OCD Therapy
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OCD Therapy in New Jersey, New York, and Online
Most people don’t come in saying, “I have OCD.”
They say things like:
“I wish I were normal.”
“My brain won’t stop.”
“It’s exhausting.”
“I’m worried I’m going crazy.”
The thoughts feel intrusive. Unwanted. Sometimes disturbing. And they don’t just pass through. They stick.
You try to push them away. Make sense of them. Get certainty. But the more you try, the louder they get.
And over time, it’s exhausting.
What Is OCD?
OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) is a loop.
Your mind gets hooked on a thought, image, or “what if” story. These are called obsessions. They can feel intrusive, unwanted, and often very distressing.
The thought creates anxiety.
And then, understandably, you try to do something to get relief.
That might look like a behavior, such as checking, washing, or avoiding. Or it might be mental, like replaying, reassuring yourself, praying, or trying to figure it out.
These are compulsions.
They work, at least in the short term. The anxiety drops for a moment. And then the thought comes back. And the loop starts again.
OCD is often misunderstood. People think of handwashing or germs, and that can absolutely be part of it. But OCD shows up in many different ways:
- Intrusive thoughts about harm
- Fears about making a mistake or being responsible for something bad
- Doubts about relationships or decisions
- Fears about morality, identity, or being a bad person
- Needing things to feel just right
- Mental rituals that no one else can see
The content changes. The loop stays the same.
OCD is not about the thought itself. It is about how your mind responds to uncertainty and distress, and the patterns that develop to try to feel better. And the more you try to get certainty or relief, the more stuck the loop becomes.
Our Expertise in OCD Treatment
The CBT Center was founded by Dr. Michelle Drapkin, a licensed psychologist with specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Dr. Drapkin and Dr. Andrew Keenan are both board-certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), the oldest and most rigorous board certification body in psychology, founded in 1947. ABPP certification requires credentials review, peer-reviewed practice samples, and a formal oral examination. It is not a certificate course. It is a peer-verified demonstration of advanced clinical competence in the specialty.
Dr. Drapkin and Jamie Schwartz are also Diplomates of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (A-CBT), the leading certifying organization specifically for cognitive and behavioral therapy.
Dr. Drapkin is a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) and will be presenting at the ADAA 2026 Annual Conference in Chicago in a State of the Art Clinical session, a designation reserved for presentations on the leading edge of evidence-based practice.
Dr. Andrew Keenan also leads our OCD support group, providing additional structured support for people navigating OCD outside of individual sessions.
OCD is not a side specialty here. It is one of the core conditions we treat, and we approach it with the depth and rigor it requires.
Why Exposure and Response Prevention Is the Gold Standard for OCD
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the most extensively researched and widely recommended psychological treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Every major clinical guideline, including those from the American Psychological Association, recommends it as the first-line treatment.
The research is consistent and compelling. A 2022 meta-analysis published in Psychiatry Research, reviewing 39 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 1,800 patients, found that ERP produced significant reductions in OCD symptoms compared to placebo and medication alone. A separate systematic review of 36 randomized controlled trials, published in Comprehensive Psychiatry, found a large effect size for CBT with ERP in reducing OCD symptoms, with results significantly superior to psychological placebo.
Critically, ERP also works via telehealth. A large-scale study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, examining over 3,500 patients treated via video sessions, found that remote ERP produced effect sizes comparable to in-person treatment, with meaningful improvements in OCD symptoms and quality of life.
We use ERP because it works. Not because it is easy, but because it is the treatment that actually changes the loop.
How We Treat OCD
The first step is understanding your loop.
We work together to identify what the obsessions look like for you and what compulsions might be keeping them going, including the ones that happen quietly in your head.
From there, we build a plan that fits you.
We draw from evidence-based approaches including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing, and inference-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (i-CBT). Together, we figure out what makes the most sense and what feels doable.
A big part of the work is changing how you respond to OCD.
That often means gradually facing the thoughts or situations that trigger anxiety, while practicing not doing the compulsions that usually follow.
We also work on how you relate to the thoughts themselves. Sometimes we talk about OCD as noise or even garbage your brain is generating, not something you need to solve. Other times, we practice noticing thoughts without engaging with them, or even talking back to OCD instead of automatically believing it.
This is collaborative. We move at a pace that makes sense for you.
What OCD Therapy Looks Like in New Jersey, New York, and Online
OCD therapy at The CBT Center follows a clear structure, but it is never rigid.
We start by mapping out your OCD loop. What are the obsessions? What are the compulsions, including the mental ones? How is the cycle playing out in your daily life?
Then we build a plan.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is a core part of treatment. That means intentionally facing the thoughts, situations, or triggers that bring up anxiety, while practicing not doing the compulsions that usually follow.
We do not throw you into the deep end.
We build an exposure hierarchy. We start with things that feel challenging but doable, and work up over time. We figure out a path that makes sense for you, and we stay on that path together.
This might look like:
- Touching something that feels contaminated and not washing
- Leaving something unchecked
- Allowing a thought to be there without trying to figure it out
We do this step by step.
This work is hard. There is no way around that. So we approach it with a lot of compassion and a lot of collaboration. We talk openly about what feels difficult, what matters to you, and how to help you stay engaged in the process.
We also bring in other tools along the way. That might include mindfulness skills to notice thoughts without getting pulled in, ACT-based strategies to shift your relationship with uncertainty, or i-CBT approaches that help you step out of the reasoning patterns that keep OCD going.
We wrap up sessions with a clear plan for what to practice between sessions, so the work carries into your real life.
Over time, people often notice:
- Thoughts feel less sticky
- Urges to do compulsions become more manageable
- Anxiety rises and falls without needing to be fixed
- Life starts to open back up
OCD Support Group with Dr. Andrew Keenan
In addition to individual therapy, The CBT Center offers an OCD support group led by Dr. Andrew Keenan. The group provides a structured space for people working through OCD to practice skills, share experiences, and build support alongside others who truly understand what the loop feels like.
Group therapy for OCD can be a powerful complement to individual work, offering both accountability and the kind of connection that comes from being in a room with people who get it.
Interested in the OCD group? Mention it when you fill out the New Patient Interest Form and we will share details on availability and next steps.
Support for Parents and Families: SPACE Treatment
OCD does not just affect the person who has it. It affects the whole family.
Parents often find themselves caught in a painful cycle. You want to help your child. You want to reduce their distress. So you reassure them, you adjust routines, you help them avoid things that trigger anxiety. This is called accommodation, and it comes from love.
But research shows that accommodation, even when it is well-intentioned, actually maintains and strengthens OCD over time. The more the family adjusts to OCD, the more OCD expands to fill that space.
This is where SPACE comes in.
SPACE stands for Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions. It is an evidence-based, parent-focused treatment developed by Dr. Eli Lebowitz at the Yale Child Study Center. It is designed for families of children and adolescents with OCD, anxiety, and related conditions.
Here is what makes SPACE different: the child does not have to attend sessions. Parents work directly with the therapist to learn how to reduce accommodation while communicating warmth, confidence, and support. The goal is to change the family environment in a way that allows the child to build resilience, rather than continuing to rely on accommodation for relief.
A landmark randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that SPACE was as effective as individual CBT for childhood anxiety disorders, even when the child never attended a single session. That is a remarkable finding, and it speaks to how much family behavior shapes a child’s anxiety.
Dr. Teri Preddy has specialized expertise in SPACE and works with parents navigating OCD and anxiety in their children. If your child is struggling and is resistant to treatment, or if OCD has taken over family routines and you do not know how to respond, a parent-focused approach may be exactly the right place to start.
SPACE may be a good fit if your child is resistant to therapy, if OCD has expanded into family routines, or if you want structured support as a parent. Mention your interest when you fill out the New Patient Interest Form and Dr. Preddy will follow up.
Who We Work With
We work with adults across a wide range of OCD presentations. That includes:
- People with contamination fears and cleaning or washing rituals
- Those with harm OCD who fear acting on intrusive thoughts they find deeply disturbing
- People with relationship OCD (ROCD) who are caught in loops of doubt about their partner or feelings
- Those with scrupulosity, including fears about morality, sin, or being a bad person
- People with just-right OCD who need things to feel a certain way before they can move on
- Those with Pure-O presentations, where the compulsions are mostly mental and invisible to others
- People who have been struggling for years and have never found a therapist who really understands OCD
- Parents of children and adolescents with OCD or anxiety who want support through SPACE treatment
You do not need a formal diagnosis to reach out. If any of this sounds familiar, that is enough of a reason to start a conversation.
When to Consider OCD Therapy
If you’re here reading this, something brought you here.
For many people with OCD, even getting this far is hard.
You might be thinking:
“What if I say something and they think I’m crazy?”
“What if these thoughts mean something about me?”
“What if I can’t handle the treatment?”
These worries are part of how OCD works. The thoughts do not just show up. They come with a sense that they matter, that they say something important, or that you need to figure them out.
You do not have to solve that before reaching out.
You do not have to explain everything perfectly.
You just need a place to begin. We understand how hard this is, and we will meet you there.
Get Started
We serve clients in New Jersey, New York, and across 40 or more states through PSYPACT, a national compact that allows licensed psychologists to practice across state lines. Wherever you are, we can likely work together.
We’ll follow up within a few hours to connect, learn a bit more about what you’re looking for, and help you figure out next steps.
Related Services
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is the most researched, most effective talk therapy available. We don't just use CBT — we're board-certified in it. This is what we do, and we're really good at it.
Individual Therapy
One clinician, focused entirely on you. Full-hour sessions, real follow-through between appointments, and a team that actually picks up the phone.
Virtual Therapy
Great care shouldn't depend on where you live. We're licensed in NJ, NY, and 40+ states — so wherever you are, we can likely work together.
Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety is exhausting — the racing thoughts, the avoidance, the "what ifs." CBT gives you real tools to break the cycle and get your life back.
Stress Management Therapy
What you’re feeling matters — and so does how you manage it. We use evidence-based techniques to help you reduce stress and regain balance.
Depression Therapy
Depression lies to you — it tells you nothing will help and you don't deserve better. We know that's not true, and we'll help you find your way back.
Frequently Asked Questions
OCD does not just give you thoughts. It gives you doubt about the thoughts. It asks, “But what if?” and makes that question feel urgent. Treatment is not about proving the thought wrong. It is about changing how much power that question has over your behavior.
Pure-O is often used to describe OCD that looks like it is just thoughts, with no visible rituals. In reality, there are almost always compulsions. They are just happening mentally, things like replaying, reassuring, or trying to figure something out. Even though others cannot see them, they still keep the loop going.
That is part of the process. This work is hard. There will be moments where things feel stuck or uncertain. That is where we slow down, work together to figure out what is getting in the way, and reconnect with what matters to you so you can keep moving forward.
No. We build a plan together and move step by step. You will not be thrown into something overwhelming. We start where you are and build from there, always at a pace that feels structured and supported.
You are not expected to stop everything at once. We work gradually to help you build the ability to pause, delay, and change those patterns over time. Progress is incremental, and that is completely normal.
OCD thoughts can feel intense and convincing. But thoughts are not actions. And having a thought does not mean you want it, believe it, or will act on it. Part of treatment is helping those thoughts carry less weight so they stop driving your behavior.
OCD treatment is typically longer than treatment for general anxiety or stress. Many people make meaningful progress in 16 to 20 sessions, though some presentations require more time. We talk about realistic expectations early so you know what to plan for.
Yes. We offer virtual OCD therapy for clients throughout New Jersey, New York, and more than 40 states through PSYPACT. Research confirms that ERP delivered via telehealth produces results comparable to in-person treatment, and in some cases is actually advantageous because exposures can happen in the real environments where OCD shows up.
Yes. Dr. Andrew Keenan leads an OCD support group at The CBT Center. The group is a structured complement to individual therapy, offering a space to practice skills and connect with others who understand the experience firsthand. Mention your interest in the group when you reach out and we will share details.
Anxiety and OCD can look similar from the outside, but the mechanisms are different. OCD involves a specific loop of intrusive thoughts and compulsive responses. General anxiety tends to be broader worry without the same ritualistic response pattern. Both are treatable, and our clinicians are trained to assess and distinguish between them accurately.
Yes. This is exactly what SPACE treatment is designed for. SPACE is a parent-based approach where you work with the therapist directly, and the child does not have to attend sessions at all. Research shows it can be just as effective as individual CBT. Dr. Teri Preddy specializes in SPACE and can work with you on how to respond to your child in ways that reduce OCD over time.
OCD treatment is available virtually throughout NJ, NY and 40+ states.