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WHAT IS OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER?
The common understanding of OCD is that it’s about being neat, organized, or liking things in a certain order; but actually, it’s much more complex. OCD is a cycle of intrusive thoughts (obsessions) that create intense anxiety, and rituals (mental or behavioral compulsions) used to reduce the distress associated with the obsessive thoughts.
People with OCD often experience intrusive thoughts, worries, or mental images that feel unwanted, and disturbing. These thoughts can make you anxious, guilty, or afraid something terrible will happen if you don’t act on them.
To cope, many people develop rituals or mental strategies, like checking, counting, repeating, or mentally reviewing events. These behaviors might give temporary relief, but the cycle keeps coming back, often stronger and more exhausting over time.
Subtypes of OCD
Contamination / Cleaning OCD
Contamination / Cleaning OCD
Contamination / Cleaning OCD
Fear of germs, illness, or “contamination” that leads to excessive washing, cleaning, or avoiding perceived dirty spaces.
Checking OCD
Contamination / Cleaning OCD
Contamination / Cleaning OCD
Repeating actions to make sure nothing bad happened — like checking locks, appliances, or whether you accidentally harmed someone.
Harm OCD
Contamination / Cleaning OCD
Symmetry / “Just Right” OCD
Unwanted, distressing thoughts about causing harm, acting violently, or sexual content that causes guilt, shame, or anxiety. Often paired with mental checking rituals or reassurance-seeking.
Symmetry / “Just Right” OCD
Contamination / Cleaning OCD
Symmetry / “Just Right” OCD
A need for things to feel exact, balanced, or “perfect,” often involving arranging, ordering, or mentally counting until it feels right.
Relationship OCD (ROCD)
Health Anxiety / Somatic OCD
Health Anxiety / Somatic OCD
Intrusive doubts about your feelings toward a partner, or your partner’s feelings toward you.
Health Anxiety / Somatic OCD
Health Anxiety / Somatic OCD
Health Anxiety / Somatic OCD
Excessive worry about having or getting a serious illness, often paired with checking your body, Googling symptoms, or seeking reassurance.
Religious / Scrupulosity OCD
Health Anxiety / Somatic OCD
Religious / Scrupulosity OCD
Obsessions about morality, sin, or “being a bad person,” often paired with mental rituals, repetitive praying, or seeking reassurance.
Pure OCD
Health Anxiety / Somatic OCD
Religious / Scrupulosity OCD
Purely obsessional OCD is characterized obsessions that are not accompanied by physical compulsions. Instead, people perform mental rituals, such as silently repeating words or phrases, replaying events in their mind, or excessively seeking reassurance.
THE OCD CYCLE
The OCD cycle begins with an intrusive thought or doubt — an unwanted, upsetting, or confusing idea that grabs your attention. This thought triggers anxiety or distress, which your body and mind respond to as if there’s real danger. To try to feel safer, you might perform a compulsion, like checking, counting, mentally reviewing, or seeking reassurance. These behaviors provide temporary relief, making you feel calmer or “just right” for a short time. The tricky part is that compulsions actually keep the anxiety alive: your brain learns it only feels safe if you act, which strengthens the loop. Over time, intrusive thoughts feel more urgent, and compulsions become more frequent. Compulsions take time away from engaging in preferred activities. Therapy helps you interrupt this cycle safely, so your nervous system can learn that anxiety will decrease on its own, even without performing rituals.
EVIDENCE-BASED OCD TREATMENTS
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Medication (SSRIs or other psychiatric medications)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ERP is the gold-standard treatment for OCD. It involves gradually facing the thoughts, situations, or fears that trigger anxiety, without performing the compulsions that usually follow. Over time, your brain learns that anxiety decreases naturally and that you don’t need rituals to feel safe.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Medication (SSRIs or other psychiatric medications)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT focuses on accepting intrusive thoughts without judgment and choosing actions based on your values, even when anxiety is present. It teaches that you don’t have to control every thought — you can still live a meaningful life alongside OCD.
Medication (SSRIs or other psychiatric medications)
Medication (SSRIs or other psychiatric medications)
Medication (SSRIs or other psychiatric medications)
In some cases, medication can reduce anxiety or the intensity of intrusive thoughts, making it easier to engage in therapy. Many people benefit most from a combination of medication and therapy, but medication is optional and personalized.
WHAT TREATMENT LOOKS LIKE IN SESSIONS WITH ME
Understanding Your Experience & Mapping the OCD Cycle
We begin by getting a clear picture of what OCD looks like in your life—your intrusive thoughts, the feelings they trigger, and the rituals or mental habits you use to feel safe. Together we map out your specific OCD cycle so you can finally see the pattern instead of feeling overwhelmed by it. This isn’t about judgment; it’s about understanding what you’re up against so we can face it together.
Building Safety, Trust, and a Personalized Plan
Before any exposure work happens, we build a foundation of trust and emotional safety. You’ll never be pushed into something before you’re ready. We talk openly about what feels doable, what feels terrifying, and what your goals are. From there, we create a collaborative plan—choosing targets, strategies, and pacing that make sense for your life, not just your symptoms.
Facing Fears Gradually With Support
When the groundwork is in place, we begin exposure work slowly and intentionally. You’ll learn how to sit with anxiety, uncertainty, and intrusive thoughts without resorting to compulsions. I guide you through each step so the fear becomes less powerful over time. This is where your brain starts to unlearn old patterns and build new ones that give you more freedom.
Strengthening Confidence & Expanding Your Life Again
As compulsions lose their grip, you start reclaiming space that OCD once stole—relationships, routines, hobbies, dreams. We check in regularly, adjust the plan as needed, and celebrate the progress you’re making (even the subtle kind). By the end, you’ll have practical skills, a deeper trust in yourself, and a life that no longer revolves around managing fear.