In this episode of “Roadmap to Joy,” Dr. Brad Riemann, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology and senior clinical adviser of Embark Behavioral Health, joins the podcast with Alex Stavros, CEO of Embark, to discuss obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in teens and young adults and how parents can support their children. OCD is characterized by obsessions (unwanted thoughts, images, or urges) and compulsions (repetitive acts to neutralize obsessions). Common misconceptions include thinking that OCD is just an exaggeration of normal behavior and that excessive video game playing is a form of OCD. OCD is commonly misdiagnosed and often goes undiagnosed due to the fear of embarrassment and stigma. Family accommodation, where parents enable the disorder, can worsen OCD symptoms and reduce response to treatment. It is important for parents to have open and compassionate conversations with their loved ones if they suspect OCD. Seeking information from reputable sources like the International OCD Foundation can also be helpful. Telehealth has been found to be an effective treatment option for pediatric OCD, providing similar outcomes to in-person treatment.  

Take our OCD Test 

The International OCD Foundation

Related Blogs:

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in Kids, Adolescents, Teens, and Young Adults 

OCD and Autism: Similarities and Differences 

Related Videos:

Living with OCD | Embark Sessions 

What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? | Ask a Therapist 

Research Cited:  

Intensive Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Telehealth for Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparison With a Matched Sample Treated in Person 

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Guest and Host Bios:

Dr. Brad Riemann, Ph.D. is a Senior Consultant working with a variety of behavioral health companies and academic institutions to develop evidence-based treatment programming, measurement-based care systems, and standardized training protocols. He is collaborating with Embark Behavioral Health as consultant and clinical advisor. As the former President of Philanthropy, Research and Clinical Care at Rogers Behavioral Health, Dr. Riemann also served as Chief Clinical Officer and System Chief Operating Officer where he launched and developed the OCD and Anxiety Service Line with programming at the intensive outpatient, partial hospital, and residential levels of care. He has authored over 120 scientific, peer-reviewed articles on OCD and anxiety, and fifteen treatment manuals. Dr. Riemann has spoken both nationally and internationally on OCD and is a member of the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation and the International OCD Accreditation Task Force. 

As the son of missionaries, Alex Stavros grew up in Peru working, playing and living alongside the troubled youth and desolate orphans of Lima’s slums. Alex’s childhood shaped his professional and personal aspirations. Prior to joining InnerChange Programs, Alex lived in California and was the Managing Partner of an investment fund, which he founded, focused on acquiring and leading mission-driven businesses. Prior to Lia Capital, Alex lived in Boston and was the Associate Director of Firm-Wide Operations – working directly for the President and COO – of Cambridge Associates, the world’s largest global investment advisory firm to not for profit organizations. Alex also has experience in public service having worked at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a U.S. government agency that mobilizes private capital to help solve critical, global social and poverty challenges. And he worked on the Capitol Hill in Washington DC for a Minnesota Congressman. Alex has also earned a Certificate of Public Management from Stanford University. And, while at Stanford, was a Rising Fellow at the Hoover Institution, a world-renowned public policy think tank. Alex loves the ocean and is a certified open water diver. He has served as a Board Fellow at one of the most enchanting Aquariums in the world, California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium. Alex spends his free time reading up on foreign affairs and international politics. Alex graduated with Honors from American University with both an Economic Theory and International Relations degree and he earned an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Alex is on the Board of Peruvian Partners, a nonprofit established to connect North Americans in a real and significant way with Peruvian families that live in abject poverty. Alex lives in Phoenix, Arizona and is happily married to his wife, Maria-Paz, who has the most important job in the world, raising their two beautiful children. 

About Embark Behavioral Health

Embark has been helping people overcome behavioral health issues that may be affecting their everyday lives for over 25 years.   

Conditions We Treat Include:  

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Depression.  
• Anger/mood regulation. 
• Family conflict.
• Anxiety.  
• Self-harm/cutting.   
• Bipolar disorder.  
• Social isolation.   
• Borderline personality disorder (BPD).  
• High-risk behavior.
• Bullying.

The Embark team has some of the most compassionate and educated professionals in the industry. Its core purpose is to create joy and heal generations. Embark’s big hairy audacious goal is to lead the way in driving teen and young adult anxiety, depression, and suicide from the all-time highs of today to all-time lows by 2028. Exceptional treatment options, like short-term residential care, makes Embark the world's most respected family behavioral health provider.   

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