Obsessions/Obsessive Thoughts

We all have thoughts that might be a little weird or unusual at times, but with OCD, these thoughts or images are particularly sticky. They keep popping up, no matter how much you don’t want them to. You might try to suppress or push them away, but it doesn’t work. These obsessions could involve contamination, the need for things to feel "just right," religious or moral doubts, violence, relationships, sexual orientation, and more.

​

Compulsions

These are behaviors—mental or physical—that you do to relieve the anxiety or distress caused by your obsessions, or to prevent something bad from happening. It might involve things like repeatedly washing your hands, ordering things in certain ways, checking and rechecking, praying, counting, repeating words to yourself, asking for reassurance, or endlessly researching things online. But you already know these compulsions don’t really help or work in the long run.

These obsessions and compulsions are taking up A LOT of your time and energy. They’re causing you stress and really getting in the way of your life.

​

Treatment

How’s OCD working for you? Have you had enough yet? Do you feel like you’re losing control? Maybe you’ve never told anyone what’s really been going on in your mind. Are you ready to try a different approach—one that’s helped others with OCD?

​

Here are the treatment options I offer for OCD:

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a simple but challenging treatment. It involves exposures—real or imagined challenges that we’ll create together to help you face your OCD. Success depends on your willingness to do the homework outside our sessions and face the challenges without engaging in the compulsions. You might surprise yourself by how much you can handle. I’ll be there to coach and support you every step of the way. I got you!

​

Another promising option is Inference-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) for OCD. This approach breaks down the OCD cycle, starting with the trigger and moving through the obsessional doubts. We’ll uncover the logic behind the OCD and its tricks. We’ll differentiate between the "OCD self" and the real you. We’ll talk about how to challenge the OCD narrative and ground you in reality. I-CBT is all about slowing the process down and showing you a different way to think and act.

​

Together, let’s kick OCD’s okole. The goal isn’t to "cure" OCD (though that’d be amazing) but to manage it—so it doesn’t control your life. OCD can be a chronic condition, like diabetes or high blood pressure. My goal is to work myself out of a job by giving you the tools to become your own therapist, so you can keep applying them even after we pause or finish treatment.

​

Imagine your life without OCD taking over. What would you do with hours of your day back? What would your quality of life be like with less time, energy, and space spent on OCD? Who are you without OCD controlling you?

 

Resources:

More about Exposure and Response Prevention from IOCDF

What is I-CBT or Inference-based Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Rumination-focused treatment articles from Dr. Michael Greenberg

Resources for Living with OCD from the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

 

Let go and let's go

 

If you're ready to start treatment for your OCD:

​

Please check my availability here