Work with an ODD Therapist in California

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) can be difficult to navigate — for children, teens, and the adults who love them. Families often describe feeling stuck in daily power struggles, frequent conflict, emotional outbursts, and a sense that nothing they try is working.

While it may look like “defiance,” ODD is often connected to emotional dysregulation, anxiety, unmet needs, stress, or difficulty tolerating frustration. With the support of an experienced therapist, it is possible to reduce conflict, strengthen communication, and build healthier patterns at home.

Our practice provides outpatient therapy for individuals and families in Orange County and throughout California via secure telehealth.

Understanding Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is a mental health condition characterized by a consistent pattern of angry or irritable mood, argumentative behavior, and difficulty with authority or rules.

ODD may include patterns such as:

frequent arguing with parents, teachers, or authority figures
refusing to comply with requests or expectations
easily becoming annoyed, frustrated, or reactive
blaming others for mistakes or behavior
escalating quickly during conflict
holding grudges or becoming resentful

ODD exists on a spectrum. Some children show mild symptoms in specific settings, while others experience significant impairment at home, school, or in relationships.

When left untreated, ODD can contribute to ongoing family stress, academic difficulties, and emotional distress for both the child and the family system.

What Contributes to ODD?

There is no single cause of ODD. Research suggests it often develops through a combination of factors, including:

temperament and nervous system sensitivity
chronic stress, family conflict, or emotional overwhelm
neurodivergence (such as ADHD)
anxiety or depression
trauma or adverse experiences
difficulties with emotional regulation and impulse control

Many children who meet criteria for ODD are not “trying to be difficult.” Often, their behavior reflects an internal experience they do not yet have the skills to manage.

Therapy can help identify what is driving the behavior and support meaningful change.

Evidence-Based Treatment for ODD

ODD is treatable with the right support. Treatment is often most effective when it includes both individual work with the child or teen and support for the parent or caregiver.

Therapy for ODD may include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps children and teens understand the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behavior, and develop healthier ways of responding to frustration, stress, and conflict.

DBT-Informed Skills (Emotional Regulation)

DBT-informed strategies can help build skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and impulse control — especially for kids and teens who escalate quickly.

Parent Support & Family Work

Parents often benefit from guidance around boundaries, consistency, and communication strategies that reduce power struggles and help restore a sense of stability at home.

Trauma-Informed Therapy (When Needed)

For children whose behavior is connected to trauma, therapy may focus on safety, trust, and nervous system stabilization before expecting behavioral change.

Common Questions & Answers from Your ODD Therapist in California

Many children go through phases of pushing boundaries. ODD is typically indicated when defiant or oppositional behaviors are frequent, persistent, and significantly disruptive across time — and when they cause distress at home, school, or in relationships.

A licensed mental health professional can provide assessment and help determine whether symptoms meet criteria for ODD, or whether something else may be contributing.

No. ODD is not simply a discipline issue — and it is not a reflection of parenting failure.

Many children with ODD are struggling with emotional regulation, anxiety, sensitivity to stress, or underlying challenges that are not obvious at first glance. Therapy can help clarify what is happening beneath the behavior and create a more effective path forward.

Yes. ODD can occur in both children and adolescents. In teens, symptoms may show up as frequent conflict at home, refusal to comply with expectations, difficulty with authority at school, or intense emotional reactivity.

Therapy can support teens in building emotional insight, self-regulation skills, and healthier relationship patterns.

ODD symptoms may improve over time for some children, but when the pattern is persistent, therapy can help prevent the behavior from becoming more entrenched — and can reduce stress for the entire family system.

Early support often leads to better outcomes.

This depends on many factors, including symptom severity, family stress levels, co-occurring diagnoses (such as ADHD or anxiety), and how long the pattern has been present.

Many families begin noticing changes when therapy includes consistent parent support alongside work with the child or teen.

ODD Therapy in California via Telehealth

Our therapists provide online therapy throughout California. Telehealth offers a flexible option for families who:

have demanding work or school schedules
live outside of Orange County
want consistent support without travel time
prefer therapy from the comfort of home

Telehealth can be especially effective for teens and young adults who feel more comfortable engaging through video sessions.

ODD Therapy with Remy Fang, LCSW, Hannah Pasternak, LCSW, and Sairah Abbasi, LCSW

Our team offers compassionate, structured therapy for pre-teens, adolescents, young adults, and families navigating emotional overwhelm, conflict, and behavioral challenges.

Remy Fang, LCSW

Remy works with pre-teens, adolescents and young adults who feel stuck in cycles of stress, frustration, and self-criticism. She offers a warm, practical approach that helps clients build emotional regulation skills, reduce conflict, and develop tools for navigating school, family dynamics, and life transitions. Remy integrates CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and strengths-based strategies in a way that is collaborative and personalized.

Sairah Abbasi, LCSW

Sairah provides a compassionate, client-centered space for adolescents and families navigating stress, emotional pain, trauma, and relationship conflict. She supports clients in building self-worth, regulating difficult emotions, and creating healthier patterns in their lives. Sairah draws from CBT, DBT, EMDR, ACT, and mindfulness-based approaches, and works collaboratively to help clients feel more grounded, empowered, and supported.

Hannah Pasternak, LCSW

Hannah supports pre-teens, adolescents, and adults who feel overwhelmed, emotionally reactive, or stuck in patterns that feel difficult to shift. She brings a grounded, holistic approach to therapy and helps clients build insight, emotional resilience, and healthier relationship dynamics. Hannah integrates evidence-based modalities such as CBT, DBT, EMDR, and mindfulness, and she also has experience supporting first responders and clients navigating high-stress environments.

Get Started with ODD Therapy

Seeking support for ODD can feel like a big step — especially when you’ve been carrying stress, conflict, and uncertainty for a long time.

If you’re ready to explore therapy, you can begin by contacting our Intake Coordinator, who will guide you through next steps and scheduling.

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