Alan D. Carriero, MSW, LMSW
Alan D. Carriero, MSW, LMSW
Alan D. Carriero, MSW, LMSWMaster of Social Work, licensed in the State of Michigan
Counseling and psychotherapy, specializing in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum, and other anxiety problems. Individual, intensive individual, and group therapy available. Home visits can be arranged.


Training and Affiliations
Master of Social Work, Adelphi University School of Social Work

Post-masters trainings including the Behavioral Therapy Institute of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation

Professional member of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation, the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, and the Trichotillomania Learning Center

Scientific advisor to the Anxiety Resource Center, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Following is a list of the problems which I specialize in treating:
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Specific Phobias (fears of spiders, snakes, heights, closed in spaces, etc.)
Compulsive Hair Pulling (Trichotillomania)
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (obsessions about one's appearance)
Hypochondriasis (obsessions about one's health)
Compulsive Hoarding
Other anxiety problems

My Story
I have lived with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) for the past 40 years and am happy to tell my story to anyone that would like to hear it. Telling that story has been healing for me and it has given many others the hope that we can in fact change our lives for the better.

In childhood, I was somewhat of a perfectionist, but at the time, it wasn't really a concern -- I liked having my ABC's and my little drawings look "just right."  However, when I entered my teens, that seemingly harmless characteristic began to change into the progressively debilitating disorder of OCD.  By the time I was in my 20's, I had to be hospitalized. Though my OCD went undiagnosed by the psychiatrist that admitted me, the treatment that I was given for my co-occurring depression not only ended the depression but, unbeknownst to the doctor, the OCD as well!  It seemed as though I was cured.

However, in a matter of a few years, my depression returned, along with the terrifying fears and irresistible rituals of OCD. Once again, I found myself engulfed in the relentless obsessions and unstoppable compulsions of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. 

Desperately seeking help, I went from psychiatrist to psychiatrist and therapist to therapist.  None of them were able to tell me what was wrong. None of them were able to tell me what I could do to help myself. At one point, I was seeing a therapist four times a week, all to no avail.  Eventually, I stumbled upon the answer. Two sentences into an article that caught my eye at the corner newspaper store, I realized for the first time that I had something called OCD.

The article pointed me to the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at New York Hospital. There, a young doctor finally diagnosed me correctly and referred me to a cognitive-behavioral therapist who knew how to treat the disorder.


four months


Through professional presentations and my work at the Anxiety Resource Center in Grand Rapids Michigan, I am active in educating the public and professional communities about OCD and other anxiety producing disorders. In doing so, I also enjoy the satisfaction that comes from continuing to dismantle the stigma that has long been associated with these illnesses. Speaking openly about my own experience with OCD has turned out to be an attractive plus to others that are seeking help. The sense of relief that many feel when they come across someone who truly understands cannot be overstated. 

Though there is much more to learn about OCD and other anxiety disorders, we have come a long way on the path to understanding and conquering them. Let me assure you, there is hope, and there is help. You can find freedom.