Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by intrusive, unwanted thoughts and feelings, along with repetitive compulsive behaviours. These symptoms can become overwhelming and make daily life feel difficult to manage.
Obsessions are intrusive thoughts, images, sensations, or urges that create significant anxiety, doubt, or distress. Compulsions are the behaviours—overt or mental—that people use to reduce that discomfort and uncertainty.
Compulsions may include checking, washing, ruminating, mentally reviewing, counting, seeking reassurance, avoiding triggers, or excessive researching. Although these behaviours offer brief relief, they often become time-consuming and emotionally draining. Over time, many people begin to feel stuck or unsure how to move forward.
OCD can present in many different ways, and no two experiences are exactly alike. Some common themes include:
· Contamination and cleaning (fears about germs, illness, or spreading harm)
· Checking (repeatedly verifying safety, locks, or appliances)
· Harm obsessions (fears of causing harm to oneself or others)
· Moral or religious scrupulosity (concerns about doing something “wrong” or immoral)
· Perfectionism or symmetry (needing things to feel “just right”)
· Sexual, religious, or taboo intrusive thoughts
· Sexual Orientation OCD
· Relationship OCD (ROCD) (persistent doubts or fears about one’s relationship)
· Existential obsessions (concerns about existence, purpose, and reality)
· Real Event OCD/False Memory OCD
· Perinatal OCD
· Magical/superstitious OCD
· Sensorimotor OCD (hyperawareness of bodily functions)
· “Pure-O”OCD (intrusive thoughts without the presence of physical compulsions)
These are just some of the many forms that OCD takes, although OCD can be about anything that your mind can imagine.
Treatment
The good news is that OCD is highly treatable. With effective, evidence-based therapy, it’s possible to change how you respond to intrusive thoughts and reduce the need to engage in compulsions.
I offer treatment based on approaches that have strong research support, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) which is considered the gold-standard treatment for OCD. I also incorporate Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), to help you connect with the present moment, stop fighting with your uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, while staying connected to what truly matters in your life.
Another emerging and effective treatment approach for OCD is Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (I-CBT). This model focuses on teaching you how obsessive doubts develop and persist, helping you recognize the confused reasoning processes that lead to doubt and obsessional thinking. This approach aims at helping to resolve OCD by learning to regain trust in yourself and your senses. I-CBT is a promising alternative treatment option for those who have been unable to benefit from other treatments.
Together, we will work collaboratively to decide which approach is best for you.
Whatever form your OCD takes, recovery is possible. With the right tools, guidance, and support, you can learn to loosen OCD’s grip, live with greater ease and confidence, and reconnect with what matters most to you.