Many intensive treatment programs now offer summer "camps" for children and teens with OCD. These programs vary and approach and style, and range from traditional "sleep away" camps, to daytime camps where children sleep at home, or stay with family nearby. For information about any of these programs, please contact the organizations directly. To have a camp added to this list, please email us at info@iocdf.org.
Camp Audeamus: A Camp for Kids with OCD
Who: Entering grades 4-9
When: Contact camp for the latest 2023 camp info.
Where: Oviedo, Florida
Contact: 1 (407) 247-0659
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About: A place for kids and teens with OCD to feel normal, relax, and connect with other youth in a fun environment including swimming, arts and crafts, drama activities, team building, a ropes course, and so much more. We encourage campers to expand their comfort zone in a supportive atmosphere, but will never force anyone to do anything they don't want to. Counselors (who have already defeated their OCD) will act as mentors as well as everything you'd expect from counselors at any other camp. In addition, we will have therapists and medical professionals on site for if a camper is struggling. Visit their website to learn more.
Camp Courage (Texas)
Who: Children and teens (ages 8 to 18)
When: Contact for camp dates
Where: Marble Falls, Texas
Contact: 512-246-7225 or email hello@austinanxiety.com
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About: Camp Courage exists to provide kids and teens with a fun, supportive atmosphere to challenge anxiety alongside a supportive team of peers and clinicians. Visit their website to learn more.
Camp Courage (Massachusetts)
Who: Adolescents (Ages 7-15)
When: June 26–30, 2023 running from 9:00am–2:00pm
Where: 81 Hartwell Avenue, Suite 310, Lexington MA, 02421
Contact: Email mcampbell@cbteam.org to learn more and sign up!
About: Camp Courage is a summer program where children learn CBT strategies to help tame anxiety and increase self-confidence. The camp provides a fun and supportive environment where therapeutic will lead individual and group games that challenge youth to be brave and get out of their comfort zone. Email mcampbell@cbteam.org to learn more and sign up!
Camp DCO
Who: Adolescents (ages 13-18)
When: Friday August 11th to Sunday August 13th
Where: Seattle, WA
Contact: peteweiss@icloud.com after May 1, 2023 to apply
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About: Camp DCO is a 3-day overnight camping program for teens who are living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. We intentionally limit the information we give to the general public as an extension of a core value of our program – that living a life moment to moment is challenging and a task to be practiced, endured, yet never mastered, but worth the attempt. We want our campers to enter the program not knowing too much about it because it is an exposure that starts at first contact, and the anticipation of the program and uncertainty that we all feel leading up to it (yes, even the staff!) is shared amongst the group – our first shared and connecting experience before meeting in person and having many more shared and connecting experiences. So if you are reading this with the possibility of attending the program has not done so before, drink up and relish the anticipatory anxiety — your not-knowing will be finite. Visit their website to learn more.
Fear Facers Camp
Who: Adolescents (Ages 7-15)
When: July 31 – August 4, 2023 and August 7 – 11, 2023
Where: Gainesville, FL
Contact: 352.265.4OCD (4623)
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About: Children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder and/or anxiety are invited to join us this summer for a one- or two-week camp session. In addition to daily therapy, participants between the ages of 7 and 15 will experience activities that allow for personal growth and improved behaviors. Learn more about what a day at camp is like at our website.
Intensive OCD Treatment Program
Who: Teens (12-18)
When: Monday, Aug. 7 through Friday, Aug. 11, 2023
Where: White Plains, NY
Contact: 914-385-1150, option 1 or email intake@cbc-psychology.com
About: This four-day OCD therapy program is for teens struggling with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and uses evidence-based CBT treatment in an intensive, skill-building format. Please visit their website for more information.
Adventure Camp
Who: Children and Adolescents
When: Monday, July 31st and runs until Friday, August 4th, 2023
Where: Elmhurst, IL
Contact: 630-230-6505
About: Adventure Camp is a five-day in-vivo, in-situ intensive exposure therapy program designed to simulate the classroom environment to treat students with selective mutism. It runs in August so that the therapy occurs right before the start of the new school year, increasing treatment carryover into your child's school. Adventure Camp runs from 9am - 3pm for five days (Monday - Friday), providing 30 hours of intensive exposure therapy, as well as 7.5 hours of parent guidance, for a total of 37.5 hours of therapy in one week, expediting treatment. Please visit their website to learn more and to register. Limited spots left.
*The International OCD Foundation shares these types of resources as a way of helping to connect kids and families with treatment opportunities in their area. We are in no way affiliated with the programs mentioned above.