Pure O and Intrusive Thought OCD Therapy
Your brain forces an objectionable thought into your awareness — and it freaks you out.
I help adults across California who struggle with Pure O — a form of OCD where compulsions happen inside your head instead of out loud. You might find yourself mentally checking, analyzing, or seeking reassurance after an intrusive thought hits. It's exhausting. But it’s not a life sentence.
You don’t need to silence your brain. You need to stop treating this like a crisis. Therapy can help you with this.
My approach to OCD is neuroscience-informed and IFS-compatible. I don’t treat OCD as a thought problem—I work with the brain’s false alarm system and the internal protectors that try to manage it.
This model integrates ERP with internal clarity, so clients can stop looping and start responding from grounded Self-leadership.
What Is Pure O (Intrusive Thought OCD)?
Pure O is a form of OCD where the compulsions happen inside your head. You might:
Mentally replay conversations to check if you offended someone
Question whether you “really” love your partner
Analyze memories for guilt
Ask for reassurance again and again
These hidden rituals can be just as consuming as physical ones.
What are common intrusive thought themes?
Harm OCD: “What if I hurt someone I love?”
Moral/Religious OCD: “What if I’m secretly a bad person?”
Sexual Intrusive Thoughts: “What if I’m attracted to something wrong?”
Relationship OCD: “Do I really love them?”
Existential OCD: “What if none of this is real?”
These thoughts are intense because they target what matters most to you — your values, relationships, identity.
Why do intrusive thoughts feel so real?
Your brain misfires and codes the thought as a threat. You react: reviewing, analyzing, checking, seeking certainty. But that only feeds the cycle.
For example, You wouldn’t panic over a random thought like “I’m a Martian.” But these intrusive thoughts feel personal — so you treat them like danger. That’s the glitch.
What is the he OCD loop?
Brain miscodes a thought as threat
Protective parts of you scramble to fix it
The more you try to “solve” the thought, the more power it gains
Common traps:
Googling to feel better
Asking for reassurance
Trying to prove you’d “never do that”
How do I treat Pure O in therapy?
Standard ERP works best for visible compulsions. With Pure O, most of the struggle is internal — and that’s where I focus.
We’ll work on:
Recognizing the false alarm for what it is
Helping protective parts step back instead of reacting
Practicing ERP with less white-knuckling, more clarity
Building internal containment so you don’t get hijacked by the loop
I draw on ERP and IFS-informed work — because with Pure O, you don’t just need to resist rituals. You need to change how you relate to the alarm.
Why do I specialize in OCD therapy?
I’ve lived this. Harm OCD, scrupulosity, relationship doubts, existential spirals — I know how disorienting it can get. What changed everything was realizing:
The thought isn’t the problem. The brain coding it as a threat is.
Now, I help clients make that same shift — from fear and rumination to clarity and trust in themselves.
Is this approach right for you?
This approach is a strong match if you:
Struggle with Pure O or intrusive thoughts
Feel stuck in mental loops and reassurance
Want therapy that works with your mind, not against it
If your OCD mostly involves visible rituals like washing or checking, you may need traditional ERP with a clinician who focuses on that.
Let’s Talk
If this sounds like you — and you want OCD therapy that respects your inner world and helps you change how you relate to the fear — let’s talk.
Frequently Asked Questions about Pure O
What is Pure O?
Pure O is a form of OCD where the compulsions are mental instead of physical—like overanalyzing, replaying conversations, or seeking certainty.
Can Pure O be treated with therapy?
Yes. Therapy helps you unhook from mental rituals, work with protective parts, and stop treating intrusive thoughts like emergencies.
What’s different about your approach?
I use a neuroscience-informed, IFS-compatible model that integrates ERP without forcing you to white-knuckle your way through exposure.
Do you work with clients outside of San Jose?
Yes. I offer secure video sessions for adults across California.
Reach out and let’s start the conversation.
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