Not necessarily, and that’s not really the goal here. Anxiety is a normal human experience, and in some ways, it can even be helpful! What we’re working toward is helping it feel more manageable, so it’s not running your life, taking up as much space, or keeping you stuck in ways that don’t feel good.

OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) involves a pattern of intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions). The thoughts can feel distressing, unwanted, or hard to let go of, and the behaviors—like checking, reassurance-seeking, googling, or mentally reviewing things—are usually attempts to reduce anxiety, prevent something bad from happening, or feel more certain. While they may bring temporary relief, they tend to reinforce the cycle over time.

OCD often overlaps with anxiety, and it’s common to experience both. One difference is that OCD tends to involve repetitive loops that feel especially sticky, urgent, or difficult to disengage from—even when part of you recognizes the fear may not fully make sense.

A lot of people do, especially when it comes to intrusive or “out of character” thoughts. It can feel uncomfortable or even scary to say them out loud. This is a space where you can talk about them openly, without being judged, shamed, or needing to filter yourself.

It can feel uncomfortable at first to do things differently, especially if you’re used to avoiding or controlling the anxiety. But we’ll go at a pace that feels manageable. Over time, as you build your ability to handle those feelings, anxiety usually becomes less intense and less controlling—not more.

I have extensive experience with treating anxiety in a range of forms—general overthinking, racing thoughts, difficulty managing stress, social anxiety—as well as more specific patterns like OCD, where thoughts feel intrusive and hard to let go of, and there’s a strong urge to check, reassure, or “figure things out.”

My approach is grounded in evidence-based work, including cognitive and behavioral strategies, and for OCD specifically, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP). That said, I don’t take a rigid or one-size-fits-all approach. We use these tools in a way that actually fits you, your life, and what you’re dealing with day to day.

A big part of my work is helping clients understand the patterns within their anxiety—what’s happening, what’s keeping it going, and where we can intervene in a way that leads to real change, not just temporary relief.

That’s really common. Most people come in feeling unsure or even a little on edge about starting (especially when their mind constantly pushes them to analyze, prepare, or double-check every little thing just to feel okay). The first few sessions are less about diving into everything all at once and more about getting a sense of what’s going on. We’ll talk through what’s been coming up for you, what’s been feeling hard, and start to identify some of the patterns at play. You don’t need to have it all figured out or know exactly where to start—that’s part of what we’ll do together.

ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is a type of therapy used specifically for OCD. It involves gradually facing the thoughts, situations, or triggers that create anxiety (the exposure), while resisting the urge to do the behaviors that usually bring relief—like checking, seeking reassurance, or mentally trying to “figure it out” (the response prevention).

It can help you build tolerance for the anxiety and learn, over time, that you don’t need to rely on those patterns to feel okay. As that happens, the thoughts tend to feel less intense and less controlling.