CBT for OCD and health anxiety

A cycle of doubt and temporary relief

• Unwanted thoughts or images are treated as meaningful, dangerous or revealing.
• Checking, washing, repeating, reviewing memories or mental rituals aim to prevent harm or remove doubt.
• Health information, body sensations or medical reassurance are repeatedly sought and re-examined.
• Avoidance protects against a feared outcome but places growing limits on daily life.

How CBT can address the cycle

For OCD, evidence-based CBT commonly includes exposure and response prevention: carefully approaching feared situations or thoughts while reducing the rituals that normally follow. This is planned collaboratively, with a clear rationale and an agreed pace—not as a sudden or forced confrontation.

For health anxiety, work may explore interpretations of bodily sensations, patterns of checking and reassurance, and ways to respond differently to uncertainty. Medical concerns still deserve appropriate medical attention; therapy does not replace necessary healthcare.

Assessment before treatment

The first task is to understand the form the difficulty takes, its impact, current risks and any other support involved. Angeliki can then explain whether her experience and online way of working fit your needs.