Francisco Quinonez

I really appreciate human beings' power of resilience. I wanted to be a part of the healing process and be there for people through their tough times. I pursued my master’s degree in marriage and family therapy to expand my ability to provide that support for individuals, couples, and families.

I have years of experience working with the FSP (full service partnership) population. People in that program were chronically ill. Many had personality disorders. I saw a lot of OCD symptoms among them, as well. I've always wanted to challenge myself and expand my skills. I learned about exposure and response prevention, began to integrate it with the people I worked with, and I saw that it worked better than anything else.

My work with the FSP population made me skilled in assessing what's important for people in the moment. Working in a group private practice, I worked with couples and families and got a better understanding of relationships and family dynamics. That has helped me counsel people with OCD, too—OCD can really impact not just one person, but their social support network as well.

First and foremost, this will take time, effort and commitment. I've had several people ask me, 'How long am I going to be in therapy?' I always say it depends on how much work and commitment you show. How hard are you prepared to work to eliminate these thoughts and compulsive behaviors? I like to describe ERP therapy as an emotional roller coaster. There will be good sessions, and there will be tough sessions. It's hands-on therapy. Uncomfortable feelings will come up, but that's a necessary part of treatment.

This is your experience. This is your space and time. If you don't feel comfortable sharing something, that's OK. I will work to establish a therapeutic relationship with you, so you will feel trust and comfort. But it's important to know that to move forward in treatment, sometimes we do need to take that leap. With time, you can learn to trust the process and trust yourself as well.