Online CBT for OCD
OCD is a cycle of unwanted thoughts, images or urges (obsessions) and the things you do to feel safe or certain again (compulsions). CBT with exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the recommended talking therapy for OCD. I offer CBT for OCD by video to adults across the UK.
What it can look like
You may notice some of these. You don’t need all of them to benefit from support.
- Unwanted thoughts, images or urges that feel intrusive and upsetting
- Checking, cleaning, counting or repeating until it feels right
- Mental rituals such as reviewing, praying or cancelling out a thought
- Asking for reassurance that never lasts
- Avoiding people, places or objects that set thoughts off
- Spending hours of the day caught up in thoughts or rituals
How CBT helps with OCD
OCD keeps going because the things that bring quick relief, such as checking, avoiding, mental review and reassurance, teach your mind that the threat was real and that the ritual kept you safe. The relief fades, the doubt returns and the cycle tightens.
In CBT we map your own cycle together. Then we plan gradual exposure tasks that you agree to. You face a trigger and practise holding off from the ritual, so you learn from experience how anxiety and uncertainty behave. You choose the pace and you always know what comes next.
I also draw on ACT skills, which help you notice thoughts as thoughts and keep your attention on what matters to you.
What therapy involves
- AssessWe explore your obsessions, compulsions and avoidance, and what they cost you.
- UnderstandWe draw up the OCD cycle in your own words.
- PlanWe build a ladder of exposure tasks from manageable to harder.
- PractiseYou work on tasks between sessions and we review what you learned each week.
- MaintainWe plan for setbacks so you can keep going on your own.
Questions about this
Do intrusive thoughts mean I’m dangerous?
Unwanted intrusive thoughts are common, and having them doesn’t mean you’ll act on them. In OCD they are distressing because they clash with what you value. A therapist can help you understand what you’re dealing with.
Is OCD just being tidy or organised?
No. OCD is defined by distress and the time it takes up. Tidiness may be part of it for some people. Many people with OCD have thoughts about harm, relationships, morality, health or identity, with few visible rituals.
Can I work on OCD online?
Many people do. Exposure tasks happen in your own home and daily routine, which can make therapy closely fit the places where OCD shows up.
Do I need a diagnosis to start?
No. You can start with what you’re experiencing and we make sense of it together.
How long does CBT for OCD take?
It varies with the type and severity of OCD and how often you can practise. We review progress together at regular points.
Related support
Take the first step with a free 20-minute call
Tell me what is going on, ask your questions and see whether we would work well together. There is no pressure to go ahead afterwards.