Michelle Gryczkowski, PhD, Director

New Hope Anxiety & OCD Center serves individuals of all ages, as well as coaching for parents. ***All appointments are currently being held via telehealth due to COVID-19.*** ***Availability is 9 am - 3 pm*** ***Intensive treatment options (3-5 sessions/week or 2-day weekend intensives) are available*** ***A safe space for clients from all walks of life. LGBTQIA+ friendly and affirming*** ***Telehealth (video) appointments can be provided to clients in most states, including DC, MD, and VA (see https://psypact.site-ym.com/page/psypactmap for a list of all states win enacted PSYPACT legislation).*** ***We do not accept insurance but provide superbills that clients can submit to their insurance company if they have out of network benefits.*** Description of services offered: New Hope Anxiety & OCD Center provides cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to adults for anxiety, OCD, and related conditions [e.g., body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB's), tics/Tourette’s, depression, insomnia], as well as behavioral parent-based therapies for anxiety and behavior problems. This includes specific therapies that are considered under the broader CBT umbrella, such as exposure and response prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) for OCD, behavioral activation (BA) for depression, comprehensive model for behavioral treatment (ComB) for BFRB's, and comprehensive behavioral intervention (CBIT) for tics. Elements of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) are often included. Broadly, CBT is a structured, active, and collaborative therapy based on the premise that thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interrelated. Clients learn a variety of skills to identify and change unhelpful patterns of thinking and behaving, which, when consistently applied to present symptoms, leads to a reduction in distress and improvement in quality of life. These skills can then be applied future situations, fostering long-term improvement. The goal of CBT is for clients to learn how to be their own therapists so they can feel confident in managing their symptoms independently. CBT has been backed by decades of research and has been proven to be effective in treating a variety of conditions. Exposure therapy is a critical element in anxiety and OCD treatment, as avoidance serves to maintain symptoms by preventing individuals from learning that their fears are unrealistic or that their anxiety is tolerable and not a true sign of danger (i.e. “false alarm”). Exposure therapy, such as exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD, involves gradually and systematically facing feared situations while preventing avoidance behaviors, which can range from complete avoidance of situations, thoughts, or images to very subtle avoidance behaviors such as failure to make eye contact or contribute to conversations when experiencing anxiety at a social event. For a brief article on the anxiety maintenance model and exposure therapy for children and adolescents (which is applicable to adults) written by Dr. Gryczkowski, see: https://www.findapsychologist.org/exposure-therapy-helping-your-child-overcome-anxiety-disorders-through-facing-fears-by-dr-michelle-gryczkowski/ About Dr. Gryczkowski: I am a licensed clinical psychologist and anxiety specialist with over a decade of experience providing cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety, OCD, and related conditions. I also have extensive experience providing behavioral parenting interventions for childhood anxiety and behavioral disorders. I am committed to providing evidence-based care in a manner that is warm, collaborative, and attentive to each individual’s unique situation and needs. Professionally, I received my PhD in Clinical Psychology in 2010 at The University of Southern Mississippi and completed my pre-doctoral internship at Indiana University School of Medicine. I then completed a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders through exposure therapy. I have provided anxiety specialty care in a variety of settings, including inpatient, intensive outpatient, academic medical centers, and private practice. I am beginning my journey into independent practice after spending several years as a staff psychologist with Alvord, Baker & Associates, a highly regarded group practice in Maryland, as well as serving as a clinical supervisor, adjunct professor, and Assistant Director of Clinical Training in the clinical psychology doctoral training program at George Mason University. Personally, I am a mother and an animal lover. Aside from spending time with friends and loved ones, I enjoy basketball, tennis, horseback riding, live music, being on the water, and hiking. "Do the thing we fear, and death of fear is certain." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson For information regarding the No Surprises Act and your right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for cost of services, please visit: www.cms.gov/nosurprises