Obsessive Compulsive
Personality Therapy
Serving San Jose, Sacramento and all of California
Obsessive Compulsive Personality
Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder Therapy for Perfectionism
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder therapy can help you let go of perfectionism, control, and rigidity in daily life. Obsessive-compulsive personality is often confused with OCD because they both have “obsessive compulsive” in their names. Obsessive compulsive personality disorder is not about irrational fears or compulsive rituals like OCD—it’s more about fear of not having control or being good enough. Here are a few traits:
- Finding yourself overly focused on details, order, or schedules
- Holding such high standards that nothing ever feels “good enough”
- Feeling the need to control how tasks are done and struggle to delegate to others
- Sacrificing time with friends or enjoyable activities because of work or responsibilities
If any of these sound familiar, you may be experiencing traits of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
Laura Johnson, LMFT, LPCC, is a certified CBT and Schema therapist with expertise in obsessive compulsive personality disorder therapy. I can provide you with obsessive compulsive personality disorder therapy if you live anywhere in California including San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Could I Have Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder?
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) is often misunderstood. It’s not about irrational fears or compulsive rituals like OCD—it’s more about perfectionism, control, and rigidity in daily life.
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Do you find yourself overly focused on details, order, or schedules?
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Do you hold such high standards that nothing ever feels “good enough”?
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Do you feel the need to control how tasks are done and struggle to delegate to others?
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Do you sacrifice time with friends or enjoyable activities because of work or responsibilities?
If these questions sound familiar, you may be experiencing traits of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder?
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder is marked by a preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control. A person with OCPD may be overly focused on details or schedules, may work excessively without allowing time for leisure or relationships, or may be rigid in their values and expectations.
Unlike Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which involves irrational obsessions and compulsions (like repetitive hand washing or checking), OCPD tends to play out in everyday work, school, and relationships. The challenges come less from fear-driven rituals and more from rigid patterns of perfectionism and control.
Common Symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
If you have Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, you may experience some of the following:
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Preoccupation with details, orderliness, and rules
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Extreme perfectionism, resulting in distress when standards aren’t met
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Strong desire to control people, tasks, and situations; difficulty delegating
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Neglect of friends and enjoyable activities because of work or projects
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Rigid and stubborn behavior
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Inflexibility about morality, ethics, or values
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Tight, miserly control over budgeting and spending money
How Schema Therapy Helps with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Schema Therapy addresses the deeper life patterns that drive perfectionism and control. Instead of just targeting surface behaviors, it helps identify and shift the schemas that fuel OCPD traits.
Some of the most common schemas for people with OCPD include:
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Unrelenting Standards – the belief that you must always achieve or perform at an excessively high level.
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Punitiveness – feeling that mistakes deserve harsh criticism or punishment.
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Emotional Inhibition – difficulty expressing feelings or being vulnerable, often in favor of control and logic.
Schema Therapy for OCPD focuses on:
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Understanding the childhood and life experiences that contributed to these schemas
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Challenging the rigid standards and rules that create pressure and isolation
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Building flexibility and balance between work, relationships, and self-care
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Using cognitive, behavioral, and emotion-focused strategies to shift patterns in daily life
Over time, Schema Therapy helps loosen the grip of perfectionism and control so you can live with greater ease, connection, and balance.
Why Work with Me?
I specialize in helping people with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD) loosen the grip of perfectionism, control, and rigid self-standards that make life feel like a constant uphill battle. Many of my clients want to do things “right” but end up feeling tense, frustrated, and never satisfied—no matter how hard they try. Schema Therapy—my area of advanced certification—helps uncover and shift the deeper patterns that drive these high expectations and relentless pressure.
I’m one of the few therapists in California who is both a Certified Cognitive Behavior Therapist and an Advanced Certified Schema Therapist. I completed an intensive two-year postgraduate training at the Schema Therapy Institutes of New Jersey–New York City and am a long-standing member of the International Society of Schema Therapy. People from across California seek me out for my expertise in Schema Therapy for OCPD and related concerns such as anxiety, depression, and chronic overthinking. Together, we work toward a healthier balance—one where you can care deeply and strive for excellence without feeling trapped by it.
Frequently Asked Questions about Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
How is OCPD different from OCD?
OCPD is about rigid personality traits like perfectionism, control, and inflexibility, while OCD involves distressing obsessions and compulsions.
Is OCPD always a bad thing?
Traits like responsibility, attention to detail, and reliability can be strengths—but when taken to extremes, they cause stress, rigidity, and relationship difficulties.
Can Schema Therapy really help with perfectionism?
Yes. Schema Therapy helps loosen the grip of unrelenting standards and teaches new, healthier ways to approach work, relationships, and self-worth.
Does OCPD go away?
It can improve greatly with therapy. Many people learn to keep the strengths of their personality while softening the rigidity and control that cause problems.
Is video therapy effective for OCPD?
Yes. Video sessions are just as effective and make it easier to stay consistent with therapy, even with a busy schedule. I have been offered schema therapy by video for over a decade.
Take the First Step to Get Help with Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
With Schema Therapy, you can learn to set more realistic expectations, relax perfectionistic standards, and create healthier relationships and balance in your life. I offer secure video therapy across California, including San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. Reach out today to get started.