OCD Therapy in Durham, NC + Virtually
If you’re struggling with OCD…
You might feel stuck in loops of intrusive thoughts or fears, worrying that something bad will happen unless you check, think until you find certainty, repeat tasks until they’re perfect, or seek reassurance “just one more time.” You may know, logically, that the fear doesn’t quite add up, but it still feels real and urgent in your body. The “what ifs” can be relentless, pulling your attention back in no matter how hard you try to move on.
These checking behaviors can bring short-term relief, a brief exhale or sense of control, but it doesn’t last. Before long, the doubt creeps back in, often stronger, leaving you feeling more trapped, exhausted, and frustrated. If this feels familiar, there’s nothing wrong with your brain. It just wants to know that everything is going to be okay and it’s trying to protect you from uncertainty.
With support, you can begin to relate to these thoughts and urges differently. Instead of getting pulled into the loop, you can learn how to notice what’s happening, tolerate the discomfort of uncertainty, and respond in ways that create more freedom rather than more fear. Over time, the thoughts may still show up, but they lose their power. You feel less controlled by them, more grounded in yourself, and more able to move through your life with flexibility, confidence, and ease.
OCD therapy focuses on helping you break these cycles and develop a new relationship to uncertainty and intrusive thoughts.
How Therapy Helps
At Connected Living Psychotherapy, I use evidence-based therapies proven to help with anxiety and OCD, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
ACT helps you change your relationship with anxious thoughts and emotions. Instead of trying to eliminate them (which often doesn’t work), we focus on learning new ways to respond with awareness, compassion, and flexibility. You’ll begin to:
Notice anxious thoughts without letting them control your actions.
Develop tools to stay present instead of getting caught up in worry.
Reconnect with your authentic self and take meaningful action towards what’s important.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a gold-standard treatment for OCD. It involves gradually and safely facing your fears or triggers while building tolerance to sit with the urge to engage in compulsions. Over time, your brain learns that it isn’t always in danger and that you can handle uncertainty without rituals. Together, we’ll go at a pace that feels safe, supportive and manageable, ensuring you are always in control of the process.
Our work together will be collaborative and tailored to you. We’ll start by exploring what anxiety or OCD looks like in your life: your triggers, fears, and coping patterns. From there, we’ll create a plan that helps you:
Build practical coping skills for managing anxiety in real time.
Practice small, achievable steps toward facing fears and uncertainty.
Strengthen self-compassion instead of self-criticism.
Reconnect with joy, confidence, and the parts of life anxiety has overshadowed.
Therapy is not about getting rid of anxiety completely, it’s about learning how to live with it differently, so it no longer runs the show.
Take the First Step Toward Relief
Through OCD therapy, you can begin to feel less trapped in mental loops and more grounded in your day-to-day life.
I offer OCD therapy in Durham, NC and across North Carolina via teletherapy.
Schedule a free consultation to take the first step toward feeling more at ease with your mind.
Rates + Insurance
Session Rates
15-20 minute phone consultation - Free
Relational
55 minute session - $175
Individual
55 minute session - $160
45 minute session - $125
30 minute session - $85
Insurance - Out of Network
Connected Living Psychotherapy, PLLC is considered out-of-network with all insurance companies, however, we are able to provide you with a “superbill” to submit to your insurance company to use for your out of network benefits. Depending on your individual insurance plan, you may be reimbursed by your insurance company a certain percentage for each session once you meet your out-of-network deductible. You can check your out-of-network deductible by calling your insurance company.
Good Faith Estimate
In accordance with the “No Surprises Act,” you will receive a “Good Faith Estimate” before your first session to better understand estimated cost of services.
Here’s what to expect…
STEP ONE
15-20 minute Consultation
Schedule a free, no pressure consultation call to see if we are a good fit and get answers to all your questions.
STEP TWO
Initial Intake Session
In your initial intake session, we will go over your mental health history, what brings you to therapy now, and begin the goal setting and treatment planning process.
STEP THREE
Recurring 55 minute sessions
Recurring sessions are typically 55 minutes and occur weekly or bi-weekly. Together, we will look at therapeutic needs and goals to determine what will work best for you.
FAQ’s about OCD Therapy
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Anxiety and OCD can look similar on the surface, but they function a bit differently. Anxiety often involves excessive worry about real-life concerns (like health, work, or relationships), along with physical symptoms like restlessness, tension, or trouble relaxing.
OCD, on the other hand, involves intrusive, unwanted thoughts or fears (obsessions) that feel intensely distressing, along with compulsions: behaviors or mental rituals done to reduce that distress. While anxiety tends to be more general, OCD often follows a specific cycle of obsession → anxiety → compulsion → temporary relief.
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OCD can look different for everyone, but common experiences include intrusive thoughts about harm, contamination, relationships, morality, or making mistakes. You might find yourself checking, repeating, researching, mentally reviewing, or seeking reassurance to feel more certain or safe. While these behaviors may bring temporary relief, they tend to keep the cycle going.
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Yes, as a licensed therapist, I can assess for and diagnose OCD, however, since I am not in network with insurance companies, formal diagnosis is not required to effectively treat symptoms. Instead, we take time to fully understand your experiences, patterns, and symptoms in a thoughtful and collaborative way. Whether or not you meet full criteria for OCD, we focus on what’s actually happening for you and how to help you feel better.
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OCD therapy isn’t just about “getting rid” of anxious thoughts, it’s about changing your relationship with them. In our work together, we’ll explore what’s driving your anxiety, increase awareness around fear-based OCD cycles and how they show up for you, explore how anxiety shows up in your body and nervous system, and the patterns that keep it going. You’ll learn how to respond to anxiety in a more grounded, flexible way so it feels less overwhelming and less in control of your life.
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Treatment depends on your specific needs, but generally involves a combination of evidence-based approaches including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and trauma informed approaches such as Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). My work is relational and process oriented, meaning we go beyond symptoms management to explore the deeper underlying emotional experiences, patterns, and nervous system responses that contribute to anxiety and OCD. The goal is not just symptom relief, but deeper, more lasting change.
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Yes. Intrusive thoughts are a common part of OCD that can feel distressing or confusing. In therapy, we work on changing how you relate to these thoughts so they feel less powerful, less threatening, and less likely to pull you into cycles of fear or compulsions.
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There’s no one-size-fits-all timeline. Some people start to notice meaningful shifts within a few sessions. For others, particularly if anxiety is connected to more complex underlying patterns or past experiences of trauma, therapy may be a longer-term process.
We move at a pace that feels supportive and sustainable, with the goal of creating lasting change, not just short-term symptom relief.
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I offer therapy for anxiety and OCD for individuals located in Durham, NC and across North Carolina via telehealth. We can talk through what format feels like the best fit for you during a consultation.