Kathryn (Kathy) E Angell PhD

Typically, 30-50% of the clients I treat have OCD or related disorders. I have successfully treated people who have harm-related obsessions, contamination obsessions, relationship OCD, fear of having or getting an illness that is not supported by medical evidence, perfectionism, disgust or distress related to things being “not just right”, OCD related to social concerns and other OCD-related issues. Even though you may feel that no one else has experienced the terrible thoughts that you are having, it is likely that I have treated someone else who has had similar thoughts plaguing them.

I offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy via Teletherapy (with possible in-person visits for some exposures) for:
– Depression, Sadness and Grief (including Bipolar or Manic Depression)
– Anxiety including OCD (using Exposure/Response Prevention, PTSD and trauma (using prolonged exposure), Illness-Related Anxiety, Phobias, Panic Attacks, Social and General Anxiety;
– Eating and Weight Concerns (including bingeing, purging, weight loss)
– Insomnia and
– ADHD / attention issues
as well as
Gottman Couples Therapy (I am a Certified Gottman Couples Therapist)
My approach to treatment is semi-structured and includes a thorough assessment and identifying treatment goals together and monitoring progress on them.

Treatment of Co-occurring Disorders:

My approach is to teach you to use effective tools and strategies to reduce your depression, anxiety and stress, trauma-related distress, concerns with weight, shape and eating, problems organizing, following through and paying attention, sleep problems, social anxiety, phobias, panic attacks, and/or relationship issues.

I ask you a lot of questions about problems that may be bothering you, then we discuss the relationship between them and develop a treatment plan together to focus on the issues bothering you the most — typically one at a time. Once one issue has been successfully addressed, we move onto the next one and so on.

I trained in Exposure/Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety (Dr. Edna Foa’s group), University of Pennsylvania — a world leader in using ERP to treat OCD. I have used Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for >20 years and specialized in treating people with OCD using ERP for the past 5 years. I participate in a monthly Rogers Behavioral Health OCD program-hosted consultation group for professionals treating people with OCD. I love helping people break free of the chains of OCD!

Diversity Statement:

I spent 8 years working with people with many different ethnic, racial, and class backgrounds and physical ability levels in urban settings and I spent my whole career working to continually improve my cultural competence. I discuss the impact of microaggressions, privilege or lack thereof, and other aspects of -isms as needed in the therapy session and aspire to do my part to reduce the inexcusable health disparities between people from less- and more-privileged backgrounds. Currently, by using teletherapy in my private practice, I hope to offer services to people with a wide range of backgrounds from around Pennsylvania.

I have prioritized training and experience in competently working with people from a wide range of racial, ethnic, religious and class identities and physical disabilities and medical conditions throughout my career. I co-taught Ethnocultural Issues in Professional Psychology. co-clerked a Racial Justice Committee, and have worked on a number of anti-racism initiatives. I worked in an urban hospital serving multiple states with its own bank of interpreters and in nursing homes serving predominantly African American residents. I regularly attend professional conferences and other continuing education focused on providing culturally competent care for different ethnic, racial, religious, class and cultural identities.