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Therapy for OCD
OCD is highly treatable with the right kind of therapy. The therapists listed here have specific training in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard approach for OCD.
OCD is not about being tidy or particular. It is about intrusive thoughts that feel unbearable and compulsions that briefly relieve the distress but make the cycle worse over time. The intrusive thoughts themselves are not the problem. They are common. What matters is the relationship you have with them.
ERP is the most evidenced approach for OCD and is recommended by NICE. It works by gradually exposing you to what triggers your OCD without doing the compulsion. Done with a properly trained therapist, it is challenging but very effective.
Other approaches such as ACT, Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy can also be helpful, particularly for more relational or 'pure O' presentations.
Approaches that tend to help
- ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention)
- CBT for OCD
- I-CBT
- ACT
- Compassion-focused therapy
This is a guide, not a prescription. The right approach for you depends on your situation and on the relationship you build with your therapist.