Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) for OCD

Online in Oregon and Washington

Doubt can be convincing.

OCD thrives on doubt, making even the most logical people question what they know deep down to be true. If you struggle with obsessive thoughts, you might feel trapped in a cycle of needing certainty, analyzing every possibility, and engaging in compulsions to relieve anxiety. But no matter how much reassurance you get, the doubt creeps back in.

Maybe you’re noticing:

  • Getting stuck in mental loops, trying to "figure out" if a fear is real

  • Feeling like you have to check, research, confess, or seek reassurance

  • A sense that something just doesn’t “feel right,” even when logic says otherwise

  • Doubting your own memory, perceptions, or intentions

  • Anxiety easing briefly after a compulsion, only to return stronger

You can learn to trust yourself again.

How I-CBT Works

I-CBT takes a different approach from traditional exposure therapy for OCD. Instead of directly confronting feared situations, we look at why you’re believing the obsession in the first place. OCD thoughts aren’t based on actual evidence—they’re based on faulty reasoning. I-CBT helps you recognize when you’re getting pulled into an imaginary "what if?" world and teaches you how to stay grounded in reality.

Think about the last time you worried about something that logically wasn’t a real threat, but it felt real in the moment. That’s the trap of OCD—mistaking imagination for reality. I-CBT helps you break free from that mental trap by strengthening your ability to dismiss obsessive doubts as irrelevant, rather than trying to prove them wrong.

What we’ll work on

I-CBT can help you:

  • Understand the difference between reasonable and obsessive doubt

  • Identify the thinking errors that fuel your OCD sequence

  • Learn to trust your common sense and five senses

  • Respond to obsessional doubts without engaging with them

  • Reconnect with your real self, rather than your feared self

Your mind already knows what to do.

I’M HERE TO help you trust it again.

FAQS

Common questions about I-CBT

  • Traditional CBT for OCD, particularly Exposure with Response Prevention (ERP), focuses on reducing compulsions and tolerating uncertainty. I-CBT, on the other hand, targets the faulty reasoning that fuels OCD in the first place. Instead of exposing you to fears, I-CBT helps you recognize when your mind has jumped into an obsessive, imaginary story and guides you back to reality using data from your five senses and common sense.

  • No, I-CBT does not rely on exposure exercises. Instead of deliberately facing fears, you’ll learn to recognize when OCD is leading you into an imaginary problem and practice shifting back to real-world reasoning. The goal is to disengage from OCD thinking patterns rather than challenge or fight with them.

  • Yes! Many people who struggle with ERP or other OCD treatments find I-CBT to be a refreshing and effective alternative. Since it doesn’t rely on exposure or uncertainty tolerance, it can be particularly helpful for people who feel stuck in the cycle of needing certainty or reassurance. I-CBT offers a structured way to trust your own reasoning and step out of the OCD loop.