with less than 24 hours notice will be charged at 50% of the full session fee. I allow a 15-minute “grace period” for late arrivals, after which point the session will be counted as a “no-show” and will need to be rescheduled.  Since every session is allotted a specific time, I am unable to extend that time for late arrivals. Please be advised that late arrivals will end at the scheduled time, and will be billed the full 50-minute session fee.

Book Your Free Consultation and Start Taking Control of your OCD

TOGETHER, WE WILL EXPLORE HOW YOUR THOUGHTS, FEELINGS, AND BEHAVIORS REINFORCE OCD. 

 

YOU WILL LEARN EVIDENCED-BASED STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING OCD MORE EFFECTIVELY- SO THAT YOU CAN INVEST YOUR TIME AND ENERGY INSTEAD INTO PURSUING THE THINGS YOU VALUE. 

Get Your Free Consultation

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