OCD Care
OCD treatment beyond “just stop thinking about it”
If you could stop, you would have. OCD is a specific, well-understood condition with specific, well-proven treatments — and “trying harder” isn’t one of them. We treat adults in Newport Beach and throughout California by telehealth.
In person in Newport Beach · Telehealth across California · Adults 18–65
What OCD actually looks like
Much of OCD is invisible — rituals of the mind that no one else ever sees.
- Checking, counting, or redoing until it feels “right”
- Intrusive thoughts that scare or disgust you
- Mental rituals — reviewing, praying, neutralizing
- Asking for reassurance that never lasts
- Hours quietly lost to loops and doubts
- Knowing it’s irrational — and doing it anyway
How we treat OCD
- 1
Name the loop
A proper evaluation distinguishes OCD from anxiety, perfectionism, and rumination — because the treatments differ. We map your specific obsessions and compulsions, including the mental ones.
- 2
Medication that loosens its grip
SSRIs are genuinely effective for OCD, typically at higher doses and longer trials than for depression — details that are often missed. We dose them correctly and track response with real measures.
- 3
ERP — the gold standard
Exposure and response prevention is the best-proven therapy for OCD. We coordinate closely with ERP-trained therapists so medication and therapy pull in the same direction.
About those intrusive thoughts
Violent, sexual, or blasphemous intrusive thoughts are among the most common — and least talked about — OCD symptoms. Having them does not make you dangerous; being horrified by them is practically diagnostic.
You cannot shock us. Say it plainly, and let’s treat it.
Take the OCI-R screening18 questions · about 4 minutes · scored on this page, nothing is saved
This screening is private — the scoring happens in your browser and nothing you enter is transmitted or saved. Bring the result to your first appointment, or don’t. Either way it’s a faster start than describing everything from scratch.
Care from people who listen
Koehler Mental Health & Wellness is a psychiatric practice in Newport Beach. Our providers — Ricky Koehler, DNP, PMHNP-BC, Amanda Benvenuto, PMHNP-BC, and Nicholas Cory-Duffy, PMHNP, MSN — are all accepting new patients.
Insurance-friendly
In-network with Aetna, Cigna, Anthem Blue Cross, and Carelon Behavioral Health. Self-pay: $300 initial evaluation, $150 follow-ups.
In person or online
Visit us at 1000 Quail Street in Newport Beach, or meet by secure video from anywhere in California.
Unhurried, evidence-based
Real evaluations, careful medication management, and coordination with your therapist. Meet our providers →
Questions we hear a lot
What is ERP, exactly?
Exposure and response prevention is a structured therapy where you gradually face triggers while resisting the ritual, teaching your brain the alarm is false. It has the strongest evidence of any OCD treatment, and medication often makes it easier to do.
Do medications really help OCD?
Yes — but OCD dosing is different. SSRIs typically need higher doses and 8–12 weeks for a fair trial. Many people who think medication failed simply never had an adequate trial.
Is it OCD or am I just a perfectionist?
Perfectionism feels consistent with who you are; OCD feels like an intruder you obey to make anxiety stop. If rituals or mental loops are stealing time and peace, an evaluation can tell the difference.
The loop can be broken.
Start with an evaluation from a team that treats OCD like the specific condition it is — in Newport Beach or across California by video.
New patients welcome · Aetna, Cigna, Anthem Blue Cross & Carelon in-network · Read our FAQ
We also treat: Depression · Anxiety & Panic · ADHD · Bipolar Disorder · PTSD & Trauma · Insomnia — or see everything we treat.