OCD Treatment

OCD is much more than being tidy or particular. It is a cycle: an intrusive thought, image, or urge triggers intense anxiety, doubt, or discomfort, and a compulsion — visible or mental — brings brief relief. That relief teaches your brain the thought was dangerous, so the cycle grows stronger over time.

Many people with OCD carry a heavy load of guilt and shame, especially when their thoughts feel taboo, frightening, or completely out of character. You are not your thoughts, and you don't have to keep struggling alone.

OCD can show up in many forms

I treat all OCD subtypes and themes, including:

• Harm and violent intrusive thoughts
• Sexual or taboo intrusive thoughts
• Relationship OCD (ROCD)
• Contamination and health-related fears
• Checking, doubt, and fear of making mistakes
• Scrupulosity (religious or moral fears)
• “Just right,” symmetry, and ordering
• “Pure O” and mental compulsions — rumination, reviewing, and mental checking
• Reassurance-seeking and confessing
• Identity, existential, and “real event” OCD

Whatever your theme, the cycle underneath is the same — and so is the path forward.

What is ERP?

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the gold-standard, evidence-based treatment for OCD. Rather than analyzing or arguing with your thoughts, ERP helps you gradually face the thoughts, situations, and uncertainty you've been avoiding, while resisting the compulsions that keep OCD going. Over time, your brain learns that you can tolerate anxiety and uncertainty, and the thoughts lose their power.

ERP is collaborative and paced. We build a plan together, starting with steps that feel challenging but manageable, and you stay in control of the pace.

What to expect with ERP

Feeling nervous about ERP is normal. Treatment moves step by step, and every exercise is planned together, so you always know what's coming and why.

The first few sessions. We'll map out how OCD works in your life — your triggers, the thoughts that hook you, and the compulsions that keep the cycle going — and you'll learn the reasoning behind ERP so each step makes sense.

How often we meet. I recommend twice-weekly sessions for the first 4 to 6 weeks. Meeting more often early on builds momentum and helps new skills stick. As you gain confidence, we meet less often and sessions become shorter. Most people complete treatment in about 12 to 16 sessions.

Your first exposures. We begin exposure work early, and we start it together in session. I'll coach you through it in real time, then we'll plan how you'll carry it into your week.

Between sessions. Practice outside of sessions is where much of the progress happens. Early on, this may simply mean noticing when OCD shows up. Later, it means practicing the exposures we've planned together.

My approach also considers the whole person: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, collective family histories, lifestyle, and nutrition.

Ready to take the first step?

Sessions are held virtually for clients in Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The best way to set up an appointment is through my online booking portal. This allows you to set up an online profile, complete intake, privacy and consent forms, and select days and times best suited for you. If you have a question before booking, you're welcome to reach out through my contact page.