Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder (OCD) treatment in Palmones
Specialist psychological therapy for intrusive thoughts, compulsions, repeated checking, mental rituals, reassurance seeking and avoidance. At Ocnos Psychology Clinic, we help you understand the OCD cycle and work towards regaining freedom in your daily life.
Individual psychological therapy session: €70 · Duration: 60 minutes. In Palmones, near Algeciras, Sotogrande and Gibraltar.
OCD is not simply “having habits” or liking things to be tidy
OCD usually involves intrusive thoughts, images, impulses or doubts that feel unwanted and distressing, together with behaviours or mental acts aimed at reducing anxiety or gaining certainty.
The problem is not the thought itself. Many people have strange or unwanted thoughts from time to time. In OCD, the thought becomes hooked to fear, responsibility, guilt, disgust or uncertainty. The person then feels pushed to check, clean, repeat, avoid, analyse or seek reassurance.
These rituals may bring temporary relief, but that relief often reinforces the cycle. Over time, the person may need to check more, avoid more or think through the same doubt again and again.
OCD may be present when intrusive thoughts and compulsions take up time, cause distress or interfere with work, studies, sleep, relationships, family life or everyday routines.
The obsessive-compulsive cycle
Understanding the cycle is often the first step. OCD tends to maintain itself through a loop: obsession, anxiety, compulsion, brief relief and renewed doubt.
A thought, doubt, image or impulse appears unexpectedly.
The mind interprets it as dangerous, unacceptable or urgent.
The person checks, cleans, repeats, avoids, asks or analyses.
Anxiety drops for a while, so the ritual feels useful.
The brain asks for certainty again, and the loop restarts.
When repeated checking or reassurance starts to take over
Some compulsions are visible, such as checking a lock or washing repeatedly. Others are private, such as reviewing memories, counting silently, neutralising a thought, asking yourself whether you are a good person or searching online until you feel calm.
The key clinical question is not only what you do, but why you feel driven to do it, how much time it takes and what happens if you try not to do it.
- Repeated checking of doors, lights, appliances, messages or memories.
- Cleaning, washing or avoiding contact because of contamination fears.
- Repeated mental reviewing, counting, praying or neutralising.
- Seeking reassurance from family, partner, professionals or the internet.
- Avoiding places, objects, people or decisions because they trigger doubt.
OCD can appear in many different forms
Many people delay asking for help because their symptoms do not look like the classic idea of OCD. In reality, OCD can involve contamination, checking, order, morality, harm fears, relationships, sexuality, orientation, health anxiety-like doubts or mental rituals.
Contamination OCD
Fear of germs, illness, bodily fluids, chemicals or feeling “dirty”, often followed by washing, cleaning or avoidance.
Checking OCD
Repeated checking of locks, appliances, work, messages, memories or possible mistakes in search of certainty.
Harm OCD
Intrusive fears about causing harm, losing control or having done something dangerous, despite not wanting to do so.
Moral or religious OCD
Obsessions around guilt, sin, morality, being a good person or having done something unforgivable.
Sexual or orientation OCD
Repeated distressing doubts about desire, consent, identity, attraction or orientation. These doubts are treated without judgement.
Relationship OCD
Doubts about love, attraction, compatibility or whether the relationship is “right”, often followed by analysis and reassurance seeking.
Order and symmetry OCD
A strong need for exactness, balance, repetition or a “just right” feeling before being able to move on.
Mental compulsions
Silent rituals such as reviewing, counting, comparing, neutralising, praying or checking internal sensations.
How we work with OCD at Ocnos Psychology Clinic
Treatment starts by understanding your specific OCD pattern: what triggers the obsession, what you do to feel safe, what you avoid and how the problem interferes with your life.
1. Clinical assessment
We explore obsessions, compulsions, avoidance, distress, time spent and impact on daily life.
2. Functional analysis
We identify what activates the loop and what maintains it, including visible and mental rituals.
3. ERP / EPR work
Exposure and response prevention helps you face triggers gradually while reducing the ritual response.
4. Relapse prevention
We build strategies to notice early warning signs and keep applying what works in real life.
Therapy is gradual, collaborative and non-judgemental
Many people with OCD feel ashamed of their thoughts and worry that a psychologist will misunderstand them. In therapy, the aim is not to judge the content of the thought, but to understand the obsessive-compulsive process that keeps it alive.
You do not have to arrive knowing exactly what is happening. The first sessions help clarify whether the problem looks like OCD, anxiety, perfectionism, depression, trauma, health anxiety or another difficulty that needs a different focus.
Our goal is not to remove every intrusive thought. The goal is to help you reduce the power of the OCD cycle, regain flexibility and make decisions with less dependence on rituals or reassurance.
Individual OCD therapy session
Duration: 60 minutes.
Sessions may be face-to-face at our clinic in Palmones or online when clinically appropriate.
Registered health psychologists at Ocnos Psychology Clinic
Our team works from a clinically rigorous, human and evidence-informed perspective. We adapt therapy to each person, their history and their current needs.
Héctor Lozano Jiménez
General Health Psychologist · Director · COPAO AN 11777. Practical, clear and evidence-based therapeutic work.
Rocío Rodríguez Boza
General Health Psychologist · COPAO AN 13748. Integrative approach, trauma-informed work and emotional support.
María Ángeles Sanz Ruiz
General Health Psychologist · COPAO AN 12933. Relational, emotional and contextual approach to psychological care.
When OCD overlaps with anxiety, perfectionism or depression
OCD can appear alongside anxiety, low mood, guilt, shame, sleep difficulties or relational strain. Sometimes the first step is not to label the problem, but to understand the pattern carefully.
That is why we may also explore whether anxiety treatment, depression support, psychological assessment or online therapy is the best fit for your situation.
Not sure whether it is OCD?
We have also prepared a detailed article with an orientative self-assessment test to help you recognise possible OCD signs.
Ocnos Psychology Clinic in Palmones
We are based in Edificio Azabache, Office 10, in Palmones, Cádiz. We support people from Palmones, Los Barrios, Algeciras, La Línea de la Concepción, Sotogrande, Gibraltar and other areas of Campo de Gibraltar.
Our clinic offers a calm, private and professional environment for psychological therapy, with easy access and nearby parking.
Palmones · Los Barrios · Algeciras · La Línea · Sotogrande · Gibraltar
Reviews from people who have visited Ocnos
Reading other people’s experience can help reduce uncertainty before booking a first session.
Frequently asked questions about OCD treatment
How do I know if I need OCD treatment?
It may be helpful to ask for support if intrusive thoughts, checking, rituals, avoidance or reassurance seeking take up time, cause distress or interfere with work, studies, sleep, relationships or everyday life.
Is OCD the same as being tidy or perfectionistic?
No. Having preferences, routines or a high standard is not the same as OCD. OCD usually involves intrusive thoughts, anxiety, compulsions and a sense of being trapped in a cycle that is difficult to stop.
Can OCD involve mental rituals rather than visible behaviours?
Yes. Many people with OCD have mental compulsions such as reviewing memories, counting, neutralising, praying, comparing sensations or seeking certainty internally. These rituals may not be visible from the outside.
Can intrusive thoughts be treated without judging their content?
Yes. In therapy, intrusive thoughts are explored in a confidential and non-judgemental way. The aim is not to judge the content, but to understand the cycle of fear, doubt, ritual and relief that maintains the problem.
What is exposure and response prevention?
Exposure and response prevention involves gradually and carefully approaching situations that trigger obsessions while reducing the compulsion that was previously used to lower anxiety. It is planned collaboratively and adapted to the person.
How long does an individual OCD therapy session last?
At Ocnos Psychology Clinic, individual psychological therapy sessions last 60 minutes. The price for an individual psychological therapy session is €70.
Can OCD treatment be done online?
Yes. In some cases, OCD treatment can be carried out online, provided the format is clinically appropriate for the person’s situation. We also offer face-to-face sessions at our clinic in Palmones.
Where is Ocnos Psychology Clinic?
Ocnos Psychology Clinic is located in Edificio Azabache, Office 10, in Palmones, Cádiz. We support people from Palmones, Los Barrios, Algeciras, La Línea de la Concepción, Sotogrande, Gibraltar and other areas of Campo de Gibraltar.
Start working on OCD with professional support
You do not need to have everything clear before asking for help. We can assess your case, explain what may be maintaining the problem and support you in a gradual treatment process to regain freedom from obsessions and compulsions.
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