Online Therapy for OCD
One Mind Therapy offers compassionate, evidence-based therapies for individuals with OCD. Learn to navigate intrusive thoughts, manage obsessions, reduce compulsions, and regain confidence with one of our OCD therapists trained in CBT and ERP.
What OCD Therapy Looks Like
Starting therapy can be daunting. We’re here to make the process as welcoming and comfortable as possible. In OCD therapy, you will work with your therapist to first identify the areas you are struggling. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment for OCD; your therapist will want to understand your personal experience and help you work toward goals you set for yourself and your life.
We offer a form of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) known as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD. ERP is an evidence-based therapy that has been shown to be an effective treatment for OCD. In ERP, exposures are planned collaboratively with your therapist, making sure you are not forced into any overwhelming situations. You will practice resisting compulsions in these situations with the support of your therapist, and take back control of your life.
Schedule a Free Consultation
One Mind Therapy is here to support you. To schedule a free consultation, please fill out the form below and one of our therapists will reach out shortly.
How Can Online Therapy Help OCD?
Online OCD therapy can help you work with the cycle of intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and compulsions. Treatment focuses on helping individuals respond differently to uncertainty, fears, and worries. Our OCD specialist can help you navigate:
Compulsive cleaning or worries of contamination
Constant checking and feelings of responsibility
Intrusive thoughts and mental compulsions
OCD in intimate relationships
Symmetry, ordering, and “just right” experiences
Other obsessions and compulsions related to OCD
Meet Your Therapist
Blake Skibiski, LCSW 138587
I’m Blake. With over ten years of behavioral health experience, I aim to support individuals, familes, and couples as they navigate stress, life and relational transitions, LGBTQIA+ identity, OCD, anxiety, and trauma. My practice is client-centered, collaborative, solution-oriented, and blends a variety of modalities to help clients reach a more manageable and meaningful life.
I currently live in Southern California. Offering online therapy to individuals throughout California, I believe in the importance of establishing trust in the therapeutic space, identifying goals, processing barriers to those goals, and strengthening internal and external resources to better manage stress and emotions. This is your journey. I’m here to support you in discovering a self-narrative of healing and growth.
How Online Therapy in California Works
Many people have questions about how online therapy works. In short, online therapy is just like in-person therapy, but done from the comfort of your own home or personal space. For online therapy sessions, I generally ask that you:
Have a private space to do sessions free from distraction
Have access to a personal device to ensure confidentiality
Use headphones if you wish to safeguard your privacy
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, many people find recovery from OCD without medication. ERP is the most effective form of therapy for OCD. For more treatment-resistant cases, a psychiatric evaluation may be useful to investigate the use of medications such as SSRI’s. Your therapist will help you find the right approach based on your symptoms, preferences, and treatment history.
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You can discuss intrusive thoughts in therapy when it feels manageable for you. Your therapist won’t force you to share anything you are not comfortable sharing. You can begin work on your thoughts, feelings, and responses without needing to divulge every detail of the intrusive thoughts. With ERP, you may gradually practice facing situations and thoughts that trigger anxiety.
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There’s no set timeframe for OCD therapy. The length of OCD treatment depends on symptoms, your goals, and the treatment approach. Many individuals begin noticing improvement of symptoms within a few weeks, while others may need months to see progress. Exposure and response prevention typically involves regular weekly sessions with practice between appointments.
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Yes. An experienced OCD specialist can help what is commonly referred to as “Pure O” OCD. Although this term is used to suggest compulsions are absent, many people actually experience mental compulsions such as analyzing thoughts, reviewing memories or experiences, seeking reassurance, and trying to neutralize unwanted thoughts. Treatments like CBT and ERP can help you recognize these patterns and learn to respond in ways that case less distress.
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Yes. As we cover in this post, online therapy is confidential with some caveats. Your therapist will use secure messaging, scheduling, and video chat software. What is up to you is finding a private place to do sessions, securing your own computer or phone, and ensuring others around you don’t walk in to the room during a session.
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There are many benefits of online therapy, including:
Greater convience and flexibility
Access to therapy from anywhere in California
Increased comfort
More consistency in sessions
Downsides include:
Weaker nonverbal cues in phone sessions (we do video sessions)
Some people feel difficulty in building a relationship with their therapist virtually
Less efficacy in acute or high-risk individuals
Problems with technology or connection
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You don’t need to prepare a list of what you want to talk about for your first session. As we cover in more detail in this post, there are a few things you can do to prepare:
Find a comfortable, private space
Make sure your technology is working well
Minimize distractions (television, music, etc.)
Get any supplies, such as tissues, water, a charger, and a journal
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Broadly, yes. A 2020 meta-analysis looked at 57 individual studies and found that virtual therapy produced treatment effects “largely equivalent to in-person delivered interventions.” This was found to be especially true in mild-to-moderate cases of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and relationship issues. For more severe or complex presentations with psychosis, active suicidality, and severe eating disorders, in-person therapy has been found to be slightly more effective.