Scrupulosity OCD Therapy Near Me | Near San Jose or Online in California

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by intrusive fears of having done something morally wrong, sinful, or “impure,” even when there’s no evidence you’ve crossed any lines? You may be experiencing Scrupulosity OCD, a subtype of OCD where obsessions center on religion, morality, or ethics, and compulsions often involve mental rituals or reassurance seeking.

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

Understanding Scrupulosity & Morality OCD

Scrupulosity OCD involves persistent, unwanted thoughts about moral or religious wrongdoing. Common obsessions include:

Fearing you’ve offended God, violated a religious rule, or sinned in thought or deed
Worrying that your private thoughts make you a “bad” person
Doubting whether you’ve prayed “correctly” or followed rituals perfectly
Worrying that you cheated or got an unfair advantage

To neutralize these fears, people with scrupulosity often engage in compulsions such as:

Repetitive prayer or confession
Mental reviewing of thoughts or actions
Seeking reassurance from clergy, friends, or family
Avoiding people, places, or topics that trigger moral anxiety

The Impact of Scrupulocity/Morality OCD

1. Excessive guilt or fear of being immoral or sinful

You feel guilt, like you did something wrong even when no wrongdoing has occurred. You often obsess over whether your thoughts, intentions, or actions might be "bad" or offensive.

2. Compulsive confessing or seeking reassurance

To reduce anxiety, you may feel compelled to confess and repeatedly ask for reassurance from others (e.g., friends, family, religious leaders, therapists) to gain certainty that you haven’t done something wrong.

3. Intrusive thoughts related to religion, ethics, or morality

Blasphemous thoughts, fears of offending God, or doubts about being a “good” person.

4. Time consuming mental reviewing or rumination

Repeatedly going over past actions, conversations, or thoughts to check for potential moral or ethical missteps.

5. Avoidance of situations or content

Staying away from certain media, people, or environments that might trigger moral or religious anxiety or lead to "sinful" thoughts.

My Approach to Scrupulosity

/Morality OCD

The gold-standard treatment for Scrupulosity OCD is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). ERP helps you face moral or religious fears without performing your usual mental or behavioral rituals. Over time, this reduces anxiety and weakens the belief that rituals are necessary.

As a therapist specializing in OCD and anxiety, I understand the sensitive nature of scrupulosity and morality concerns —especially its overlap with deeply held beliefs. My approach is nonjudgmental, structured, and personalized. We’ll work collaboratively to:

Separate unwanted thoughts from your values and identity
Build confidence in tolerating moral uncertainty
Practice real-life exposures that respect your faith and culture
Develop healthy, values-aligned ways to engage in religious or ethical practices

Together, we’ll break the cycle of doubt and ritual, so you can live your life in alignment with your beliefs without fear.

Recovery from 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.

In-Person and Online Therapy Options in California

Whether you’re looking for scrupulosity OCD therapy in San Jose (Campbell, CA) or prefer online sessions from anywhere in California, I offer flexible options to suit your needs. My Campbell office provides a calm, private setting for in-person work, and secure video sessions make specialized care accessible statewide.

Start OCD Therapy Today

You don’t have to navigate confusing doubts and rituals alone. With the right strategies and support, you can reclaim freedom, reduce guilt, and engage with your faith and values without fear.

Contact me to schedule a consultation or learn more about how therapy for Scrupulosity OCD can help you find peace of mind.

Contact Me

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

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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?

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caitlyn oscarson cognitive behavior therapist

Caitlyn OSCARSON

cognitive behavior therapy

Scrupulosity OCD Therapy Near Me | Near San Jose or Online in California

Understanding Scrupulosity & Morality OCD