C. Julieta Aguilera Rice, PhD
All ages + families
Works with kids, teens, adults, couples, and families, including anxiety and OCD.
Read bioOCD Treatment · North County San Diego
OCD Therapy in San Diego
For intrusive thoughts and compulsions that have taken up too much room in your life. Our psychologists offer evidence-based OCD treatment, built around Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), so the loop loses its grip and you get your time back.
4.9 on Google · 90+ reviews across our three offices
Who we see
Kids–adults
Children, teens & adults
Approach
ERP
Plus mindfulness integration
In person
North County
Carlsbad & Vista offices
Also online
Telehealth
Anywhere in California
Specialized care for OCD
Real relief, from a real specialist.
If you are searching for OCD therapy in San Diego, an OCD therapist, or an OCD specialist who actually treats the disorder, you are in the right place. The cycle of obsessions and compulsions can quietly erode the things that matter most: your relationships, your work, your sense of yourself. Our licensed psychologists at Coastal Therapy Group offer evidence-based OCD treatment and counseling that targets that cycle head-on.
We work with adults, teens, and children across our Carlsbad and Vista offices, and via telehealth throughout California. Rather than fighting your mind, we help you change your relationship to intrusive thoughts, so they lose their pull.
We are a private-pay, out-of-network practice, and we provide superbills you can submit to your insurance for potential reimbursement. Many clients with PPO plans are reimbursed for a meaningful portion of their sessions. See our Cost + Info page for current rates.
What is OCD?
A loud alarm that won't switch off.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a condition in which intrusive, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) create intense anxiety, and the mind responds by urging repetitive behaviors (compulsions) to find relief. The relief is temporary. The loop starts again. OCD affects roughly 1 in 40 adults over a lifetime, and it is highly treatable.
These thoughts often feel sticky, urgent, and impossible to shake. Over time, the cycle can seep into every area of life. Think of it like a faulty smoke alarm: it goes off loudly, unpredictably, and at the worst possible moments, pulling you away from the life you want to be living.
OCD is not a personality flaw or a sign of weakness. It is a well-understood condition with highly effective, well-researched treatment.
Signs of OCD
Two sides of the same loop.
OCD symptoms fall into two categories: obsessions (the thoughts) and compulsions (the responses). If any of these sound familiar, you are not alone, and treatment works.
Common obsessions
- Fear of harm: persistent worry about accidentally or intentionally hurting yourself or someone else
- Contamination fears: intense anxiety about germs, dirt, illness, or feeling "dirty"
- Need for symmetry: an overwhelming drive for things to feel "just right"
- Pathological doubt: an inability to tolerate uncertainty, like wondering whether you locked the door or left the stove on
- Forbidden or intrusive thoughts: unwanted images or urges around taboo sexual, religious, or violent themes
Common compulsions
- Excessive cleaning: repeated hand-washing, showering, or scrubbing, sometimes to the point of physical pain
- Checking rituals: re-checking locks, appliances, or switches over and over before leaving home
- Mental rituals: silently repeating words, prayers, or numbers to neutralize a bad thought
- Ordering and arranging: spending significant time aligning objects until they feel symmetrical or correct
- Reassurance-seeking: repeatedly asking others for confirmation, or asking the same question again and again
Types of OCD we treat
OCD wears many faces.
OCD looks different from person to person, and it often shows up in more than one form at once. Our psychologists treat the full range, including:
- 01
Contamination OCD
Fears of germs, illness, chemicals, or feeling contaminated, paired with washing, cleaning, or avoidance.
- 02
Checking & harm OCD
Intrusive fears of causing harm or making a catastrophic mistake, paired with checking, reviewing, and reassurance.
- 03
"Just right" OCD
A need for symmetry, order, or a "complete" feeling, paired with arranging, counting, or repeating until it fits.
- 04
Pure O (intrusive thoughts)
Unwanted sexual, violent, or blasphemous thoughts with mostly hidden mental compulsions rather than visible rituals.
- 05
Relationship OCD
Relentless doubt about a partner or the relationship, paired with analyzing, testing, and seeking certainty.
- 06
Scrupulosity
Obsessive fears about morality, religion, or being a "bad person," paired with confessing, praying, or self-checking.
Our treatment
Exposure and Response Prevention, step by step.
The most effective, evidence-based treatment for OCD is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a specialized form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with decades of research behind it. Here is how it works.
- 01
Exposure
You are gradually and safely introduced to the thoughts, images, or situations that trigger your anxiety, for example touching a surface that feels "contaminated," at a pace you help set.
- 02
Response prevention
With your therapist alongside you, you practice not performing the compulsion, for example not washing your hands afterward, so the ritual stops running the show.
- 03
The result
Over time, your brain learns that anxiety fades on its own, without the ritual. The loop loses its grip, and daily life opens back up.
Our psychologists integrate mindfulness into OCD treatment so you can meet yourself with patience and self-compassion, not just discipline. That combination strengthens the long-term results of ERP and supports a fuller, more sustainable recovery. The alarm may be loud right now. With the right support, you can learn to turn down the noise.
ERP vs. hypnosis
What about hypnosis for OCD?
A lot of people search for hypnotherapy or hypnosis for intrusive thoughts, hoping to quiet the mind. It is a fair thing to want. But hypnosis is not an established treatment for OCD, and we do not offer it. What the research supports is ERP, and we do integrate mindfulness meditation to help you observe intrusive thoughts without getting pulled in.
ERP Hypnosis
What it targets The obsession-compulsion loop directly Relaxation and suggestion, not the loop
Evidence for OCD First-line, decades of research Not an established OCD treatment
What you build Lasting tolerance for uncertainty Temporary calm that tends to fade
Questions
Frequently asked questions about OCD treatment.
01 How is OCD different from general anxiety?
Both involve worry and distress, but OCD runs a specific loop: an intrusive thought triggers anxiety, which drives a compulsion, which gives brief relief, and then repeats. Generalized anxiety usually doesn't follow that ritual cycle. ERP is built for OCD's pattern and is different from standard anxiety therapy.
02 Does ERP therapy actually work for OCD?
Yes. Exposure and Response Prevention is one of the most researched treatments in all of mental health, and it is considered the first-line psychotherapy for OCD. Most people who complete a course of ERP with a trained therapist see meaningful, lasting reduction in their symptoms.
03 What is "Pure O" OCD?
"Pure O" refers to OCD where the compulsions are mostly mental, such as ruminating, mentally reviewing, or silently reassuring yourself, rather than visible behavioral rituals. It is just as real and just as treatable with ERP.
04 Does hypnosis or hypnotherapy work for OCD?
Hypnosis is not an established treatment for OCD, and we do not offer it. What the research supports for OCD is ERP. We do integrate mindfulness meditation into treatment, which helps you notice intrusive thoughts without reacting to them, and pairs well with the exposure work rather than replacing it.
05 Do you treat OCD in children and teens?
Yes. We provide OCD therapy for children and teens as well as adults, and we bring families into the work when it helps. ERP is adapted to a young person's age and pace, and parents learn how to stop accommodating the rituals at home so progress holds.
06 Do you offer OCD therapy online in California?
Yes. We offer telehealth OCD treatment for adults, teens, and children throughout California, alongside in-person sessions in Carlsbad and Vista. ERP works well over secure video, and it lets us do exposures in the settings where your OCD actually shows up, like your own home.
07 How long does OCD treatment take?
Most people begin to see meaningful improvement within 12 to 20 sessions of focused ERP, though this varies with symptom severity and individual factors. Your psychologist will set realistic goals with you and pace the work to your readiness.
08 How much does OCD therapy cost, and do you take insurance?
Sessions are $260, our licensed psychologist rate. We are a private-pay, out-of-network practice, and we provide superbills you can submit for potential out-of-network reimbursement, which many clients with PPO plans use to recover a meaningful portion of the cost. You can see current rates on our Cost + Info page.
09 How do I find an OCD specialist in San Diego?
The clearest first step is a free 15-minute consultation. Our care coordinator will learn what you are struggling with, answer your questions, and match you with a psychologist who does OCD and ERP work at our Carlsbad or Vista office, or online anywhere in California.
Meet the team
Meet our OCD therapists.
Every clinician here holds a doctorate in psychology. These are the psychologists who work most with OCD and intrusive thoughts across our Carlsbad and Vista offices, and online throughout California.
Clare Edwards, PhD
All ages + couples
Works with clients across the lifespan on anxiety, OCD, and the patterns underneath.
Read bio
Gabriel Lowe, PhD
Adults + couples
Works with adults on anxiety, OCD, and intrusive thoughts, in demanding lives and careers.
Read bioReady when you are
Take the first step.
You do not have to keep circling the same loop. OCD therapy in San Diego, at our Carlsbad or Vista offices or online, can help you loosen the grip of intrusive thoughts and get back to the life that matters most to you.
4.9 on Google · 90+ reviews · Serving North County since 2018
