OCD & Anxiety Therapy
Understanding Anxiety and OCD
Anxiety and OCD often come from the same place — your brain trying to protect you from danger. It means well, but sometimes it goes too far. You might notice urges to control, fix, check, or replay things in your mind to find relief. The harder you try to make the anxiety disappear, the stronger it seems to become. Together, we’ll learn how to step out of this loop so you can respond with calm and clarity instead of panic or avoidance.
What This Can Feel Like
Constant worry or “what if” thoughts that won’t turn off
Replaying conversations or decisions to make sure you didn’t say or do something wrong
Feeling trapped in mental loops or needing to find certainty before you can relax
Checking, counting, or seeking reassurance to feel safe or “just right”
Feeling anxious when you can’t control a situation or predict what will happen
Avoiding certain people, places, or situations that trigger anxiety or intrusive thoughts
A sense of guilt or shame about thoughts you can’t control
Feeling tired from being on alert all the time, even when nothing is “wrong”
EMDR for Anxiety and OCD
For some clients, anxious thoughts or compulsions are tied to earlier experiences — moments where your body learned that control or perfection was the only way to feel safe. EMDR helps the brain reprocess those memories so they no longer trigger the same intensity of fear or urgency. Over time, you can feel less ruled by your thoughts and more grounded in the present moment.
How EMDR Can Help
Reprocessing memories or experiences that taught your brain it wasn’t safe to relax or make mistakes
Reducing the emotional intensity behind certain triggers, worries, or perfectionistic urges
Helping the body release stored tension that keeps you on alert
Soothing old fears that fuel the need to check, fix, or seek reassurance
Strengthening your ability to stay grounded when intrusive thoughts appear
Transforming beliefs like “I can’t handle this” into “I can trust myself to cope”
Allowing your nervous system to find calm without needing everything to feel certain or perfect
Supporting a deeper sense of safety, balance, and self-trust in daily life
ACT & ERP For Anxiety and OCD
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) work hand in hand to help you relate to your thoughts and emotions in a new way. Instead of trying to control or eliminate anxiety, we practice noticing it, allowing it to move through, and focusing on what truly matters to you. ERP helps retrain your brain to tolerate uncertainty and resist the urge to check, fix, or avoid. ACT supports that process by strengthening mindfulness, flexibility, and self-compassion. Together, these approaches help you step out of the cycle of fear and into a life guided by your values — even when anxiety shows up.
How ERP Can Help
Build tolerance for uncertainty
Reduce checking or reassurance-seeking habits
Break patterns of avoidance and overcontrol
Allow anxiety to rise and fall naturally
Reconnect with life outside of worry
Strengthen confidence in your ability to cope
How ACT Can Help
Notice thoughts without getting pulled into them
Let go of the need to control every feeling
Respond with self-compassion instead of fear
Stay present through mindfulness and grounding
Make choices based on your values, not anxiety
A safe place to start.
Life can feel heavy at times, and none of us are meant to carry it all alone. I’d be honored to walk alongside you as you find steadiness, clarity, and healing in your own way.