You’ll wake up without immediately checking if you locked the door three times. Your mind won’t spiral into “what if” scenarios that consume your entire day. The intrusive thoughts that once felt overwhelming become manageable background noise you can dismiss.
This isn’t about learning to “cope better” with OCD. It’s about breaking the cycle entirely. Our specialized ERP therapy teaches your brain that those feared situations aren’t actually dangerous, and those compulsions aren’t necessary for your safety.
You’ll rediscover the mental energy you’ve been pouring into rituals and redirect it toward the things that actually matter to you—your relationships, your work, your goals.
The Anxiety and OCD Institute brings together nationally recognized researchers, published clinicians, and advocates—many with lived experience of the conditions we treat. This isn’t your typical therapy practice offering general counseling for everything.
We’ve written the foundational books in OCD treatment. We’ve shaped international treatment guidelines. We understand that OCD in Abilene’s military families faces unique stressors, and that the faith-centered community here needs sensitive approaches to scrupulosity themes.
Whether you’re dealing with harm obsessions, contamination fears, or postpartum OCD after having a baby, you’re working with specialists who’ve seen it all and know exactly how to help you get better.
Your treatment starts with a thorough assessment to understand your specific OCD patterns and triggers. No generic approaches here—everything is tailored to your unique situation.
Next, you’ll work with your therapist to create an exposure hierarchy, ranking your fears from least to most anxiety-provoking. You’ll start with manageable challenges and gradually work up to the bigger ones as your confidence builds.
During exposure sessions, you’ll face your fears in a controlled, supportive environment while resisting the urge to perform compulsions. This teaches your brain that the anxiety will naturally decrease without needing to do the ritual. Between sessions, you’ll practice these skills in real-world situations, building lasting change that extends far beyond the therapy room.
Ready to get started?
Your treatment includes evidence-based ERP therapy specifically designed for your OCD subtype, whether that’s harm OCD, contamination fears, symmetry and orderliness concerns, or postpartum obsessions. Our approach integrates I-CBT and ACT techniques when appropriate for your specific needs.
In Abilene’s unique environment—with Dyess Air Force Base and three Christian universities—many clients face OCD themes related to military stress, moral scrupulosity, or academic perfectionism. Our treatment team understands these local factors and adapts therapy accordingly.
You’ll have access to both virtual telehealth sessions and in-person appointments, making treatment accessible whether you’re stationed at the base, studying at one of the universities, or managing family responsibilities. Intensive four-day treatment options are available for those needing faster results or traveling from surrounding West Texas communities.
ERP therapy is specifically designed to target the OCD cycle, while regular counseling often inadvertently strengthens compulsions. Traditional talk therapy might encourage you to “think through” your obsessions or seek reassurance, which actually feeds the OCD cycle.
ERP works by gradually exposing you to your feared situations while preventing you from doing compulsions. This teaches your brain that the anxiety will naturally decrease without needing to perform rituals. It’s the only therapy approach with decades of research showing it actually works for OCD—about 80% of people see significant improvement.
Most importantly, ERP therapists understand that your intrusive thoughts don’t reflect who you are or what you want to do. We’re trained to help you work through even the most disturbing obsessions without judgment.
Military families face unique OCD triggers related to deployment stress, hypervigilance, and concerns about family safety. Our treatment team understands how military culture can sometimes reinforce checking behaviors or perfectionism that feeds into OCD patterns.
Treatment is adapted to work around military schedules, with flexible appointment times and telehealth options for when you’re deployed or have unpredictable duty hours. Our approach addresses common military-related obsessions like repeatedly checking equipment, excessive concern about following protocols perfectly, or intrusive thoughts about harm coming to family while deployed.
We also work with military healthcare providers when needed and understand how OCD treatment fits into your overall military health record and career considerations.
Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) is another evidence-based approach that works from a different angle than ERP. While ERP teaches you to tolerate uncertainty, I-CBT helps you recognize that your obsessional doubts are based on faulty reasoning rather than real possibilities.
For example, if you’re obsessing about whether you hit someone while driving, I-CBT would help you see that this doubt is constructed through “inferential confusion”—prioritizing an imagined possibility over the clear evidence of your senses. You would have felt the impact, heard it, seen it in your mirrors.
Some people respond better to I-CBT, especially those who get stuck in ERP or have difficulty tolerating the uncertainty approach. Your therapist will determine which method—or combination of methods—works best for your specific OCD presentation.
Postpartum OCD is extremely common but often misunderstood. New mothers frequently experience intrusive thoughts about accidentally or intentionally harming their babies—these thoughts are horrifying to the mother and completely opposite to what she actually wants to do.
The key difference from postpartum psychosis is that these thoughts are ego-dystonic (unwanted and distressing) rather than ego-syntonic (aligned with the person’s desires). Mothers with postpartum OCD are not at increased risk of harming their children—in fact, they’re often overly protective.
Treatment focuses on exposure to the feared thoughts and situations (like being alone with the baby or giving the baby a bath) while preventing safety-seeking behaviors like excessive checking or avoidance. Our approach is always sensitive to the new mother’s needs and often includes family education to help partners understand what’s happening.
Yes, we offer secure telehealth sessions throughout Texas, making specialized OCD treatment accessible even if you’re hours away from Abilene. Research shows that ERP delivered virtually is just as effective as in-person treatment.
Virtual sessions work particularly well for many OCD subtypes because you can do exposures in your actual environment—your home, workplace, or community. This makes the treatment more realistic and helps ensure the skills transfer to your daily life.
You’ll need a private space with reliable internet and a device with a camera. Our treatment team will work with you to set up effective exposures that can be done safely at home, and we’ll coordinate with local resources when needed for certain types of practice.
Most people see significant improvement in 12-20 sessions of ERP therapy, though this varies based on OCD severity and how long you’ve been dealing with symptoms. Some people benefit from intensive four-day programs that compress treatment into a shorter timeframe.
You should start noticing changes within the first few weeks—not necessarily that the obsessions stop, but that your relationship with them begins to shift. The anxiety around exposures typically decreases as your brain learns that the feared consequences don’t actually happen.
Treatment isn’t about eliminating all intrusive thoughts—everyone has them. It’s about breaking the cycle where those thoughts trigger intense anxiety and compulsive behaviors. You’ll learn to let the thoughts come and go without giving them special meaning or responding with rituals.
Local Resources
Useful Links
Other Services we provide in Abilene
