Ryan Ventillo

I used to be a student-athlete, and I met with a sports psychologist. I developed an understanding of how to deal with stress, and I was able to overcome a lot. I wanted to help people reach their full potential, and be able to become empowered in the way that I felt like I was—to come closer to doing what they really want to do without letting stress get in the way.

I've had a lot of experience working with diverse populations and different diagnoses. When it comes to OCD, there have been people who have been either misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed. There aren't as many therapists out there who can specifically treat OCD, which can really negatively impact someone and hold them back. I wanted to increase access to care.

I have a lot of experience with mood disorders, including generalized anxiety, major depression, social anxiety, and social phobia, as well as more severe conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective disorder, and co-occurring substance use disorders.

In treatment, we're really going to be motivated to do what it takes for you to get relief and the ability and confidence to take on OCD. The experience may not be the easiest. In this work, we are forced to face some of our fears. Despite that being perhaps an intimidating or challenging process, these interventions have been proven. They really help people who have trouble with OCD achieve a better quality of life. Through the work we put in together, we will be able to make that change.

It's okay. Fear is a natural human emotion. It might be there for a reason. We may need to take a step back to unpack what's going on before we get into therapy. Although we want to make sure that we're making progress, we also want to make sure that we're prepared for what's to come. With time and with effort, we can get more comfortable. We can deepen our relationship, increase that level of comfort, and then take things step-by-step.