Today we’d like to introduce you to Sheva Rajaee.
Hi Sheva, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was in college, a therapist changed my life. And it wasn’t long after I started my own journey that I decided this incredible work was my calling. As a young therapist, I found plenty I loved about the job but was often left wondering why therapy was still something people felt ashamed of and spoke about in hushed tones when it was absolutely vital to our well-being.
My vision for The Center for Anxiety and OCD (CAOCD) began as I recognized a glaring need not only for top-quality anxiety therapy but also for an experience clients could feel excited and inspired by. I wanted the therapy office to be a place you enjoyed being in, a space that was not only impactful therapeutically but visually as well. I sought to hire and train true specialists, experts in their craft, but also the kind of person you looked forward to catching up with every week.
When we consider the impact of mental health on every facet of our lives, it’s imperative that mental health be part of the overall discussion on health. CAOCD is my vision for therapy as a lifestyle.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Founding an anxiety and OCD center two years before the pandemic was both timely and challenging. We were poised to serve the needs of an increasingly anxious world, but we were also coping with our own pain and isolation as well. Sessions turned to Zoom for the better half of the pandemic, and we lost the comradery and community of our in-person work with clients and with our fellow therapists. But I feel incredibly lucky that our center can offer the exact kind of support many of us need most right now, with the sky-high rates of anxiety and depression, especially among young people. I’m honored we are able to serve and support our community during what has been and continues to be a difficult time to make sense of in the world.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
People might not think of therapy as a creative process or an art form, but good therapy absolutely is. The relationship and connection we carefully construct over the course of weeks, months and years with our clients is the fabric on which we craft growth, and we are incredibly proud of the work we do. At CAOCD, these details matter. The relationships we build with our clients allow us to push when we need to and also to laugh and enjoy the process along the way. This flexible approach means we get results and keep our clients for years after the work is done. They come to therapy to manage OCD and anxiety disorders but find therapy to be an essential piece of lifelong health.
Our team is also highly educated and qualified, with training held on a monthly basis to keep clinicians abreast of the most recent research, techniques and perspectives in the OCD and anxiety community.
I’m most proud of our reputation within the community as a place to find relief from anxiety and OCD, especially with anxiety at a record high. Repeat referrals from doctors and other therapists are the highest form of praise. It means we are doing our job and serving a need in our community. It means we are alleviating suffering.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
We know starting therapy can be a difficult process. It may bring up feelings of fear, anxiety and even a feeling of failure. Many people feel they should be able to just fix themselves or that admitting something may be bothering them is a sign of weakness. None of this is true. Instead, look at therapy as one powerful and often neglected facet of overall health, the same way you might view exercising your body or filling your social life with meaningful friendships.
When you find a therapist you truly like as a person, trust as a guide, and laugh with as a fellow human, you know you’ve found the right one.
Pricing:
- Treating kids, teens and adults of all ages
- Utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Exposure therapy (ERP)
- Prices range from $100-$350/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: www.caocd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshrinkwrap/?hl=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-center-for-anxiety-and-ocd-irvine
