You checked. You replayed the conversation. You asked for reassurance. For a moment, you felt better. Then the doubt came back.
OCD can take up hours of your day, even when no one else can see it. At Third Wave, we help adults and teens understand the cycle and practice responding differently, so there is more room for the life they want.
Ask about OCD therapy in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, or Garner, or online throughout North Carolina. We’ll help you find a clinician whose experience and availability fit your needs.
OCD Therapy
OCD doesn’t always look like you think.
Intrusive thoughts
Unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that feel distressing and hard to let go of. Having a thought does not mean you want it or will act on it.
Mental rituals
Replaying conversations, reviewing memories, silently counting, or trying to prove to yourself that nothing bad happened.
Checking & reassurance
Repeatedly checking locks, messages, your body, or your work. Asking others for certainty, then feeling the need to ask again.
Avoidance & “just right”
Avoiding people or situations that trigger doubt, or repeating actions until they feel safe, complete, or exactly right.
How OCD therapy can help
Compulsions can bring short-term relief while keeping the doubt going. Therapy helps you recognize that pattern and build a different response. You and your therapist will make a plan together, with clear steps and room to talk about what feels difficult.
ERP: practice a different response
Exposure and Response Prevention helps you gradually face triggers and uncertainty while practicing not doing the rituals you use for relief. Your therapist plans these steps with you.
ACT: make room for what matters
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can help you relate differently to difficult thoughts and feelings and take steps toward what matters to you, even when uncertainty is still there.
Support between sessions
You’ll practice skills in everyday situations, then work through what helped and what got in the way with your therapist. Progress is about more freedom in your life, not getting every thought or practice “right.”
Find your OCD therapist
You don’t need to be certain you have OCD before asking for help. Tell us what has been happening, and our Wellness Coordination team will help you find a therapist and understand your insurance or self-pay options.
Meet Katherine Roethling, LCSW →
Katherine works with adolescents and adults and uses ERP and ACT in OCD treatment. Ask our team about her availability and other clinicians who may fit your needs.
Get matched with an OCD therapist → ·
Still learning about OCD? Read OCD Doesn’t Always Look Like You Think →