• Overview
• Who do we see?
• What is CBT?
• What does therapy look like?
• How much does it cost?
• How do I get started?

• Information for physicians and clinicians
• Information for insurers
• Making a referral

• Staff
• Contact information
• Office location

• Ontario organizations
• Resources in London
• Anxiety links
• Depression links
• OCD links
• OC spectrum links
• CBT links
• Video clips

Compulsive Hoarding

Compulsive hoarding is considered to be a form of OCD, characterized by a difficulty in discarding objects. This can result in excessive clutter.

Dennis lives in a decent sized apartment, yet he has no room for his new belongings.  He has great difficulty parting with the newspapers, packaging and other inanimate objects that he has collected over the years, for fear that he might need to use them one day.  He still keeps boxes of photographs, report cards and letters because they are sentimental.  He has a hard time not picking up items on the curb that could be fixed and put to some use.  His apartment is full.  He is unable to use his living room, and no longer invites friends or family to visit.  He doesn’t like living this way, but the idea of changing his habits fills him with anxiety.

Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania is characterized by recurrent hair pulling from the head or other parts of the body to the extent of noticeable hair loss.

Melissa has a secret that is so embarrassing that even her friends don’t know.  She pulls out individual eyelashes and hairs from the back of her head.  To disguise the thinning patch of hair on her scalp she keeps her hair tied back.  She purposefully keeps her bangs long in an attempt to cover her missing lashes.  Even though she knows that the hair pulling contributes to her feelings of isolation, she just can’t seem to stop.  Although she is still able to go to school and work part-time, she feels tortured by her compulsive behaviours.

Skin picking

Chronic or compulsive skin picking is characterized by recurrent picking of the skin, to the extent of noticeable damage and/or scarring.

Tim dreads having to shave because he feels compelled to dig out his ingrown hairs, to the point of leaving his neck with open wounds.  Sometimes he uses pins or tweezers to dig out the follicles.  He tries to disguise the damage he caused by wearing make-up and scarves.  But the scar tissue is beginning to be noticeable to others.  Tim feels embarrassed that he could not stop this destructive habit.

Tic disorders (e.g. Tourette syndrome)

Characterized by behaviour and/or vocal tics (sudden, brief, repetitive movements/noises), Tourette syndrome is an example of a tic disorder.

Anthony used to be made fun of in school.  Other kids would imitate his nervous twitches and snorting noises.  Now that he is in University he has learned to adapt to these behaviours, and they don’t seem to bother him as much.  But he feels very anxious in class when it is his turn to talk and all eyes are on him.  He tries to control his tics during class, and is somewhat successful.  When he gets home his tics take over, and he is unable to focus on anything else until they are “out of his system”.  He worries if his tics will negatively impact future job interviews.

Body dysmorphic disorder

Body dysmorphic disorder is characterized by an intense preoccupation with a minor or imagined defect in one’s appearance.

Jane has always been worried about what other people think of her.  Most consider her to be quite an attractive woman, but she finds herself obsessing about the shape and size of her nose.  To her it is grotesque and totally disproportionate to her face.  She finds herself constantly checking her reflection and she has started to avoid public places where she might be ridiculed.  She has confided in a couple of close friends who reassure her that she looks fine.  This reassurance is short-lived as her negative thoughts return each time she sees her reflection.

If you are interested in getting some help, call us at 519 860-4389, or email us