Pediatric Obsessive Compulsive Anxiety and Tic Disorders

The Weill Cornell Pediatric OCD, Anxiety and Tic Disorders Program (POCAT) is a specialty clinic led by Avital Falk, PhD that provides a team-based approach to treating children and adolescents utilizing state-of-the-art evidence-based practices.  We offer treatments that can be applied along a continuum of intensity, from regular, weekly outpatient visits to sessions occurring multiple days per week in our Intensive Treatment Program that includes both individual and group therapy approaches.

Treatment modalities include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP), Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), group therapy, parent guidance, and medication evaluation and management. The structure of the program allows for flexibility in treatment planning, rapid assessment in crisis situations, prompt access to your providers, and a high level of privacy and discretion.

POCAT provides one of the only Intensive Treatment Programs for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Anxiety in the region. The intensive program consists of up to ten hours of active treatment per week, with an emphasis on group treatment.   We provide short-term intensive treatment to target symptoms using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) treatment strategies.  We provide evaluation, psychoeducation, group therapy, individual sessions, parent sessions, and the option for medication evaluation and management.  Our program addresses OCD as well as other non-OCD anxiety disorders, such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Selective Mutism, and specific phobias and is  appropriate for a broad range of children and teens with moderately to severely impairing symptoms, and their families. This model of intensive care can be an alternative to hospitalization or step down from hospitalization. In addition, it provides a way for families without easy access to expert treatment to receive intensive care in a time-limited manner, and then return to their home community.  We provide a specific and thorough plan for aftercare for all families.  For those returning to home communities outside New York City, this includes a plan for continuing to practice newly learned skills to maintain treatment gains, coordination with a treatment provider in your home community for continuity of care, and the opportunity for follow-up visits with us by phone or in person, if needed. For those in nearby communities, we provide the option of ongoing follow-up treatment.

Contact:  Avital Falk, PhD, Director of POCAT at 646-962-2820