How to Find the Best OCD Therapist: What to Look for and Why It Matters

Finding the right therapist for OCD can feel overwhelming—but it’s one of the most important steps you can take in your recovery. In this post, we’ll walk through what makes a therapist effective in treating OCD, why ERP therapy is essential, and how to decide if an OCD intensive might be right for you.

OCD Is Highly Treatable With The Right Therapist

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a highly treatable condition—but only when the right approach is used. Many people with OCD spend years in therapy that doesn’t help, or worse, reinforces their symptoms. That’s why finding a therapist who specializes in OCD and uses evidence-based treatment is essential. The good news? With the right provider, it’s possible to experience real relief and regain control of your life.

What Makes OCD Therapy Different

OCD is not like general anxiety, depression, or trauma—it has its own unique patterns of intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors. Because of this, it requires a specific treatment method called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Not all therapists are trained in ERP, and traditional talk therapy or coping skills are often ineffective—or even harmful—for someone with OCD.

If a therapist spends most of their time helping you explore 'why' you’re having obsessive thoughts or encourages you to find ways to relax when you’re distressed, they may not be helping you break the OCD cycle. Instead, effective treatment must involve confronting feared thoughts or situations and learning to tolerate the discomfort without engaging in compulsions.

The OCD Cycle

The OCD cycle is a repetitive loop that keeps obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms going. Understanding this cycle is key to breaking free from it. Here’s how it works, step by step:

1. Obsession

An intrusive, unwanted thought, image, or urge pops into your mind. It often feels disturbing, irrational, or out of your control. Examples include:

• “What if I touched something dirty and contaminated myself?”

• “What if I said something offensive and didn’t realize it?”

• A mental image of harming someone, even though you don’t want to.

These thoughts create intense distress, anxiety, or discomfort.

2. Anxiety / Distress

The obsession causes a spike in anxiety or a feeling that something is “not right.” This emotional discomfort is what drives the need to “do something” to make it stop.

3. Compulsion

To relieve the anxiety or prevent something bad from happening, you perform a compulsion—a behavior or mental act. Compulsions can be:

• Overt: Washing, checking, redoing, asking for reassurance.

• Covert: Mentally reviewing events, repeating phrases in your head, neutralizing thoughts with other thoughts.

The compulsion temporarily relieves the anxiety—but only reinforces the obsession over time.

4. Temporary Relief

After the compulsion, you may feel a brief sense of relief. The anxiety subsides… but not for long. Your brain learns that the obsession was “dangerous” and that the compulsion “saved” you.

5. Reinforcement of the Cycle

Because the compulsion worked (even just temporarily), your brain repeats the cycle the next time the obsession shows up. Over time, the OCD loop becomes more ingrained, more rigid, and harder to break without help. It’s often described as a snowball effect - a simple compulsion that used to take seconds to complete, quickly turns into a routine that can take minutes or even hours to finish.

What Is ERP and How Does It Work?

ERP stands for Exposure and Response Prevention, and it is the gold standard treatment for OCD. In ERP, you gradually expose yourself to the thoughts, images, objects, or situations that make you anxious—and then resist the urge to do a compulsion to relieve that anxiety. Over time, your brain learns that these feared situations are not actually dangerous, and the anxiety begins to decrease on its own.

ERP doesn’t mean you’ll be thrown into overwhelming situations without support. A well-trained therapist will help you build a hierarchy of fears and guide you step by step, teaching you how to face uncertainty, let go of rituals, and rebuild your confidence. ERP is challenging—but it works. Studies show that it helps the majority of people with OCD significantly reduce their symptoms.

Why You Need a Specialist

OCD is a complex disorder that requires a high level of expertise to treat effectively. A therapist who isn’t trained in OCD-specific interventions may accidentally accommodate compulsions or validate intrusive thoughts, which can reinforce the disorder. You need a therapist who understands how OCD works, knows how to challenge it, and can support you through the discomfort of ERP without judgment or fear.

Kelsey Fyffe, LPC-S, CEDS-C, is a licensed therapist and OCD specialist with over 10 years of experience helping individuals navigate OCD, anxiety, and related disorders. Based in Houston, TX and licensed in Michigan and Florida, Kelsey uses ERP, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and trauma-informed approaches to help clients build resilience and reclaim their lives from OCD.

What to Ask When Looking for an OCD Therapist

Here are some questions you can ask during an initial consultation to make sure a therapist is a good fit:
- Do you use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) to treat OCD?
- How much experience do you have working with OCD?
- Can you describe how a typical session works?
- What’s your approach to handling intrusive thoughts?
- How do you help clients when therapy feels overwhelming or triggering?

A qualified OCD therapist will be comfortable answering these questions and will have a clear, structured plan for treatment.

When to Consider an OCD Intensive

For some people, weekly therapy isn’t enough. If you’ve been in treatment for a while without progress, or if your symptoms are severely impacting your life, an OCD intensive may be a better fit. OCD intensives involve multiple hours of therapy per day for several days in a row, offering a powerful way to break the cycle quickly and gain momentum.

Intensives are especially helpful for:
- People who want to make fast, significant progress
- Those who already work with a therapist they like, but who doesn’t specialize in OCD
- Clients with limited time for weekly appointments
- Individuals experiencing a flare-up of symptoms or a recent crisis

At our practice, we offer customized OCD intensives designed to meet you where you are and help you move forward with clarity and strength.

Final Thoughts

OCD is challenging—but it’s also treatable. The most important step is finding the right kind of help. Look for a therapist who specializes in ERP, understands the unique nuances of OCD, and can support you in doing the work that leads to real change.

Whether you’re newly diagnosed, returning to treatment, or feeling stuck, there is a path forward. Reach out today to schedule a consultation with Kelsey Fyffe, and take your first step toward lasting recovery.