Evidence-Based Therapies

For the Conditions We Treat

At California Psychology Center, our therapists use approaches backed by research and proven to help people make meaningful, lasting changes.

Below you’ll find plain-language explanations of the gold-standard treatments we use for OCD, ADHD, trauma, anxiety, and worry—so you know exactly what to expect from therapy with us.

OCD

What is ERP and How Does It Work?

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the gold-standard therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It helps break the cycle of obsessions and compulsions by:

Gradual Exposure – You face situations, thoughts, or images that trigger OCD anxiety, starting with easier challenges and working up at a pace that feels safe and manageable.
Response Prevention – You practice resisting the urge to do compulsions or rituals, so your brain learns you can handle the anxiety without them.
Long-Term Change – Over time, the anxiety naturally decreases, and you gain confidence in your ability to tolerate uncertainty and distress.

ERP is highly effective and has decades of research showing it can significantly reduce OCD symptoms and improve quality of life.

ADHD

What Therapies Work Best for ADHD?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for ADHD – CBT helps you identify unhelpful thinking patterns and replace them with more realistic, helpful ones—while also learning skills to better manage time, stay organized, and follow through on priorities.
ADHD-Focused Skills Training – This approach teaches practical tools for planning, breaking down tasks, and managing distractions, often with systems that make daily life more predictable and manageable.
Behavioral Coaching – Behavioral coaching offers step-by-step support for setting goals, tracking progress, and problem-solving obstacles—helping you stay motivated and accountable.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – ACT helps you reduce self-criticism and perfectionism, stay present with what matters, and make values-based choices even when symptoms are challenging.

Trauma

What Are CPT, PE, WET, and EMDR?

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) – CPT helps you examine and change unhelpful beliefs about your trauma, yourself, and the world. It focuses on how the trauma has affected your thoughts and emotions, and helps you develop new, balanced perspectives so you can move forward.
Prolonged Exposure (PE) – PE is a structured therapy that helps you gradually face memories, feelings, and situations you’ve been avoiding because of trauma. By confronting them in a safe and supportive setting, you retrain your brain to see them as less threatening over time.
Written Exposure Therapy (WET) – WET guides you through writing about your trauma in detail over several sessions. This process helps you process the memory, reduce distress, and make sense of your experience in a way that supports healing.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) – EMDR uses guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation to help your brain reprocess traumatic memories. By focusing on the memory while engaging in these movements, you can reduce the intensity of distressing thoughts, emotions, and body sensations. Over time, EMDR helps the memory feel less overwhelming and supports healing and resilience.

Anxiety

What Therapies Work Best for Anxiety and Worry?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – CBT helps you understand the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. You’ll learn to challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and replace them with more balanced, helpful perspectives—while practicing new coping skills in real-life situations.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – ACT focuses on helping you live in line with your values rather than getting stuck fighting unwanted thoughts or feelings. You’ll learn mindfulness skills to notice anxiety without letting it control your choices.
Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) – MCT targets the way you think about thinking. It helps you step back from worry and rumination, so you spend less time stuck in mental loops and more time on what matters to you.
Exposure Therapy – Exposure therapy gradually and safely helps you face situations or thoughts that cause anxiety. Over time, your brain learns they’re less threatening than they seem, and the urge to avoid them decreases.
Intolerance of Uncertainty Training (IUT) – IUT helps you build comfort with uncertainty—a core driver of chronic worry. You’ll practice tolerating not knowing the outcome, so uncertainty feels less distressing and less likely to trigger worry spirals.