In-person & online sessions available across Illinois and Indiana
OCD THERAPY IN OAK PARK, IL
What if everything actually turned out okay?
Even if you know the thought doesn’t make sense, your mind still won’t let it go.
Maybe you saw something on the El, and now you’re spiraling, wondering if you somehow stepped on a needle and could get sick. (It’s surely happened before, right?) You keep replaying a moment at a restaurant, convincing yourself you saw blood on a server’s sleeve and that you’ve now put your family at risk. There could be part of you that knows the fear is unlikely—but the “what if” won’t leave you alone. And if it wasn’t blood…what was it actually?
Truthfully, the anxiety is unbearable until you do something to quiet it. So you check, avoid, research, repeat the ritual, or make sure everything is “just right” so you can finally breathe again. It’s easier that way. You tell yourself, just do it and get it over with. But of course, the relief never lasts for long.
Meanwhile, the people around you are noticing. Your partner may be worried—you’re worried, too! You might even catch yourself wondering if your kids are starting to copy the same patterns. And those kinds of thoughts alone are enough to make you think: I can’t keep living like this.
OCD CAN LOOK LIKE…
Having to wear a certain color on a certain day, or you won’t be able to function
Living in daily fear that if you don’t do this or that, something terrible is going to happen
Re-reading emails or text messages multiple times before sending them because you’re terrified of making a mistake
Spending hours researching symptoms online because you’re convinced you may have contracted a disease
Washing your hands, checking something, or repeating a ritual until it finally feels “right”
Apologizing repeatedly because you’re afraid you’ve upset someone—even when they say you didn’t
WHAT IS OCD?
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a cycle of intrusive thoughts and behaviors meant to relieve anxiety. The thoughts often feel urgent and distressing, and the behaviors or rituals provide short-term relief—but it never lasts, and the cycle keeps repeating.
You don’t need a formal OCD diagnosis for these patterns to be real. Many people experience obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors without ever being officially diagnosed.
MY APPROACH
WHEN A THOUGHT OR BEHAVIOR HAS ALWAYS BEEN YOUR SAFETY NET, LETTING IT GO CAN FEEL SCARY.
When you’re used to managing a lot—your career, your family, your responsibilities—you often become the one who keeps everything running and looks out for everyone else’s emotional well-being. Being thoughtful, careful, and attentive has likely served you well in many areas of your life; it’s how you adapted to survive in your life. These adaptations have now become overdeveloped, and you find them to be more stressful than helpful.
What may have once felt like being responsible, detail-oriented, or vigilant can become debilitating. Your mind starts scanning for what could go wrong, and the urge to double-check, avoid, or “make sure” things are okay begins to take over. This is where OCD enters the picture and no….you are not crazy….you are simply trying to calm your nervous system. How do we change these patterns?
We start by diving deeper into what’s actually happening. This means taking a look at the specific kinds of obsessions and compulsions that are causing the most distress and begin understanding how they developed. (I recognize you may have been experiencing these things for most, if not all, of your life.) Patterns don’t appear out of nowhere—they’re formed over time as ways of coping with stress, uncertainty, or pressure.
From there, we begin changing the cycle.
You’ll learn how OCD pulls you into patterns of anxiety and temporary relief
We’ll practice new ways of responding when those thoughts show up, and learn how to tolerate uncertainty and/or discomfort
Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), you will learn how to re-engage in your life and relationships, rather than avoid them
Therapy with me will always move at a pace that feels manageable, because shifting a pattern that once helped you cope—even if it’s no longer serving you—takes courage. Step by step, it becomes possible to live with far less fear and far more freedom.
HOW DOES LIFE LOOK WHEN OCD DOESN’T HAVE THE FINAL SAY?
Feeling more comfortable in situations that once triggered anxiety or avoidance.
More compassion for yourself instead of constant frustration or self-criticism.
An understanding of how your OCD patterns developed and why they made sense at the time.
Less urgency to perform compulsions just to quiet the anxiety.
Being okay with uncertainty without feeling like something terrible will happen.
The ability to move through everyday life—taking the train, making decisions, being around others—without OCD ruling every decision.
OCD THRIVES ON AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE. HEALING HAPPENS WHEN WE RETURN TO THE PRESENT.
frequently asked questions
FAQS
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OCD can show up in many ways, including fears of contamination or illness, intrusive thoughts about harming others, checking behaviors, mental rituals, or a strong need for things to feel “just right.” I help women in therapy focus less on the specific theme and more on the cycle that keeps the anxiety and compulsions going.
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Yes. With the right support and tools, many people experience significant relief from OCD symptoms. The thoughts may still appear from time to time, but they no longer have the same power or control over your life.
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I have extensive experience working with women struggling with obsessive thoughts, compulsive behaviors, and anxious patterns. My work focuses on helping clients understand how these patterns developed and teaching them how to respond differently so the cycle of anxiety and compulsions begins to weaken.
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OCD has a way of convincing your brain that a thought is urgent or a situation is dangerous, even when part of you knows it probably isn’t. The more you try to analyze the thought, push it away, or figure it out, the more attention your brain gives it. Therapy can help you step out of that loop so the thought loses its power to pull you in again and again.
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No. Many women begin therapy because they recognize patterns of obsessive thoughts or compulsive behaviors in their lives, even if they’ve never received a formal diagnosis. If these patterns are causing stress, anxiety, or taking up more mental space than you’d like, therapy can still be very helpful. Part of our work together may involve understanding whether OCD is part of what you’re experiencing.
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Yes. As a licensed mental health professional, I can assess for OCD as part of our work together. During the consultation and early sessions, we’ll talk about the thoughts, behaviors, and patterns you’ve been experiencing to better understand what’s going on and how best to support you.
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According to the International OCD Foundation, ERP “is the proven, most effective therapy for OCD.” I am not trained in ERP, but am trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which is currently showing promise as an effective treatment for OCD and has strong research support. I do know excellent ERP therapists in the area if that is the treatment you seek.