Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
OCD Therapy
Healing begins when you stop fighting your mind and start understanding it.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is more than unwanted thoughts or repetitive behaviors. It is a distressing cycle of doubt, fear, and urgency that can take over your daily life. Whether the fear revolves around harm, contamination, identity, morality, relationships, or more abstract or existential themes, the common thread is this: something feels uncertain, and you are doing everything you can to resolve that uncertainty.
You may be spending hours stuck in your mind, replaying memories, checking for reassurance, or avoiding certain people, places, or ideas. You may know the thoughts are irrational, yet still feel consumed by the need to feel “just right,” morally certain, or safe. OCD can leave you feeling ashamed, exhausted, and unsure of what’s real.
You are not alone and this is treatable.
How I Treat OCD
My approach to OCD treatment includes a combination of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT), two evidence-based approaches that offer support and structure in different ways.
ERP helps you face feared thoughts, sensations, or situations without engaging in compulsions. Over time, this helps retrain the brain and nervous system to tolerate discomfort, reduce reactivity, and let go of the rituals that have taken so much of your time and energy.
I-CBT focuses on the reasoning process behind obsessional doubt. Rather than treating intrusive thoughts as random, I-CBT explores why certain doubts feel so compelling, even when there’s no evidence in the here and now. This approach helps you recognize when your mind is relying on imagined possibilities instead of present-moment sensory information. Through I-CBT, you learn to reconnect with your own common sense and rebuild trust in your perception and self.
These two approaches complement each other, and I tailor them to your specific experience, symptoms, and capacity.
OCD, Neurodivergence, and the Nervous System
I specialize in working with clients who live at the intersection of OCD, neurodivergence (such as autism, ADHD, or giftedness), chronic illness, and trauma. These layers often shape how OCD shows up and how treatment needs to be paced.
If you've tried ERP before and felt overwhelmed, invalidated, or misunderstood, you are not alone. Traditional exposure models are not always designed with sensory sensitivity, masking, or nervous system regulation in mind. In our work together, we move at a pace that honors your needs. We pay attention to both the thought patterns and the felt experience in your body, creating a more integrated and compassionate path toward change.
You are not your thoughts. You are not your fear.
OCD often targets what matters most to you. It can feel like it hijacks your values, your identity, and your ability to trust yourself. Healing is not about becoming fearless. It is about shifting your relationship with fear, doubt, and discomfort so they no longer control your life.
Therapy can help you reclaim your clarity, your energy, and your sense of self. If you’re ready to begin or want to explore whether this work feels like a good fit, I offer a free 15-minute consultation.