OCD is often misunderstood. While many people think it's only about cleaning or organizing, OCD is much more commonly driven by intrusive, unwanted thoughts that get people stuck in cycles of worry, doubt, and rumination. These thoughts can be about relationships, health, morality, harm, contamination, responsibility, sexuality, or just about anything else. It's not the content of the thought that makes it OCD—it's the way your brain gets caught in the loop.

Many people with OCD find themselves seeking certainty, mentally reviewing situations, asking for reassurance, avoiding triggers, checking, researching, or performing other behaviors that temporarily reduce anxiety—but ultimately keep the OCD cycle going.

My approach blends Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold standard treatment for OCD. Together, these approaches help you change your relationship with intrusive thoughts instead of trying to eliminate them. We'll gradually practice facing uncertainty, reducing compulsions and rumination, and learning that you don't have to solve or answer every scary thought your mind throws at you.

The goal isn't to get rid of intrusive thoughts completely—everyone has them. The goal is to help you stop living by them, so you can get back to living according to what actually matters to you.