Ryan Jarrell
Director of Admissions
OCD Treatment in North Carolina
At AIM, OCD treatment in Raleigh is built around evidence-based care, including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), along with psychiatry and additional therapies when needed.
At AIM, OCD treatment in Raleigh is built around evidence-based care, including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), along with psychiatry and additional therapies when needed. The goal is not just to manage symptoms, but to help you regain time, flexibility, and control in your day-to-day life.
Learn more about our mental health treatment or schedule an appointment now.
What is OCD?
OCD involves two main parts: obsessions and compulsions.
Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that create anxiety or distress. Compulsions are the behaviors or mental rituals used to try to reduce that anxiety.
The relief from those behaviors is usually short-lived.
Over time, it reinforces the cycle—making the thoughts feel more important, increasing the urge to respond, and leading to more repetition. That pattern can take up more time, create more disruption, and ultimately increase distress rather than reduce it.
OCD is not:
- Just being detail-oriented or organized
- A personality trait
- Something that can be resolved through insight alone
It’s a pattern that tends to require specific, targeted treatment.
Signs and Symptoms of OCD
OCD often shows up as a pattern of intrusive thoughts and repetitive behaviors like:
- Repetitive, intrusive thoughts that are difficult to ignore
- Excessive checking, reassurance-seeking, or mental review
- Repeating behaviors until things feel “right”
- Avoiding situations that trigger anxiety or uncertainty
- Difficulty tolerating doubt or uncertainty
- Spending significant time managing thoughts or rituals
Over time, this can narrow your life—pulling attention away from work, relationships, and everyday moments.
Types of OCD
OCD doesn’t look the same for everyone—it can center around different themes, even though the underlying pattern is similar.
OCD can show up in different ways, including:
- Contamination and cleaning concerns
- Harm or safety-related fears
- Religious or moral obsessions
- Relationship OCD
- “Just right” or symmetry concerns
- Purely obsessional OCD (intrusive thoughts without visible rituals)
Each of these types of OCD have their own symptoms and nuances. Many people experience a mix of these patterns over time, which makes it important to work with a team that understands the range and complexity of OCD.
How AIM Treats OCD
OCD treatment at AIM is structured around approaches that have been shown to be effective, with care tailored to how symptoms show up for you.
Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the most effective treatment for OCD.
ERP involves gradually facing the thoughts, situations, or triggers that create anxiety—without performing the usual compulsions. Over time, this helps reduce the intensity of the anxiety and breaks the cycle that keeps OCD going.
This is not about forcing you into overwhelming situations. It’s done in a structured, collaborative way that builds tolerance and confidence step by step.
Additional Therapy Approaches for OCD
While ERP is central to OCD treatment, other approaches can help strengthen the work depending on your needs.
This may include:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help change your relationship to intrusive thoughts
- Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT), particularly for certain OCD presentations
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to address patterns that reinforce symptoms
These approaches support ERP by making it easier to stay engaged in the process and build changes that hold up over time.
Medications for OCD
Medication can be an important part of OCD treatment for some individuals.
Our psychiatry team works alongside your therapist to determine if medication may help reduce symptom intensity and make therapy more effective. This often includes SSRIs or other medications used specifically for OCD.
Medication is not treated as a standalone solution, but as part of a broader treatment plan.
Mental Health IOP for OCD
For some individuals, OCD symptoms are more persistent or time-consuming and need more support than weekly therapy or medications can provide.
Our Mental Health Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) offers multiple sessions per week, creating more structure and repetition around ERP and related skills. This allows you to work through exposures more consistently, build momentum, and address patterns that are harder to shift with less frequent care.
IOP is designed to fit into your daily life, with evening options available, so you can get more support without stepping away from work, school, or other responsibilities.
What Level of Care is Right for You?
The right level of care depends on how much OCD is impacting your daily life.
- Therapy alone may be appropriate for mild to moderate symptoms
- Therapy combined with psychiatry is often helpful when symptoms are more persistent or severe
- A higher level of care, such as an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), may be recommended if OCD is significantly interfering with daily functioning
If you’re not sure where to start, our team can help assess your situation and guide you to the right level of support.
Where to Find OCD Treatment in North Carolina
We offer OCD treatment across multiple locations in the Triangle, making it easier to access care close to home.
Our Locations:
Both in-person and virtual appointments are available, giving you flexibility to get started without long travel times or limited scheduling options.
At each location we are able to offer both psychiatry and medication management for OCD in addition to talk therapy for OCD.
Our Providers
Our team includes therapists and psychiatrists with experience treating OCD and related conditions.
We build our team with providers who understand how OCD works and are trained in evidence-based approaches like ERP.
Because OCD often overlaps with other mental health concerns, our team also brings experience in anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and related conditions.
This allows for more thoughtful and individualized care.
Lindsay Hildreth, PA-C, CAQ-Psychiatry
Psychiatric Physician Assistant
Elizabeth Morgan, PA-C
Psychiatric Physician Assistant
Meaghan Brackin, MS, LCMHC, LCAS, CRC
Manager of Substance Use Services
Our Team
At AIM, our team is built around one goal — helping you get better.
A Team Committed to Your Wellbeing
We believe good care starts with good people. Our clinicians, prescribers, and support staff work together so that every part of your treatment is connected. You won’t have to repeat your story to providers who don’t talk to each other. Everyone on your team knows who you are and what you’re working toward.
Get Started with OCD Treatment in North Carolina
If you’re spending a lot of time managing intrusive thoughts, repeating behaviors, or trying to get relief that doesn’t last, it may be time to get support.
OCD can make it hard to focus, stay present, or move through your day without interruption. It doesn’t have to stay that way.
Our team can help you understand what’s happening, walk through treatment options like ERP, and get started with a plan that helps you regain time, flexibility, and control.
You can complete a form or give us a call to explore your options and take the next step.