Lora Dudek, LCPC, LMHC

I'm an OCD therapist who has also lived with OCD. I know what it's like when a thought latches on and won't let go, and when OCD insists it's keeping you safe while quietly making your life smaller. It can be exhausting, lonely, and frightening, especially when the thoughts feel too strange or too upsetting to say out loud. If that sounds familiar, I want you to hear this first: you are not alone, and there is real hope.

I also know what recovery feels like from the inside. It didn't come from finally getting certainty or making the thoughts disappear. It came from learning to respond to my brain differently and watching my life slowly open back up. That experience shapes everything about how I work. Whatever OCD has been telling you, you won't shock me, and you won't have to explain yourself twice. I'll understand, and I'll help you find a way forward.

I provide telehealth therapy for adults and adolescents with OCD and anxiety throughout Illinois and Indiana as part of West Suburbs OCD and Mental Health, a specialty practice based in Downers Grove. Some of the people I work with have been managing symptoms on their own for years or have tried therapy that didn't quite fit. Others are just beginning to wonder whether what they're experiencing has a name. Wherever you're starting from, it isn't too late, and you don't have to figure this out by yourself.

Specialized Training in OCD

OCD responds best to specialized treatment, so it's always worth asking a therapist about their training. Mine began within a nationally recognized health system known for its work with OCD and anxiety, where I provided specialty care at a dedicated OCD and anxiety clinic. I worked with children, adolescents, and adults at the highest levels of care, including Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs, where symptoms were often severe, and the work required both clinical skill and genuine care. I also served as a Family Therapist in a PHP program for children and teens, helping parents understand OCD and anxiety so they were able to carry treatment into daily life at home.

I'm an active member of the International OCD Foundation and have presented at the IOCDF Annual Conference. I'm also a Certified Mindfulness Instructor, and I earned my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, with distinction, from North Park University. I remain committed to ongoing training and consultation so my work continues to reflect current evidence and best practices.

My Approach to OCD Treatment

As an OCD and anxiety specialist, my work is grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), specifically Exposure and Response Prevention and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, along with mindfulness and self-compassion. These are the approaches research has shown to be most effective for OCD. The goal isn't to get rid of every anxious thought. It's to help you build confidence in yourself, reconnect with what matters to you, and get back to living a life guided by your values instead of fear.

I know change can feel uncomfortable, especially when anxiety has been calling the shots for a long time. We'll work at a pace that feels manageable, and I'll be alongside you with warmth, encouragement, and steady support. There's room for humor in my sessions, too. OCD has a way of making very serious demands about some very unlikely things, and being able to laugh with our brains is often part of learning not to take every thought so seriously. Over time, my hope is that you'll trust yourself more than you trust what anxiety is telling you.

OCD and Anxiety Specialties

I work with adults and adolescents living with OCD and anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, health anxiety, social anxiety, generalized anxiety, and specific phobias. I also treat emetophobia, the fear of vomiting, which is far more common than most people realize. It can quietly shape what someone eats, where they go, and how they plan their days, and many people go years without finding a therapist who understands it.

I also enjoy working with parents. Through SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), I help parents learn practical, supportive ways to respond to their child's anxiety while reducing patterns that can unintentionally keep it going. I offer SPACE alongside a teen's treatment and as parent-only work. If you or your child are stepping down from a PHP or IOP program, I've worked in both settings and understand how significant that transition can feel. I'd be glad to help you build on the progress you've already made.

What to Expect When We Start

Our first session is a chance for us to get to know each other. We'll talk about what's been going on, how OCD or anxiety has been showing up in your life, and what you'd like to be different. I'll explain how treatment works and answer any questions you have, so you leave knowing what comes next. There's no pressure to share everything at once, and you don't have to wait until you feel ready to begin. We'll take it one step at a time, and I'd love to help you take the first one.