NAVIGATION

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Evidence-Based OCD Therapy in Los Altos, California

I provide evidence-based OCD therapy in Los Altos, CA for adults and older teens struggling with intrusive thoughts, obsessions, compulsions, and avoidance. OCD is treatable, and with the right support, many people are able to regain confidence and live more freely.

You can learn more about my overall approach to therapy and the evidence-based treatments I use here.

What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

OCD involves getting stuck in a painful cycle of obsessive thoughts and urges to avoid triggers or engage in compulsions. Obsessions are doubts, images, or “what if” thoughts that can leave you feeling upset, confused, or frightened. Many people with OCD know these thoughts don’t reflect who they are, yet the distress they cause can feel overwhelming.

To cope with the anxiety and distress these thoughts create, you might try to avoid situations that trigger them or engage in compulsions. Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental rituals done in an attempt to get rid of an obsession, reduce distress, or prevent something bad from happening.

While compulsions may bring temporary relief, in the long run they actually strengthen OCD and increase distress. Obsessive doubts keep returning, anxiety grows stronger, and the cycle continues. Over time, compulsions can become time-consuming and interfere with daily life, relationships, work, and overall well-being.

The OCD Cycle

Common Obsessions

People with OCD can experience obsessions around many different themes. Below are some of the common obsessions I see in OCD therapy:

Contamination Obsessions – Intense anxiety, disgust or concerns about germs, bodily fluids, environmental contaminants, household chemicals or dirt (ex. What if my hands are contaminated and I make my family sick?)

Responsibility Obsessions – Fear of being responsible for something terrible happening (for example fire, burglary, car accident), fear of making mistakes that would result in harm to other people (ex. What if I left the stove on?)

Violent Obsessions – Unwanted thoughts, images and intense fears of harming oneself or others (ex. Maybe I'll snap and kill my family even though I love them.)

Sexual Obsessions – Intrusive, unwanted sexual thoughts or images that feel disturbing or inconsistent with your values. These thoughts are not desires or intentions and do not reflect who you are.

Religious/Moral Obsessions (Scrupulosity) – Excessive concerns about morality, being right or wrong, offending God, blasphemy, and/or damnation (ex. Maybe I'm a bad person.)

Order and Symmetry Obsessions – Excessive concerns about evenness or exactness. Obsessive concerns for things to be symmetrical or perfectly organized.

Health Obsessions - Persistent fears about having or developing a serious illness, or intense focus on bodily sensations (often despite medical clearance).

This is not a complete list of all obsessions, so don’t worry if an obsession you struggle with is not listed here. An individual can develop obsessions around almost anything.

Common Compulsions and Avoidance

Checking – Checking that you have not harmed anyone or yourself, checking that you have not made a mistake or that nothing terrible will happen, checking your body or your physical condition

Washing and Cleaning – Excessive handwashing, showering, bathing, grooming or toilet routines; cleaning excessively

Repeating – Repeating routine activities, rereading or rewriting, repeating body movements

Mental Rituals – Self-reassurance, praying to prevent harm, repeating phrases or numbers, mental tracking, figuring out/analyzing, mental review of events, ruminating

Reassurance Seeking – Checking in with someone repeatedly to make sure everything is okay with respect to a particular worry or obsession. Repeatedly researching symptoms online

Other compulsions – Confessing, putting things in order or arranging things until it feels “right”

Avoidance - Avoiding people, places, objects, bodily sensations, or situations that trigger an obsession

A compulsion is anything a person is doing repetitively in an attempt to get rid of an obsession or reduce distress that is triggered by an obsession.

OCD Treatment: Evidence-Based Therapy That Works

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is treatable. I provide evidence-based OCD therapy in Los Altos, CA that helps people break free from the OCD cycle and regain confidence in their ability to experience obsessive thoughts without relying on compulsions or avoidance.

Treatment is personalized and grounded in approaches that research has shown to be effective for OCD, including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT).

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a specialized form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and is considered a gold-standard treatment for OCD.

ERP involves gradually and intentionally facing the thoughts, images, situations, or sensations that trigger anxiety, while learning to resist compulsions and avoidance. Compulsions may bring short-term relief, but they keep OCD going in the long run. ERP helps interrupt this cycle.

ERP for OCD is typically started with the support of a trained therapist, who helps you approach fears at a pace that feels manageable and supportive. Over time, as you practice exposures repeatedly, you learn that:

  • Anxiety naturally rises and falls on its own
  • You can tolerate discomfort without doing compulsions
  • Obsessions lose their power when they are not “fed” by rituals

Although ERP can feel challenging at first, many clients find it deeply empowering. With practice, people often gain confidence in their ability to face fears, reduce avoidance, and live more freely. I have seen many clients significantly reduce OCD symptoms and reclaim parts of their lives they thought were lost.

Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT)

Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) is another evidence-based treatment for OCD and can be an excellent alternative to ERP.

I-CBT understands obsessions as doubts created by a faulty reasoning process known as inferential confusion. This occurs when you dismiss what you can observe and know through your senses, and instead trust imagined possibilities and “what if” scenarios. Over time, this can lead you to distrust your own judgment, common sense, and even your sense of self.

Rather than focusing on exposure, I-CBT works to:

  • Identify how OCD creates doubt through faulty reasoning
  • Help you step out of imagined fears and reconnect with reality-based thinking
  • Restore trust in your senses, desires, intentions, and self

Because I-CBT does not require exposure exercises, it can be a good fit for people who:

  • Have not benefited from ERP
  • Feel stuck or overwhelmed by exposure-based approaches
  • Struggle with OCD themes that don't lend themselves easily to exposures

I offer I-CBT for OCD as part of my Los Altos therapy practice. I-CBT for OCD has helped many of my clients reduce obsessional doubt and experience lasting relief from OCD symptoms.

Get Started

OCD Therapy in Los Altos, CA

I work with adults and older teens struggling with OCD. Treatment is tailored to each person’s symptoms, values, and goals.

If you’re looking for an OCD therapist in Los Altos, I offer in-person sessions locally and virtual therapy throughout California. You can learn more about my background and approach on my About page, or schedule a free consultation below. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to help you determine whether ERP or I-CBT is the right fit.

OCD Consultation for Therapists

In addition to providing therapy, I also offer professional consultation and training to therapists seeking advanced education in OCD treatment, including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT).

Are you a therapist looking for consultation in treating OCD? Learn about my OCD consultation services for clinicians.

 

Follow by Email
Facebook
LinkedIn