832-205-8120
Houston Anxiety
& Wellness Center
life-changing treatment for children, adolescents, adults, and families
Houston Anxiety and Wellness Center provides compassionate and collaborative care for individuals suffering from anxiety and depressive disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and body focused behaviors.
We help guide and support parents navigating the difficulties of raising independent and resilient children.
Dr. Ivy Ruths
Ivy Ruths, PhD is a licensed psychologist and licensed specialist in school psychology specializing in treating anxiety, depressive, and OCD-related disorders. She has been providing individualized, evidence-based care for her patients for 15+ years at university clinics, community mental health clinics, hospitals, schools, and in private practice. In 2023, she opened the Houston Anxiety & Wellness Center in order to serve more individuals, students, and families in the Houston area.
Dr. Ruths' goal is to help sufferers dramatically improve their outlook and quality of life by teaching them how to change their behavior and how to challenge habitual negative self-talk. She believes that willingness and a commitment to living life in line with one's values, instead of with one's fears or in response to life's difficulties, is the key to coping with distressing emotions and uncertain situations.
As the Director of the Houston Anxiety & Wellness Center, she is committed to ensuring that each individual seeking care feels connected with their provider. The therapeutic relationship is of utmost importance to her and to the effectiveness of treatment.
Services
Treatment begins with a complete diagnostic evaluation of an individual's history, current functioning, and presenting problem. The diagnostic evaluation informs the creation of the treatment plan and ongoing assessment which may include questionnaires, observations, and examination of testing reports, helps us to monitor progress towards goals and provide individualized support.
Individual Therapy
Individualized, evidence-based treatment that begins with a thorough evaluation of history, strengths, and needs.
Clinicians utilize:
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
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Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)
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Comprehensive Behavioral Model for Hair Pulling & Skin Picking (CoMB)
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Habit Reversal Training (HRT)
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Motivational Interviewing (MI)
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Social Skills Training
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Executive Functioning Coaching
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Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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Mindfulness
Intensive Outpatient Therapy and Exposure Support
Intensive Outpatient Therapy and Exposure Support are offered on an individual basis as needed for OCD or anxiety diagnoses for which meeting multiples times a week for longer sessions might be helpful. The structure for intensive outpatient therapy varies and is determined based on patient needs.
Exposure support, usually for longer than a normal office visit, allows for home visits and ample time to complete exposures outside of session.
Therapy for parents includes individualized, solution-focused care to help parents increase compliance, decrease oppositions, and increase connection with their children and teens.
Clinicians utilize aspects from:
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Parent Management Training
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Child Parent Relationship Therapy
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Child-Parent Interactive Therapy
Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)
SPACE is a parent-focused treatment for children with anxiety or OCD. SPACE is an active, time-limited intervention in which parents meet with the clinician without the child present to learn new ways of supporting their struggling child, while decreasing accommodations that maintain OCD or anxiety behaviors and keep a child or teen stuck.
Dr. Ruths was trained to conduct SPACE treatment in 2020. To learn more about SPACE and connected resources, visit: www.spacetreatment.net.
Group Therapy
Houston Anxiety & Wellness Center runs a variety of groups as needed.
At any given time offerings may include:
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Virtual OCD support groups for sufferers and their families
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SPACE Parenting Groups
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Summer Skills Building "Camps" for Children/Teens
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Postpartum Anxiety Groups
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Social Skills Group for elementary and middle school students
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Public Speaking
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Postpartum Support Group for new parents
A Note About Teletherapy
Dr. Ruths is PsyPact certified and can provide telehealth services in the following states: AL, AR, AZ, CO, DE, District of Columbia, GA, ID, IN, IL, KS, KY, MD, ME, MN, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NH, NV, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, and WV.