Need Therapist for Daughter with Compulsions

Hi. My daughter is 11 years old-soon to be 12 and she has had numerous compulsions over the years. There was one point where she felt like to she had to do a nightly ritual before bed or else something would happen to her family. She's always been a very sensitive child and has had some challenges with anger over the years, especially toward her younger sibling. She used to come to me crying each night worrying about something happening to me or fearing she would be kidnapped. When this behavior was at its height (around age 8 or 9) she was in therapy for about a year, which seemed to help. She doesn't have a trauma history and has had a typical childhood. Most of the time she is happy, jovial, does well in school, and has friends. But she often goes to a really dark place, and it happens without much warning. She is also struggling with her self esteem which I know is typical for this age. I am the only one she goes to with her fears, angst and worry about her compulsions. She doesn't talk to her Dad about it, nor to friends or any other adult (since therapy ended a couple years ago). She seems to keep it bottled up and then she'll come to me and it'll just erupt.

As of late she has come to me a couple times expressing deep anguish about a new compulsion. She says that when she hears someone else sneeze, she feels tingling in her genitals. She says she can't stop the feeling and she even confided in me that she had been watching Youtube videos of people sneezing. When we've talked about it, I listen, reassure her that she's ok, and tell her that I want her to feel better and that we will get through it together. But to be honest, I am in over my head with this one. I don't know how to help her, and I'm worried about mental health overall. 

Can anyone recommend a therapist that specializes in helping adolescents overcome compulsive behaviors? 

Parent Replies

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Thank you for sharing so earnestly. I don’t have a therapist rec, but your story reminded me of this amazing episode of the podcast “bodies” that you might find to be a meaningful listen:

https://pca.st/episode/42c4b9bd-ca6a-492a-be5b-3efb0b9cd8fb

I’m so sorry your daughter is struggling with compulsions. It is an awful thing to go through. It’s really good she’s talking to you about it, as it hopefully means she is open to help. The most important thing is to find a therapist who is trained/experienced in ERP therapy. It is considered the “gold standard” for obsessive compulsive disorders. Some, but not all, CBT therapists work with ERP.
My daughter worked with a therapist, Ilyana Romanovsky, who I can highly recommend. She was amazing and extremely effective. 
If she doesn’t have availability im sure she can recommend some other therapists.

When you find a therapist make sure they are familiar with misophonia 

Hi, this sounds like OCD, which can take many forms, including worrying about bad things happening to your loved ones. The psychotherapy of choice for the treatment of OCD is exposure and response prevention (ERP), which is a form of CBT. I would recommend finding a therapist that specializes in this. Here are three names I was given by the Children's Health Council. While they may not be close to you, some offer virtual sessions. With time and practice, your daughter will be able to manage it!

From personal experience with our family, I can   recommend Dr. Amy Jenks to perhaps assist your daughter with what may be an OCD issue.  

https://bayareaocd.com/dr-jenks