Skills for Life™

Carers Programme for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

OCDCentre, Victoria, London

The Carers Role - What can we do to help?

We have been treating people with OCD for 6 years as a Centre and in that time we have interacted with many carers, including parents, partners, siblings, other family members and friends.

Quite often it is the Carer that is our first point of contact with a new client, whether it is enquiring about our services or approach or indeed to book that important first assessment.

Once a client enters into therapy, good practice requires us to conduct confidentiality rules which means a carer can often feel left in the dark as to what is happening with their loved one.  As a general rule most therapists will be unprepared to talk to family members directly when treating a client unless it is strictly relevant to treatment, even when the questions are about how to help the OCD sufferer at home.

We realise that this can leave the carer frustrated as they only want to do what’s best for their loved one, but find it hard to know what is helpful and productive and what can reinforce OCD rituals.

Sometimes an OCD Sufferer is unwilling to enter into treatment, leaving the carer alone to deal and cope with the day to day strains of living with someone with OCD.

So what is available to Carers?

We at the OCD Centre have decided to address all these points.

Whether it is to help a loved one who is in therapy or for someone who isn’t yet ready, we want to help carers understand what OCD is and how they can create the best environment at home to help their loved one positively without reassurance.

Carers can be vital for support in people with OCD but we have found that while successful treatment for OCD is dependent on the client and how they work, there is a noticeable influence to the extent of that success determined by family and friends.

Often a carer can reassure a client’s OCD, which can undermine the course of treatment where a client has to learn to experience and manage their discomfort themselves.  If they have a readily available source of reassurance, it can be too easy for a client to avoid or seek comfort by expressing an OCD compulsion and manipulating it through a family member – sometimes without them even knowing!

We always encourage carers to support their family member with OCD but there is a fine line between support and negative reassurance.

How do I know what is good reassurance (support) and what is bad?

We will teach you how to recognise OCD behaviour and to address it appropriately to the situation.  We can teach you helpful language that will show your support for your love one without reassuring and pandering to the OCD.

And what about me, the Carer?

We know that living with someone with OCD can be exhausting.   Often an OCD sufferer will ask a carer not to tell anyone about their condition so that can leave you feeling alone and isolated, with no one to talk to or to understand.  This situation can eventually cause difficulties in your relationship with your loved one, causing yet further stress.

You can’t help someone if you are feeling low or depressed yourself.

So what is available at the centre for Carers?

Our therapist is an OCD Sufferer.  She is also a Carer of an OCD sufferer.

She will be able to answer any questions you have about OCD. She will be able to guide you on the right things to say (or not say) and how to interact positively with your loved one for the better.

She is also a trained counsellor.  You can offload – confidentially of course – about all the problems and let’s be honest upsetting experiences you may sometimes have. She will be able to offer advice on how to help yourself and give you that space to vent when you need to.

In short, she can assist you as you need her to, with the experience of a professional, a sufferer AND a Carer.

Who should attend?

Anyone who knows anyone else with OCD.  You can be a partner, parent, sister, brother, other family member, or friend.

The sessions are suitable for anyone who wishes to learn more about how to help someone with OCD, especially if they are finding themselves run down and need someone to talk to or confide in themselves.

We suggest each session is done solo and individually with our therapist  although discretion can be given to parents where appropriate.

What are the fees and how often should I attend?

Each session is conducted at our centre in Victoria, London or by telephone

Each session is 45 minutes and whilst we recommend 6 sessions to learn all the techniques and approaches we believe will help, you may choose to attend as many or as few as you wish.

If you are the carer of a client working with us the cost is £10 or £15 per session (telephone & In-person).

If you are the carer of a client not working with us the cost is £18 and £20 per session.

Can I bring the OCD Sufferer?

We firmly recommend that these sessions are for carers only however if your loved one wishes to attend a session and the therapist feels them taking part would be helpful, then she will advise you appropriately.  We do however recommend that these sessions are for the benefit of carers only not sufferers.

No OCD therapy will be available to sufferers during these sessions.

How do I start?

Please call the practice manager at The OCD Centre on 0845 2263110 or chez@ocdcentre.com for more information or to book an initial assessment.