Dr. Matthew Free

Psychologist, Co-founder (he/him)

Individual therapy:

I strive to foster a warm, validating, empathetic environment in therapy because I believe this helps people feel safe enough to work on challenging aspects of their lives. I invest in getting to know my clients well so that I can form an effective team with them to help them achieve their treatment goals.  Like all of our clinicians at COAC, I only use evidence-based practices that fall under the umbrella of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.

My clinical work is limited to a small number of psychological conditions, and I tend to work with those who have more severe symptoms.  I have extensive training in the treatment of all anxiety, OCD, and depressive disorders, but I have chosen to limit my practice because I know how hard it is to find specialized care. According to the International OCD Foundation, it takes 17 years on average for people with OCD to receive evidence-based treatment.  Very few clinicians in central Ohio treat severe OCD.  As a result, I prioritize those who have participated in (or considering) residential or intensive treatment programs (e.g., IOP, PHP), have worked with a number of therapists in the past without much success, or feel debilitated by their symptoms. It is also challenging to find treatment for body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) like skin picking and hair pulling.  If you experience symptoms of BFRBs, I would be happy to help you learn how to manage urges and refrain from engaging in these behaviors.  Finally, I treat severe panic disorder.  I am a good fit for people who experience multiple panic attacks per week, have had several emergency room visits due to panic symptoms, or have significantly limited their lives to avoid panic symptoms.  

Postpartum OCD:

As a parent, I find working with clients with postpartum OCD especially meaningful.  It is well known that OCD can either begin or worsen during times of stress.  If OCD first emerges in adulthood, it most often follows a stressful event, like having a baby.  Our minds can generate all sorts of unusual thoughts during such times, but people with OCD tend to latch on to unwanted thoughts as though they were real.  The vast majority of parents occasionally experience intrusive, random thoughts about hurting their baby, either accidentally or intentionally (e.g., due to unwanted impulse).  Most people can easily dismiss these thoughts as meaningless background noise. Other people, however, interpret them as evidence that they actually want to harm their child, even though it is the opposite of who they really are.  Likewise, it is not uncommon for some parents with OCD to become obsessed that they might be attracted to their child even when they are definitely not.  Postpartum OCD can ruin parenthood.  Loving parents try to protect their child from themselves, which only makes matters worse.  For example, some stop hugging, kissing, tickling, bathing, changing, touching, or interacting with their child.  They stop doing many of the things that help them bond with their child, which inevitably leads to depression.  Some parents might become obsessed with protecting their baby in other ways, such as excessive cleaning to prevent illness or contamination, or excessively checking door locks to ensure safety. Postpartum OCD is treatable, and successful treatment has the potential to change the course of parenting. Intervention should start as early as possible. If you are a new parent with OCD, I will do my best to start working with you right away, so please mention this when you complete the online form.

Family Consultation:

I offer consultation to parents and caregivers of young adults (18+) with anxiety or OCD-related disorders who are still living at home. Consultation may include helping parents motivate their adult children to seek treatment or helping parents participate in their child’s treatment in effective ways. Parents often understand that it is not helpful to overly accommodate anxiety/OCD symptoms. At the same time, they do not want to make things worse by putting their foot down. I can help find a balance. I can also likely help sort out what behaviors are changeable and what it would make more sense to accept.  Finally, I can explain all available treatment options (including those not offered at COAC), as well as provide recommendations and referrals if higher levels of care are needed (e.g., IOP, PHP, residential). 

Professional consultation:

I am one of the psychologists at COAC (along with Dr. Braun) who provides case consultation to other mental health professionals and hospital staff.  Brief phone consultation is free. I also offer ongoing consultation for people seeking focused training to enhance their clinical skills to treat anxiety and OCD.