Rachel Steen

I've always loved people and their stories. I hadn't considered therapy as a career until I found myself in the client’s chair and realized how powerful it is to tell and to be heard. It's an honor that I now get to provide that kind of healing for others.

I started treating OCD when I was working in community mental health. My supervisor was very experienced with providing and teaching ERP; they coached me through my first few cases. ERP felt very natural because of my background in CBT and general knowledge of exposure treatments. I have always enjoyed my clients with OCD and found it so incredibly rewarding to see how their lives opened up after they committed to an exposure lifestyle.

I specialize in treating a variety of disorders (OCD, trauma, anxiety, addiction, and depression) using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). ACT is an ideal companion to ERP in treating OCD, so I usually use a combination of the two in my OCD work. I also specialize in CBT and in couples therapy.

Many people say ERP is hard, and I would agree, but I think it's much easier than living every day with the ways OCD harms and limits you. Life really can be better. Change really is possible!

Know I understand it takes time to build trust. I will go at a pace that is comfortable for you. I would also encourage you to reflect on where your fear is coming from. Do you need to be assured of a validating and non-judgment reaction from me? Can we discuss what kind of response you're hoping for when you're feeling afraid? Is a feeling of shame making it hard to be vulnerable? Can we process that shame together? And what are you afraid will happen if you do share? I would also remind you that I'm really comfortable with the messy complexity of being a human being. My goal is always to understand, not to judge.