Online OCD counselling to help you break the cycle
The thought arrives, the anxiety spikes, and you feel you have to do something to make it go away. Then it comes back. OCD can take up hours of your day and leave you exhausted. Online OCD counselling with a qualified therapist can help you step out of that loop, from the comfort of home.
- Qualified, vetted therapists
- Evening & weekend sessions
- Talk from home
More than being neat or tidy
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety-related condition with two parts. Obsessions are unwanted thoughts, images or urges that keep pushing into your mind and cause real distress. Compulsions are the things you do, or think, to try to ease that distress or stop something bad from happening.
The trouble is that compulsions only bring short-term relief. Each time you give in, your brain learns that the thought was dangerous and the ritual was necessary, so the cycle gets stronger. It's not a quirk or a personality trait, and it has nothing to do with being particular about things.
Many people with OCD feel embarrassed by their thoughts and keep them hidden. Please know that intrusive thoughts don't say anything about who you are, and online OCD counselling is a safe place to talk about them.
When OCD takes up your time
OCD can creep into every part of life. Counselling helps you win that space back.
Your day
Rituals and checking can eat up hours, make you late, or leave you too drained to do the things that matter to you.
Your mind
Constant doubt and intrusive thoughts are exhausting. Many people with OCD also live with anxiety or low mood as a result.
Your relationships
Loved ones can get pulled into reassurance or rituals without meaning to, which can cause tension and frustration on all sides.
Your confidence
Hiding your thoughts or feeling ashamed of them can chip away at how you see yourself. Understanding OCD helps ease that shame.
Online CBT and ERP for OCD
The most researched talking treatment for OCD is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), often including exposure and response prevention (ERP). With ERP, you gradually and gently face the things that trigger your anxiety, while learning to hold off on the compulsion. Over time, your brain learns the anxiety passes on its own.
Online treatment for OCD works well because much of this practice happens in your everyday life. You and your therapist plan each step together, and you're always in control of the pace. It can feel daunting at first, but with the right support, things can really get easier. Keep going.
Starting is simpler than you think
Reaching out is often the hardest part. From there, we'll guide you through each step.
Get in touch
Fill in our short contact form and tell us the best time to call. Share as much or as little as you like.
We'll call you
We'll ring at the time you chose for a relaxed, no-pressure chat about what's going on and what you'd like help with.
Start your sessions
We'll match you with a therapist who suits you and send a secure video link. Then you just log on.
Questions about OCD counselling
Yes. Research suggests online CBT, including ERP, can be effective for OCD. Because you practise in your own surroundings, where many of your triggers happen, the skills often carry over well into everyday life.
ERP stands for exposure and response prevention. It's a part of CBT where you gradually face situations that trigger your obsessions while resisting the urge to carry out compulsions. It's done in small, planned steps that you agree with your therapist, never all at once.
Only when you're ready. It might help to know that OCD therapists hear all kinds of intrusive thoughts and understand they're a symptom of OCD, not a reflection of who you are. Nothing you say will shock them.
It varies. Some people notice a difference within a few months of regular sessions, while others benefit from longer support. You and your therapist will review progress together, and you're never locked in.
It can help. Your GP can talk to you about diagnosis and whether medication might be an option alongside counselling. You don't need a GP referral to start sessions with us, though.
You'll find our current prices on our fees page. Sessions last 50 minutes.
You can take back your time
Send us a message and we'll get back to you within 24 hours to arrange a call at a time that suits you.
Opening hours
- Monday – Friday9:00 – 20:00
- Saturday10:00 – 15:00
- Sunday10:00 – 15:00
We can't offer crisis support. If you're in danger or feel unable to keep yourself safe, call 999 or go to A&E. You can call Samaritans free, day or night, on 116 123, or NHS 111 (option 2 for mental health). See our crisis support page for more.