CBT for OCD
With a National Award (BACP) for clinical excellence in psychotherapy provision, Maggie Morrow founded Klearminds in 2008 and brings you a team of highly experienced therapists in London who provide CBT therapy to help you understand, manage and overcome OCD and related anxiety symptoms.
Let us take the uncertainty out of finding the right therapist. With over 30 years of expertise, our Clinical Directors can recommend the best therapist to help you break free from obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours.
We offer therapy rooms in Central London, the City of London and online therapy options.
KlearMinds Unique CBT Therapy for OCD
At KlearMinds, we understand how unwanted thoughts or repetitive behaviours can start taking too much space in your mind, but we also know that with the right approach, you can make real progress and feel better equipped to move forward. Our highly skilled CBT therapists combine CBT for OCD into a tailored blend of evidence based therapies because this approach produces lasting change. Your therapist will create a personalised plan that helps you understand and manage the patterns that maintain OCD. You’ll learn practical tools to reduce anxiety, break free from compulsive cycles, and regain a sense of calm, confidence and control.
At KlearMinds, we can help you:
- Gain insight into the root causes and patterns of OCD, enabling you to take back control of your life.
- Identify triggers that activate obsessive thoughts and compulsions, and learn strategies to reduce their intensity and influence.
- Apply proven, structured CBT techniques to break the link between anxiety and compulsions, enabling healthier and more flexible responses.
- Challenge and reframe unhelpful thinking styles that fuel anxiety and compulsive cycles.
- Reduce the emotional and physical burden of OCD through evidence-based calming, grounding, and emotional regulation strategies.
- Strengthen coping mechanisms and problem-solving skills for managing daily challenges with greater clarity and confidence.
At KlearMinds, CBT for OCD is designed to deliver tangible, life-changing benefits. Beyond reducing symptoms, our experienced therapists help you build lasting resilience, so you can move forward with increased confidence, freedom and peace of mind.
CBT for OCD Reviews
Meet Our Experienced OCD Therapists
Karen Gubb
Psychologist & Executive Coach
PhD Psychology, MA Clinical Psychology, BSc (Honours) Psychology, BSc, PCC, HCPC, BPSKaren holds over 22 years experience.
Kate Thomlinson
Psychotherapist & Counsellor
MA Counselling & Psychotherapy, Adv Dip, UKCP, SEA, CECKate is a highly skilled therapist with over 10 years experience.
Judy Harrison
Psychotherapist, Couples Therapist
PG Dip Psychotherapy, Dip Mediation, Mindfulness Meditation Cert, Cert Psychotherapy, UKCP, BACPJudy holds over 25 years experience.
Paul Glynn
Clinical Director, Psychotherapist, Counsellor & Couples Therapist
MSc Counselling, PG Adv Cert CBT, Adv Cert Clinical Supervision, BPhil, MBACP (Snr. Accred)Paul Glynn holds over 35 years experience.
Symptoms of OCD that CBT Therapy Can Help
CBT is highly effective in helping adults manage the everyday challenges that OCD can bring. It provides practical tools and insights to reduce obsessions, resist compulsions, and regain a greater sense of calm, confidence, and control in daily life.
At KlearMinds, we use CBT to help with:
- Obsessive thoughts (Pure OCD): repetitive, intrusive thoughts or fears that cause distress or anxiety.
- Compulsive behaviours: urges to check, clean, repeat actions, or seek reassurance.
- Avoidance and reassurance-seeking: habits that temporarily reduce anxiety but keep the OCD cycle going.
- Perfectionism and doubt: excessive fear of making mistakes, needing things “just right,” or feeling responsible for preventing harm.
- Emotional regulation: learning to tolerate uncertainty, discomfort, and anxiety more effectively.
- Self-esteem and confidence: reducing guilt, shame, or self-criticism linked to OCD symptoms.
CBT helps you understand the thought and behaviour patterns that maintain OCD and gives you proven, structured strategies to break the cycle. With expert guidance and support, you can feel calmer, more in control, and free to focus on what truly matters in your life.
Common Types of OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can appear in many different ways. For some people, it involves repetitive thoughts or mental images that cause distress, while for others, it also includes compulsive actions or rituals carried out to relieve anxiety. Although the specific themes vary, the underlying cycle of fear, uncertainty, and repetitive behaviour remains the same.
Below are some of the more common types of OCD:
Intrusive Aggressive Thoughts (Pure OCD)
Disturbing, unwanted thoughts or images of harming others or engaging in inappropriate acts. These thoughts are completely out of character and cause intense feelings of fear, shame, or guilt.
Checking OCD
A persistent urge to repeatedly check things — such as locks, switches, or appliances — out of fear that something bad might happen if the checking isn’t done “properly.”
Harm OCD
Ongoing fears about accidentally or deliberately hurting someone, often accompanied by mental checking, avoidance, or reassurance-seeking to ensure no harm has occurred.
Symmetry and Order OCD
An overwhelming need for items to be arranged symmetrically or “just right,” or for actions to be completed in a certain order or number, to prevent discomfort or imagined negative outcomes.
Contamination OCD
A powerful fear of germs, illness, or environmental contaminants, which may lead to compulsive cleaning, washing, or avoidance of certain places, people, or objects.
Fear of Losing Control
Frightening thoughts or urges about shouting, acting aggressively, or behaving inappropriately — even though the individual has no wish or intention to do so.
OCD often presents as a mix of these patterns rather than a single “type.” While the specific worries and rituals differ from person to person, the underlying experience, feeling trapped in a cycle of intrusive thoughts and anxiety-relieving behaviours, is similar.
It’s important to remember that these thoughts do not define who you are. OCD is a treatable condition, and with the right therapeutic support, you can learn to break free from these patterns, manage anxiety more effectively, and regain a sense of calm, confidence, and control in your life.
Benefits and What You Can Expect
At KlearMinds, your therapist will help you develop the understanding, structure, and tools needed to create meaningful, lasting change, so you can move forward with greater calm, confidence, and peace of mind.
With CBT for OCD, you can expect to:
- Understand the patterns that trigger obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours
- Learn practical tools to reduce the power of intrusive thoughts and manage anxiety
- Develop confidence in resisting compulsions and tolerating uncertainty safely
- Break the cycle of reassurance-seeking and avoidance behaviours
- Strengthen emotional regulation and resilience when faced with anxiety triggers
- Reconnect with activities, relationships, and goals that OCD may have disrupted
- Build lasting confidence and trust in your ability to manage challenges effectively
How does CBT for OCD Therapy Work?
Whether you’ve received an OCD diagnosis or have simply noticed that intrusive thoughts or repetitive behaviours are taking up too much space in your mind, it’s understandable that this can feel distressing and overwhelming. Recognising what’s happening is the first step toward understanding the patterns that keep OCD going and learning effective ways to manage them.
The cognitive aspect of CBT helps you explore unhelpful thoughts, such as excessive responsibility, perfectionism, or fear-based beliefs, that can fuel anxiety and compulsive urges.
The behavioural aspect focuses on gradually changing the behaviours that keep OCD cycles active, in order to reduce anxiety and build resilience over time.
A trained CBT therapist will help you understand how your thoughts and behaviours interact to maintain OCD and will guide you in developing practical tools to break free from compulsive patterns. You’ll learn strategies to manage anxiety, reduce reassurance-seeking, and respond to intrusive thoughts in more balanced and flexible ways.
CBT for OCD is typically a structured, short to medium-term therapy designed to give you practical, actionable tools for managing symptoms and reducing distress. While it doesn’t focus deeply on your past, it helps you make significant progress in the present. For those who want to understand how past experiences fuel OCD thoughts and compulsions, our therapists can integrate additional therapies into the work to help you make lasting change, understood from the roots upwards.
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FAQS
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How long does CBT for OCD take to work?
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Many people start to notice improvements within the first few sessions, as they learn practical tools to manage obsessions and reduce compulsive behaviours. For longer-standing or more complex patterns, additional sessions can be helpful to consolidate progress and support lasting change. For example, some people find 6 to 12 or 24 sessions works well for them, other people find more sessions useful. Your therapist will be pleased to chat with you about how many sessions you may find most helpful.
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What happens in the first CBT session for OCD?
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Is CBT effective for all types of OCD?
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Do I need a diagnosis before starting?
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Can I combine CBT with medication?
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Our Locations
Our Therapy Rooms are near:
Mayfair – Soho – Harley Street – Covent Garden
Our Therapy Fees
Accepted Insurance Providers
Not Accepted Insurance Providers
Bupa UK, AXA, Healix, Vitality and Freedom
Professional Accreditations and Associations
Our hand-selected therapists have trained in the UK’s most respected institutions. They hold a minimum of 8 and up to 30 years clinical experience within the NHS, private and/or charitable sectors. They are registered with:
