CBT for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
When intrusive thoughts lead to repeated rituals or checking.
What you might notice
OCD can involve unwanted thoughts, images or urges that feel distressing, followed by actions intended to reduce discomfort or prevent something feared. Compulsions can be visible, such as checking or washing, or mental, such as reviewing, counting or seeking certainty. The relief often does not last.
How CBT can help
CBT for OCD commonly includes exposure and response prevention (ERP). Together, we plan gradual practice in facing triggers while reducing compulsions, including mental rituals. We also explore the meanings attached to intrusive thoughts and build ways to tolerate uncertainty without repeating the cycle.
General information, not a diagnosis. Your experience and goals guide our assessment and the plan we agree together.
Further reading and sourcesHow the cycle can keep going
This example shows one way the pattern can be maintained. Your own triggers and responses may look different.
Read the cycle step by step
- Trigger: An unwanted intrusive thought
- Meaning: Having this thought means I might be responsible.
- Feelings: Anxiety, doubt or a sense that something is not right.
- Response: Check, seek reassurance or repeat a mental ritual.
- What keeps it going: Relief is temporary; the urge to ritualise returns.
The short-term response can make the pattern more likely to repeat. This is an illustration, not a diagnosis or an individual formulation.
Are rituals or the search for certainty taking more time and energy than you want them to?
A free 5–10 minute consultation is a chance to talk about what you need and whether we could work well together.
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