Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Do you ever feel exhausted by how much time your own mind demands from you each day? Have the strategies that used to bring you relief started to feel like part of the problem? Does it feel like you're the only one who understands how real and terrifying your fears actually are? Are you tired of people telling you to “just stop worrying” when it's never been that simple?

 

Obsessive compulsive disorder can slowly take over your life

 

Obsessive compulsive disorder doesn't announce itself all at once—it creeps in gradually, turning what once felt like strengths into traps.

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Maybe there was a time when your careful attention to detail, your ability to think through every angle of a situation, felt like an asset. But somewhere along the way, that analytical mind stopped being a tool you could set down. The anxiety that was supposed to ease once you'd thought things through never actually left. Instead, the thinking multiplied. What used to take minutes now consumes hours of your day.

Your brain gets stuck like a buffering video that never loads—circling the same thoughts, examining the same fears, unable to reach a conclusion that sticks. You can see what's happening, but you can't seem to stop it. Decision-making becomes paralysis. Moving forward feels impossible.

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And those small rituals, the mental tricks or behaviors that once brought relief? Over time, they stop helping and start demanding more of you. They become part of the architecture of the disorder itself, another layer of things you have to do just to get through the day.

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What began as protective instincts slowly becomes a cage.

 

You are not alone!

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Obsessive compulsive disorder effects 2-3% of the US population over a lifetime. There are typically two different times of your life when you might have an onset of OCD, either during adolescence around the age of 10-12 or in early adulthood between the ages of 22-29.

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People with OCD have a deep care and consciousness about doing the right thing, not harming others and they feel very responsible for others and themselves. They are deeply thoughtful, ethical and considerate people. People with OCD have incredible attention to detail, noticing things others miss. They have an ability to see patterns, inconsistencies and potential problems. When they are not being hijacked by their compulsions, this can make them very thorough, precise and excellent at quality control or complex problem solving.

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People with OCD have a high tolerance for discomfort often living with intense anxiety and uncertainty. This can sometimes build an incredible kind of psychological resilience. People with OCD often endure far more mental discomfort on a daily basis than most people could imagine.

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Are you at the breaking point of your endurance? I would love to help you get some relief!

 

The Good News is that we can help!

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Several types of therapy have strong track records for treating OCD. They can work on their own or alongside medication like SSRIs—though medication is completely optional.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is considered the gold standard. ERP works by gradually facing feared situations while resisting the urge to perform compulsions, which helps your brain learn that the anxiety will pass without the ritual.

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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) takes a different approach—teaching you to notice intrusive thoughts without getting caught up in them, while focusing your energy on living according to your values rather than trying to eliminate anxiety.

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EMDR Therapy combined with ERP can be particularly helpful if trauma played a role in your OCD's development. Many people find that unprocessed trauma fuels their obsessive patterns, and addressing both can lead to deeper healing.

 

Getting Started: What to Expect in Your First Sessions

 

Session 1: The Big Picture We'll begin with a comprehensive intake where we discuss your overall health, family background, and how OCD has impacted your work, school, and daily life. This helps me understand you as a whole person, not just a set of symptoms.

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Sessions 2-3: Mapping Your OCD Together, we'll identify which obsessions and compulsions are currently causing the most disruption in your life. OCD shows up differently for everyone—you might be struggling with intrusive thoughts about harm, contamination fears, relationship doubts, or the need for things to feel "just right." Your compulsions might be visible rituals or mental acts that no one else can see. We'll create a clear picture of what you're wrestling with right now.

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Session 4: Building Your Treatment Plan Once we understand your specific OCD patterns, we'll discuss which therapeutic approaches make the most sense for you, whether that's ERP alone or in combination with ACT, EMDR, or other modalities.

Understanding Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

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ERP is the most researched and effective treatment for OCD, and it's almost always a central part of the work we'll do together. Here's how it works:

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The core idea is that compulsions and avoidance keep OCD alive. Every time you perform a ritual or avoid a trigger, you temporarily reduce anxiety—but you also teach your brain that the fear was real and dangerous. ERP breaks this cycle.

We start by creating a hierarchy of your fears, ranking situations from least to most anxiety-provoking. Then, gradually and at your pace, you'll face these situations (the "exposure" part) while resisting the urge to perform compulsions (the "response prevention" part). This might mean touching a doorknob without washing your hands, leaving the house without checking the stove, or sitting with an intrusive thought without mentally reviewing whether you're a good person.

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It sounds intimidating—and it can feel that way at first. But you're never thrown into the deep end. We work collaboratively, and you're in control of the pace. Over time, your brain learns that the anxiety peaks and then naturally comes down, even without the ritual. The things that once felt impossible become manageable, then routine.

ERP is tailored to your specific type of OCD, whether you're dealing with:

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• Contamination fears

• Harm or checking compulsions

• Intrusive thoughts (sometimes called "Pure O")

• Relationship OCD (ROCD)

• Symmetry, ordering, or "just right" feelings

• Hoarding

• Or any other form your OCD takes

 

The goal isn't to eliminate anxiety completely—it's to free you from the need to constantly manage it through compulsions, so you can get back to living your life.

 

Will There Be Homework?

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We'll decide together what feels manageable for you. ERP typically progresses faster when you're willing to practice exposures between sessions—think of it like physical therapy. You could only show up to appointments, or you can also do the exercises at home to speed up your recovery. Some clients thrive with structured homework; others prefer to keep the work contained to our sessions. There's no wrong choice, and we'll adjust based on what works best for you.

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Can We Do This Online?

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Absolutely. OCD treatment works well through telehealth sessions. Many clients actually prefer it because they can practice exposures in their own environment where OCD shows up most.

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Will This Make My Anxiety Worse?

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You might experience temporary increases in anxiety during exposures—that's actually part of how the treatment works. But here's what most clients report: the anxiety starts decreasing the more we work together. You're learning that you can tolerate discomfort and that it passes naturally. Over time, the overall burden of OCD diminishes significantly, even if individual moments feel challenging.

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Can't I Just Use a Workbook?

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If you're asking this question, there's a good chance you've already bought a workbook, read the first chapter, and then... it's been sitting on your shelf ever since. You're not alone in that. OCD is incredibly skilled at talking you out of doing the very things that would help. Working with a therapist provides accountability, personalized guidance, encouragement when it gets hard, and someone to help you navigate the moments when your brain insists you should stop. Going it alone is possible, but having support makes all the difference.

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Will ERP Actually Work for Me?

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Yes. ERP, whether used alone or combined with CBT, ACT, or EMDR, has decades of research backing its effectiveness. It can significantly reduce or even eliminate the obsessions and compulsions that are controlling your life right now. The question isn't whether it works—it's whether you're ready to start.

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Ready to Take the Next Step?

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Contact us to schedule an appointment or a free 15-minute consultation call. We're here to answer any questions you have and help you figure out if this is the right fit.

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