Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment & Evaluation in Austin and Surrounding Areas
Living with OCD can feel like your brain grabs the worst “what-if” and refuses to let go. An intrusive thought flares—about harm, contamination, morality, relationships, or needing things to feel “just right.” You don’t want the thought; it still lands like an alarm. So you check, wash, seek reassurance, confess, replay conversations, or run silent mental rituals until it feels safe… and the relief never lasts. Shame and doubt keep the cycle spinning, and hours disappear into “maybe.”
What most people miss: OCD isn’t “being neat.” It’s a disorder of doubt and responsibility where thoughts feel urgent and too real—ego-dystonic, not who you are. You might hide knives, reread texts to prove you didn’t offend someone, avoid certain places, or pray/neutralize thoughts “just right.” The good news is OCD is highly treatable—reach out and I’ll help you reclaim your time, attention, and sense of self. My role is to help you break that loop—step by step—so life gets bigger again.
Understanding OCD
Plain-English definition: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a mental health condition where intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) trigger repetitive actions or mental rituals (compulsions) aimed at easing anxiety—but these behaviors often reinforce the cycle instead of breaking it.
Adults vs. stereotypes: While media often portrays OCD as excessive cleaning or perfectionism, in adults it can include mental checking, counting, avoiding “contamination” in non-obvious ways, or silently repeating words to feel “safe.”
Common symptoms:
Intrusive thoughts you can’t control
Repetitive behaviors like checking locks, washing hands, or arranging objects
Mental rituals like counting, praying, or reviewing past events
Anxiety or distress if rituals are not completed “correctly”
Why it’s often missed: People may hide symptoms out of embarrassment, or mislabel them as quirks or personality traits, delaying accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.
My Diagnostic Process
Comprehensive intake — exploring your symptom patterns, triggers, and history.
Evidence-based assessments — structured tools like the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) to measure severity.
Differential diagnosis — ruling out anxiety disorders, tic disorders, or obsessive personality traits that mimic OCD.
Personalized plan — focusing on what drives your specific obsessions and compulsions.
Treatment Tailored to You
Medication options: SSRIs at therapeutic OCD doses, augmentation strategies if needed.
Therapy approaches: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to break the obsession–compulsion cycle.
Lifestyle changes: Mindfulness-based stress reduction, structured routines, and reducing avoidance behaviors.
Adaptive strategies: Ongoing monitoring and adjustments as progress builds.
Why My Practice is Different
Most online information about OCD is either oversimplified or too technical to act on. I give you clear, actionable steps from the start so you:
Understand exactly how OCD works in your brain
Know all treatment options and what to expect
Have a realistic path forward before you even book
Actionable Steps You Can Take Today — OCD
If you’re in a spike right now (5–10 minutes)
Name it. “This is an intrusive thought + urge to ritualize.” Labeling turns noise into a signal.
Posture + breath (90 seconds). Sit up, feet grounded. Inhale 4, exhale 6–8. Let the urge rise and fall on its own.
Ground your senses (60–120 seconds). 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
“Maybe” stance. Say: “Maybe yes, maybe no. I’m choosing not to solve this right now.”
Do one valued action. Send a text, step outside, wash the single dish in the sink—move life forward without answering the “what-if.”
Break the obsession → compulsion loop
Notice → Name → Normalize.
Notice: “Alarm thought.”
Name: “Intrusion + urge.”
Normalize: “Brains toss junk. I don’t need certainty to continue.”
Write it once. Put the exact “what-if” on paper (no debating, no fixing). Fold it. Continue your day.
Timer the urge. Set 2–5 minutes to not ritualize. Watch the curve of discomfort like a wave—peaks, then eases.
Delay, shrink, and change the ritual (without naming treatments)
Start with delay. 60 seconds → 2 minutes → 5 minutes before any checking/washing/mental replay.
Shrink it. If you usually wash 4 times, do 3; if you re-read 10 times, do 9. Gradually reduce.
Change the form. If you must check, do it once, out loud: “Window is locked.” Then walk away.
Reassurance detox (gentle version)
24-hour “no ask” window. No “Are you sure?” texts, no “Did I offend you?” DMs, no confessing to feel clean.
Reassurance card. Keep a note: “I’m not chasing certainty right now. Discomfort is temporary.”
Schedule the question. If it still matters in 24–48 hours, ask once.
Tackle mental rituals (the invisible ones)
Spot the stealth rituals. Silent praying, neutralizing phrases, replaying conversations, counting, “just right” breath.
Replace with neutral awareness. “There’s the thought; there’s the urge.” Return attention to what you were doing.
Drop the experiment. No “let me check if I feel better now.” Let relief arrive on its own schedule.
Cut checking loops
One-and-done rule. Look once, label it (“Door is locked.”), leave.
Exit cue. After the single check, physically turn your body and take 10 steps away.
If you take a proof photo, look once, then don’t zoom, don’t compare. Delete later the same day.
Contamination / harm / morality / relationship themes (adapt as needed)
Touch + carry on. Make brief, purposeful contact with a feared item/situation, then move to a valued action without “fixing” the feeling.
Leave “not-just-right” alone. If a sweater seam feels off, wear it for 10 minutes before adjusting.
Drop safety questions. Replace “What does this say about me?” with “What do I want to do next in this hour?”
Scripts that undercut OCD’s authority
Alarm script (read slowly):
“My brain is sending a false alarm. I don’t need certainty to live my values. I can feel doubt and still choose my next step.”
End-of-loop script:
“Thanks, brain. Not solving this now.” Resume what you were doing.
Build a trigger map (so progress is targeted, not random)
List your top 10 triggers (e.g., stove, health search, partner texting delays).
Rate distress 0–10 and the time rituals take.
Circle two easiest items. Practice delay/shrink/change on those for a week before moving up.
Uncertainty reps (daily)
Leave one thing imperfect on purpose. An email without triple-checking, a picture frame slightly off.
Choose “good enough.” Set a 90-second cap on non-critical decisions (what to wear, which route to take).
Limit the fuel that feeds spirals
Caffeine audit. Try a 7-day reduction (especially after noon).
Sleep anchors. Same wake time; wind-down without screens for 30–60 minutes.
Move daily. 10–20 minutes of steady walking or light exercise to bleed off baseline tension.
Digital & information hygiene
Block rabbit holes. Put health-symptom or “are they cheating?” search terms on a site blocker list.
News diet. One scheduled window (e.g., 10 minutes at lunch), not constant grazing.
Mute reassurance triggers. Temporarily silence threads where you loop (group chats, forums).
People skills (reduce accidental reinforcement)
Set a boundary with loved ones. “If I ask for reassurance, please say: ‘I love you—let’s not feed the loop.’”
Body-double for “do nothing.” Sit with someone while you don’t perform the ritual; talk about neutral topics.
One-page plan (keep it visible)
My early signs: [thought themes / urges / sensations].
My first moves: name it, delay 2 minutes, sensory ground, one valued action.
My phrases: “Maybe yes, maybe no.” / “Not solving this now.”
My supports: [names to text to sit with uncertainty].
Track one metric for 7 days
Pick the simplest:
Minutes delayed before a ritual, or
Number of times you skipped reassurance, or
Times you did “one-and-done” checking
Watching one number improve (even slightly) builds momentum—then you can layer the next step.
OCD Often Comes with Company
OCD often occurs alongside generalized anxiety disorder, depression, body-focused repetitive behaviors (like hair pulling), and sometimes ADHD. Treating OCD effectively means addressing the full picture, not just one part.
Serving Austin and Beyond
I provide OCD treatment for clients in:
Austin, Barton Creek, Bastrop, Bee Cave, Bertram, Blanco, Briarcliff, Brushy Creek, Buda, Burnet, Cedar Park, Circle C, Creedmoor, Dripping Springs, Elgin, Florence, Georgetown, Granger, Great Hills, Hays, Hutto, Jarrell, Johnson City, Jonestown, Jollyville, Kyle, Lago Vista, Lakeway, Leander, Liberty Hill, Lockhart, Luling, Manor, Marble Falls, Martindale, Meadowlakes, Mountain City, Mustang Ridge, New Braunfels, Niederwald, Pflugerville, Point Venture, River Place, Rollingwood, Round Rock, San Marcos, Smithville, Steiner Ranch, Sunset Valley, Taylor, The Domain, The Hills, Thrall, Volente, Webberville, Weir, West Lake Hills, Wimberley, Woodcreek, Zilker, and throughout all of Texas!