BOOK AN ASSESSMENT OR SESSION
Therapists
India
Head Therapist
India founded OCD Excellence. She has a BSc in Management Science & an MSc in Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy from UCL. She also has a Diploma in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy & advanced training in Acceptance Commitment Therapy. She is accredited with the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (Member NCS21-00923) in the UK & an Intl. Member of the American Psychological Association from her time living & working in New York.
India has been working in the field of OCD since 2003 and developed the first intensive OCD treatment in the UK. She has treated thousands of clients with her cognitive behavioural-based protocol. She has also worked with organisations to create an OCD-specific wellness programme for their employees. In order to raise awareness, she has featured on BBC Breakfast TV, Radio 5 Live, This Morning, Trisha and Radio 4. She has been an OCD consultant to movies & TV. She has been featured in the London Standard, The Sunday Times, Marie Claire, Woman and Home, the Daily Mail, British Vogue, the Express and many other publications. She has presented at conferences in New York University, Cambridge University & Imperial College in London. India currently enjoys writing her blog & also writes for Psychology Today. She has had Responsibility/Harm OCD & experience of Metaphysical OCD since she was 11 years old.
Steve
Senior Therapist
Steve has an Advanced Diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and a Diploma in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. Steve has also completed our 3 year OCD Excellence Practitioner qualification and is a member of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS).
He has been treating OCD Excellence clients with us since 2018. He pioneered our 'OCD Survival Days' which are a unique approach to teaching clients leadership & mental resilience, whilst helping them approach physical & mental discomfort with specific mental skills training. Steve had an impressive military career serving with Very High Readiness Combat & Air Assault units under his command where he gained extensive experience in Leadership & Management roles as well as the associated welfare & mental health awareness requirements. Steve has acted as a consultant to various world medical crises such as Ebola & COVID & more enjoyable roles such as the London Olympics. Steve gained various Healthcare, Telecoms and Strategic Leadership qualifications at the Chartered Management Institute at the University of Westminster. Steve’s partner has OCD and he has experience as a carer as well as his own Responsibility OCD.
Emma
Senior Therapist
​
Emma has 7 years of experience as a therapist working in the field of OCD. She has been qualified since 2015 with a CPCAB Level 4 Advanced Diploma in Therapeutic Counselling (Integrative). She is also a registered Member of the BACP.
Emma became interested in counselling through her own experience of Responsibility and Relationship OCD. She underwent intensive therapy for her symptoms in her early 20s whilst at university studying politics. Although she initially went on to work in politics after her degree, she soon realised that helping others suffering as she did with OCD was actually the direction she wanted to be going in.
Emma is a keen advocate for mental health and a busy mum of 2. Her qualifications are MA, Dip. Couns, Member of the BACP
​
​
​
​
Carla
Therapist
Carla has an Advanced Diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy & has a degree in Healthcare. She is currently completing our 3 year OCD Practitioner qualification and is a Member of the CMA.
​
Carla has 3 years experience with OCD Excellence & raises awareness regarding OCD via social media.
​
Carla worked as a volunteer for the foremost UK OCD charity, OCD Action, regularly for various advocacy initiatives and their support groups. Carla is also a busy Mum & manages her own OCD very effectively. She underwent CBT herself when she struggled with Responsibility OCD & enjoys teaching her clients coping techniques.
​
​​​
Joanna
Therapist
Joanna has a masters in art psychotherapy and has completed our 3 year OCD Practitioner qualification. A full member of HCPC and BAAT, she is also registered with the BACP.
Jo's experience has been with the Priory Clinics and working for Schools. She enjoys working with young people, and prior to joining OCD Excellence was frustrated by the lack of awareness and misconceptions around OCD.
Due to her background, art and creativity have always played a prominent part in her practice, and uses that as an adjunct to an integrated approach focusing on Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) when required.
Jo has her own experiences with OCD which contributes to her being fully aware of the distress and isolation this condition can bring to an individual.
Kay
Therapist
Kay has recently joined us, having completed our OCD Practitioner qualification. Kay is a qualified counsellor and an accredited member of the The National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society and has been practicing for over 6 years. Kay also went on to complete a diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and is trained in Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy. Kay underpins all her work with kindness and self-compassion.
She lives in Devon with her dog Ruby. As well as her professional experience Kay also shares personal experience of OCD around emotional contamination which she now manages well through her own therapy skills and personal therapy.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​​​​​​​​​
Dr Ian Carter
Senior Researcher
Ian has an MSc and PhD from Imperial College, London. He is hugely committed to raising awareness regarding OCD & regularly gets involved in OCD initiatives. He often contributes to our support groups. Ian's role is to oversee our in-house research projects & to keep the therapists informed of the latest research & findings regarding OCD. Ian loves to travel find new cuisines to try. He is passionate about animals.
​
Ian manages his own OCD symptoms around scrupulosity after undergoing CBT therapy.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
WHICH THERAPIST SHOULD YOU BOOK?
This is a matter of personnel preference.
​
All of our therapists have personal experience of OCD & must maintain strict professional standards. They will also be either accredited or a member of a regulatory body. They have to provide evidence of peer & individual supervision. They must be insured & complete a minimum of 20 hours professional development per year.
On top of this, OCD Excellence maintains its own Register of trained Therapists. Too often we find Accredited therapists, trained in CBT, or another therapeutic model claiming to work with OCD, whilst having little or no understanding of OCD. This register ensures that all of our therapists are trained to use CBT therapies appropriately, for treating and managing OCD. On top of this it means that all of our therapists adhere to the same high standards of safe and ethical practice that is required by the BACP and NCPS.
​
-
We set and monitor standards for our members covering training, supervision and continuing professional development
-
We ensure all our therapists commit to our Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions and our Professional Conduct Procedure
-
We provide guidance and support to help the public raise concerns or make complaints about our members
-
We investigate and acting on complaints about poor practice by our members
-
We provide bi monthly group supervision and training
​
We do currently have a waitlist of around 8 weeks. This can be longer for our senior therapists.
​
​
WHAT IS AN ASSESSMENT?
An assessment is the first step in your therapy.
Qualified therapists will always need to assess you in advance of any treatment planning.
Your assessment will include:
-
Positive or negative screening for OCD
-
Indication of the severity
-
Appraisal of primary and secondary sub-types of OCD & how these impact upon life and treatment
-
Screening for co-occurring conditions, e.g., that exist alongside OCD
-
Assessment of the impact of environment or carers
-
Treatment proposal
-
Next steps guidance
-
Opportunity to ask questions
-
Access to treatment
​