A good therapist can change the way you see yourself, your struggles, and what’s possible for you. And when they specialize in the condition you’re living with, their insight can be life-changing—especially when it comes to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD is often misunderstood and requires a different approach from other mental health conditions, so specialized expertise can make all the difference.
We turned to people who know this firsthand—the NOCD Community—and asked them to share the most helpful tips, tools, and perspective shifts from their OCD therapists. Here’s what they had to say.
OCD therapist advice about OCD
“You can’t logic your way out of OCD. You have to feel your way out! …For me, it meant that OCD always wants one more answer, one more reassurance, and one more ‘what if.’ …So instead of constantly trying to figure everything out, I’m learning how to sit with the discomfort and uncertainty without doing compulsions or needing immediate certainty.” -_maliahclay
“Don’t let OCD take the wheel. Imagine that you’re the one [driving] and OCD is just a crying baby in the backseat. It can be annoying, but they’ll cry themselves tired eventually.” -jackiewoods
“You want to piss OCD off—passively going along with [it]…Then it has nothing left to work with since you’re not fighting it.” -allisonrbrown
“Having OCD is like a kid trying to scream something at you simply to redirect your attention—it’s always something that bothers you the most, so you feel like you have to think about it. It helped me realize that just because the thoughts feel loud and urgent, that doesn’t make them more important.” -Christina H
OCD therapist advice about intrusive thoughts
“The most helpful thing that my therapist has said is, ‘You are not your thoughts,’ and also ‘Everybody gets intrusive thoughts.’ …I spent a lot of time thinking that I was alone in my thoughts, or that just because I was having a bad thought, I was a bad person. But now I see that you get to choose which thoughts you listen to, and that defines who you are.” -Anonymous OCD Conqueror
“I don’t have to prove or disprove the thought.” -Anonymous NOCD Member
“To remember the value that I hold and understand that my thoughts don’t represent who I am. And even in moments of discomfort, no matter how much my brain tries to tell me that I don’t, that I owe myself grace every step of the way.” -HopefulUnicorn
“Just because you feel guilty doesn’t mean you are guilty.” -Rsf
“My therapist compared passing thoughts to random people in the grocery store. You may notice them, but it would be weird to follow them around. Just notice the people and keep walking, and in the same way, you can acknowledge the thought and then let it pass without engaging. This comparison has really stuck with me!” -ekg_dandelion
OCD therapist advice about uncertainty
“[My therapist told me] I can live life with uncertainty! And now it is becoming less and less uncomfortable!” -Debee
“We can never be 100% certain about anything.” -Ava Rose
“OCD tries to solve our obsessions. It’s not until we realize we can live with uncertainty that we’re free. This was what I needed to hear my whole life.” -gina4
OCD therapist advice about resisting compulsions
“[My therapist] said that for me to get better, I need to stop trying to figure it out. Non-engagement is always your friend and the more OCD nudges you to [engage in compulsions], the more you are delaying your progress.” -Saachi123!
“You don’t have to make any decisions right now. Just sit with it and let the wave pass. …You can do this.” -izzy_
“[My therapist] said that I would have to get comfortable with the idea of ‘maybe you did, maybe you didn’t,’ and that for most situations there is no amount of mental review, asking for reassurance, or doing ‘research’ that will get me any closer to resolution.” -Ike72
A final piece of advice
You [may] never feel ready, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t ready.
Anonymous NOCD Member
Beginning treatment for OCD can feel like a big step, but as one NOCD Member’s therapist shared, “You [may] never feel ready, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t ready.” It’s a reminder that change often begins in the moments when we choose to move forward in spite of fear, doubt, or uncertainty.
OCD can convince people that their intrusive thoughts are too upsetting to talk about, or that no one could possibly understand what they’re experiencing. We hope the advice our community has shared can show you that specialized OCD therapists hear these struggles every day—and no matter what you’re going through, they’ll know how to help.
At NOCD, all of our therapists specialize in exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy, the most effective treatment for OCD. They deeply understand all of the different ways OCD can show up, and they know how to help you take back anything OCD has tried to take away. To learn more and get matched with the right NOCD Therapist for you, book a free 15-minute call with our team.
