Wes Clayton, LCSW

Approximately 50–60% of my caseload involves OCD and OCD-spectrum disorders, including BDD, Trichotillomania, Excoriation Disorder, and PANDAS/PANS. Over 15+ years of clinical practice across inpatient, partial hospitalization, and private practice settings, I have treated 50+ individuals with OCD and related conditions. I specialize in Exposure and Response Prevention and offer CBT, ACT, HRT, and Motivational Interviewing. I see individuals in private practice affiliated with the Houston Center for Valued Living, Houston, TX. I am a self-pay provider and do not accept insurance.

I treat co-occurring conditions alongside OCD using an evidence-based, individualized approach. For anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and ADHD, I primarily use CBT and ACT frameworks integrated with ERP. Treatment is structured to address OCD as the primary focus first, unless co-occurring symptoms require stabilization. I work with adolescents, adults, and older adults in individual therapy. Sessions are conducted in-person or via telehealth. I do not provide medication management but coordinate care with prescribers when appropriate.

I have specialized OCD training from The Menninger Clinic (Houston, TX), a nationally recognized psychiatric institution, where I completed rotations in intensive OCD-focused programs across inpatient and partial hospitalization levels of care. I have 15+ years of clinical experience with dedicated training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Habit Reversal Training (HRT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I have treated OCD across the full severity spectrum, including contamination, harm, identity, religious/moral, relationship, real event/false memory, and violent/sexual subtypes.

My practice is based in Houston, TX, one of the most racially and ethnically diverse cities in the United States. I am a Black clinician with 15+ years of experience serving clients across a range of racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, including through my work at a university counseling center and affiliated group practice. I am attentive to how identity, culture, and systemic factors shape a client’s experience of OCD and their relationship to seeking mental health care.

I received my MSW from the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, a program with strong emphasis on diversity, equity, and multicultural practice. My clinical training at The Menninger Clinic involved working with patients across diverse backgrounds in intensive treatment settings. I have ongoing experience working with clients for whom stigma, cultural norms around mental health, and systemic barriers are significant factors in treatment engagement. As a Black therapist, I bring both professional training and lived experience to cross-cultural therapeutic work.