What types of OCD do you treat?

We treat all subtypes of OCD including contamination, harm, relationship, sexual orientation, religious/scrupulosity, perfectionism, and more using ERP therapy.

What if I have tried therapy before and it did not work?

Many clients come to us after unsuccessful therapy. General talk therapy is not effective for OCD. ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is the gold standard treatment specifically designed for OCD.

How long does OCD treatment take?

Most clients begin to see improvement within 12-20 sessions of ERP therapy. Treatment length varies based on severity and individual needs.

Is telehealth therapy as effective as in-person for OCD?

Yes. Research shows that telehealth ERP therapy is equally effective as in-person treatment for OCD. Telehealth also allows you to practice exposures in your own environment.

Do you accept insurance?

We are an out-of-network private pay practice. Sessions are $175. We use Mentaya to automatically submit out-of-network claims, and many clients receive 50-80% reimbursement.

Do you offer free consultations?

Yes, we offer a free 15-minute phone consultation so you can ask questions and see if we are a good fit before committing to treatment.

Do you take insurance?

Onward Healing Therapy is a private-pay practice. I am out of network with all insurance plans. If your plan offers out-of-network mental-health benefits, I provide a monthly superbill you can submit for partial reimbursement.

What is Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)?

Exposure and Response Prevention is the gold-standard behavioral treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. You face the thoughts, situations, or sensations that trigger your obsessions and learn to resist the compulsions you normally use to feel safer. Over time, your brain learns the feared outcome does not happen, and the obsessions lose their grip.

Do you offer telehealth therapy?

Yes. All sessions are conducted via secure video telehealth. Research shows telehealth ERP for OCD is as effective as in-person treatment, and it lets me serve patients anywhere in Pennsylvania or Vermont.

Where are you licensed to practice?

I am licensed to provide therapy to residents of Pennsylvania and Vermont. You must be physically located in one of these states at the time of your session.

What conditions do you treat?

I specialize in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, panic disorder, phobias, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), body-focused repetitive behaviors such as trichotillomania and skin picking, tic disorders and Tourette syndrome, and perinatal OCD and anxiety.

How long does OCD treatment usually take?

Most patients with OCD see meaningful improvement within twelve to twenty weekly sessions of Exposure and Response Prevention. More severe or longstanding presentations may take longer. We track progress collaboratively and adjust the treatment plan based on how you respond.

How much does therapy cost?

Current rates are listed on the Rates and Insurance page at onwardhealingtherapy.com/rates-and-fees. The first 15-minute consultation is free.

Contamination OCD: Beyond Hand-Washing

May 6

Written By Nina Eberly, PhD, LCSW

Contamination OCD is the stereotypical OCD presentation in pop culture — the constant hand-washer. The reality is broader: contamination OCD now includes emotional contamination (feeling "dirty" after contact with a person you dislike), mental contamination (intrusive disgust unrelated to germs), and post-pandemic hyperawareness. The compulsion isn't always washing. Sometimes it's avoidance, sometimes checking, sometimes mental cleansing.

Subtypes of Contamination OCD

Germ-focused: traditional fear of contamination via touch, surfaces, or proximity. Bodily fluid focused: hyperawareness of saliva, sweat, blood. Emotional contamination: feeling "contaminated" by contact with a person you dislike. Mental contamination: intrusive disgust without an external trigger. Post-pandemic contamination: hyperawareness of others' breath, surfaces, masking.

Why It's Hard to Treat With Talk Therapy Alone

Contamination OCD looks "rational" from the outside — germs are real. Many therapists inadvertently validate the compulsion by discussing actual germ safety. ERP cuts through by treating the OCD cycle, not the topic.

How ERP Treats Contamination OCD

Exposures (graded from easiest to hardest): touching a doorknob without immediate washing, sitting on a public bench without clothing change after, touching the floor of your bathroom and not washing for 30 minutes, eating without ritualistic hand-washing. Response prevention: no washing, no sanitizing, no mental cleansing.

Nina is licensed in Pennsylvania and Vermont and offers telehealth therapy across both states. Pennsylvania and Vermont residents — book a free 15-min consultation.

FAQ

What is contamination OCD?

Contamination OCD is OCD focused on contamination — by germs, bodily fluids, people, or even abstract "wrongness." Compulsions include washing, avoidance, sanitizing, and mental cleansing.

Did the pandemic cause contamination OCD?

The pandemic didn't cause OCD, but it activated and worsened contamination presentations in many people.

Do you treat contamination OCD in Pennsylvania?

Yes — Onward Healing Therapy provides telehealth contamination OCD treatment throughout Pennsylvania.

Do you offer contamination OCD therapy in Vermont?

Yes — Vermont residents can access telehealth contamination OCD treatment.

PA + VT residents — book a free 15-min consultation.

OCDERP

Nina Eberly, PhD, LCSW

Contamination OCD: Beyond Hand-Washing

Subtypes of Contamination OCD

Why It's Hard to Treat With Talk Therapy Alone

How ERP Treats Contamination OCD

FAQ

What is contamination OCD?

Did the pandemic cause contamination OCD?

Do you treat contamination OCD in Pennsylvania?

Do you offer contamination OCD therapy in Vermont?

You Don’t Have to Keep Living Like This

OCD can feel constant, convincing, and exhausting — but it’s also highly treatable.

With the right support, things can begin to feel quieter, more manageable, and more in your control.

Contact

Contamination OCD: Beyond Hand-Washing

Subtypes of Contamination OCD

Why It's Hard to Treat With Talk Therapy Alone

How ERP Treats Contamination OCD

FAQ

What is contamination OCD?

Did the pandemic cause contamination OCD?

Do you treat contamination OCD in Pennsylvania?

Do you offer contamination OCD therapy in Vermont?

What Happens in Your First ERP Therapy Session

Sensorimotor OCD: When You Can't Stop Noticing Your Body

You Don’t Have to Keep Living Like This

OCD can feel constant, convincing, and exhausting — but it’s also highly treatable.

With the right support, things can begin to feel quieter, more manageable, and more in your control.

Contact