Therapy for OCD, Including ART

OCD is not about being neat or liking your books alphabetized. It is intrusive thoughts that show up uninvited, the anxiety that follows them, and the compulsions you use to make that anxiety stop, at least for a minute, before it starts again. It is exhausting, it is often secret, and it has a way of making smart, kind people feel like something is deeply wrong with them. I am Devon Davasher, a licensed therapist who works with OCD. I also happen to have OCD myself, so this is not a condition I only know from a textbook. It is a part of my lived experience.

What OCD actually is

OCD runs on a loop. An intrusive thought, image, or urge shows up and spikes your anxiety, and a compulsion, whether a mental or physical ritual, brings the anxiety down for a moment. That relief teaches your brain to run the loop again. The content varies a lot from person to person. It can center on harm, contamination, symmetry or a "just right" feeling, relationships, religion and morality (often called scrupulosity), health, or taboo thoughts that horrify the person having them. The theme is almost never the real issue. The loop is.

You are not your intrusive thoughts

This is the part I wish someone had told me sooner. Intrusive thoughts are a symptom of OCD, not a window into your character. People with OCD are often the least likely to act on the very thoughts that torment them, precisely because those thoughts clash so hard with who they are. If your thoughts scare you, that fear reflects your values, it is not evidence against them. You are not a bad or dangerous person for having a brain that throws these at you.

How I work with OCD

My approach draws on tools that help people loosen OCD's grip: cognitive and acceptance-based work (CBT and ACT) to change your relationship to intrusive thoughts, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) for the anxiety and the distressing mental images that OCD tends to latch onto. 

Where ART fits

ART is a trauma-focused approach that uses guided eye movements to help lower the emotional charge on distressing images and memories. For OCD, I use it as one tool among several. It can help with the anxiety and the stuck, vivid mental images that often ride along with obsessions, and it can be useful when trauma is part of your history. If you want the full picture of how ART differs from EMDR, I wrote about that here.

A note from me

Living with OCD taught me that you do not have to win an argument with an intrusive thought to get your life back. That is the kind of therapy I try to offer, one that takes your experience seriously without treating you like a diagnosis.

Frequently asked questions

Is OCD curable?
OCD is very treatable. Most people learn to manage it well rather than "cure" it, to the point where it takes up far less space in their lives. The aim of our work is not a thought-free brain, it is more freedom from the loop that keeps you stuck.

Can ART help with OCD?
It can help with parts of the OCD experience, especially the anxiety and the distressing mental images tied to obsessions, and it is useful when trauma is in the mix. I use it as one tool alongside cognitive and acceptance-based work, not as a standalone treatment.

I have intrusive thoughts about awful things. Does that mean something is wrong with me?
No. Intrusive thoughts, including violent, sexual, or blasphemous ones, are a common symptom of OCD, and having them does not mean you want them or will act on them. The distress they cause you is the opposite of intent.

Do I need medication?
That is a conversation for you and a prescriber, since I do not prescribe. Some people find medication helpful alongside therapy, and some do well with therapy alone. I am glad to work with you either way.

Ready to talk?

I offer telehealth therapy for OCD to adults across Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. If OCD has been running the show and you want a therapist who genuinely understands it, reach out for a free 15-minute consultation.