Treatment Philosophy

When treating children, our philosophy is to involve the family or primary caretakers. In our experience, treating only the child, without attending to family members, resembles treating within a vacuum. Oftentimes, family members are reluctantly involved in and affected by the child’s behaviors or rituals. When these dynamics within the family system are unaddressed, the results of treatment are limited. It is also unproductive to treat a child who does not feel the need for treatment. Treatment will require work, and weekly assignments will be given to reinforce the tools and skills learned from the week’s session. Thus, without motivation and effort, treatment will likely fail, which will only demoralize the child’s ability to succeed and overcome his/her symptoms in the future.

Our director, Dr. Yip’s own struggles and triumph with obsessive-compulsive disorder since childhood have inspired many patients in their beliefs of their own ability to overcome their conditions. Dr. Yip’s own experiences have allowed her to fully understand where patients are coming from in dealing with their obstacles. This allows her the ability to creatively tailor treatment to each individual’s specific needs to ensure the most beneficial outcome. Rather than viewing a condition as a handicap, we perceive it as an advantage that enhances our skills and capacity to help other sufferers.

Finally, as a researcher, clinician, and educator, it is Dr. Yip’s mission to continually improve treatment through rigorous research, disseminate knowledge through public education, eliminate stigmas through media consultations, and train other professionals to be effective clinicians.