Brianne Birtic, LCSW

Approximately 90% of my caseload involves OCD and OC-related disorders, including contamination, harm, scrupulosity, relationship, perinatal, and Pure-O presentations. The remainder involves panic disorder, phobias, emetophobia, and GAD, which frequently co-occur with OCD. I provide individual telehealth therapy for adults in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Nebraska. Treatment is private pay and structured around ERP as the primary modality, integrated with ACT and CBT as clinically indicated. I have treated hundreds of adults with OCD across outpatient, intensive, and private practice settings over 15 years of specialty practice.

Many clients come in with OCD or anxiety as the primary concern alongside ADHD, mood disorders, or a history of substance use. I don’t treat these in isolation. I look at the full picture and integrate CBT, behavioral activation, and ACT into treatment as clinically appropriate. I have extensive experience working with clients who have co-occurring ADHD and mood disorders, and a background supporting clients with SUD, though I am not a licensed substance use counselor. Treatment remains focused on OCD and anxiety as the primary presenting concerns.

I have 15 years of specialty experience treating OCD and anxiety disorders. Early in my career I trained within a nationally recognized residential OCD and anxiety program, where I received intensive supervised ERP training. I have since completed advanced training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and a formal two-day Inference-based CBT (I-CBT) training through ICBT Online, which I am continuing to develop as an emerging area of my practice. I maintain active involvement in the OCD treatment community through peer consultation, continuing education, and staying current with evolving research on ERP and related approaches.

The majority of my clients are adults navigating OCD and anxiety across a range of life circumstances, identities, and cultural backgrounds. I am LGBTQIA+ affirming and have experience working with clients for whom identity, faith, cultural expectations, and family dynamics intersect with OCD presentation, particularly in scrupulosity, relationship OCD, and harm subtypes. I am attentive to how shame, stigma, and cultural context shape both the presentation of OCD and a client’s willingness to engage in ERP, and I adjust my approach accordingly.

My cultural competency training has been ongoing and integrated rather than confined to a single course or credential. I have received training in identity-affirming care and have clinical experience working with clients across racial, ethnic, religious, and LGBTQIA+ identities. I approach cultural humility as an active practice, not a checkbox. I recognize that OCD does not present the same way across cultural contexts, and I take seriously how a client’s background shapes their experience of intrusive thoughts, compulsions, shame, and treatment readiness. I continue to seek consultation and education to deepen this competency.