What We Treat
Evidence-based, individualized treatment for OCD from licensed clinicians, in person in San Pedro or online.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is a cycle. Unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges (obsessions) create intense distress, and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) bring momentary relief that never lasts. The relief teaches the brain to repeat the compulsion, and the cycle tightens. OCD can attach to almost anything: contamination, harm coming to people you love, doubt about whether you did something wrong, symmetry, relationships, or morality.
Disturbing thoughts, images, or urges that feel out of character and will not let go.
Checking, washing, counting, arranging, or repeating actions to ease the distress.
Reviewing, reassuring, or praying silently to neutralize a thought.
Asking others, or yourself, the same question again and again.
Steering around the people, places, or situations that trigger the thoughts.
OCD can attach to almost any theme and often overlaps with related conditions, and our clinicians treat the whole picture rather than a single label. Each area below has a page that explains how we approach it.
Broader worry and tension that frequently travels with OCD.
Sudden surges of fear that can accompany the distress of an intrusive thought.
Fear of judgment that can overlap with obsessions centered on how others see you.
Focused fears treated with the same gradual, exposure-based approach.
OCD and depression often occur together, so we treat them as one connected picture.
OCD has a first-line, evidence-based treatment, and our clinicians are trained to deliver it. We build a plan with you and work at a pace you can manage.
The gold-standard treatment for OCD and a structured form of CBT. You gradually face feared thoughts and situations while resisting the compulsion that usually follows, until it loses its power.
Complements ERP by helping you relate to intrusive thoughts as mental events rather than commands, so you can act on your values instead of your fears.
| Approach | Best suited for | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| ERP | Intrusive thoughts driving compulsions and avoidance | You face feared thoughts and situations while resisting the compulsion until it loses its power. |
| ACT | A tangled, fearful relationship with intrusive thoughts | Helps you relate to intrusive thoughts as mental events rather than commands to obey. |
Starting therapy should feel clear, not overwhelming. Here is how it works at Coastwise.
We start with a short, private conversation to understand what you are dealing with and what you want from therapy.
We pair you with a licensed clinician who treats OCD and fits what you are working through, not whoever happens to be free.
Your clinician builds a plan with you and works at a pace you can manage, so progress feels steady and sustainable.
We work with adults and teens whose OCD ranges from manageable but exhausting to severe and disabling. Because OCD so often travels with anxiety and depression, our clinicians treat the whole picture rather than a single label.
See us in person at our San Pedro office or work with a clinician securely online anywhere in California. ERP translates well to telehealth, and practicing exposures in your own environment is often an advantage.
The first-line, evidence-based treatment for OCD is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a structured form of CBT. We also use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you relate differently to intrusive thoughts. Your therapist builds a plan with you and works at a pace you can manage.
No. OCD involves unwanted, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions) done to reduce the distress those thoughts cause. It can attach to contamination, harm, relationships, morality, symmetry, and much more. Tidiness is a stereotype, not the disorder.
Many people see meaningful change within a few months of consistent ERP work, though it varies with severity and how long symptoms have been present. The goal is not to eliminate every intrusive thought but to loosen the grip of the compulsions so the thoughts stop running your life.
Yes. ERP works well over secure video, and doing exposures in your own environment can actually help. We see clients in person in San Pedro and virtually across California.
Often, yes. OCD frequently occurs with anxiety and depression, and we treat the whole picture rather than one diagnosis in isolation.
OCD responds to the right treatment. Call us for a free, confidential consultation and we will match you to a clinician who treats it.
Call (424) 536-3002 Get Started