At Talking Therapies UK, we offer online OCD therapy using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — a highly effective, evidence-based approach for managing obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviours.
Our goal is to help you regain control, reduce anxiety, and build long-term coping strategies that improve your overall wellbeing. Our experienced therapists provide compassionate, structured, and personalised care designed to meet your unique needs.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety-related condition characterised by intrusive, repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and compulsive behaviours or mental rituals (compulsions). These patterns can cause significant distress and interfere with daily life, work, and relationships.
Obsessions are recurrent, intrusive thoughts, urges, or images that trigger intense anxiety or discomfort.
Common examples include:
These thoughts often feel uncontrollable, leading to distress and a strong urge to neutralise them through compulsive behaviour.
Compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental actions performed to relieve anxiety or prevent a feared event.
Typical compulsions include:
While compulsions may provide momentary relief, they reinforce the cycle of anxiety and make the symptoms stronger over time.
OCD can create a powerful cycle where obsessions trigger anxiety and compulsions temporarily reduce it — only for the anxiety to return stronger. Over time, this cycle can dominate daily life, making it difficult to focus, relax, or feel in control.
People with OCD often describe feeling trapped by their thoughts or routines, even when they recognise that the fears are excessive or irrational. Without professional support, OCD can affect relationships, career stability, and emotional wellbeing.
OCD can feel like a monster that grows stronger each time it’s fed.
When you respond to intrusive thoughts with compulsions, it may seem like you’re reducing anxiety — but in reality, you’re teaching the mind that the obsession is dangerous.
No amount of compulsive behaviour truly satisfies the “monster.”
Through online OCD therapy, you’ll learn to recognise that a thought is just a thought — it doesn’t define you or control what happens.
By learning to tolerate uncomfortable feelings without performing rituals, you gradually weaken the cycle and regain control over your mind.
Avoiding perceived contaminants, places, or objects.
Reviewing/replaying events or conversations in your mind to check if everything was okay.
Imagining potential future scenarios to check for the likelihood of a catastrophe and plan coping strategies.
Repeatedly physically checking things, such as doors being locked or switches being off.
Thinking specific thoughts to “undo” a bad thought or reviewing something in your mind to make sure it’s okay.
Excessive hand washing or showering to remove perceived contamination or achieve a sense of feeling right or clean.
Asking others repeatedly to ensure things are okay.
Using a “good” thought to neutralise a “bad” thought.
Buying or failing to discard useless items, collecting excessively.
Over-attending to details of an event or person to mentally store it for safekeeping.
Repeating behaviours to make things feel equal or “right”.
Using prayer to counteract or neutralise “unacceptable” thoughts.
Forcing feelings of guilt and negative self-thoughts to achieve a sense of punishment.
A form of distraction to avoid unwanted thoughts or keep something bad from happening, often linked to beliefs about lucky or unlucky numbers.
Our online OCD therapy sessions are designed to help you understand your triggers, manage distressing thoughts, and reduce compulsive behaviour in a supportive and structured way.
The National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as an evidenced based treatment for OCD. CBT helps you understand the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, and develop strategies to manage them. It focuses on challenging and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours.
ERP is a therapeutic technique used in CBT specifically designed to reduce OCD symptoms by gradually exposing you to your fears and preventing the compulsive behaviours. Over time, this helps decrease anxiety and compulsion.
Our approach is holistic and tailored to meet your individual needs, ensuring that you receive the most effective treatment for your OCD.
Our therapists are experts in treating OCD with proven, evidence-based methods. They stay up-to-date with the latest research and therapeutic techniques, ensuring that you receive the highest quality care.
We offer a safe, private space where you can discuss your concerns openly. Your privacy and comfort are paramount in our practice, and we strive to create an environment where you feel safe and supported.
Receive therapy sessions online, making it easier to fit treatment into your busy schedule. Our secure, user-friendly platform ensures you can access the help you need from anywhere.
Take control of your OCD with the support of Talking Therapies UK. Our compassionate and skilled therapists are here to help you break free from the cycle of obsessions and compulsions and live a more fulfilling life. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support you in overcoming OCD and achieving a better quality of life.
Schedule your online therapy session with one of our experienced therapists at a time that suits you. Flexible evening and weekend appointments are available to accommodate your busy lifestyle.
This page is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical or psychological advice. If you are in crisis or feel unsafe, please contact your GP, call NHS 111, or reach Samaritans on 116 123.
