If you’re suffering from OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) I’m sure you already know how exhausting and debilitating it can be. The constant cycle of intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and compulsions can take up huge amounts of mental and emotional energy, and time.

Whatever the type or variation of OCD you experience, and whether it involves visible rituals or internal mental compulsions only (often referred to as pure O), it can be just as distressing.

If you are looking for online therapy for OCD, you may be wondering whether working remotely, with an online OCD therapist can really help with something that feels so intense and consuming.

Also, if you’ve tried Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and are still suffering, and have found ERP too harsh or distressing, you may be wondering if there are gentler and more effective ways for to overcome OCD.

Whether you’re experiencing mild, moderate, or severe OCD symptoms, I hope this blog helps you understand how online OCD therapy works and why a more holistic, gentle approach can be more effective and long lasting.

Is Online Therapy for OCD Effective?

For many people, online therapy for OCD can be just as effective as face-to-face therapy.

Research consistently shows that online OCD therapy is just as effective as having therapy in person. The therapeutic techniques used are the same whether a therapist is sitting across from you or connecting via video.

Some people even prefer having therapy online because it makes it more accessible, flexible and convenient.

Online sessions allow you to speak with a therapist from the comfort of your own home, which for some people can often make it easier to relax and talk openly.

Some people with OCD also find that travelling to appointments or leaving home can feel stressful, particularly if their compulsions involve checking routines before leaving the house or they have OCD triggers during travel. Online OCD therapy removes many of these barriers and makes accessing help for OCD easier.

The approaches I use, Clinical Hypnotherapy, NLP, and EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), work just as effectively through online therapy sessions as they do in person. These techniques help address all aspects of OCD, including the anxiety that drives it, whether we are online or in the same room.

Specialist Online Therapy for OCD

When looking for help for OCD you may be wondering what the best approach for you is. One advantage of online therapy for OCD is that you have a much wider choice of therapists, and you can find an OCD specialist who uses an approach that works for you.

Most specialist OCD therapists use CBT and ERP, which is often referred to as the ‘gold standard’. However, in my experience, and my clients have consistently found the therapy techniques that I use to be far more effective, much less distressing to work with, and helps them to have positive results in far fewer sessions.

I specialise in helping people to overcome OCD and anxiety, both as an online OCD therapist and though face to face sessions, using a combination of highly effective therapy techniques,

I also specialise in other anxiety disorders, depression and trauma, which can often be interconnected with OCD.

A Holistic Approach to Online OCD Therapy (or in Person)

A holistic approach recognises that OCD is not just about thoughts. It does involve thought processes, and it also the nervous system, emotional responses, learned behavioural patterns, and a lot of anxiety.

Rather than focusing only on managing thoughts or pushing yourself through distress, a holistic approach works with the underlying patterns in your mind, thoughts, emotions, and nervous system that keep the cycle going.

This includes:

• Calming your mind and nervous system
• Reducing your emotional intensity to intrusive thoughts and how you respond to them
• Helping you change how your mind responds to uncertainty
• Breaking habitual patterns while using calming techniques
• Resolving any past experiences or trauma that may have originally triggered your OCD and/or compounds your tendency towards it

I use a highly effective combination of Hypnotherapy, NLP, Time Line Therapy™, and EFT, tailored to you, as well as other calming techniques.

For a deeper dive into holistic approaches for OCD and how these specific techniques work, you might find my blog helpful on: How to Overcome OCD: The Most Effective Holistic Approaches.

Online Therapy for OCD, Anxiety and other Anxiety Disorders, and Depression

OCD is fundamentally an anxiety disorder. When you are anxious, you’ll usually be much more prone to obsessions and compulsions, and the obsessions and compulsions create more anxiety, While the compulsions are attempts to reduce that anxiety, they end up making the cycle stronger.

This is why many people with OCD also often experience other forms of anxiety, especially Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and sometimes Panic Attacks. Also, when someone is highly anxious that can lead them to develop OCD if they have any tendency towards it.

The holistic approaches that I use in my therapy sessions are highly effective for all types of anxiety and anxiety disorders.

When working with OCD, I would usually start by helping you to reduce your anxiety and not just work on your OCD symptoms in isolation. This foundational work makes everything else easier and more effective, and it works just as well whether it’s in person or through online therapy for OCD.

If you’re struggling with OCD alongside other anxiety issues, you might find it helpful to read my blog on Online Therapy for Anxiety: Empowering, Rapid, lasting Relief, which explores online therapy for anxiety more broadly.

Many people with OCD also suffer from depression, and so my blog on Online Therapy for Depression: A Rapid, Effective, Holistic Approach, might also be relevant for you.

The Benefits of Online Therapy for OCD

There are a number of practical benefits to having OCD therapy online just as with therapy for other issues I help clients with. These include flexibility, accessibility, cutting out travel time and cost, and having the comfort of being in your own familiar environment.

Other benefits particularly for online therapy for OCD are:

• Bypassing “Leaving the House” Rituals: If your OCD involves stressful checking routines before you can leave your home, online sessions remove that hurdle entirely. You don’t have to worry about OCD routines making you late or feeling drained before the session even begins.

• Avoiding Travel-Related Triggers: If your OCD is linked to things you encounter while travelling, such as contamination, or fears of harm, you can engage in therapy without the added stress of dealing those triggers before you have the inner resources to handle them.

• Working Directly with Your Environment: Having sessions in your own home can allow us, where appropriate, to work with certain triggers within your environment. This is done in a gentle and empowering way (not in the same way as ERP). While imagining situations can be effective, as we often do in face-to-face sessions, being in the actual environment can often lead to faster results.

• Accessing the Right Specialist: As with any issue that you might want help with, you have a much wider choice of therapists with online therapy. It makes it easier to find an OCD therapist who specialises in the approach that feels right for you, wherever you are.

Although there are the above benefits to online therapy for OCD, some people do prefer face to face sessions, and that’s perfectly fine.

What to Expect from Online OCD Therapy Sessions

Online therapy sessions over video, such as on Zoom work very much like in person therapy sessions. The same therapy techniques can be used for online therapy for OCD as when you are face to face with an OCD therapist.

When having sessions with an OCD therapist online, how the sessions work depends very much on that therapist’s approach.

In my approach, I always begin by aiming to get a good understanding what you’ve been experiencing and what you would like to change. I get as much background information as I can so I can really tailor each session to you.

In my sessions, clients usually notice improvements from the first therapy session. The approaches I use typically help people overcome OCD in far fewer sessions than traditional OCD therapy approaches like CBT or ERP.

An OCD therapist would usually give you homework to do between sessions. In my case, I give you techniques that allow you to continue to reduce your anxiety and to reduce your obsessions and compulsions between sessions that are much easier and more pleasant than with ERP, yet highly effective for lasting change.

How to Get the Most of Your Online OCD Therapy Sessions

To get the best results from online therapy for OCD, here are some practical suggestions:

Create a private, comfortable space – Choose somewhere you feel safe, comfortable. won’t be disturbed and where you will feel free to talk openly.

Make sure you have a stable internet connection – A reliable connection helps the session flow smoothly without interruptions.

Use a laptop or tablet on a stable surface – This works better than holding a phone and allows your hands to be free.

Consider if headphones would help – Some people find headphones help them focus and feel more private, especially if others are in the house.

Limit distractions: Silence notifications and put your phone on Do Not Disturb

Have what you might need nearby – Water, tissues, perhaps something comforting like a blanket. If you’re working on specific OCD triggers, you might want those items accessible too.

Schedule buffer time – Don’t book sessions back-to-back with other commitments. Give yourself time to settle before you start and to process afterwards.

A Personal Perspective with OCD and Anxiety

Having experienced severe OCD and anxiety myself in the past, I understand how convincing, distressing and overwhelming these patterns, obessions and compulsions can feel.

I overcame my OCD using natural techniques long before I became a therapist, which is why I’m so passionate about this work. I know what’s possible when you find the right approach, and I’ve seen countless clients achieve freedom from OCD that once controlled their lives.

What I’ve also learned from working with many clients online is that the format genuinely doesn’t diminish the therapeutic connection or effectiveness.

Moving Forward to Overcome OCD

If you are experiencing OCD, it can sometimes feel like you are stuck in a cycle that you just can’t get out of.

But with the right kind of help for OCD, it’s completley possible to begin to break that cycle and start to live a normal life. I’ve done it myself, and I’ve helped many clients do so too.

Real positive change doesn’t usually happen by forcing yourself to “fight” your thoughts, but by learning how to respond to them differently, both mentally and emotionally. That doesn’t come easy, but certain techniques can make it so much easier and more pleasant than just forcing yourself to resist compulsions.

Over time, this can create space for a greater sense of calm, control, and freedom.

OCD therapy Online or In-Person

Many clients find online therapy for OCD to be a convenient and effective option. You can find out more about online therapy in general on my online therapy sessions page.

However, if you prefer face-to-face sessions, I also offer in-person therapy for OCD and for any other issue, in Luton, Bedfordshire and Harpenden, Hertfordshire.

Both face to face therapy and online sessions use the same therapeutic approaches and are equally effective. The choice simply depends on your preference, your circumstances, and what feels most comfortable for you.

Free 20-Minute Telephone Consultation

If you have questions about online therapy for OCD or would like to explore how I may be able to help, I offer a free 20-minute telephone consultation.

During this call we can talk about what you are experiencing, what you would like to change, and whether this approach feels like the right fit for you.

Please feel free to get in touch if you would like to arrange a time to chat.

 

Disclaimer: This website does not provide medical advice. This blog post is intended for informational purposes only. Consult your GP or otherwise medically qualified health professional regarding any medical issues you have, changes to your treatment or medication.