Institutional Member Updates: Spring 2026

This year’s Summer Program for kids and teens ages 7-15 is June 22-26 and August 17-21!

Our Services can be found on our website and include:
Psychological Assessment/Testing
Exposure Therapy (ERP)
Individual and Group Psychotherapy
Behavioral Coaching (ERP)
Behavioral Coaching (Executive Functioning)
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP for adults)
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP for kids)
Courageous Kids (Summer Program and Club Courage)

The Center is dedicated to delivering gold-standard treatment, advancing clinical innovation in pediatric OCD care, and training the next generation of OCD specialists. It is named in honor of our esteemed colleague, the late Dr. Jerry Bubrick, whose work transformed the treatment of OCD for countless children and families.

As part of this exciting new chapter, we are delighted to welcome Theresa Welles, PhD, who joined us  as the Shapiro Family Director of the Bubrick Center for Pediatric OCD. Dr. Welles brings more than 20 years of experience across diverse clinical settings and specializes in treating OCD, trauma, and anxiety disorders. Her leadership will help expand our clinical services and deepen our impact for families seeking expert care.

We are also pleased to announce the appointment of Alnardo Martinez, MS, as Director of the Pediatric OCD Intensive Service. Alnardo brings extensive expertise in evidence-based treatment and clinical leadership, supporting our intensive program and helping families achieve meaningful progress.

The Child Mind Institute OCD Service specializes in comprehensive diagnostic evaluations and individualized treatment using cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and exposure and response prevention (ERP), the most effective evidence-based treatments for OCD. For children experiencing significant impairment, our Intensive OCD Program offers a concentrated treatment model — condensing care that typically occurs weekly over several months into daily three-hour sessions over 1-4 weeks — helping families see meaningful progress in a shorter period of time.

We welcome families from both the New York City area and beyond. Parents and caregivers are involved at every stage of treatment, services are available in English and Spanish, and financial aid is available to help families access care.

We are proud to expand our commitment to children and families impacted by OCD and look forward to the important work ahead.

NYAT offers individual therapy for adults, a 6-week Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and a 3-day Exposure Bootcamp for concentrated treatment. NYAT also provides several group therapy options, including in-person and virtual Exposure Labs for OCD, a Social Anxiety Exposure Lab, virtual cooking exposure lab, GOAL group for ongoing support, a Friends & Family Group to help loved ones understand and reduce accommodation behaviors and Fly with us!, an ERP program specifically designed for individuals struggling with a fear of flying.

NYAT’s programs target conditions such as OCD, panic disorder, agoraphobia, social anxiety, illness anxiety, body-dysmorphic disorder, and other specific phobias. With flexible in-person and virtual formats, NYAT support clients seeking both intensive and maintenance-level care.

NYAT emphasizes high-dose, specialized exposure therapy tailored to individual goals. The collaborative approach includes coordination with referring clinicians and support for families, helping clients achieve lasting relief from anxiety and reclaim daily functioning.

In a landmark study published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, NOCD’s Dr. Jamie Feusner, Clare Beatty, Dr. Patrick McGrath, Dr. Andreas Rhode, and their team examined outcomes for over 1,000 people receiving habit reversal training (HRT), an evidence-based treatment for BFRBs, through video sessions with NOCD Therapists.

After just 14-16 weeks, HRT with a NOCD Therapist delivered a median 33% reduction in the severity of both hair pulling and skin picking, with nearly half of participants achieving at least a 35% reduction. These results were consistent across children, teens, and adults. Researchers also observed improvements in anxiety, depression, stress, disability, and overall quality of life.

These findings reinforce that BFRBs are treatable and that virtual delivery of evidence-based treatment can expand access to effective care.

Learn more: https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/video-therapy-habit-reversal-training-body-focused-repetitive-behaviors/

In keeping with the Center’s mission to increase access to evidence-based treatments for OCD, Drs. Anthony Pinto and Christine D’Urso recently led a two-day training on exposure and response prevention for mental health professionals across the Northwell Health system. Dr. Pinto and his co-author Dr. Michael Wheaton are looking forward to the release of their Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder Workbook on July 1st. Published by New Harbinger, the workbook is available for pre-order on Amazon. Our team is eager to continue our treatment, training, and research missions this spring, and we appreciate IOCDF’s ongoing support.

We’re excited to share several important updates as OCDI Texas continues to grow and expand access to evidence-based care for individuals and families affected by OCD and related anxiety disorders.

Coming Soon: Be on the lookout for a new events calendar on our website, featuring our monthly free webinars designed for clinicians, families, and individuals with OCD. These educational offerings are part of our ongoing commitment to increasing access to high-quality information, support, and evidence-based practices within the OCD community.

We’re also pleased to announce that our Residential Treatment Program has expanded from 11 to 13 beds, allowing us to serve more individuals in need of intensive care. At this time, we have active openings across all levels of care, including Residential, Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), and Outpatient services. Please call our admissions line to learn more: (832)900-8687

In addition, our Social Work Fellowship application process is now open, with applications due by March 1st. This fellowship offers a unique opportunity for social workers seeking advanced training in evidence-based treatment for OCD and anxiety disorders within a multidisciplinary, specialized setting.

To learn more about the Social Work Fellowship and career opportunities at OCDI Texas, visit:
https://ocditexas.com/careers/

We help people of all ages overcome anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, life transitions, and more. Our compassionate, highly-trained therapists use evidence-based techniques to create meaningful, lasting results, often without long-term counseling.

Specializing in OCD treatment, our therapists use the gold-standard combination of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT) to help clients experience symptom relief. For parents of individuals struggling with OCD, our SPACE-certified therapists can support your goals with this groundbreaking, evidence-based parenting model.

With convenient office locations in Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and San Jose, we proudly serve the entire Silicon Valley community. From Stanford University to the Peninsula to the South Bay, we offer easy access for tech professionals, students, and families.

We have immediate openings for weekday, evening, and Saturday appointments. For more information on individual, couples, and family therapy; please feel free to contact us. Our Care Coordination Team will help find a therapist right for you.

* Supporting Without Enabling: A Support Group for Loved Ones of Individuals with OCD & Anxiety *

Learn how to support your loved one without reinforcing OCD or anxiety symptoms. This 8-week group provides psychoeducation, learning, and community for parents, partners, and other loved ones of individuals struggling with OCD and anxiety. Participants will gain practical strategies to reduce family accommodation, improve communication, and engage in self-care, all while finding support from others who understand.

* Thriving at Work: A Support Group for Young Adults with OCD & Anxiety *

This 8-week group provides psychoeducation, skills practice, and a community for adults to manage anxiety and OCD symptoms in the workplace. Participants will gain practical tools to build confidence and self-advocacy, strengthen communication skills, and connect with peers who share similar experiences.

* Building Confidence in Social Situations *

An 8-Week Social Skills Group for Grades 2-5 –  This structured 8-week group helps children build confidence, flexibility, and courage in peer settings. Designed for kids who feel shy, avoid group activities, or struggle to speak up, the group focuses on strengthening social initiation, sustaining interaction, tolerating mistakes, and expressing needs effectively.

* Addressing Social Anxiety in Young Adults *

Are you a young adult struggling with social anxiety? In this group, you will be able to reduce your avoidance of social situations, build skills and confidence in day-to-day social interactions, and practice tolerating potentially uncomfortable or unpredictable social situations. The group setting offers an opportunity for members to support one another through shared struggles and hold each other accountable for completing exposures, so that all members can recover together.

Contact us now to join:  info@renewedfreedom.com

SOAR is now hiring full-time therapists! We are looking for clinical psychologists, counselors, or other licensed providers who are passionate about evidence-based care and working in a team environment. Apply today be emailing us your CV/resume and cover letter (admin@SoarTogether.net).

We are excited to announce Findley Harris and Perry Leynor’s new Dallas/Fort Worth ACBS Affiliate group, offering clinicians the opportunity to connect, network, and be involved in a monthly peer-led consultation group. Additionally, Mental Health America of Greater Dallas hosted the 50th Annual Adolescent Symposium of Texas in Plano this year. Our clinical team, Molly Martinez, PhD, Findley Harris, LPC-S, and Perry Leynor, LPC‚ presented an introduction on OCD. We look forward to all of the great events coming up this year, including the 31st AnnualOCD Conference this summer, and look forward to connecting within our community and beyond!

This year, we are proud to have six interns on our team assisting us in educating patients on accessing affordable care through the network gap exception and creating a space in this community that supports those struggling with their OCD. We look forward to providing our OCD Group Therapy program again in the summer, so keep an eye on our services page located on our website for updates on registration (soartogether.net/services). Stay tuned for other updates and events on our Instagram (soar_above_ocd) and website (soartogether.net), for more information and registration details.

In February, lab members L. Chinelo Egbosiuba, MD, MBA; Nicolette Fierro; and Paula Muñoz Rodríguez, PhD, and presented at the San Mateo County Aging and Adult Services Hoarding Task Force meeting on hoarding disorder and our new research study, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Hoarding Disorder.

We have begun enrollment on two new research studies: MDMA-Assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for OCD; and a Pilot Study of RR-HNK (a metabolite of ketamine that has no anesthetic and dissociative activity) in OCD. See details on our website and in IOCDF’s Research Participants Sought listings in the California section.

Our Virtual IOP is grounded in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard, evidence-based treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder and related anxiety disorders. The program provides a structured and supportive environment that includes individualized ERP planning, therapist-guided exposures, skills training, and ongoing clinical support. By combining intensive therapeutic intervention with a virtual platform, we aim to increase access to specialized care for clients who may otherwise face barriers due to geography, scheduling, or symptom severity.

The program is ideal for individuals with moderate to severe OCD and anxiety who have not achieved sufficient progress with standard outpatient therapy, as well as those stepping down from higher levels of care. Our team is committed to delivering compassionate, research-informed treatment that empowers clients to build lasting skills and achieve meaningful improvements in daily functioning.

The Virtual IOP is led by Dr. Stacey Dobrinsky, a nationally recognized clinician and program developer with a long-standing passion for evidence-based treatment for anxiety and OCD. Many may remember her pivotal role in helping establish McLean’s OCD Institute for Children and Adolescents, as well as her instrumental work in creating the New Jersey Anxiety Institute. Dr. Dobrinsky brings extensive expertise in program development, clinical leadership, and training, and we are thrilled to have her guiding this new initiative.

For more information or to refer a client, please visit www.advancedocdcare.com or contact our office directly. We welcome collaboration and are happy to consult on clinical appropriateness, referrals, and care coordination.

In addition, we are pleased to share that Allison Markowski, PsyD, is now a licensed psychologist. Dr. Markowski completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stress and Anxiety Services and now joins our team as a staff psychologist! She has experience working with individuals across the lifespan and has treated a broad range of clinical presentations, including anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, personality disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, trauma-related disorders, and grief.

Dr. Markowski utilizes evidence-based interventions including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). She is committed to providing a non-judgmental, collaborative, and supportive therapeutic environment, helping clients work toward their personal goals and enhance overall well-being.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Markowski on this important professional milestone. We are grateful to have her as part of our team and look forward to her continued contributions to clinical care and training.

Our core services include individual psychotherapy for children, adolescents, and adults using gold-standard approaches such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based interventions. Treatment is tailored to address OCD, panic disorder, social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, health anxiety, phobias, body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), and anxiety-driven perfectionism.

For clients who require more structured support, we offer Intensive Outpatient Psychotherapy (IOP). This program provides a higher level of care with increased session frequency, focused exposure work, and skills practice, while allowing clients to maintain school, work, and family commitments. IOP services are available both in person and virtually, depending on clinical needs and availability.

Group therapy is a central component of our programming and is offered as both a standalone service and a complement to individual treatment. We currently host two weekly virtual therapy groups, held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30 PM, emphasizing exposure practice, skill development, and peer support.

The Center for Anxiety and OCD also offers specialized programs designed to address specific presentations and family dynamics, including:

-SPACE Parent Training (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), helping caregivers reduce accommodation and support children’s independence

-Relationship OCD (ROCD) Couples Therapy, supporting individuals and partners navigating anxiety, doubt, and compulsive reassurance-seeking within their relationships

-Parent consultation and family support, empowering families with evidence-based tools and guidance

Whether delivered in person or virtually, our services are collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in research. We focus not on eliminating anxiety, but on helping clients build tolerance for uncertainty, reduce avoidance, and re-engage with valued aspects of life.

At The Center for Anxiety and OCD, we are committed to providing flexible, high-quality care that meets clients where they are and supports lasting, meaningful change.

We continue to offer two weekly free, clinician facilitated groups:
-Caregiver Support Group: Wednesdays at 12 PM EST – A weekly space for caregivers to connect, share experiences, and gain strategies for supporting their loved ones.
Adult OCD Support Group: Fridays at 12 PM EST – A weekly group providing adults with OCD an opportunity to connect, share, and receive peer support.

Looking ahead, we’re planning new groups for kids this summer! Details will be shared soon, so be sure to check our website and social media for updates as they become available.

We’re excited to continue growing our community and providing meaningful support for all ages!

We’re expanding our FREE virtual monthly CE series with talks on body-based obsessions, moving past a manualized ERP mindset, and more. Visit cme.sheppardpratt.org to tune in live or earn your credits on demand.

In our outpatient practice, Melissa Mondich, LCSW-C is now seeing kids as young as six with OCD and working with families using the SPACE (Supportive Parenting of Anxious Childhood Emotions) protocol.

And at The Retreat by Sheppard Pratt, our private pay residential program, we continue to welcome adults 18 and older who need intensive CBT and ERP. All of our residents work with therapists and psychiatrists specializing in OCD—meaning they have the chance to apply their skills in real time and work towards living a more joyful life. You can refer a patient at retreat.sheppardpratt.org.

Heading to Seattle for IOCDF this summer? Sheppard Pratt is a diamond sponsor – look for our logo on your lanyard!

In addition to providing individual and group therapy to all ages, we offer intensive programs. Our Accelerated Outpatient Programs support adolescents and adults with moderate to severe anxiety and/or obsessive-compulsive disorders. These programs are for those who have not benefited from traditional weekly therapy or are stepping down from a higher level of care. We prioritize interventions drawn from CBT with an emphasis on ERP, alongside select DBT and ACT strategies. Clients are paired with ERP coaches who meet them in the community to complete exposures related to top problems and goals. Parents of participating adolescents complete a SPACE-based curriculum to reduce accommodations to their child’s anxiety/OCD in the home.

We also offer the Beyond Dependency Program, a specialized parent-focused intervention for caregivers of highly dependent adult children. Over the course of several months to a year, parents learn practical, evidence-based strategies and complete real-world exercises aimed at supporting their adult child’s movement toward greater independence.

Looking ahead, we are excited to announce our summer programming for 2026. These offerings include CBT- and DBT-based groups for children, adolescents, and parents. Most groups meet in person, with select virtual options available to clients across Massachusetts.

The Concord Center is located in Concord, Massachusetts, with a secondary location in Braintree. We are proud to expand access to specialized care for individuals and families throughout the Greater Boston and South Shore regions.

The Gateway Institute is pleased to welcome Taylor Galvin, ASW, to our specialized OCD treatment team. As many in the IOCDF community know, effective OCD treatment requires both clinical expertise and a deep respect for how persistent and convincing OCD can be. Taylor brings both. She specializes in treating OCD and body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), including skin picking and hair pulling, working with children, teens, and adults. Her clinical work is grounded in gold-standard treatment, with a strong emphasis on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Mindfulness-Based Behavioral Therapy (MBBT).

Specialized OCD Treatment
At the core of Taylor’s work is ERP. She supports clients in facing feared thoughts and situations while resisting compulsions, helping them build tolerance for uncertainty rather than chasing reassurance or certainty.

She understands that exposure work is not about eliminating intrusive thoughts. It is about learning that you can handle them. Taylor walks alongside clients as they lean into the moments OCD says, “You can’t handle this,” and gradually discover that they can.
In her work, clients learn to:

• Stay present when uncertainty shows up
• Allow discomfort to rise and fall without responding with compulsions
• Break the reinforcement cycle that keeps OCD powerful
  With steady encouragement and gentle accountability, she helps clients build confidence through repeated practice. Anxiety becomes less persuasive. Urges lose intensity. Intrusive thoughts shift from commands to noise. What often emerges is not the absence of OCD, but a stronger, more grounded sense of agency.

Taylor integrates ERP and MBBT within a CBT framework to help clients understand the thinking patterns that maintain OCD. Together, they identify where threat is inflated or certainty is demanded, strengthening flexible thinking while reinforcing behavioral progress. Mindfulness skills create space between urges and action, particularly in OCD and BFRBs, allowing clients to choose responses aligned with their values rather than fear.

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
Taylor also works closely with individuals experiencing skin picking and hair pulling. Treatment focuses on increasing awareness of triggers, interrupting automatic patterns, building alternative coping responses, and reducing shame. Her approach combines practical skill-building with compassion, helping clients regain a sense of control and self-trust.

Taylor earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers University and completed specialized OCD training at Rogers Behavioral Health, developing a strong foundation in ERP-based care.

In addition to expanding specialized OCD services, The Gateway Institute continues to offer its 3-Week Intensive Outpatient Program for children, teens, and adults seeking focused progress. The program provides three hours of individualized therapy per day, Monday through Friday for three weeks, integrating ERP, CBT, and mindfulness-based strategies with structured real-world exposure practice and family support. Weekly and multiple-weekly sessions are also available in person, via telehealth, or in hybrid formats.

Through individualized treatment and a strong commitment to evidence-based care, The Gateway Institute remains dedicated to helping individuals reduce compulsions, build resilience, and move forward with greater confidence and freedom from OCD.