Purpose 🎯

Support pattern recognition and treatment planning by tracking triggers, obsessions, compulsions, distress, relief, and alternative responses.

Let’s Talk About It 🗣️

Track:

• Trigger
• Obsession / doubt
• Compulsion or avoidance
• Time spent
• Distress before response
• Short-term relief
• Longer-term impact
• Alternative response practiced

The purpose is pattern recognition and treatment planning, not perfect symptom monitoring.

Ask:

• What patterns do you notice across entries?
• Which compulsions take the most time or energy?
• Which alternative response could be practiced next?

If the Conversation Gets Stuck 💡

• What happened before the urge to ritualize?
• What did the compulsion try to accomplish?
• What did OCD ask you to repeat, check, avoid, or review?

Telehealth / Whiteboard Version ⚖️

Create a simple tracking table together. Complete one recent example in session and identify one practice target.

Why This Works 🌱

Tracking helps clients and therapists identify patterns that may not be obvious in the moment and supports more precise ERP planning.

Clinical Pearl 🧠

Keep tracking simple enough to use. Overly detailed monitoring can become burdensome or compulsive for some clients.

Documentation Language 📝

Therapist utilized a compulsion tracking intervention to assist client in identifying OCD triggers, obsessional doubts, compulsive responses, distress patterns, and alternative response prevention strategies.

Clinical Focus: Symptom Tracking, Pattern Recognition, Treatment Planning