Understanding OCD: Untangling the Noise
Living with OCD can feel like your brain is stuck in a loop of intrusive thoughts, “what if” fears, and mental or physical rituals that never fully bring relief.
I provide online OCD therapy for adults using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard treatment for OCD. I work with adults across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Nebraska who are struggling with intrusive thoughts, rumination, checking, reassurance seeking, and anxiety driven by uncertainty.
OCD is predictably unpredictable. Just when you think you have a moment of mental quiet, it shows up with new material, like it’s trying out for a show no one greenlit.
Here is the part I want you to hear.
You are not the problem. OCD is.
What OCD Really Feels Like Day to Day
OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, is a mental health condition where your brain gets stuck in a loop of intrusive thoughts and the things you do to try to feel better. The loop feels urgent and exhausting, even though OCD is incredibly common and very treatable.
Obsessions and Compulsions Explained
Obsessions are unwanted intrusive thoughts, images, bodily sensations, or urges that feel scary, uncomfortable, or completely out of character for you.
Compulsions are the mental or physical behaviors you do to try to get relief, reduce anxiety, or feel sure. This can look like checking, reassurance seeking, googling symptoms, avoiding things “just in case,” redoing tasks until they feel right, or trying to mentally argue with the thoughts.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Many adults I work with across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Nebraska describe feeling stuck in their heads and unsure of themselves. That’s not a personal failure. It’s exactly how OCD operates.
The fact that you’re noticing this already means there’s space for change.
OCD Is Not About Being Neat or Type A
Let’s clear this up.
OCD is not a preference for clean spaces or neatly color-coded planners. It’s not perfectionism or simply liking things a certain way.
OCD is a real condition that can affect sleep, energy, relationships, health anxiety, work, and your ability to feel present in your own life.
If you’ve ever wondered:
Why won’t my brain let this go?
Why do I feel scared of my own thoughts?
Why does a normal moment suddenly feel like an emergency?
You’re in the right place.
Why OCD Feels So Sticky
OCD is like a very persistent salesperson who refuses to leave your porch. It tries to convince you that every intrusive thought must be solved, every feeling of uncertainty must be eliminated, and every “what if” deserves immediate attention.
Here’s the twist: the more you try to reason with the thoughts or push them away, the louder they tend to get. OCD doesn’t respect boundaries, and it thrives on debate.
The Good News
OCD is highly treatable, and you don’t have to navigate it alone.
I provide specialized OCD treatment for adults using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), supported by research and clinical evidence. I also integrate tools from CBT, ACT, and Compassion-Focused Therapy to help you feel more grounded, confident, and capable.
OCD becomes more predictable once you understand how it works. You don’t have to eliminate thoughts to feel better. You can learn a new way of responding to them that reduces their power and gives you your life back.
If you’re in Wisconsin, Illinois, or Nebraska and looking for online OCD therapy or support for intrusive thoughts, I can help.
How Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Helps
Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps you change how you respond to intrusive thoughts and anxiety.
Instead of trying to get rid of thoughts, prove them wrong, or feel completely certain, ERP helps you learn how to live alongside uncertainty without letting OCD run the show.
OCD thrives on the belief that intrusive thoughts are dangerous and must be neutralized immediately. ERP gently challenges this by helping you face feared thoughts, images, or situations in a gradual and supportive way, while intentionally reducing the compulsions that keep the OCD cycle going.
In ERP, we work together in practical, real-life ways. This often includes:
Identifying the obsessions and compulsions that keep you stuck
Facing triggers in a step-by-step, manageable way
Practicing sitting with discomfort without fixing, avoiding, or reassuring
Building confidence in your ability to tolerate uncertainty
Reducing compulsions like checking, reassurance seeking, mental reviewing, or avoidance
ERP is not about flooding you with fear or forcing you to do anything before you’re ready. It’s collaborative, paced, and tailored to your values and goals. We focus on progress, not perfection.
Over time, your brain learns that intrusive thoughts don’t require action and that anxiety naturally rises and falls on its own. As compulsions decrease, thoughts often feel less loud, less urgent, and less controlling. Life starts to feel more flexible again.
If you’ve spent years arguing with your thoughts or avoiding situations “just in case,” ERP offers a different path. You don’t have to win debates with OCD. You can stop playing the game altogether.
What Gradual Exposure Can Look Like
ERP works best when exposures are gradual, intentional, and tailored to you. We don’t jump into the most difficult situations first. Instead, we build confidence step by step, starting where things feel challenging but manageable.
While everyone’s treatment looks different, a gradual exposure process might include steps such as:
Looking at written words or phrases that trigger anxiety
Viewing pictures related to a fear
Watching short video clips
Writing or reading triggering thoughts without neutralizing them
Sitting with uncertainty after a thought shows up
Engaging with a feared object, situation, or idea in a controlled way
Practicing everyday activities without checking, reassurance seeking, or mental reviewing
Each step is chosen collaboratively and adjusted as needed. Some people move through steps quickly, while others take more time. Both are okay. Progress in ERP is not about doing the hardest thing as fast as possible — it’s about building trust in your ability to handle discomfort without compulsions.
Importantly, exposures are never about proving a fear “wrong.” They’re about learning that anxiety can rise and fall on its own, and that you don’t need to act on every thought to be safe.
Knowing what ERP looks like can help reduce some of the fear around starting therapy. It can also help to clear up what ERP is not.
What ERP Is Not
ERP is often misunderstood, and many people hesitate to start therapy because of scary or inaccurate descriptions they’ve heard.
ERP is not about forcing you to face your worst fears all at once. You’re never pushed into anything you’re not ready for, and nothing is done without your consent.
ERP is not about convincing you that your fears are irrational or telling you to “just stop thinking that way.” Intrusive thoughts aren’t a logic problem, and ERP doesn’t rely on arguing with your mind.
ERP is not exposure for the sake of suffering. The goal isn’t to overwhelm you or make you miserable. Exposures are planned carefully and designed to help your brain learn that it can tolerate discomfort without compulsions.
ERP is not about eliminating intrusive thoughts completely. Everyone has unwanted thoughts. ERP reduces the power those thoughts have over you.
ERP is not one-size-fits-all. Your therapy is personalized to your OCD themes, values, and goals, including mental compulsions, reassurance seeking, and subtle avoidance.
ERP is not done to you. It’s done with you, at a pace that feels challenging but manageable.
What to Expect in OCD Therapy
OCD therapy isn’t about fixing you or getting rid of your thoughts. It’s about understanding how OCD works and learning practical skills so it no longer controls your life.
We’ll start by getting to know you, not just your symptoms. We’ll talk about how OCD shows up day to day, what triggers it, and how it’s been trying to protect you, even when those strategies aren’t helping anymore.
From there, we’ll create a personalized treatment plan using ERP, along with tools from CBT, ACT, and Compassion-Focused Therapy. Therapy is structured but flexible, and you’re never forced into anything before you’re ready.
In sessions, you can expect:
A non-judgmental space where intrusive thoughts are treated as symptoms, not reflections of who you are
Clear education so OCD starts to make sense
Gradual ERP exercises that feel intentional and supported
Help reducing mental rituals like reassurance seeking or reviewing
Skills to build tolerance for uncertainty in a sustainable way
Ongoing check-ins to adjust pace and approach
Between sessions, you may practice small, intentional exercises in real life. Progress isn’t about getting it “right.” It’s about noticing, learning, and continuing.
Over time, many people find that thoughts feel less urgent, anxiety takes up less space, and decisions become easier. Therapy isn’t about eliminating uncertainty. It’s about learning that you can live well even when uncertainty exists.
OCD rarely exists in isolation. Many people with OCD also experience panic attacks, social anxiety, or specific fears that feel hard to explain. These experiences often overlap, and treatment can address more than one concern at the same time.
You Deserve Relief
If OCD has been running the show, I’m here to help you step back into the main role.
Together, we’ll build skills to understand what OCD is doing, reduce compulsions in a supportive way, grow your tolerance for uncertainty, and reconnect with what matters most to you.
You don’t have to keep wrestling with your brain at 2 a.m.
You don’t have to stay stuck in the “what if” spiral.
You deserve support that actually works.
If you are ready to get started with OCD therapy or want to see what it might feel like to work together, you can schedule a free 15 minute consultation. I would love to meet you.