OCD Therapy in London

This directory brings together therapists in London who work with obsessive compulsive disorder. You can search by approach, availability and session type to find someone suited to the way OCD is showing up for you.

What is OCD therapy?

OCD involves intrusive thoughts, images or urges that feel distressing and hard to dismiss, along with compulsions carried out to reduce the anxiety they cause. Compulsions might be visible, such as checking, washing or arranging. They might also be entirely internal, such as mental reviewing, counting or seeking reassurance. Many people live with OCD for years before naming it, partly because the content of the thoughts feels too shameful to say out loud.

The treatment with the strongest evidence base is a form of CBT called exposure and response prevention, which involves gradually facing the situations that trigger the anxiety while resisting the compulsion. Other approaches, including psychodynamic therapy and compassion focused work, can help with the shame and self-criticism that often sit underneath. Some therapists combine them. NICE recommends CBT with exposure and response prevention as a first line treatment for OCD in adults.

OCD therapists in London at a glance

Based on the therapist profiles listed on The Therapist Finder. Fees were last reviewed in July 2026.

• The median fee is £90 a session, with most charging between £75 and £120.
• Fees run from £35 to £295, so it is worth comparing a few profiles rather than assuming a single going rate.
• Most of the therapists listed here are currently accepting new clients, though this changes as people fill up.

What to expect from OCD therapy

An early session will usually map out the specific pattern: what the intrusive thoughts are, what you do in response, and what you believe would happen if you did not. Naming this out loud is often the hardest part and frequently a relief. Your therapist should treat the content of the thoughts as a symptom, not as something that says anything about your character.

From there the work is usually structured and gradual. You would agree a hierarchy of situations, starting with the ones that feel manageable, and practise staying with the discomfort without carrying out the compulsion. Progress tends to be uneven rather than linear. Most people notice change over a few months rather than a few weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does OCD therapy cost in London?

Across the therapists on the directory who work with OCD, the median fee is £90 a session and most charge between £75 and £120. OCD often needs structured, specialist work, which is part of why fees sit slightly above the general London median of £85. Some therapists keep a small number of lower cost places.

Do I need a diagnosis to start therapy for OCD?

No. You do not need a formal diagnosis to see a private therapist. If you recognise the pattern of intrusive thoughts and compulsions, that is enough to start a conversation. A therapist experienced with OCD will help you work out whether that is what is happening.

What kind of therapy works best for OCD?

CBT with exposure and response prevention has the strongest evidence and is what NICE recommends first for adults. That said, the fit with your therapist matters too. Some people do this work alongside longer term therapy addressing the shame and anxiety underneath.

Will I have to face my worst fear straight away?

No. Exposure work is agreed with you and built up gradually, starting with situations that feel difficult but manageable. A therapist who pushes you into your hardest situation in the first session is not following the model properly.

Does online therapy work for OCD?

Yes, and for some people it works better. Exposure work often needs to happen in the settings where the compulsions actually occur, such as your home or kitchen, which online sessions make possible in a way a consulting room does not.

Can therapy help with intrusive thoughts I find shameful?

Yes. Intrusive thoughts about harm, sexuality, religion or contamination are common features of OCD and therapists who work with it hear them regularly. The distress you feel about the thought is itself a sign it runs against your values rather than reflecting them.