Safety Checking OCD Therapy Near Me | Online & In-Person in California

Do you find yourself checking locks, appliances, or alarms over and over, even when you know you already checked them?

Do you worry about fires, break-ins, or accidents long after you’ve walked away?

If these fears feel intrusive, time-consuming, or impossible to control, you may be experiencing Safety Checking OCD.

I offer specialized CBT and ERP therapy for Checking OCD, with sessions in-person at my Campbell office near San Jose or online throughout California.

11062b_aaa3d7aa68764820a4aa29af761f235e~

What is Safety/Checking OCD?

Safety Checking OCD is a subtype of OCD where intrusive worries center on preventing danger or harm. People with this form of OCD often fear that a small mistake could lead to disaster—and feel responsible for preventing every possible risk.

Common “what if” obsessions include:

“What if I didn’t lock the door and someone breaks in?”
“What if the stove is still on and the house burns down?”
“What if I ran over someone and didn’t realize?”
“What if I caused a gas leak?”
“What if something bad happens because I didn’t double-check?”

These fears often lead to repetitive checking behaviors, such as:

Re-checking locks, doors, windows, appliances
Replaying memories to “confirm” if something was done safely
Driving back to re-check the garage, car door, or home
Seeking reassurance from partners or family
Avoiding situations that feel risky (cooking, driving, leaving home)

Safety-related OCD can make daily routines exhausting and frustrating. You may:

Spend long periods checking or “making sure” things are safe
Feel unable to leave the house without rituals
Worry constantly that you’ve caused or will cause harm
Lose trust in your memory or judgment
Feel anxious, guilty, or dependent on reassurance

These cycles can take over mornings, evenings, and transitions—making simple tasks feel overwhelming and time-consuming.

My Approach to OCD

I provide structured, practical, and compassionate treatment that fits your real-life routines:

Clear Assessment
We map out your checking patterns, triggers, and the beliefs driving them.
Step-by-Step Exposures
You’ll practice leaving situations (like locking the door or turning off appliances) without re-checking—starting small and building confidence gradually.
Skills to Resist Compulsions
You’ll learn techniques to handle uncertainty, reduce mental reviewing, and break the cycle of “just one more check.”
Support in Real-Life Scenarios
We focus on exposures that matter to your daily life, morning routines, cooking, driving, leaving home, or nighttime rituals.
Steady Progress, Not Perfection
We adapt the plan as you grow more comfortable, keeping momentum without overwhelm.

Treatment for OCD

Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP) is widely recognized as the gold standard in treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). In ERP, we will change the way you respond to your thoughts. You will learn not to take intrusive thoughts literally and stop feeling like you have to do what OCD wants you to do. We will test your fears by going towards situations that you have been avoiding and reducing the behaviors that reinforce the cycle.

Here’s why ERP is highly effective:

Face Your Fears: ERP directly challenges OCD symptoms by facing your feared situations or triggers and learning that anxiety decreases naturally over time without engaging in rituals. It may seem counterintuitive but avoiding your triggers is actually increasing your anxiety and making OCD worse!
Change What You Do: ERP focuses on changing behaviors rather than thoughts or beliefs. By breaking the cycle of compulsions, you will experience reduced anxiety and gain greater control over you OCD symptoms.
Build Your Confidence: ERP is conducted in a structured manner, starting with less distressing exposures and progressing to more challenging ones. ERP always goes at your pace! This gradual approach ensures you are learning to tolerate anxiety while resisting compulsions.

Learn more about ERP

Inference-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy (I-CBT) is a relatively newer approach that addresses OCD symptoms by targeting the cognitive processes underlying obsessions and doubts. I-CBT is considered evidence-based for treating OCD.

Cognitive Focus: IBT focuses on challenging and modifying the cognitive interpretations and inferences that drive OCD symptoms. It aims to change how you perceive and interpret your thoughts rather than directly targeting behaviors.
Normal Versus Obsessional Doubts: IBT helps you recognize how doubts in OCD are different from normal doubts. When you see the thoughts differently they are not as threatening and you won't need to do compulsions.
Collaborative: IBT involves collaborative exploration between the therapist and the client to understand the underlying cognitive processes driving OCD symptoms. This exploration will help us develop personalized strategies to challenge and change your cognitive patterns.

Ready to take the next steps?

Contact Me

Schedule a 15 Minute Consulation

In-Person and Online Therapy Options in California

Whether you’re searching for safety checking OCD therapy near me in San Jose (Campbell, CA) or prefer virtual therapy throughout California, I offer flexible, accessible treatment options.

Start OCD Therapy Today

You don’t have to live in fear of mistakes, danger, or what “might” happen. With the right tools and support, you can regain trust in yourself, reclaim your routines, and live without endless checking.

Contact Me

Use my client information form to tell me about yourself and how you are hoping I can help you.

Contact Form

free consultation with cognitive behavior therapist in san jose, california

Schedule a Consultation

Get a feel for my style and get your questions answered during our no-obligation phone screen.

Frequently asked questions

Complete the Potential Client Form and I will be in touch with you within 24 hours to set up a consultation call to discuss your symptoms and answer any questions about OCD, Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP), and other OCD treatment options . If we are fit will will book an intake session from there. After our initial meeting, most clients meet with me weekly for 45-minute sessions, ideally at the same day and a time each week. We will meet more or less depending on your needs.

My fees are $340 per 60 minute initial assessment session and $255 per 45-minute therapy session.

I am an out-of-network provider for all insurance panels. If you have a PPO you may be eligible for out of network benefits and I will submit electronic claims on your behalf so that you may be partially reimbursed for your CBT sessions. You can contact your insurance company directly to find out more information about your out of network coverage.

Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP) is more structured than other types of therapy. We will start our sessions by setting an agenda and intention for the session. The majority of our session time will be spent on understanding the cycle of OCD, building your coping skills and practicing challenging your fears. We will end with an action plan for you to take into your week. ERP, like cognitive behavior therapy, is at its core, flexible and collaborative so we will tailor our sessions to your needs and go at your pace.

It truth is that treatment length varies a lot. The severity of your symptoms, how long you have OCD, your motivation to work on OCD outside of session, and your life circumstances will all factor in to treatment length. With ERP, most clients start to feel some noticeable relief within three months and may achieve their goals by six months. For others it can take a year or more to achieve goals, or they find it helpful to continue to meet with a therapist to stay focused and accountable.

If you recongize yourself in the description above it is absolutely worth seeing your doctor or making an appointment wiht a therapist who specializes in OCD. They can assess your symptoms, provide a diagnosis, and recommend appropriate treatment options, such as therapy, like Exposure with Response Prevention and discuss if medication could be helpful to you. If you find yourself with worries that others don't understand or that traditional talk therapy and CBT are not giving you the results you hope for, a consolation with an OCD therapist may be useful.

About CAITLYN

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist with a master’s degree in clinical psychology. I have been working as a therapist since 2009, specializing in Cognitive Behavior Therapy for anxiety disorders and obsessive compulsive disorders. Before starting my own practice in 2021 I worked at a specialty anxiety/OCD group practice for many years, as well as community mental health, and school settings.

My practice is located in Campbell, CA in the South SF Bay Area, near San Jose, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Los Altos, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Cupertino.

I have been working primarily with clients struggling with anxiety since 2012. Read more about my speciality training here.

My approach to anxiety and OCD treatment is compassionate and personalized. This work is challenging but we will go at your pace and focus on the symptoms that are getting in the way of your life.

Ready to get started or have more questions?

Let's TALK

caitlyn oscarson cognitive behavior therapist

Caitlyn OSCARSON

cognitive behavior therapy

Safety Checking OCD Therapy Near Me | Online & In-Person in California

What is Safety/Checking OCD?

My Approach to OCD

Treatment for OCD

Exposure and Response Prevention

Inference-based Cognitive Behavior Therapy

Medication

In-Person and Online Therapy Options in California

Start OCD Therapy Today

Contact Me

Schedule a Consultation

Frequently asked questions

1 / How do I make an appointment?

2 / How much does therapy cost and do you take insurance?

3 / Do you offer in-person/face -to-face sessions?

4 / Do you work with children and teens?

5 / What will our sessions be like?

6 / How long does OCD treatment usually take?

7 / How can I tell if I have OCD?

About CAITLYN

Caitlyn OSCARSON, LMFT

cognitive behavior therapy

Notice of Privacy Practices