Child OCD Therapists in Hinsdale, IL

 

It can be frustrating to have a child with OCD.

It's stressful to see your child stuck, without a clear way forward.

But, OCD can be helped!

 

Get informed & start the journey to helping your child's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder!

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Signs of OCD in Children

Obsessions

Obsessions are repeated anxious thoughts, images, or urges that a person wishes to get rid of because the thoughts are bothersome and disruptive (ie. thinking about the dangers of germs).

Compulsions

Compulsions are repeated actions or strict rule following which relieves the anxiety of obsessions but are excessive and unrealistic (ie. handwashing).

OCD Signs

Obsessions and compulsions take up a lot of time--1 to 3 hours a day or more--which is often what causes problems in relationships, school work, or other daily activities.

The compulsions may be clearly visible like cleaning or straightening something repeatedly, or they may be done silently in the child’s head like counting or praying repeatedly.

A younger child may not be able to explain what anxious obsessions they are trying to get rid of through a compulsive behavior even if those obsessions are present.

A trained play therapist can help explore that question.

OCD Themes

The themes of obsessions and compulsions vary but are often about cleanliness, order, thoughts that are perceived to be unacceptable, or harm that could come to oneself or others.

How Common Is OCD in Children?

  • The DSM-5 states that females tend to be affected throughout the lifespan slightly more than males,
  • But in childhood, boys experience OCD symptoms more often than girls (2013, p. 239).
  • 1.2% of the whole population has symptoms of OCD in any given 12 month period and 25% of cases start before age 14 and 25% of males see symptoms for the first time before the age of 10 (p. 239).
  • For children and adolescents who receive therapy, about 40% will experience remission in adulthood, but if symptoms early in life are not treated, it is unlikely that symptoms will get better (p. 239).
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How We Treat OCD in Children

Most parents arrive trying to argue with the thought. The door is locked. Your hands are clean. Nothing bad is going to happen. It never works for long, and it isn’t your fault. You’re aiming at the wrong target.

The loop is the problem, not the thought

1 The thought

A scary thought, feeling, or worry shows up.

2 The spike

Anxiety rises quickly and something feels wrong or unsafe.

3 The response

Your child checks, avoids, repeats, washes, counts, or asks for reassurance.

4 The relief

The anxiety settles, but only for a little while.

Then the cycle starts again.

That temporary relief can teach the brain that the response in step 3 was necessary.

Over time, OCD can start asking for more checking, more reassurance, more avoiding, and more certainty.

Treatment helps change the cycle

Instead of arguing with every scary thought, we help children understand what OCD is doing and build healthier ways to respond when anxiety shows up.

The goal is not to make sure your child never has an uncomfortable thought again.

The goal is to help your child feel more confident, flexible, and in control when those thoughts appear.

With younger children, we do it through play

A six-year-old can’t talk their way through that. So we build the work into play, at a pace they can tolerate, using a playroom with a sand tray, a dollhouse, puppets, art supplies, medical toys, and shelves of miniatures.

A child worried about germs might play out the thing they’re avoiding long before they’d ever touch it in real life. A child who checks might give the checking to a character and watch someone else manage without it. Two of our therapists hold RPT-S, the supervisor-level play therapy credential.

With older children, we add the skills

Somewhere around age eight, kids can start to see the cycle from the outside. That’s where cognitive behavioral therapy earns its place.

A lot of the early work is naming it. OCD becomes a separate thing your child has, rather than something they are, and then something they can talk back to. From there we work on noticing the urge and stretching the gap before the response.

When the reassurance is coming from you

This is the part nobody warns parents about.

Your child asks whether the door is locked. You say yes. They ask again. You say yes again, because you love them and because it ends the moment. By the fortieth time you’re exhausted and it hasn’t helped.

Your answer has quietly become step 3. Not because you did anything wrong, but because reassurance works the same way checking does. We’ll show you what to say instead, and how to step out of the cycle without leaving your child alone in it.

When we’d point you somewhere else

Some OCD needs more than weekly outpatient therapy. If your child’s symptoms are severe enough to need an intensive program, or if medication should be part of the picture, we’ll tell you plainly and help you find the right people. We’d rather say that at the start than six months in.

Most families start therapy within one week. The first appointment is a parent consultation, so you can talk it through before your child ever walks in.

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Our Childhood OCD Therapists!

Find the right child therapist for your family

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What is your child struggling with? Choose as many as apply

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Susan Stutzman, LCPC, NCC, RPT-S, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Susan Stutzman, LCPC, NCC, RPT-S

Ages 0 to 12

  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Adoption & Attachment
  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Medical Trauma
  • Somatic Concerns
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Autism
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Bipolar
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Depression
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Family Relationships
  • Food, Feeding & Eating
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • OCD
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • School Behavior
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Sports Anxiety
  • Tics
  • Parent-Child Reunification

Faith-integrated

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Cheryl Welsh, LCPC, RPT-S, I/ECMH-C, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Cheryl Welsh, LCPC, RPT-S, I/ECMH-C

Ages 0 to 12

  • Adoption & Attachment
  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Autism
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Depression
  • Family Relationships
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • Medical Trauma
  • OCD
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • School Behavior
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Tics
  • Bipolar
  • Food, Feeding & Eating
  • Parent-Child Reunification
  • Somatic Concerns
  • Sports Anxiety

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Jon Caes, LCSW, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Jon Caes, LCSW

Ages 4+

  • Autism
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Family Relationships
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • School Behavior
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Adoption & Attachment
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Depression
  • Medical Trauma
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • Sports Anxiety
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Food, Feeding & Eating
  • OCD
  • Parent-Child Reunification
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Somatic Concerns
  • Tics

Faith-integrated

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Erin Owens, LPC, NCC, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Erin Owens, LPC, NCC

Ages 2 to 12

  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Family Relationships
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • School Behavior
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Depression
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Food, Feeding & Eating
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • OCD
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Adoption & Attachment
  • Autism
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Medical Trauma
  • Somatic Concerns
  • Sports Anxiety
  • Tics

Faith-integrated

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Garimaa Gupta, LCPC, RYT, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Garimaa Gupta, LCPC, RYT

Ages 2 to 12

  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Family Relationships
  • School Behavior
  • Adoption & Attachment
  • Autism
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Depression
  • Medical Trauma
  • Parent-Child Reunification
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Somatic Concerns
  • Tics

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Samantha de Souza, M.A., Counseling Intern, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Samantha de Souza, M.A., Counseling Intern

Ages 4+

  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Depression
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Family Relationships
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Adoption & Attachment
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Food, Feeding & Eating
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • Medical Trauma
  • OCD
  • Parent-Child Reunification
  • School Behavior
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Somatic Concerns

Counseling intern

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Sophie Hill, ALMFT, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Sophie Hill, ALMFT

Ages 2 to 15

  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Adoption & Attachment
  • Family Relationships
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • Autism
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Depression
  • Medical Trauma
  • OCD
  • School Behavior
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Somatic Concerns
  • Tics

Faith-integrated

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Courtney Johns, LCSW, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Courtney Johns, LCSW

Ages 4+

  • Anxiety & Worry
  • OCD
  • School Behavior
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Autism
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Depression
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Family Relationships
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Somatic Concerns

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Lauren Clancy, LCSW, C-SSWS, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Lauren Clancy, LCSW, C-SSWS

Ages 4 to 15

  • School Behavior
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Adoption & Attachment
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Autism
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Depression
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Family Relationships
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • Somatic Concerns
  • Sports Anxiety
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Food, Feeding & Eating
  • OCD
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Tics

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Kristy Mahal, LPC, PEL, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Kristy Mahal, LPC, PEL

Ages 4+

  • School Behavior
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Autism
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Family Relationships
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Depression
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • Medical Trauma
  • OCD
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Somatic Concerns

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Carrie Madden Choquette, MSW, NMT Certified, CCPT, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Carrie Madden Choquette, MSW, NMT Certified, CCPT

Ages 2 to 15

  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Family Relationships
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • School Behavior
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Sports Anxiety
  • Adoption & Attachment
  • Autism
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Depression
  • Medical Trauma
  • OCD

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Liz Blaha, LCPC, child therapist at Kid Matters Counseling in Hinsdale, Illinois

Liz Blaha, LCPC

Ages 4+

  • Abuse & Trauma Recovery
  • Adoption & Attachment
  • Body Image & Self-Esteem
  • Food, Feeding & Eating
  • ADHD / ADD
  • Anger & Aggression
  • Anxiety & Worry
  • Autism
  • Behavioral Challenges
  • Depression
  • Divorce & Family Transitions
  • Family Relationships
  • Grief, Death & Loss
  • Medical Trauma
  • OCD
  • Parent-Child Reunification
  • Peer Concerns / Friendships
  • School Behavior
  • Self-Harm & Safety
  • Sports Anxiety
  • Bedwetting / Toileting
  • Somatic Concerns
  • Tics

See therapist’s profile

Getting Started with OCD Counseling

If you would like help navigating your child's OCD, please give us a call. We specalize in helping anxious children with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT

OCD falls within the anxiety family. Be sure to check our our "Parenting Axious Children" page and get informed!

New Clients Call: (855) 586-1802

Current Clients: (855) 543-7687

OFFICE:

201 E. Ogden Ave, Suite 106,

Hinsdale, IL 60521

*By Appointment Only*

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