OCD & Anxiety Therapy

OCD is Not What Most People Think

OCD is not about being neat, organized, or overly particular. It is a neurological condition characterized by intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) performed to reduce distress. OCD is often invisible to others — and even to the person living with it.

 

OCD can look like:

• Intrusive thoughts about harm, contamination, or morality that feel horrifying and wrong

• Religious or scrupulosity OCD — fears about sinning, blasphemy, or not being ‘right’ with God

• Relationship OCD — persistent doubt about partners, love, fidelity, or one’s own orientation

• Pure-O — primarily mental compulsions with few visible rituals

• Symmetry, order, or ‘just right’ OCD

• Health anxiety and contamination fears

• Tics and OCD-related body-focused behaviors

 

OCD is highly treatable — but generic talk therapy is often not enough, and can sometimes make symptoms worse. Specialized treatment with a provider who truly understands OCD makes all the difference.

 

The Gold-Standard Treatment: ERP

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the evidence-based treatment of choice for OCD. It works by helping you gradually face the thoughts, situations, or feelings that trigger your obsessions — while resisting the compulsion to perform rituals — so your brain learns that the feared outcome doesn’t materialize, and that you can tolerate the discomfort without acting on it. ERP is not about willpower. It’s about rewiring.

 

We also integrate EMDR where appropriate, particularly when OCD is connected to past trauma, shame, or when the distress has a strong physical (somatic) component. For many clients, combining ERP and EMDR produces faster and more lasting results than either approach alone.

 

Anxiety Disorders We Treat

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Social anxiety and performance anxiety

• Panic disorder with or without agoraphobia

• Health anxiety and illness anxiety

• Specific phobias

• PTSD-related anxiety

• Anxiety tied to work stress, moral injury, and occupational trauma

 

OCD & Anxiety in First Responders and Helpers

First responders, medical workers, chaplains, and other helpers are at elevated risk for OCD and anxiety disorders due to the high-stakes nature of their work and a professional culture that rewards control and perfectionism. OCD in high-functioning people often goes unrecognized for years. If this sounds like you or someone you know — there is effective, specialized help available.

 

In-person in Ashland City, TN. Telehealth available throughout Tennessee.

 

Ready to start? Call (615) 434-4255 or email rhorn@chadashcnc.org.

All new clients begin with a telehealth intake.