Breaking Free from Compulsions & Retuals
Treatment for OCD: Stopping the obsessive compulsive cycle
OCD Therapy in Maryland, Nevada, South Carolina & Vermont
Last Updated: January 2026
Are you tired of being stuck in the relentless cycle of obsessions and compulsions? Whether you are navigating a high pressure career in Bethesda or Potomac, or managing the daily grind in Ellicott City, OCD can make every day feel like an uphill battle.
OCD Therapy can help you break free from the exhausting cycle of intrusive thoughts and compulsions.
From the outside, you look successful and in control. But internally, you are lost in a maze of fear, doubt and desperate need for reassurance. I provide specialized online treatment for OCD for residents across Maryland, the professional hubs of Summerlin and Henderson in Nevada, and throughout South Carolina and Vermont.
Through structured, proven approaches like ERP, I help you regain control of your life, learn to tolerate uncertainty and finally quiet the “mental noise.”
Is OCD Holding You Hostage? Recognizing the Cycle
OCD is sneaky. It targets the things you value most: your safety, your morality and your loved ones. It often looks like
- The “Just One More” Check: You remember locking the front door but the unbearable anxiety and nagging thought of “did I really?” makes you go back to check again and again.
- The Search for Certainty: You’ve spent the last 30 minutes washing your hands. Each time you think you’re done but the fear returns. What if I missed a spot? What if I touched something but didn’t realize it? Even though the fear doesn’t make sense, it feels terrifyingly real.
- The Growing Sacrifice: You don’t keep sharp knives at home, not because you’d ever hurt someone but because OCD whispers, What if? Even though you know you would never act on it, the fear makes you adjust your life. The list of sacrifices keeps growing.
The Truth: You are not alone. Approximately 1.% (3.5 million) of Americans are affected by OCD. It has a way of convincing you that you’re the problem, that you’re the only one who struggles like this. But that is simply not true.
Visible vs. Invisible: How OCD Shows Up
Many professionals dismiss their struggle because they don’t have visible rituals. While some OCD rituals are obvious to an observer, many of the most exhausting compulsions happen entirely within the mind. Both are equally disruptive and both are highly treatable with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
Visible Rituals (Physical Compulsions)
These are the behaviors people typically associate with OCD. They are often used to fix a physical threat or a feeling of being unclean.
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- Checking: Returning to the door or oven multiple times to ensure it is off/locked.
- Cleaning/Washing: Excessive hand washing, showering or sanitizing objects until they feel just right.
- Symmetry & Ordering: Arranging items in a specific way or ensuring things are perfectly aligned to prevent a “bad thing” from happening.
- Tapping or Touching: Needing to touch a surface or perform a movement a certain number of times to neutralize an intrusive thought.
Invisible Rituals (Mental Compulsions)
These are common among adults and professionals. Because they are invisible, they are often mistaken for overthinking or perfectionism.
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- Mental Reviewing: Replaying a past conversation or event in your head over and over to prove you didn’t do something wrong, offensive or illegal.
- Mental Reassurance: Repeatedly telling yourself, “I’m a good person,” or “I’m okay” to quiet an intrusive thought.
- Counting or Praying: Silently repeating specific phrases, numbers or prayers in your head to “cancel out” a negative thought.
- Mental Checking: Scanning your body to see if you feel a certain sensation (like an itch) and analyzing what that sensation means.
- Mental List Making: Mentally listing what needs to be done or items that have been contaminated.
The Transformation: From Rituals to Reality
Healing from OCD isn’t about making the thoughts disappear entirely; it’s about removing the power those thoughts have over your actions.
The Cycle of Exhaustion (Before Therapy)
Your hands are dry, cracked, and raw or perhaps your mind is exhausted from hours of mental “checking.” One thought “Did I lock the door?” or “What if I’m a bad person?” sets off a surge of fear. You perform the ritual (the wash, the check, the prayer) and for a moment, you feel relief. But it’s short-lived. The doubt creeps back in and the “what if” pulls you back under. You aren’t living your life; you are surviving your compulsions.
The Power of Neutrality (After Therapy)
You notice the intrusive thought pop up, but you don’t have to fix, neutralize or answer it. You move on with your day. You can lock the door once and walk away without looking back. That sense of calm? That’s the result of retraining your brain to recognize the OCD signal as a false alarm. You have moved from a place of automatic reaction to a place of intentional self-trust.
~ These are the kinds of changes that happen with OCD Therapy. ~
Specialized ERP Treatment: Why This Approach is Different
If you’ve tried traditional talk therapy and found it only provided temporary relief, I understand. My approach is different because it targets the mechanics of the disorder rather than just the content of the thoughts.
- ERP-Trained Specialist: I use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the gold standard and most evidenced-based treatment for OCD.
- Trauma-Informed Lens: For some, OCD is complicated by past experiences or traumas. As an EMDR Certified therapist, I can help you untangle these layers. (Learn more on my Treatment for Trauma page).
- Structured Strategy: We map out your specific OCD subtypes (such as contamination, somatic or harm OCD) and create a plan that feels challenging but never unsafe.
- Professional Pacing: We move in small, manageable steps. No judgment, no rushing, just supportive process that puts you back in control.
Meet Your OCD Specialist: Judy Wang, LCPC, CPC, LCMHC
I help people like you take back control from OCD. As a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and ERP-trained specialist, I provide a safe training ground to help you resist the compulsions that keep you stuck. Over time, you’ll discover that you’re stronger than OCD wants you to believe.
Facing your fears can feel terrifying but ERP isn’t about jumping in headfirst. It’s about taking small manageable steps with my support along the way. You can learn more about me here.
Together we’ll work through your fears safely and effectively, building your confidence as you learn to resist the compulsions that keep you stuck. Over time, you’ll discover that you’re stronger than OCD wants you to believe, You’ll learn to trust yourself again and no longer be a prisoner of your obsessions and compulsions.
What Working With Me Looks Like
OCD treatment begins with a careful understanding of your specific OCD subtypes (such as Contamination, “Pure O,” or Harm OCD), your triggers and your fear patterns.
- Structured Strategy: Therapy centers on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).
- Intentional Pace: Sessions are collaborative and paced so that progress feels challenging but never unsafe or overwhelming.
- Collaborative Support: ERP isn’t about jumping in headfirst; it’s about taking small, manageable steps with my support. You’ll discover you’re stronger than OCD.
You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck in the OCD Spiral
Imagine locking the door and walking away, without hesitation, without checking, without doubt pulling you back. Picture sitting with your thoughts, no longer afraid of them. Think about how much lighter life would feel if OCD wasn’t calling the shots.
That’s what we’ll work toward together when we start treatment for OCD. Not just breaking free from OCD’s grip, but taking back the moments, relationships and joy that OCD has taken from you.
Because you deserve a life that isn’t ruled by fear. And yes, you can get there!
Don’t let OCD gaslight you into believing you can’t. It’s just another lie.
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard of Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy and maybe it sounds intimidating. Let me reassure you: ERP is not about throwing you into the deep end and hoping you swim. It’s a step-by-step approach, designed to help you face your fears in a way that feels manageable, empowering and most importantly, supported.
Your Future After Treatment for OCD
Imagine waking up and starting your day without the weight of fear pressing down on you. The thoughts might still pop in but it’s just a flicker, a whisper and instead of spiraling into anxiety, you take a deep breath and let them pass. They’re just thoughts, no longer commands you feel powerless to resist. You go about your morning, not because you’ve checked and rechecked, but because you’ve learned to trust yourself.
After finishing your treatment for OCD, you can finally walk through your day, finally free to focus on the things that matter the most: your work, your family, your passions.
The rituals that used to consume hours of your time are no longer pulling you away from the life you want.
You’re present and connected, with a sense of calm that feels brand new but also so natural, like it was always meant to be this way.
This doesn’t meant that OCD is gone completely. Some days might still feel challenging, But here’s the difference:
OCD is no longer in charge!
Through effective treatment for OCD, you’ve learned how to make space for the discomfort without letting it rule your choices. The fear is still sometimes there but it’s just background noise now. Just a whisper and not a roar. It no longer feels impossible to live with. Instead, it’s something you notice and let be, while you move forward with your life.
This is what treatment for OCD can do for you.
Take the first step today because the life you want is waiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
If obsessive thoughts and rituals (physical or mental) take up more than an hour of your day or interfere with your work and relationships, specialized treatment is recommended. If you feel stuck in a cycle you can’t break alone, ERP is the proven path forward.
In sessions, we use Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP), the gold standard for OCD treatment. Together, we gradually face your fears in safe, manageable steps while learning how to resist compulsions. Over time, this helps reduce anxiety and builds your confidence in handling intrusive thoughts.
Yes. We are licensed to provide teletherapy sessions for clients in Maryland, Nevada, South Carolina and Vermont. Virtual ERP is highly effective because we can address triggers in your actual living environment, the place where the rituals often happen.
This is a major frustration for high achievers. OCD lives in the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system), not the logical prefrontal cortex. You cannot argue with a fire alarm. You have to use ERP to retrain your nervous system to recognize tha the danger isn’t real.
While intrusive thoughts may still pop in, they no longer trigger intense fear or commands. Treatment moves you to a state of Neutrality, where the fear is just background noise that no longer rules your choices.
The first step is scheduling a free consultation. We’ll talk about your struggles, explore how OCD shows up in your daily life and see if my approach is the right fit for your healing journey.