OCD Treatment That Actually Takes OCD Seriously
ERP grounded in Inhibitory Learning theory — not generic CBT — for adults who have tried other approaches and need something built specifically for OCD.
Felix Murad, M.Ed., LPC-S, LMHC, CMHC, NCC · Licensed in Texas, Washington, New Hampshire & Florida
If You Have OCD, You Already Know What It Costs
OCD is exhausting in a very specific way. It is not just the intrusive thoughts — it is the effort of managing them. The rituals that bring brief relief but demand more over time. The mental checking and rechecking. The hours lost not to the obsession itself, but to the negotiation with it.
Most people who reach out have already done some work. They have read about OCD, watched the explainer videos, maybe even worked with a therapist who said they “do CBT.” They came away with coping skills and a better understanding of their brain — but not meaningful, sustained relief. That is not a failure of effort. It is a mismatch between the treatment approach and what OCD actually requires.
Exposure and Response Prevention done properly is something different from what most people have experienced. This is what that looks like.
What ERP Actually Does — and Why It Works
Exposure and Response Prevention · Inhibitory Learning Model
ERP is the gold-standard, evidence-based treatment for OCD — with more research support than any other intervention for this condition. But not all ERP is equal. The approach used here is grounded in Inhibitory Learning theory, which represents a meaningful departure from the older habituation model that many clinicians still rely on.
The older model assumed the goal was to reduce anxiety during exposures until it dropped to a tolerable level. Inhibitory Learning takes a different view: the goal is to build a new association — a competing memory that the feared outcome is not likely or catastrophic — while tolerating uncertainty without engaging in compulsions to resolve it. That distinction matters clinically, and clients who have done ERP before often notice the difference immediately.
The response prevention half of ERP is where most of the therapeutic work actually lives. Blocking compulsions — mental or behavioral — in the presence of obsessional distress is what allows the brain to learn something new. Without that piece, exposures become rehearsal for anxiety management rather than genuine change.
Most clients who commit to the ERP process report meaningful reductions in compulsive behavior and increased ability to engage with their lives without OCD dictating the terms. Individual outcomes vary — the process takes sustained effort, and results depend on multiple factors — but for clients willing to do the work, ERP offers what most other approaches cannot.
OCD Looks Different for Everyone
Common OCD Presentations in This Practice
OCD is not one disorder with one presentation. The same underlying mechanism — intrusive thoughts triggering compulsive behavior to manage uncertainty or distress — shows up across a wide range of themes. What they share is the cycle. What differs is the content.
Common presentations include contamination and cleaning OCD, harm OCD (intrusive violent or sexual thoughts that are ego-dystonic and deeply distressing), scrupulosity and moral OCD, “just right” and symmetry OCD, relationship OCD (ROCD), and Pure O — the colloquial term for OCD that is primarily mental rather than behavioral, often marked by heavy reassurance-seeking or rumination as the compulsion.
If you are unsure whether what you experience qualifies as OCD, that is a reasonable question to bring to the consult call. Assessment is part of the clinical work — not something you need to resolve on your own before reaching out.
Why This Practice, Specifically
Felix Murad, M.Ed., LPC-S, LMHC, CMHC, NCC · Specialist in OCD and ERP
Most therapists who advertise OCD treatment have general CBT training. That is not the same as specialized ERP training. I have done this work on myself — I know what it asks of a person, what makes it hard to follow through, and where the clinical leverage actually is. That is not something learned from a protocol manual or a weekend training.
I keep a small caseload deliberately — 15 to 20 clients — because OCD treatment requires careful attention to each person’s specific cycle, avoidance patterns, and mental compulsions. That kind of clinical attention is not possible in a high-volume practice. It is possible here.
This is a solo private practice — not a therapy mill, not a group practice optimized for throughput. Felix brings a humanistic foundation to structured, evidence-based work. The clinical philosophy: people can change, not just manage. The approach is rigorous enough to actually move the needle, and human enough to make that process sustainable.
Licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council / Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors · Telehealth available in Texas, Washington, New Hampshire, and Florida
How to Get Started
Three steps from where you are to where you want to be.
01
Book a Free Consult Call
A 15-minute call to discuss what you are dealing with, what you have already tried, and whether this practice is a good clinical fit. No commitment required. This is not a therapy session — it is a conversation about whether to work together.
02
Assessment & Treatment Plan
Your first sessions focus on thorough assessment — mapping your specific OCD cycle, compulsions (behavioral and mental), avoidance patterns, and what matters most to you. From that we build an ERP hierarchy together. You will know exactly what the treatment looks like before exposures begin.
03
ERP Treatment Begins
Sessions are structured and goal-directed. Each exposure is planned, practiced, and debriefed. Between-session work is part of the treatment — ERP does not work if it only happens in the therapy room. You will leave each session knowing exactly what comes next.
Why Specialist OCD Treatment Matters
This Practice vs. General Therapy
The IOCDF estimates that only a small percentage of licensed therapists have received adequate training in ERP. General CBT training — which most therapists have — is not equivalent. The core techniques of ERP, especially response prevention and the Inhibitory Learning framework, require specific clinical training and supervised practice to implement correctly.
Insurance-panel therapy and group practice models prioritize session volume in ways that are structurally incompatible with high-quality OCD treatment. ERP requires careful preparation, individualized exposure hierarchy design, and consistent clinical attention across sessions. That is not a criticism of individual clinicians — it is a description of what the treatment model demands.
This practice is private pay, selective, and structured around what the treatment actually requires. Sessions are $200. Superbills provided for potential out-of-network reimbursement. If you have been in treatment for OCD before without meaningful results, the approach here is probably different from what you experienced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you take insurance?
No. This is a private pay practice. Sessions are $200. I provide superbills at the end of each month, which you can submit to your insurance for potential out-of-network reimbursement — many clients recover a portion of the fee this way. The private pay model exists because it allows for the kind of individualized, unhurried treatment that OCD work requires. Insurance-driven session limits and documentation requirements work against that.
How long does OCD treatment take?
That depends on severity, chronicity, and the complexity of the presentation. For straightforward OCD with a well-circumscribed theme, meaningful progress can happen within 12 to 20 sessions of active ERP. For more complex or longstanding presentations — or OCD alongside other conditions — treatment often takes longer. I will give you an honest read on timeline after the initial assessment, not a generic number designed to close the sale. Individual results vary.
I have done CBT before and it did not help much. Why would this be different?
General CBT and ERP are not the same thing, even though ERP is technically a CBT subtype. General CBT often focuses on challenging the content of intrusive thoughts — assessing accuracy, generating alternative interpretations. ERP takes a fundamentally different stance: the content of the thoughts is not the target. The relationship with uncertainty, and the compulsive behavior used to resolve it, is. If previous CBT involved thought-challenging and safety planning without systematic exposure work and genuine response prevention, that is a different treatment from what is offered here.
Is telehealth effective for OCD treatment?
Yes. Telehealth is available for clients in Texas, Washington, New Hampshire, and Florida. ERP translates well to telehealth — in some cases better than in-person, because it allows for exposures in the client’s actual environment rather than the artificial context of a therapy office. For clients with contamination OCD, harm OCD, or any presentation centered on the home environment, telehealth can be a genuine clinical advantage rather than a compromise.
How do I know if this practice is the right fit?
The consult call is exactly for this. In 15 minutes I can assess whether ERP is appropriate for your presentation, whether this practice is a realistic fit logistically, and whether you have questions that need answering before committing. If there is a better referral for your situation, I will say so. The goal of the call is accurate fit, not closed sales.
Ready to Find Out If This Is the Right Fit?
Book a free 15-minute consult call. No pressure, no commitment — just a conversation about whether to work together.
Felix Murad, LPC-S · Licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council / Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors · Results may vary
FELIX MURAD, M.ED., LPC-S, LMHC, CMHC, NCC
Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (Texas), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Washington, New Hampshire), Clinical Mental Health Counselor (Florida), National Certified Counselor. Telehealth in TX, WA, NH, FL. Licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council / Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors. Individual results vary; therapy outcomes depend on fit, engagement, and clinical factors.