How do I know if it’s OCD or just anxiety/overthinking?

Focus on the pattern, not the topic. With general anxiety/overthinking, the thinking is usually aimed at problem-solving and tends to ease once you’ve taken a reasonable step. With OCD, a doubt or intrusive thought shows up and you feel a strong urge to get certainty by doing a compulsion - checking, reassurance seeking, avoiding, or mental rituals like analysing and replaying. The relief is brief, then the doubt returns and the cycle repeats. If you’re unsure (especially with Pure O), that’s common - therapy helps you map the loop rather than rely on labels.

Do you work with intrusive thoughts that feel shameful or “not me”?

Yes. This is one of the most common features of OCD, and it can feel incredibly isolating because people often assume the thoughts must mean something about them. In OCD, intrusive thoughts are often ego-dystonic - they feel unwanted, upsetting, and completely out of character. In therapy, we don’t treat the content as a confession or a sign of who you are. We focus on the cycle the thoughts trigger (fear, urgency, checking/reassurance, avoidance, mental rituals) and help you respond in a way that reduces their power and the shame around them.

What if my compulsions are mostly mental (Pure O)?

That’s very common. Many people with OCD don’t have obvious outward compulsions — the rituals happen internally. That can look like rumination, analysing what a thought “means,” replaying memories or conversations, mentally checking how you feel, trying to get certainty, or silently reassuring yourself. The treatment approach is still effective. We focus on spotting the mental rituals clearly and then practising a different response to the intrusive thoughts and uncertainty, so your brain learns you don’t need to “work it out” to be okay.

OCD Therapy in London (ERP for OCD)

Evidence-based support for intrusive thoughts, Pure O, ROCD and reassurance loops.
In-person near Liverpool Street Station + online across the UK

Consultant Clinical Psychologist (HCPC)

OCD & anxiety specialist • ERP/CBT-informed

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Not sure it’s OCD? That’s common - we can talk it through

symptoms

Does this feel familiar?

You get intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that feel shocking, wrong, or “not you” and they won’t let go

You feel the need to do certain things in order to get rid or reduce feelings of anxiety, doubt or uncertainty (compulsions)

You feel a strong need to get certainty - to know for sure what something means, or whether you’re safe/good/responsible

You worry about what thoughts mean (“What does it say about me that I had that thought?”).

You spend a lot of time mentally checking: replaying conversations, analysing intentions, reviewing memories, testing how you feel

You seek reassurance (from people, professionals, the internet), and it helps briefly… then doubt comes back

You feel embarrassed or ashamed about the content of your thoughts, so you keep it all in your head and don't tell anyone

You feel relief after a ritual/compulsion… but it never lasts, so you end up doing it again

If you recognise any of these symptoms, there IS help available

Jump to How Therapy Helps

How OCD works

OCD isn’t really about the topic of the thought. It’s about the pattern your brain gets stuck in.

Usually it goes something like this:

cycle

1.

An intrusive thought, image, urge or doubt shows up

It can feel disturbing, “not you,” or as if it must mean something important.

2.

Anxiety spikes and your mind demands certainty

You start trying to work it out, feel sure, or get reassurance - because uncertainty feels unbearable.

3.

You do a compulsion to neutralise the

feeling

That might be something visible, like checking, washing, researching, asking, repeating, avoiding - or it might be mental: analysing, replaying, testing how you feel, trying to “get clarity.”

You get relief - but it doesn’t last. And because the relief is so immediate, your brain learns: “Do that again next time.” So the loop gets stronger and faster over time.

The good news is this pattern is treatable.

Therapy focuses on changing what happens at step three, so your brain can relearn that you can tolerate uncertainty without compulsions running the show.

Jump to FAQs

therapy

How OCD Therapy Helps

OCD therapy isn’t about proving the thoughts are untrue or getting you to feel 100% certain. It’s about changing the pattern that keeps pulling you back in.

I use evidence-based approaches for OCD, including ERP, in a way that’s tailored to you - especially if your compulsions are mostly mental (rumination, analysing, replaying, “testing” how you feel).

In practice, this means we work on three things:

Many people can identify the intrusive thought, but miss the rituals that follow it - reassurance seeking, checking, avoidance, mental reviewing,

researching, or trying to “figure it out.”

Once you can see the pattern, you can change it.

OCD & Anxiety Therapy in London Dr Liz White.heic

themes

OCD Themes I Help With

Pure O

Mental checking, rumination,

"figure it out” loops, "what if"

spirals

Relationship OCD (ROCD)

“Do I love them?” / "are we compatible", checking feelings, reassurance loops

Real-event OCD

Replaying the past, guilt, mental reviewing, confessing

“Just right” OCD

Repeating until something 'feels right',

Existential OCD

Doubts about reality, meaning, or “what if nothing is real?”, compulsive rumination and reassurance seeking.

Harm OCD

Fear of causing harm, avoiding “risk,” checking intentions

Contamination OCD

Washing, cleaning, avoidance, “just in case” behaviours

Scrupulosity / moral OCD

“Am I a bad person?” compulsive self-evaluation

Responsibility OCD

Fear of being blamed, over-preparing, checking

Symmetry / Order OCD

A strong urge for things to feel even or “just right,” leading to arranging, repeating, or redoing until the discomfort eases.

Sexual Intrusive Thoughts

Reassurance seeking, mental reviewing, avoidance, shame

Checking OCD

Doors, locks, appliances, memory checking

Health anxiety + OCD overlap

Reassurance loops, checking symptoms, scanning & Googling symptoms

Sensorimotor OCD

Hyperawareness of bodily sensations like swallowing/blinking/breathing

Magical Thinking OCD

The belief that thoughts, numbers or rituals can prevent harm or cause events.

OCD can latch onto almost any topic.

What matters most is the pattern - intrusive doubt + compulsions/reassurance to get certainty.

Not sure where you fit? Jump to FAQs FAQs

process

How we’ll work together

Getting clear on your OCD pattern

We map your specific loop: triggers, intrusive doubts, and compulsions (including mental rituals like rumination, reassurance seeking, and checking) into a comprehensive formulation.

Build a treatment plan that fits you

We’ll agree a plan that’s evidence-based and realistic, including ERP where appropriate, and adapted to your life. You won’t be thrown into extreme exposures. We work in small, doable steps, with a focus on building confidence and momentum rather than pushing you past your limits.

Practise in real life, with support

Between sessions, you’ll practise specific skills and experiments that target the compulsions keeping the loop alive. We review what happens, adjust the plan, and build your ability to handle uncertainty without rituals taking over. Setbacks are part of learning - we plan for them rather than treating them as failure.

What sessions are like

Sessions are collaborative, structured, and focused on change. You won’t be asked to describe intrusive thoughts in graphic detail unless it’s helpful; the goal is to help you respond differently when OCD shows up, so you get more freedom back in your day-to-day life.

Arrange a FREE 15 minute call with me

Fees & Practicalities

Therapy is a practical commitment, so here are the key details upfront

In person (London): £180

Online: £160

Session length: 50 mins

Location

In-person near Liverpool Street Station and online across the UK/EU

Frequency

Most people start weekly or fortnightly and we review as we go.

15 minute call

I offer a brief 15-minute call with every enquiry so we can check fit and next steps. I don’t use automated booking - after you contact me, I’ll reply with a few time options by your preferred method.

Insurance

I’m recognised by Bupa and WPA. If you’re using insurance, you’ll need to obtain approval before your first appointment and share your authorisation details in advance. Any policy excess is payable directly to me.

Enquire about OCD Therapy

fees

faq

FAQs

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Enquire about OCD Therapy

If you’re not sure whether what you’re experiencing is OCD, that’s okay. You don’t need perfect clarity before reaching out - we can work out the pattern together.

What happens next

Send an enquiry using the form below, or text me on 07716 558 686.

I’ll reply by email or text (your choice) with next steps and, if helpful, a few times for a brief 15-minute call.

If we decide to go ahead, we’ll arrange a first appointment and a clear plan.