Areas I help with

OCD and intrusive thoughts — evidence-based therapy in Parramatta and online.

OCD is highly treatable. Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) has among the strongest evidence base for OCD, and it's one of the modalities I work with most — including experience at the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at St Vincent's Hospital, one of Australia's leading specialist anxiety services.

Evidence-based approach Parramatta + telehealth Medicare rebates available

What it looks like

How OCD & intrusive thoughts tends to show up.

Intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images or urges that feel deeply uncomfortable, shameful or threatening.

Compulsions — mental or physical acts done to reduce the anxiety those thoughts create (checking, washing, mental review, reassurance-seeking, avoidance).

Time lost to rituals, mental analysis, or avoiding triggers — often hours per day.

Themes that feel very personal: contamination, harm, relationships, sexual orientation, morality, religion, “just right” or symmetry.

A sense that the thoughts mean something about you — when in fact they’re the opposite of what you value.

Why it persists

What tends to keep it going.

Patterns are often maintained by the very things we do to cope with them. Therapy targets these directly.

Compulsions reinforce the fear

Every time a compulsion lowers anxiety, the brain learns the trigger really was dangerous. The obsession comes back stronger.

Avoidance narrows life

Avoiding triggers prevents the brain from ever learning it can tolerate them. Over time, the list of avoided situations grows.

Reassurance-seeking

Asking others for reassurance works like any other compulsion — short-term relief, long-term fuel.

Mental rituals

Analysing, neutralising, or mentally “solving” intrusive thoughts is often the main maintaining factor — and the hardest to spot.

How therapy helps

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), with CBT where it helps. Among the strongest evidence base for OCD.

Map your OCD precisely

We build a detailed map of your triggers, intrusive thoughts, compulsions (mental and physical), and avoided situations. Nothing generic.

Graded exposure

We work through a hierarchy of triggers from least to most difficult — deliberately bringing on the discomfort rather than running from it.

Response prevention

Exposures only work if the compulsion is dropped. We plan exactly what you will and won’t do when the urge hits.

Generalise and maintain

We extend gains into untrained areas of life and build a relapse-prevention plan so you can handle future flare-ups independently.

Dylan Fuller, Clinical Psychologist Registrar

Why work with me

Why I’m a fit for OCD & intrusive thoughts.

Trained where OCD is treated. Experience at the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at St Vincent's Hospital, one of Australia's leading specialist anxiety services.

ERP is core, not an add-on. It's one of the modalities I'm most extensively trained in, with ongoing supervision and professional development in OCD treatment.

Structured, individualised. Evidence-based ERP protocols, informed by your specific OCD themes — harm, contamination, sexual, religious, relationship, “just right”, or other.

Honest about the work. ERP asks something of you. I'll explain the reasoning, pace it carefully, and back you through it.

Telehealth-suitable. ERP works online — exposures happen in the environment where the OCD actually shows up.

In-person at Parramatta, serving Westmead, Harris Park, Granville, North Parramatta, Rosehill and Merrylands and surrounding Sydney suburbs. Telehealth available Australia-wide; ERP often works very well online.

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Free resources

Written & video resources on OCD & intrusive thoughts.

Practical guides, explainers and short videos you can use whether or not we work together.

View resources

FAQ

Common questions about OCD & intrusive thoughts.

Is my OCD theme too unusual / disturbing to talk about?

Almost certainly not. I have worked with intrusive thoughts across every category — harm, sexual, religious, relationship, contamination, symmetry. The content of the thought is never the problem; the relationship with it is.

I’m not sure if what I have is OCD.

OCD is often missed, especially when compulsions are mostly mental. A thorough assessment at session one will clarify whether OCD is the right frame — and what else might be going on.

Is ERP always uncomfortable?

ERP works by deliberately exposing you to discomfort. It’s designed to be challenging, but graded — we start where you can and build up. You’re always in control of the pace.

Can ERP be done online?

Yes — telehealth often works very well for OCD, because exposures can happen in your actual home or workplace.

How long does OCD treatment take?

Many evidence-based ERP protocols typically run 12–20 sessions. However, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The right length for you depends on severity, complexity, and how OCD is showing up — we agree an expected range at session two and review as we go.

I've tried therapy for OCD before and it didn't help. What's different here?

Often the missing piece is sustained, structured work with the avoidance, reassurance-seeking, checking, rumination or compulsions that keep OCD going. If you've tried therapy before, we would review what was helpful, where things got stuck, and what we might need to do differently — including whether ERP needs to be introduced, adjusted, or approached more gradually. If you've had ERP before, we'll look at what was tried, where it stalled, and what we'd do differently this time.

Will you make me do something I'm not ready for?

No. ERP is collaborative — we build a plan together and start where you can. You're always in control of the pace. The work is hard, but never sprung on you.

All FAQs & fees

Related areas

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