Online therapy for OCD and intrusive thoughts
Therapy for OCD helps you change your relationship with intrusive thoughts so they lose their grip. Using CBT and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) foundations, we gently reduce the checking, reassurance-seeking and rituals that keep the fear cycle turning.
Written by Laraib Fatima Ahmed, MSc Clinical Psychology, BPS Graduate Member (MBPsS).
Last reviewed 1 November 2026
OCD can show up as
- Unwanted thoughts or images that feel shocking or 'not like you'
- Needing things to feel 'just right' before you can move on
- Checking, cleaning, counting or repeating to ease the anxiety
- Asking others for reassurance, again and again
- Spending a lot of time each day caught in mental loops
if any of this feels familiar, you're not alone
How therapy can help
Thoughts are not facts
Almost everyone has strange or upsetting thoughts. OCD makes them feel urgent and meaningful. We start by understanding that cycle, which on its own often brings real relief and less shame.
Step by step, at your pace
ERP means facing feared situations in small, planned steps while resisting the urge to neutralise them. You're always in control of the pace, and nothing happens without your agreement.
Making room for uncertainty
OCD demands certainty. We practise tolerating 'maybe' with ACT skills, so you can get on with your day even when a thought shows up.
Approaches we might use
CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Notice how your thoughts mould your feelings and physical reactions. Together, we gently test and reshape rigid automatic patterns.
ACT
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Make room for what's present, then take clear action toward what you genuinely value.
DBT
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Practical skills for intense emotions, for sitting with deep distress without panic, and for building grounded relationships.
Curious how these work? See all my frameworks, explained simply
What sessions look like
OCD work is usually weekly, 50 minutes over video. Between sessions you'll practise small exposure steps we've planned together, and we'll adjust them as you go.
It always starts with a free 15-minute fit check, so you can ask questions and see how it feels before committing to anything. See the four steps