OCD & Anxiety Therapy
Support for Intrusive Thoughts, Anxiety, and Pure O
OCD and anxiety can both create overwhelming distress, but they are not the same. While these conditions often overlap, they arise from different processes in the brain and body, and they require different forms of support.
Anxiety is often rooted in a sense of future threat: worrying about what might happen, feeling unable to cope, and living in a heightened state of tension.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), on the other hand, centers around persistent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and mental or physical rituals (compulsions) designed to reduce distress or prevent imagined harm.
Many people experience both anxiety and OCD together, and for some, OCD takes the form of Pure Obsessional OCD (Pure O) which is a version of OCD where compulsions happen mostly in the mind rather than through visible behaviors. This can include constant mental checking, rumination, seeking reassurance, or trying to “figure out” distressing thoughts.
If you're struggling with anxiety, OCD, or Pure O, you're not alone and specialized therapy can help.
What Is "Pure O" OCD?
Pure O involves distressing, unwanted thoughts that trigger anxiety, fear, shame, or guilt. Because the compulsions are often mental or subtle, many people go years without realizing that OCD is the underlying issue.
Common themes in Pure O include:
-
Relationship OCD (ROCD): Constant doubts about whether you love your partner “enough” or whether they are “right” for you.
-
Religious OCD (Scrupulosity): Obsessive fears of sinning, offending a higher power, or being morally “bad.”
-
Moral or Ethical OCD: Persistent fears of being unethical, dishonest, or harmful, even when no wrongdoing has occurred.
-
Existential OCD: Obsessive worry about the nature of reality, life, death, or consciousness.
Pure O can be incredibly distressing, leading to hours of mental analysis, rumination, and avoidance; yet it often goes unrecognized because the internal compulsions are invisible to others.
What You’re Experiencing Right Now...
Many clients come to therapy when they’re exhausted by the mental battles they face each day. If any of these feel familiar, you’re not alone:
-
The same thought loops over and over, no matter how much you try to solve or silence them.
-
You feel stuck in patterns of rumination, avoidance, or doubt that you can't seem to break.
-
You're constantly seeking certainty (about your thoughts, your feelings, or your actions), but the answers never seem satisfying for long.
-
You long for peace of mind but feel trapped in anxiety, fear, or emotional distress.
An Integrated, Whole-Person Approach to Healing OCD and Anxiety
Effective therapy for OCD (especially Pure O) requires a comprehensive and flexible approach. I offer an integration of:
Schema Therapy
Schema Therapy helps you recognize and challenge thinking patterns, worldviews, and core beliefs that fuel anxiety and OCD. It teaches practical strategies to relate to your thoughts differently, reducing the power they hold over your emotions and actions.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
ERP is the gold standard treatment for OCD. It involves gently and systematically facing the triggers that create anxiety, while learning to resist the urge to engage in compulsions (including mental rituals). This helps retrain the brain to tolerate uncertainty without spiraling into distress.
Psychoeducation
Understanding how OCD and anxiety work is crucial. Many people find immense relief just from learning that their intrusive thoughts are common, meaningless brain events—not reflections of who they are. Knowledge helps externalize the disorder and reduce shame.
Depth Therapy
Beneath the surface of OCD and anxiety, there are often emotional wounds, unconscious beliefs, and identity struggles that need compassionate exploration. Depth therapy allows us to explore how your life story, attachment patterns, or past experiences have shaped the way your mind seeks control, safety, or perfection.
Brainspotting (Optional)
For clients who feel stuck in cognitive loops or emotional overwhelm, Brainspotting offers a body-based, non-verbal approach to process distress. It can be especially helpful in calming the nervous system and accessing deeper healing when words alone don’t feel like enough.
The Enneagram (Optional)
The Enneagram offers insight into your core motivations, fears, and patterns. Some clients with OCD find that exploring their Enneagram type brings a richer understanding of why certain intrusive thoughts feel so threatening, and offers new pathways for growth and self-compassion.
This integrative model ensures that we can tailor therapy to meet your unique needs and values—not just applying a one-size-fits-all method but creating space for both practical change and deep self-understanding.
Why OCD and Anxiety Often Coexist (But Are Distinct)
Although OCD and anxiety frequently overlap, OCD is no longer classified as an anxiety disorder. This distinction matters because it helps clarify why standard anxiety treatments (like general talk therapy or relaxation techniques) often fall short for OCD.
-
Anxiety tends to be about perceived danger, uncertainty, or future events.
-
OCD is driven by intrusive thoughts, urges, or images that feel profoundly distressing—and the mental or behavioral compulsions that attempt to neutralize them.
Many clients benefit from learning this difference. It reduces the self-blame that often accompanies OCD and allows for more targeted treatment.
The Goal: Freedom from Fear and Reconnection with Self
Therapy for OCD and anxiety isn’t about getting rid of thoughts, because intrusive thoughts are part of the human experience. Instead, it’s about changing your relationship to those thoughts:
-
Loosening the grip of fear, guilt, or self-doubt
-
Reconnecting with your own values, identity, and authentic self
-
Building resilience in the face of uncertainty
-
Cultivating greater calm, confidence, and self-trust
Whether you’re struggling with Pure O, general OCD, chronic anxiety, or some combination of these, therapy can help you move from mental exhaustion to greater peace and freedom.
Therapy for OCD and Anxiety Across Ontario
I offer virtual therapy to individuals across Ontario, including Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Toronto, Ottawa, and beyond. Sessions are tailored to your pace, your goals, and your readiness to heal.
You don’t have to keep living in the loops. Reach out today to begin therapy for OCD, Pure O, or anxiety.