Therapy
Therapy for OCD
Intrusive thoughts and rituals can take hours of your day. Therapy, including exposure and response prevention, helps you take that time back.
What OCD is
OCD is a cycle: an unwanted thought, image or urge creates anxiety, and a ritual brings brief relief. Rituals can be visible, like washing or checking, or mental, like repeating phrases or seeking reassurance. The relief teaches the brain to keep the cycle going.
Common forms
- Contamination fears and washing
- Checking locks, stoves or messages
- Needing things to feel just right
- Intrusive, unwanted thoughts that feel shameful
- Religious or moral worries
- Reassurance seeking
How treatment works
- 1.
Learn the cycle
Understand how obsessions and compulsions feed each other.
- 2.
Build a ladder
List triggers from easiest to hardest.
- 3.
Exposure and response prevention
Face triggers step by step while resisting the ritual.
- 4.
Keep the gains
Plan for stressful times when urges return.
Children and teens with OCD
OCD often starts in childhood. Our therapists involve parents, who are usually pulled into rituals and reassurance without realizing it.
Medication
Some people with OCD benefit from medication alongside therapy. Our prescribers can evaluate you by telehealth.
Questions
Is OCD just being tidy?
No. OCD is driven by distress, not preference, and it often has nothing to do with neatness.
Will exposure therapy be overwhelming?
You set the pace, starting with small steps.
Your first session
Your therapist will ask about the thoughts that bother you, the rituals you use, how much time they take, and how they affect your days. You do not have to describe every intrusive thought in detail; a general picture is enough to begin.
Families and reassurance
Family members often try to help by answering the same question again or checking for you. That eases distress in the moment and feeds OCD over time. With your permission, we can include family in learning how to respond differently.
Related pages
Talk with a therapist about OCD
Request an appointment online and mention OCD in your intake so we can match you well.