I offer OCD therapy for adults at Dame Street, Dublin 2, and by Zoom across Ireland. You will meet with me, Dr Jonathan Haverkampf. Together, we can work on easing OCD symptoms and helping you get back to the things that matter to you. My approach includes CBT with exposure and response prevention (ERP), alongside integrative and psychodynamic work where helpful.
Living with intrusive thoughts, repeated checking or the need to feel certain can be exhausting. I offer a thoughtful, supportive space to understand what you are experiencing and make practical changes together. You’re welcome to call me on +353 87 173 3187 for a chat before booking.
If you would prefer to meet in person, you can find a time at Dame Street, Dublin 2.
CBT with ERP for OCD
CBT with ERP is a recommended psychological treatment for OCD. It addresses the cycle in which distressing thoughts or doubts lead to compulsions: actions or mental rituals that bring brief relief but keep the cycle going. Compulsions can include checking, washing, reassurance seeking, mentally reviewing or trying to cancel out a thought.
In ERP, we agree on manageable steps to approach feared situations or thoughts while practising a different response to the urge to ritualise. The work is planned together, with attention to your circumstances, safety and pace. It can involve discomfort, so understanding the purpose of each step and having support matter. We can include structured practice between sessions and review how it is going.
The aim is to make more room for everyday life, even when uncertainty is present. You can read independent explanations from the HSE on OCD treatment and NICE OCD guidance.
Understanding you as a person
Alongside work on OCD symptoms, you may want space to explore relationships, stress, self-criticism, difficult experiences or a sense of disconnection. Integrative and psychodynamic work can provide a way to explore these concerns. For OCD symptoms, I offer CBT with ERP as a structured, evidence-based treatment. We can discuss how broader therapy fits alongside this work and any other concerns that matter to you.
I have seen meaningful improvements in people I work with in therapy. That experience brings hope to the work, while each person’s needs, progress and pace are individual. We would regularly discuss what is helping and whether the plan needs to change.
Your first OCD therapy appointment in Dublin
We can begin with what has been hardest recently, how much time OCD takes up, what you have tried and what you would like to be different. There is room to talk about both visible compulsions and quieter mental rituals. You can also ask questions about my approach before deciding on further sessions.
Together, we can agree on a plan for CBT with ERP and discuss any wider concerns you would like to explore. We can also consider other support that would help you make progress.
For location and practical arrangements, see psychotherapy and counselling in Dublin 2. You can also read about my approach and experience, check the fees, or contact me with a practical question.
What the sessions are like, in Dublin 2 or by Zoom
In the first sessions, we map what OCD is asking of you: the thoughts or doubts that set it off, the checking, washing, asking or mental reviewing that follows, and what you have started to avoid. Many people find it a relief simply to see the whole pattern laid out in one place.
If much of your OCD happens in your head, that is not a barrier. Mental rituals and reassurance seeking are part of the cycle too, and we look at them with the same care, including what you might do instead when the urge to check or ask arrives.
By Zoom, exposures can take place in your own surroundings, at the kitchen sink, the front door or the drive to work, which is sometimes where they matter most. If you have tried CBT before and it did not help enough, it is worth saying so. What happened last time is useful information, not a verdict on what is possible now.
Common questions
Do I need an OCD diagnosis before making contact?
You can contact me when intrusive thoughts, checking or rituals are affecting your life. In our first conversation, we can explore what has been happening and the support that would help.
Do I need a GP referral for OCD therapy?
You can contact me directly. If you have a GP or psychiatrist, we can work alongside them with your agreement.
Can I have ERP while taking medication for OCD?
Yes. Many people do both, and the research on OCD treatment includes both routes. Decisions about starting, changing or stopping medication need to be discussed with a qualified prescriber; therapy sessions are a good place to prepare the questions you want to ask.
Can we meet online from anywhere in Ireland?
Yes. I offer Zoom appointments for adults across Ireland. We can discuss what you need and plan the work around your circumstances. A private space and a steady connection help. You can read about online therapy or view Zoom appointment times.
How long does OCD therapy take?
We can discuss an initial plan based on your symptoms, goals and previous experience, then review progress together. The length and pace of therapy will reflect what you need and how the work is helping.
Can OCD involve mental rituals?
Yes. Compulsions can happen in the mind as well as in actions other people can see. You can bring this up even if it feels difficult to describe. We can look at the pattern together and discuss whether CBT with ERP is appropriate for you. The free ERP guide explains more; the NIMH OCD booklet provides independent background.
Question and sources checked 25 October 2026.
Can family members or partners help?
With your agreement, it can be useful to discuss how someone close to you can offer support without becoming caught up in checking or repeated reassurance. Changes to these patterns need care and understanding, rather than blame.
Information and support you can use freely
Free OCD CBT and ERP forms are available for work with your therapist: original PDF and Word logs, hierarchy sheets and planning forms, with clear sources.
You are welcome to use these resources whether or not you choose therapy here. If reading starts to become repeated checking for certainty, that pattern is something you can discuss with a therapist.
- Understanding OCD and OCD themes and common questions.
- The free two-page guide OCD: understanding the cycle, which includes words you can borrow for talking with someone close to you or a professional.
- OCD and intrusive thoughts, false-memory and real-event OCD, and relationship OCD.
- OCD self-reflection and understanding different mental health professionals.
- Broader reading on connectedness and free and low-cost counselling options in Ireland.
Urgent help
This is a routine therapy service, not crisis care. If there is immediate danger or you cannot keep yourself or someone else safe, call 112 or 999 in Ireland or go to the nearest emergency department. The HSE urgent-help guide explains other support routes. Distressing intrusive thoughts deserve a careful assessment; their content alone does not establish a person’s intentions.
Sources and review: Service wording and source links checked on 24 September 2026. Clinical information draws on HSE OCD information, the treatment guidance linked above and NIMH OCD information. Read how this site’s information is written and reviewed and the disclaimer. This information does not replace an individual assessment.