Specialized Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy for adults struggling with intrusive thoughts, compulsions, reassurance seeking, and overwhelming doubt.
Living with uncertainty and yearning for control has been exhausting.
Whether or not others realize it, you've been trying to get a handle on this. But each time you try, the fear of what could happen feels so powerful that you end up just trying to get rid of the distress.
So, you fight this invisible battle, every single day.
Not sure whether we're a good fit? Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to talk about what you're experiencing, ask questions, and determine whether my approach is right for you. CLICK HERE to schedule a Consultation
Endless Doubts, Exhausting Loops
You feel like you're trapped in a loop you didn’t choose. Intrusive, unwanted, and distressing thoughts or images invade your mind. These aren’t just “worries” or fleeting concerns — they feel urgent, threatening, and intolerable.
Even though you logically know these fears are irrational, that awareness doesn’t stop the anxiety.
In an attempt to gain control, you perform mental or physical rituals such as checking, rearranging, counting, cleaning, seeking reassurance, reviewing memories, or avoiding certain situations altogether. These rituals — called compulsions — reduce anxiety in the short term, but never for long. The relief is temporary, and the cycle begins again.
OCD Isn't Always Visible
OCD doesn't always look like excessive handwashing, cleaning, or checking. For many people, OCD is happening inside their head. You may appear calm and high-functioning on the outside while spending hours internally analyzing, checking, reviewing, or trying to make sure you haven't made a mistake. While the compulsions may not be visible to other people, they can be just as exhausting and disruptive as physical compulsions.
Mental compulsions can include:
Replaying conversations or events to determine whether you did something wrong
Repeatedly analyzing an intrusive thought to figure out what it means
Mentally checking how you feel about someone or something
Seeking reassurance from others—or repeatedly asking yourself for reassurance
Googling symptoms, situations, or questions to find certainty
Comparing different possibilities to determine which one is "right"
Trying to prove to yourself that an intrusive thought isn't true
Reviewing memories to make sure something did or did not happen
Monitoring your thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations for signs that something is wrong
Repeatedly thinking through "what if" scenarios
You may recognize these behaviors as overthinking, rumination, anxiety, or perfectionism rather than OCD. But when these mental rituals are performed repeatedly to reduce anxiety or achieve certainty, they can become part of the OCD cycle.
You Are Not Your Thoughts
Decision-making becomes agonizing. Doubt dominates.
What if I missed something?
What if I hurt someone?
What if this means something awful about me?
What if I get sick and die?
What if something bad happens to my loved one?
What if I didn’t do that exactly the right way?
Everyone gets weird thoughts, but in OCD, they become urgent and hard to dismiss.
Having these thoughts does not mean you agree with them or will act on them.
You Don't Have to Look Like You Have OCD
You can have intrusive thoughts and compulsions without anyone around you realizing you're struggling. You may be successful at work, maintain relationships, and appear to have everything under control while privately spending hours trying to resolve doubts and uncertainty.
OCD Can Take Many Forms
OCD doesn't always look like excessive cleaning or checking. It can attach itself to almost anything that feels important to you.
Harm OCD
Fear that you might hurt someone or cause something terrible to happen.
Relationship OCD (ROCD)
Persistent doubts about your relationship, attraction, compatibility, or feelings.
Contamination OCD
Fears about germs, illness, contamination, or spreading something to others.
Health OCD
Persistent fears about having or developing a serious illness.
Scrupulosity
Obsessions involving morality, religion, sin, or being a "bad" person.
Perfectionism / "Just Right" OCD
Feeling compelled to get something exactly right or achieve a sense of certainty or completeness.
Grow Beyond OCD — One Step, One Triumph at a Time with OCD Treatment: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
I blend my curiosity and problem-solving ability with a nonjudgmental and empathetic stance. We sit together in this distressing space, explore the triggers for your obsessions, and collaboratively brainstorm and practice strategies to help you sit with discomfort and distress — so you can fully engage in and be present for a fulfilling life. This form of therapy is called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). ERP is a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy designed specifically for OCD. Rather than trying to eliminate intrusive thoughts or achieve certainty, ERP helps you gradually face triggers while reducing the compulsions and avoidance that keep the OCD cycle going.
In ERP therapy, we may work on:
identifying obsessions and compulsions
recognizing subtle mental rituals
reducing reassurance seeking
building an exposure hierarchy
practicing exposures
resisting compulsions
learning to tolerate uncertainty
returning your attention to the life you want to live
Are you ready to make changes that serve you and your mental health? Book a free consultation to see if we’re a good fit!
Still not convinced? Check out my interviews to get to know more about me and my style.
Who I work best with
OCD Therapy May Be a Good Fit If You...
Know your thoughts don't make sense but can't stop responding to themSpend hours analyzing, checking, or seeking reassuranceAvoid situations because you're afraid of what might happenFeel responsible for preventing bad things from happeningStruggle with intrusive thoughts that feel frightening or shamefulWant therapy that is active rather than simply talking about your thoughtsAre willing to practice skills and exposures between sessions
Then:
Let's chat! CLICK HERE to schedule a consultation.
You don't have to be completely certain that you have OCD before scheduling a consultation.
How to Get Started
1
Complete the Phone Consultation
Schedule a free 15-minute phone call consultation. Robyn will call you at the time you select. If it is a good fit, you will be scheduled for your first appointment.
2
Complete Forms Online
Complete intake forms on the secure client portal no later than 24-hours before your first appointment.
3
Start Therapy
You will have your first intake comprehensive assessment appointment ($250). Then weekly 50-minute therapy sessions ($225).
“We sit in this distressing space together, explore your triggers, and then collaboratively brainstorm and practice activities to sit with discomfort and distress so that you can fully engage in a fulfilling life.”
— ROBYN TAMANAHA, LMFT
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