OCD Therapy in Longwood, Florida
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can make your mind feel like it never gets a chance to rest. Whether you're struggling with intrusive thoughts, compulsions, reassurance seeking, or constant doubt, therapy can help you break free from the cycle and build confidence in living with uncertainty.
What is OCD therapy?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is more than being organized or liking things a certain way. OCD is a mental health condition characterized by unwanted intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that create significant anxiety and lead to compulsions or mental rituals intended to reduce that distress.
Therapy for OCD focuses on changing your relationship with uncertainty rather than eliminating unwanted thoughts. I primarily use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), along with CBT, DBT, and insight-oriented therapy, to help clients gradually reduce compulsions and regain confidence in everyday life.
Who I Help
✓ College Students
& Young Adults
✓ Children
✓ Individuals experiencing specific phobias or body-focused repetitive behaviors
✓ Teens
✓ Adults
Does This Sound Familiar?
⇾ “What if…” thoughts won’t stop
⇾ Constant reassurance seeking
⇾ Feeling responsible for preventing bad things
⇾ Discomfort with uncertainty
⇾ Ruminating and reviewing
⇾ Avoiding triggering situations
⇾ Intrusive violent, sexual, or taboo thoughts
⇾ Feeling trapped by doubt
Understanding the Patterns Beneath the Surface
OCD is not a reflection of who you are or what you secretly want. In fact, intrusive thoughts are often disturbing precisely because they go against your values.
The problem isn't the thoughts themselves. Everyone experiences unwanted thoughts from time to time. What keeps OCD going is the cycle of trying to find certainty, reduce anxiety, or prove that the feared outcome won't happen. While compulsions and reassurance may provide temporary relief, they also teach the brain that the intrusive thought was important or dangerous, making it more likely to return.
Therapy helps interrupt this cycle by building tolerance for uncertainty and reducing the urge to respond to every intrusive thought.
What Healing Can Look Like
Instead of trying to make intrusive thoughts disappear, therapy can help you:
Spend less time caught in compulsions and mental rituals
Feel more confident making decisions without seeking certainty
Respond differently to intrusive thoughts
Reconnect with the parts of life that OCD has taken away
My Approach
I take a warm, collaborative, and evidence-based approach to OCD treatment. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is considered the gold standard treatment for OCD, and I integrate ERP with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and insight-oriented therapy to create a treatment plan that fits your unique experiences and goals.
Recovery isn't about never having another intrusive thought. It's about learning that you don't have to obey every thought your brain produces.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Many people aren't. Intrusive thoughts and compulsions can look very different from person to person. During our first few sessions, we'll work together to better understand your symptoms and determine whether OCD or another concern best explains what you're experiencing.
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No. ERP is collaborative, gradual, and tailored to your readiness. We'll work together to build exposures step by step so you feel challenged but supported throughout the process.
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Yes. ERP is highly effective through secure telehealth, and many exposures can be completed in your everyday environment.
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Yes. I work with children, teens, and adults with OCD, adapting treatment to each person's developmental needs and involving parents when appropriate.
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Many people benefit from therapy alone, while others find that combining therapy with medication is most effective. We can discuss your options and, if appropriate, collaborate with your physician or psychiatrist.
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Yes. While intrusive thoughts may never disappear completely, recovery means they no longer control your choices or your life. Through treatment, many people experience significant relief and regain the freedom to engage in work, school, relationships, and activities that matter most to them.
As eating disorder expert Carolyn Costin describes, recovery isn't about never having another difficult thought. It's about reaching a place where those thoughts no longer dictate your choices or keep you from living a full, meaningful life. My goal is to help you move toward lasting recovery by developing practical skills, increasing self-understanding, and creating a life that feels guided by your values rather than your eating disorder.
You don’t have to stay stuck in the OCD cycle.
OCD can make life feel smaller, but effective treatment can help you regain confidence and spend less time responding to fear. If you're ready to take the next step, I'd be honored to support you.