Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions). Obsessions can create significant anxiety or distress, while compulsions—such as checking, cleaning, counting, seeking reassurance, or mentally reviewing events—are often performed in an effort to reduce that distress or prevent something feared from happening.

Although compulsions may provide temporary relief, they can reinforce the cycle of OCD over time. Symptoms can become time-consuming and interfere with work, relationships, and everyday life. OCD can also take many forms and does not always involve visible or easily recognized compulsive behaviors.

I provide Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, the leading psychological treatment for OCD. ERP involves gradually facing feared thoughts, situations, or uncertainties while learning to resist compulsive responses. The goal is not simply to eliminate anxiety, but to develop greater freedom from the cycle of obsessions and compulsions.