Safety Checking OCD Therapy
Serving San Jose, Sacramento & all of California
Safety Checking OCD
Safety Checking OCD for Fear of Something Bad Happening
Safety Checking OCD therapy can help you overcome the constant need to do something to find out if something bad has happened or to prevent something bad from happening. For some people, Safety Checking OCD shows up as a need to constantly make sure everything is safe—doors locked, appliances off, hazards removed. The fear of overlooking something “just once” can feel overwhelming. Here are a few ways safety checking OCD can show up:
- Double- or triple-checking locks, stoves, or appliances.
- Worry that a mistake could cause a fire, break-in, or catastrophe.
- Repeating actions like turning knobs or flipping switches until it feels “right.”
- Asking others for reassurance to confirm everything is safe.
If these any of these sound familiar, you may be struggling with Safety Checking OCD. Therapy for Safety Checking OCD can help you with catastrophic thinking so you can trust yourself and stop constantly checking if things are okay.
Laura Johnson, LMFT, LPCC, is a certified CBT therapist with expertise in Safety Checking OCD therapy. I can provide you with Safety Checking OCD therapy if you live anywhere in California including San Jose, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego.
Could I Have Safety Checking OCD?
For some people, OCD shows up as a need to constantly make sure everything is safe—doors locked, appliances off, hazards removed. The fear of overlooking something “just once” can feel overwhelming.
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Do you worry that a single mistake could cause a fire, break-in, or catastrophe?
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Do you find yourself double- or triple-checking locks, stoves, or appliances?
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Do you repeat actions like turning knobs or flipping switches until it feels “right”?
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Do you ask others for reassurance to confirm everything is safe?
If these questions sound familiar, you may be struggling with Safety Checking OCD.
What is Safety Checking OCD?
Safety Checking OCD involves obsessive fears about danger paired with rituals to make sure everything is safe. You might worry that leaving a door unlocked will cause a burglary, or that forgetting to turn off the stove could burn down your home. Even when you know things are safe, the “what if” thoughts won’t let go.
This cycle is fueled by anxiety: intrusive thought → fear of danger → checking ritual → short-term relief → stronger doubts the next time. Over time, checking becomes more frequent and harder to resist.
Common Symptoms of Safety Checking OCD
Everyone double-checks sometimes. With Safety Checking OCD, the urge to check becomes constant and overwhelming.
Obsessions
(Intrusive Thoughts):
Compulsions
(Mental Rituals):
How Therapy Helps with Safety Checking OCD
Therapy breaks the cycle of intrusive thoughts and compulsive checking. Instead of relying on reassurance or rituals, you’ll learn how to tolerate uncertainty and resist the urge to keep checking.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Safety Checking OCD
CBT, especially Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), is the gold standard treatment. ERP helps you face safety fears without giving in to compulsions. Over time, your brain learns that danger doesn’t actually occur when you stop the rituals.
CBT treatment includes:
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ERP: Practicing leaving doors, stoves, or appliances unchecked without rechecking.
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Cognitive Restructuring: Challenging catastrophic “what if” thinking.
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Mindfulness: Learning to sit with uncertainty instead of fighting it.
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Exposure Hierarchy: Gradually working up from small fears to the hardest ones.
Schema Therapy for Safety Checking OCD
When CBT alone is not working, then schema therapy can be added. Schema Therapy goes deeper, addressing the core beliefs that make safety fears so intense. Common schemas in Safety Checking OCD include:
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Vulnerability to Harm: “If I’m not hyper-vigilant, disaster will happen.”
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Over-Responsibility: “It’s my job to prevent every possible danger.”
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Punitiveness: “If I make a mistake, I deserve punishment.”
By addressing these deeper patterns, Schema Therapy reduces shame and responsibility fears that keep the safety checking OCD cycle alive—helping you build more lasting change.
Schema Therapy for Pure “O” OCD
When CBT alone is not giving you enough relief, schema therapy can be added. Schema Therapy goes deeper, targeting the root beliefs that make intrusive thoughts feel so powerful. For Pure “O” OCD, common schemas include:
• Defectiveness/Shame: “I’m a bad person because I have these thoughts.”
• Unrelenting Standards: “I must control every thought perfectly.”
• Punitiveness: “Having bad thoughts means I deserve punishment.”
By addressing these schemas, Schema Therapy builds self-acceptance and reduces the shame that fuels the OCD cycle—helping you create lasting change, not just symptom relief.
Why Work with Me?
I’m an expert in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), including the Safety Checking subtype that causes people to repeatedly verify locks, appliances, or other details to prevent imagined disasters. I’ve worked with many clients who felt trapped by the need to double-check until things “felt right” or safe again—and helped them break that exhausting cycle through proven, evidence-based methods. I’ve completed advanced OCD training through the University of Pennsylvania and the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), where I’ve been a long-time member devoted to improving the quality of OCD treatment nationwide.
I’m also one of the few therapists in California certified in both Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Schema Therapy—a rare combination that allows me to address both the immediate checking behaviors and the deeper fears driving them. Using CBT and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold-standard treatment for OCD, I help clients gradually reduce checking rituals, build trust in themselves, and reclaim peace of mind—even after years of feeling stuck.
Frequently Asked Questions about Safety Checking OCD
Isn’t double-checking locks and stoves just being cautious?
Being cautious is normal, but with Safety OCD the checking becomes excessive, time-consuming, and driven by anxiety rather than actual risk. It stops being protective and starts taking over your life.
What if I stop checking and something terrible really happens?
That’s the trap Safety OCD sets—you feel like checking is the only thing keeping disaster away. ERP helps you learn that skipping a ritual doesn’t cause harm and that you can tolerate the uncertainty.
Why do I feel so responsible for keeping everyone safe?
Safety OCD often creates an exaggerated sense of responsibility, convincing you that one small mistake will put loved ones in danger. Therapy helps you rebalance this responsibility so it no longer feels crushing.
How does ERP work for Safety OCD?
In ERP, you’ll gradually practice leaving doors, stoves, or appliances unchecked and resist going back “just one more time.” Over time, your brain learns that danger doesn’t occur when you stop checking.
Take the First Step to Get Help with Safety OCD
You don’t have to keep living under the weight of “what if” fears and endless checking. With the right treatment, you can break free from OCD and trust yourself again. I offer secure video therapy throughout California—including San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. Contact me today to start your path toward freedom from Safety OCD.