Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – OCD – can be exhausting, isolating, and deeply disruptive to daily life. The intrusive thoughts, the rituals, the hours spent trying to manage a relentless cycle of anxiety and compulsion can make it feel as though OCD is in control, not you.

The good news is that OCD is one of the most treatable psychological conditions. With the right therapy, delivered by an experienced psychologist, significant and lasting improvement is possible.

At The London Psychology Clinic, we offer specialist OCD treatment in London, delivered by clinical and counselling psychologists with specific experience in this area. This page explains what OCD involves, how it is treated, and how to take the first step.

 

What is OCD?

OCD is characterised by two core features: obsessions and compulsions.

Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images or urges that cause significant distress. They can take many forms – fears about contamination, harm, symmetry, religion, relationships or a sense that something is just not right. A crucial point is that having an intrusive thought does not reflect your character or intentions. These thoughts are a feature of OCD, not a reflection of who you are.

Compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts that a person performs in response to the obsession – typically in an attempt to reduce anxiety or prevent something bad from happening. Common compulsions include checking, washing, ordering, seeking reassurance, or mental rituals such as counting or praying. While compulsions bring short-term relief, they maintain and strengthen the OCD cycle over time.

 

How is OCD treated?

The most effective psychological treatments for OCD are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and a specific technique within CBT called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

 

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for OCD

CBT helps you understand the relationship between your thoughts, feelings and behaviours. In the context of OCD, this means examining the meaning you attach to intrusive thoughts and the way compulsions temporarily relieve, but ultimately reinforce, the anxiety cycle.

 

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

ERP is considered the gold-standard treatment for OCD and is recommended by NICE guidelines. It involves gradually and systematically facing the situations or thoughts that trigger your obsessions, while resisting the urge to carry out compulsions. Over time, this breaks the cycle – the anxiety reduces, and the compulsions lose their hold.

ERP is not about forcing yourself to confront your fears all at once. It is a carefully structured, collaborative process that your psychologist guides at a pace that feels manageable.

 

Integrative approaches

For some people, particularly where OCD is connected to deeper patterns of anxiety or past experiences, additional approaches such as Schema Therapy or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may be incorporated alongside CBT and ERP.

 

What types of OCD do we treat?

OCD takes many different forms. Our psychologists work with a wide range of presentations, including:

 

• Contamination OCD – fears about germs, illness or dirt
• Harm OCD – intrusive thoughts about harming yourself or others
• Checking OCD – repeated checking of locks, appliances or actions
• Symmetry and ordering – a need for things to be arranged or done in a particular way
• Pure O – primarily mental obsessions with fewer visible compulsions
• Religious or moral scrupulosity – intrusive thoughts related to faith or ethics
• Relationship OCD – persistent doubt and checking related to relationships
• Health OCD – intrusive fears about illness or physical symptoms

 

If your OCD takes a form not listed here, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We are experienced in working with a wide range of presentations and will always begin with a thorough assessment to understand your specific experience.

 

Why choose a psychologist for OCD treatment?

Psychologists are trained to doctoral level and have specialist expertise in assessment and evidence-based treatment. This matters for OCD because the therapy needs to be delivered correctly to be effective, particularly ERP, which requires careful calibration and an experienced guide.

At The London Psychology Clinic, our team has specific experience in OCD treatment. We offer both in-person appointments at our Paddington clinic and online sessions.

 

• No GP referral needed for self pay clients –  you can contact us directly
• Appointments available promptly, often within days
• Private and confidential – no waiting lists
• Experienced in a wide range of OCD presentations
• In-person and online therapy available

 

How many sessions will I need?

This depends on the nature and severity of your OCD. A focused course of CBT and ERP typically runs for 12 to 20 sessions, though this varies between individuals. Your psychologist will discuss this with you at the assessment appointment and will review progress with you throughout.

 

Ready to take the next step?

If you are struggling with OCD and would like to explore treatment, we would be glad to hear from you. You can contact us directly, no referral is needed for private clients.

If you are not yet sure whether therapy is right for you, our short quiz ‘Is it time to speak to a therapist?’ may help you reflect on where you are right now.

 

→ Get in touch with the clinic

→ View our Meet the Team page

→ Take the ‘Is it time to speak to a therapist?’ quiz