Intrusive Thoughts & OCD-Related Anxiety
I specialize in supporting Black women navigating intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and nervous-system overwhelm in high-responsibility environments.
A Somatic, ERP-informed Approach
When Intrusive Thoughts Take Over
Intrusive thoughts aren’t just worries you can reason through. They’re unwanted, repetitive thoughts that trigger a strong nervous-system response — urgency, fear, dread, or the need to “figure it out” immediately.
You might notice:
Thoughts that feel disturbing, alarming, or out of character
A constant need to check, analyze, reassure yourself, or mentally review
Anxiety that spikes even when you know the thought doesn’t make sense
Difficulty letting a thought pass without engaging it
Feeling mentally exhausted from trying to stay in control
For many people, especially those in high-responsibility or high-visibility roles, these thoughts don’t exist in a vacuum. Your nervous system may be responding not only to the content of the thought, but to years of pressure, vigilance, and real-world consequences.
This is why simply telling yourself a thought is “irrational” often doesn’t help — the body is already activated.
Why You May Not Have Recognized This as OCD
Many people don’t identify with OCD because they don’t experience the more commonly described behaviors — repeated hand washing, checking the stove multiple times, counting rituals, or visible compulsions. If that’s been your experience, it makes sense that this hasn’t felt like the right label.
For many high-functioning adults, OCD-related anxiety shows up internally. The compulsions happen in the mind rather than through outward behaviors. This can look like constant mental reviewing, replaying conversations, scanning for “what ifs,” or feeling responsible for preventing harm by thinking things through perfectly.
Because these patterns are quiet, intellectual, and often rewarded in high-responsibility environments, they’re frequently overlooked — especially in Black women, who are often expected to be composed, capable, and emotionally contained. What looks like “overthinking” or anxiety on the surface is often a nervous system stuck in a loop of threat monitoring.
You don’t need to have every symptom, or experience distress in the same way as someone else, for this work to be relevant. If your thoughts feel intrusive, sticky, or exhausting — and your body stays tense or on alert — there is a nervous-system explanation, and there is a way to work with it.
This is where my work focuses: helping the nervous system step out of threat-monitoring mode so thoughts no longer run the body.
How I Can Help
My Method for Working With Intrusive Thoughts
My work is structured, somatic, and ERP-informed. That means we’re not relying on insight alone, and we’re not pushing your system faster than it can integrate. We work methodically, with attention to pacing, safety, and nervous-system readiness.
I strongly encourage clients to have a mindfulness practice in place — or to be open to building one — because mindfulness strengthens interoceptive tolerance, the ability to notice internal sensations without immediately reacting or escaping. This capacity is foundational for working with intrusive thoughts in a way that leads to lasting change.
Early in our work, I’ll ask about what you’ve already tried and how your body responded. Talk therapy, cognitive strategies, reassurance, thought-stopping, or “thinking your way through it” all teach the nervous system something. Understanding what helped, what didn’t, and what unintentionally kept the cycle going allows us to work more precisely and avoid repeating patterns that haven’t served you.
Once that foundation is established, we begin by mapping intrusive thoughts together — from least to most distressing — and noticing how they register in the body. We don’t start with maximum activation. Instead, we begin with thoughts that create a moderate level of discomfort, allowing the nervous system to experience activation and discover that it can rise and fall without avoidance.
In session, we work together to allow thoughts and bodily responses to be present without neutralizing, fixing, or escaping them. The goal isn’t to eliminate thoughts or force calm, but to support the nervous system in processing activation physiologically, rather than cognitively. Over time, this changes how your body responds — even when similar thoughts arise.
Progress in this work is gradual and non-linear. Many people notice a steady decrease in intensity and reactivity, along with occasional spikes during periods of increased life stress. We work with those moments as they arise, adjusting pacing and support as needed.
This approach works best when clients are engaged with the practices we develop together between sessions. These practices aren’t about perfection or pushing — they’re about reinforcing what the nervous system is learning in therapy. For some clients, this work naturally opens the door to deeper nervous-system processing, including brainspotting, when the system is ready.
Noticing a thought → sensing the body’s response → staying present with activation → allowing physiological settling → experiencing reduced reactivity over time
Who This Work Is For
This approach may be a good fit if:
You experience intrusive, unwanted thoughts that feel sticky, distressing, or hard to disengage from
You notice mental loops such as rumination, reassurance-seeking, checking certainty, or replaying scenarios
You understand your thoughts logically, yet your body still reacts with anxiety, urgency, or tension
You’re open to working with your nervous system rather than trying to reason your way out of distress
You value a structured, methodical approach that is paced, collaborative, and responsive to your capacity
This work is especially supportive for people in high-responsibility or high-visibility environments—such as tech, healthcare, academia, or leadership—where real consequences exist and the nervous system may remain on heightened alert.
When This May Not Be the Right Fit
This approach may not be the best fit if you’re looking for:
A rigid, protocol-only model with fixed timelines
Immediate elimination of thoughts without attention to pacing or integration
Exposure work that prioritizes intensity over nervous-system readiness
My work is intentional and attuned. We move forward based on what supports sustainable change, not urgency.
A Gentle Next Step
Intrusive thoughts don’t mean something is wrong with you. They’re a sign that your nervous system learned to stay on high alert — and that learning can change.
If you’re curious about whether this approach feels like a fit, a consultation offers space to talk through what you’re experiencing, ask questions, and get a sense of how this work might support you. There’s no requirement to decide anything on the call — just an opportunity to connect and explore.