Entertainment media trivialises OCD, so let’s get on the same page. Obsessions are the thoughts, feelings, urges, or images that keep coming back, even when you try to deal with them. They’re unwanted and uninvited. Compulsions are the things you do (or think) to try to suppress or neutralise the awful obsessions.

The good news is that there’s hope to reclaim your life from these painful patterns.

There’s no shame here.

Shame can be so powerful and limiting, so it’s important we also tackle this head-on. Your obsessions and compulsions are only a reflection of your brain’s creativity (not your character) and the things you care about. If it affects your life, no recurring thought, image or action is too unique, too bizarre, or too taboo for treatment.

We can tackle OCD, regardless of whether your obsessional themes include checking, contamination, mental contamination, order or symmetry, not-just-right experiences, perfectionism, morality or scrupulosity, existential concerns, fears of going crazy or losing control, postpartum concerns, relationship obsessions, sexual orientation obsessions, harm towards others, or unwanted taboo thoughts.

We will take an authentic, non-judgemental and compassionate approach so that you can find your courage and flexibility to change.

There are treatment options available.

If you’ve done some research into OCD, you’ll want to know this: Yes, I do Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

There’s an alphabet soup of therapeutic approaches out there. For treating OCD, the research supports Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Inference-Based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (I-CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). What’s most important is that we find out what resonates with you. Often, this involves a combination of evidence-based therapies tailored to your experience of OCD.

I have a special interest in treating OCD.

I’m a co-founder of the OCD Clinician Network in Australia and a member of the International OCD Foundation. I’ve received training, peer-consultation and supervision in treating OCD using a variety of evidence-based approaches. My PhD research explored how we can improve treatment for OCD.