Specialized OCD & Anxiety Treatment in NJ
Evidence-based treatment for anxiety and OCD that helps break intrusive thought loops, reduce compulsions, and retrain your brain for lasting relief. Available across New Jersey.
Anxiety and OCD can feel like living in a prison of your own mind, “what if” thoughts looping endlessly, panic striking out of nowhere, and compulsions taking over your day.
OCD and anxiety are real, neurobiological conditions and they are among the most treatable mental health disorders when addressed with the right approach. The challenge is finding a therapist who actually knows how to treat them.
With the right techniques, ERP, ACT, and tailored therapy, you can start to reclaim your life, handle uncertainty, and find freedom from fear. At Clear Light Therapy, OCD and anxiety treatment is not a sideline. It is our specialty.
Living with anxiety or OCD can be exhausting. Your mind won’t shut off, “what if” thoughts loop, and intrusive fears keep your mind racing, even when life looks fine on the outside.
Take the first step toward relief from anxiety or OCD.
Our compassionate therapists are specially trained to support you through the challenges of OCD and anxiety, including:
Intrusive thoughts that feel impossible to control
Compulsive behaviors or rituals that interfere with daily life
Persistent worry, doubt, or fear that can feel overwhelming
Avoidance of situations that trigger anxiety or obsessions
Emotional distress and frustration from feeling “stuck” in cycles
We provide a personalized OCD treatment plan designed to help you:
Reduce anxiety and obsessive thoughts
Break the cycle of compulsions
Gain confidence and control over your mind and actions
Learn healthy coping strategies that last
Our approach includes evidence-based therapies, such as:
ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention).
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy).
Specialized Anxiety & OCD Therapy Across New Jersey
We provide specialized anxiety and OCD treatment for adults and adolescents throughout New Jersey, including Bergen County and surrounding areas. Whether you’re seeking in-person care in Englewood or virtual therapy across NJ, our approach is designed for people who need more than traditional talk therapy.
What to expect in OCD & anxiety therapy:
Weekly 45-minute therapy sessions
Structured yet supportive treatment at your pace
In-person sessions in New Jersey and telehealth therapy statewide
Care that continues until you feel more freedom, confidence, and relief from OCD and anxiety
Why Traditional Traditional Talk Therapy is NOT Enough:
Many people come to us after years of therapy that focused on insight, reassurance, or coping strategies that didn’t create lasting change. Anxiety and OCD don’t improve by thinking differently or trying to calm yourself down. In fact, fighting fear often makes it stronger.
Evidence-Based Treatment for Anxiety & OCD:
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy is the most effective treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). ERP helps you gradually face the fears, thoughts, or situations that trigger anxiety, while learning to resist compulsions. This proven approach helps reduce OCD symptoms, build resilience, and improve daily functioning.
ERP is especially effective for individuals dealing with:
Intrusive thoughts and obsessions
Compulsive checking or washing
Fear of contamination or harm
Mental compulsions or rumination
Reassurance-seeking and avoidance behaviors
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a powerful tool for treating anxiety and OCD. ACT helps individuals accept difficult thoughts and feelings rather than avoiding them, while learning to take meaningful action based on their values. When combined with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), ACT can:
Increase emotional resilience
Reduce compulsive behaviors
Help unhook from anxious or obsessive thinking
Support long-term recovery and well-being
ACT teaches you how to live fully, even when anxiety is present, so you can move toward the life you want, not the one fear tries to control.
The OCD & Anxiety Care Crisis in New Jersey
According to the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), of which Clear Light Therapy founder Dana Colthart, LCSW is an active member, up to 75% of people with OCD never receive an accurate diagnosis or evidence-based treatment. The IOCDF’s 2025 report on America’s OCD care crisis found that more than 72% of OCD patients were never even referred for ERP or CBT, the gold-standard treatments, despite receiving mental health assessments.
This means most people with OCD in New Jersey are either undiagnosed, misdiagnosed, or receiving treatment that simply doesn’t work for this condition. Dana is a member of IOCDF and participates in bi-weekly supervision with nationally recognized OCD specialists to stay at the forefront of evidence-based care.
If you have been in therapy for OCD or anxiety and not seen real improvement, it is very likely that you have not yet received the right treatment, not that you are untreatable.
What Is OCD? Beyond the Stereotypes
OCD is widely misunderstood. Most people picture someone who washes their hands repeatedly or lines up objects perfectly. But OCD takes hundreds of forms, and many of them are invisible to others. Our clients come to us with:
Intrusive thoughts about harm, illness, religion, relationships, identity, or sexuality that feel horrifying and won’t go away
Mental compulsions, reviewing, reassuring, analyzing, praying, neutralizing, that look like nothing from the outside
"Pure O" OCD, where obsessions dominate and compulsions are mostly internal
Scrupulosity OCD involving religious or moral obsessions
Health OCD, with relentless fear of illness or physical symptoms
Relationship OCD (ROCD), with constant doubt about partners or relationships
Harm OCD, with fears of hurting oneself or others
Contamination fears that go far beyond germs, including emotional or moral contamination
If any of these sound familiar, especially if you’ve been told your symptoms are “just anxiety”, a proper OCD assessment is an important first step.
What to Expect in Therapy
A thorough initial assessment to understand your specific OCD presentation, anxiety patterns, and history
A personalized treatment plan built around your goals, your life, and your schedule
Weekly sessions using active, structured ERP and/or ACT techniques, not just talking about how you feel
A collaborative hierarchy of exposures you help design, so you always know what’s coming next
Progress you can actually measure, less time in rituals, more engagement in your life
Flexible scheduling and same-week openings for new clients
Serving Bergen County & All of New Jersey
Our practice is located in Englewood, NJ and serves clients in-person from across Bergen County, Hackensack, Paramus, Ridgewood, Fort Lee, Teaneck, Tenafly, Fair Lawn, Bergenfield, Mahwah, Wyckoff, Oradell, River Edge, Upper Saddle River, and surrounding towns. We also offer telehealth OCD and anxiety therapy throughout all of New Jersey.
Frequently Asked Questions: OCD & Anxiety Treatment in New Jersey
Q: What is OCD and anxiety treatment, and how does it work?
OCD and anxiety treatment at Clear Light Therapy uses evidence-based approaches, primarily Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), to help you break the cycle of intrusive thoughts, compulsions, and avoidance. Rather than just talking about your fears, we help you gradually face them in a structured, supportive way so your brain learns they aren't dangerous. Most clients begin to feel relief within weeks of consistent treatment.
Q: Do you treat anxiety and OCD in Bergen County, NJ?
Yes. Our office is located in Englewood, NJ, in the heart of Bergen County. We serve clients from across the county including Ridgewood, Tenafly, Hackensack, Ho-Ho-Kus, Franklin Lakes, Alpine, Saddle River, Woodcliff Lake, and surrounding communities. In-person and telehealth sessions are both available.
Q: I’ve been told I have anxiety, but I wonder if it’s OCD. How do I know?
OCD and anxiety overlap significantly, and many people with OCD are misdiagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. The key distinction is the obsession-compulsion cycle: intrusive thoughts that cause distress, followed by compulsions (mental or behavioral) that temporarily reduce that distress. If your anxiety takes this cyclical form, trigger, spike, compulsion, relief, repeat, it’s worth discussing an OCD assessment with us.
Q: Do you offer OCD and anxiety therapy in Monmouth County, Essex County, Hudson County, and Somerset County, NJ?
Yes. Through secure telehealth therapy, we serve clients throughout all of New Jersey, including Monmouth County (Red Bank, Freehold, Manalapan), Essex County (Montclair, Short Hills, Livingston, Maplewood), Hudson County (Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehawken), and Somerset County (Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Warren). You don't need to travel to Bergen County to work with our team.
Q: What types of anxiety do you treat?
We treat a wide range of anxiety-related conditions, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety, OCD, agoraphobia, specific phobias, fear of driving, fear of flying, fear of vomiting (emetophobia), intrusive thoughts, and rumination. If you're unsure whether your experience fits a specific diagnosis, we're happy to talk it through during a free consultation.
Q: Do you treat agoraphobia in New Jersey?
Yes. Agoraphobia, the fear of situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable, often develops after panic attacks and can make leaving home feel impossible. We use ERP and ACT to help clients in Bergen County and across NJ gradually expand their comfort zone and reclaim their daily lives.
Q: Do you help with fear of driving or fear of flying?
Yes. Fear of driving (driving phobia) and fear of flying (aviophobia) are specific phobias we regularly treat using Exposure and Response Prevention. These fears can severely limit your independence and quality of life. We work with clients across New Jersey to build a personalized exposure plan that makes driving or traveling feel manageable again.
Q: Do you treat emetophobia (fear of throwing up)?
Yes. Emetophobia, the intense fear of vomiting, is one of the most underdiagnosed and undertreated phobias, and it often overlaps with OCD, food anxiety, and avoidance of social situations. Our therapists are trained to address emetophobia using ERP in a gradual, compassionate way. We serve clients with emetophobia throughout NJ via in-person and telehealth sessions.
Q: What are intrusive thoughts, and can therapy help?
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted, distressing thoughts or mental images that feel out of character or alarming and they're extremely common in both OCD and anxiety. The key thing to understand is that having the thought doesn't make it meaningful or dangerous. ERP and ACT help you stop fighting intrusive thoughts and start responding to them differently, which is what actually reduces their power over time. Learn more about intrusive thoughts here.
Q: What is rumination, and how is it treated?
Rumination is the habit of mentally replaying worries, past events, or "what if" scenarios over and over. It's often mistaken for problem-solving, but it actually increases anxiety and OCD symptoms. At Clear Light Therapy, we help clients identify rumination patterns and use ACT and ERP strategies to disengage from the thought loops. Read more about rumination therapy here.
Q: Do you specialize in women's mental health and anxiety?
Yes. Many of our clients are women navigating anxiety, OCD, life transitions, postpartum concerns, perfectionism, and relationship stress. We understand how anxiety and OCD can show up differently for women and we create a space that's affirming, non-judgmental, and tailored to your experience. We serve women across Bergen, Monmouth, Hudson, Essex, and Somerset counties in NJ.
Q: What is ERP therapy and is it right for me?
ERP (Exposure and Response Prevention) is the gold-standard, evidence-based treatment for OCD and is highly effective for anxiety and phobias too. It involves gradually and systematically facing feared thoughts, situations, or feelings, while resisting the urge to perform compulsions or avoid. It sounds challenging, but our therapists guide you step by step at a pace that feels manageable. Learn more about ERP therapy in NJ here.
Q: What is ACT therapy and how does it help with anxiety and OCD?
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) teaches you to stop fighting your thoughts and feelings and instead focus on what matters most to you. For anxiety and OCD, ACT helps you make room for discomfort without letting it control your choices. When combined with ERP, ACT supports long-term resilience and a richer, freer life. Learn more about ACT therapy in NJ here.
Q: Do you offer telehealth therapy for OCD and anxiety in New Jersey?
Yes. All of our OCD and anxiety services are available via secure telehealth across New Jersey. Whether you're in Bergen County, Monmouth County, Essex County, Hudson County, Somerset County, or anywhere else in NJ, you can access specialized ERP and ACT therapy from home. Learn more about telehealth therapy here.
Find relief from anxiety and OCD with expert therapy in Bergen County, including Englewood Cliffs, Tenafly, Ho-Ho-Kus, Alpine, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Franklin Lakes, Ridgewood, Haworth, Woodcliff Lake, and other North Jersey communities and through virtual sessions across all of New Jersey.