Adult Clinical Program
CORD provides state-of-the-art outpatient care for OCD and related disorders.
CORD Outpatient Clinic
Our outpatient program includes a team of expert psychologists, psychiatrists, residents, and post-doctoral interns who provide specialty treatment for OCD and related conditions, using evidence-based front-line approaches such as the following:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT):
Our psychologists (PhDs) and psychology trainees (i.e., post-doctoral fellows, pre-doctoral interns) offer brief (e.g., 16-20 sessions), targeted, skills-based therapy for OCD and related conditions.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP):
ERP is the gold‑standard therapy for OCD and related disorders, helping individuals approach feared thoughts or situations while reducing compulsive behaviors.
Habit Reversal Training (HRT):
HRT treats body‑focused repetitive behaviors like hair pulling and skin picking by increasing awareness of urges and replacing habits with competing responses.
Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT):
CBIT is an evidence‑based treatment for tic disorders that helps reduce tics through awareness training, competing responses, and environmental supports.
Medication Management / Consultations:
Our specialty psychiatrists (M.D.s) and residents offer psychiatric pharmacological management and consultations for OCD and related disorders.
While therapy intakes and follow-up visits are offered via telehealth or in person, initial intakes with a psychiatrist (MD) must be conducted in person, with follow-up visits available via telehealth.
Adult clinical intake
The first step to being considered for care in our clinic is to complete our Adult Intake form. Completing the form does not guarantee an appointment or placement on our waitlist; it helps us understand your treatment goals and determine whether our clinic may be the right next step for your care. Please review the FAQs page to determine whether you may be eligible for care at CORD. Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions at our clinic line 617-726-6766 (ext. 3) or via email at CORDClinic@mgh.harvard.edu.
Please note that any patient over the age of 18 must complete the form themselves for us to process the referral. If you are a medical professional and would like to place a clinical referral, please call our clinic directly at 617-726-6766 (ext. 3) or via email at CORDClinic@mgh.harvard.edu.
Collaborating Programs and Centers
MGH Division of Neurotherapeutics
The Division of Neurotherapeutics offers neurological interventions for severe, treatment-resistant OCD and related disorders. This type of treatment is often only for individuals who do not respond well to cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and medication.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS):
TMS is a noninvasive, FDA‑approved treatment for OCD that uses a painless, noninvasive form of brain stimulation that involves applying electromagnetic currents to the skull and directing them to specific brain regions.
A typical TMS session lasts from 20 to 40 minutes, and most treatments require daily sessions Monday to Friday for six or more weeks. Because there are no side effects, patients can return immediately to regular activity.
Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS):
DBS involves implanting electrodes in targeted areas of the brain. The electrodes are connected by wires under the skin to a pulse generator, and a pacemaker-like device, also under the skin, controls the level of stimulation.
The placement of the electrodes and the decision about how much stimulation is given are crucial. Because DBS for treatment-resistant OCD is a very specialized procedure, it is recommended that treatment be given at institutions that have previous DBS experience.
The FDA approved DBS for treatment-resistant OCD under a Humanitarian Device Exemption (HDE). The HDE approval assumes a relatively small number of patients will receive the treatment.
Gamma Knife:
Gamma Knife is a noninvasive neurosurgical procedure that uses focused radiation to target specific brain areas and is considered only for individuals with severe OCD who have not responded to standard treatments.
Neurosurgery:
Brain surgery for OCD involves drilling through the skull and using a heated probe to burn an area within the anterior cingulate cortex (cingulotomy) or the anterior limb of the internal capsule (capsulotomy).
For more information regarding eligibility and available services, please feel free to reach out to neurotherapeutics@mgh.harvard.edu. Please note, this clinic does not have a direct number.
THE CENTER FOR OCD AND RELATED DISORDERS IS NOT AN URGENT CARE FACILITY AND OFTEN HAS WAITLISTS.
If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please call 988 or text HOME to 741741 to receive support from a trained crisis counselor through a nationwide hotline. If this is an acute emergency requiring immediate medical attention or emergency personnel, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
