OCD Therapy
Serving San Jose, Sacramento & all of California
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
OCD Therapy to Break Free from Obsessive Thoughts and Behaviors
OCD Therapy is an effective, evidence-based therapy that can help you with obsessions and compulsions. CBT is the gold standard for OCD therapy and includes Exposure and Response Prevention which teaches you to face your fears gradually. Here are a few things that might indicate you have OCD:
- Unwanted, intrusive thoughts that feel hard to control.
- Performing certain rituals (like checking, cleaning, repeating actions or mental rituals) to relieve anxiety or prevent something bad from happening.
- Thoughts or behaviors that take up a lot of time each day or interfere with work, school, or relationships.
- Recognizing that your fears or rituals may not make sense, yet still feel unable to stop them.
If any of these sound familiar, you may be experiencing OCD. The good news is that with the OCD therapy, you can learn how to manage obsessions and compulsions.
Laura Johnson, LMFT, LPCC, is a certified CBT therapist with expertise in OCD therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention. I can provide you with OCD therapy if you live anywhere in California including San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Could I Have OCD?
If you’re wondering whether you might have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), here are a few questions to ask yourself:
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Do I have unwanted, intrusive thoughts that feel hard to control?
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Do I perform certain rituals (like checking, cleaning, or repeating actions) to relieve anxiety or prevent something bad from happening?
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Do these thoughts or behaviors take up a lot of time each day or interfere with my work, school, or relationships?
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Do I recognize that my fears or rituals may not make sense, yet still feel unable to stop them?
If you answered “yes” to several of these, you may be experiencing OCD. The good news: effective, evidence-based treatments are available.
What is OCD?
OCD involves unwanted, repetitive thoughts (obsessions) that create distress or anxiety, leading to compulsive behaviors (rituals) meant to relieve it or prevent something bad from happening. While these rituals may offer brief relief, they actually strengthen OCD’s cycle over time.
To others, OCD behaviors might seem irrational—but for the person experiencing them, they feel like urgent attempts to stay safe or in control. Common examples include checking locks or appliances, excessive cleaning, counting, or mental reviewing.
OCD is a neurological condition, not a character flaw. Although there’s no permanent cure, highly effective treatments—like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Schema Therapy for deeper, long-standing patterns—can help you reduce symptoms, loosen OCD’s grip, and take back your life.
Types of OCD
There are countless forms of OCD. This condition often creates fear and uncertainty about the people and things that matter most to us. Here are some of the most common subtypes:
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Contamination OCD: Fear of germs, illness, or contamination that leads to excessive cleaning, washing, or avoiding certain places.
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Just Right OCD: Needing symmetry or exact arrangements to relieve tension or a sense of incompleteness.
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Pure O: Mental compulsions like repetitive counting, praying, or reviewing to ease intrusive thoughts.
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Safety Checking OCD: Repeatedly checking stoves, locks, or appliances to feel safe.
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Relationship OCD: Intrusive doubts about your relationship, such as fears about faithfulness or not truly loving your partner.
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Illness Anxiety OCD: Unrealistic fears of contracting serious illnesses, with rituals that don’t actually prevent harm. (Formerly hypochondria.)
Other Forms of OCD
OCD can take many shapes beyond these subtypes. Some additional examples include:
- Sexual Orientation OCD: Obsessive doubts about your sexual orientation, even when it conflicts with your lived reality.
- Scrupulosity OCD: Anxiety about religious or moral issues, such as fear of offending a higher power or violating your values.
- Postpartum OCD: Distressing intrusive thoughts about harming a baby, paired with checking or reassurance-seeking.
- Harm OCD: Fear of harming loved ones, strangers, or yourself despite having no desire to do so.
- Sexually Intrusive Thoughts OCD: Unwanted sexual thoughts that feel disturbing or immoral.
- Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors: Related OCD-spectrum disorders such as trichotillomania (hair pulling) and dermatillomania (skin picking).
How Therapy Helps with OCD
CBT with a focus on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the first-line treatment for OCD and highly effective for most people. When symptoms persist, Schema Therapy can be added to address deeper patterns and support lasting change.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for OCD
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is the gold-standard treatment for OCD. It focuses on breaking the cycle of obsessions and compulsions through Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and other coping strategies.
In ERP, you gradually face situations that trigger your anxiety while resisting the urge to perform rituals. Over time, this retrains your brain to tolerate uncertainty and reduces the intensity of OCD thoughts and urges.
CBT for OCD helps you:
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Face feared situations without performing rituals
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Learn to tolerate the discomfort of uncertainty
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Challenge obsessive thoughts and distorted beliefs
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Reduce avoidance behaviors that keep OCD strong
Schema Therapy for OCD
While CBT with ERP is highly effective for most people, some continue to struggle with relapse or deeply rooted fears that don’t fully resolve. Schema Therapy helps uncover and heal the emotional themes that drive OCD beneath the surface.
People with OCD often have lifelong patterns like perfectionism (“I can’t make mistakes”), excessive responsibility (“It’s my job to prevent harm”), or fear of losing control. These “life traps,” or schemas, can make it harder to let go of obsessions and compulsions.
Schema Therapy for OCD helps you:
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Identify the core life traps that keep OCD stuck in a loop
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Understand where these patterns began and how they’re triggered
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Develop healthier emotional responses to intrusive thoughts
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Use experiential tools (imagery, dialogue, role-play) to shift these patterns for good
Why Work with Me?
I’m an expert in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), using practical, compassionate methods that create real and lasting change. I’ve completed advanced OCD training through the University of Pennsylvania and the International OCD Foundation, and I’m one of the few therapists in California certified in both Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Schema Therapy. This rare combination means you’ll receive evidence-based care tailored to your specific challenges—using CBT and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) as the gold-standard treatment, with Schema Therapy added when OCD is especially resistant or deeply rooted.
Frequently Asked Questions about OCD
Is OCD just about being neat and organized?
No. While some people with OCD focus on cleanliness or order, OCD is really about intrusive, unwanted thoughts and the compulsions people do to feel less anxious. Compulsions can involve checking, seeking reassurance, repeating actions, or mental rituals—not just cleaning.
Can’t I just stop doing my compulsions if I try harder?
It’s not that simple. Compulsions aren’t about willpower—they’re driven by intense anxiety and the false belief that the ritual will prevent harm or relieve distress. That’s why structured therapies like CBT with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) are so important.
What causes OCD?
OCD is thought to be caused by a mix of genetics, brain chemistry, and life experiences. It’s not your fault and it’s not a personality flaw. What matters most is that effective treatments exist to help you manage it.
Can OCD go away on its own?
OCD typically does not disappear without treatment. Left untreated, it often gets stronger over time. The good news is that with the right therapy, symptoms can improve dramatically and you can learn how to keep OCD from running your life.
What treatments work best for OCD?
The frontline treatment is CBT with ERP, which helps you face your fears without rituals. About 70% of people improve significantly with ERP. For those who need deeper work—especially if OCD is tied to perfectionism, guilt, or responsibility—Schema Therapy can help by addressing the underlying emotional patterns that make OCD so sticky.
Take the First Step to Get Help with OCD
I specialize in CBT and Schema Therapy for OCD and offer therapy throughout California—including San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and beyond. With secure video sessions, you can access evidence-based treatment that’s often hard to find locally. Reach out today to schedule an appointment and start breaking free from the grip of OCD.