- OCD assessment conducted by a HCPC registered Chartered Clinical Psychologist
- Extensive understanding of the different types and presentations of OCD
- Careful consideration of the overlap between OCD, autism and ADHD
- Standardised, evidence-based OCD measures alongside clinical interview
- Comprehensive, high standard diagnostic report
- Clear recommendations to guide treatment and support
- Feedback session included
- Face to face in Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset or online across the UK
What is OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a recognised mental health condition made up of two linked parts. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, urges or doubts that feel distressing and difficult to dismiss. Compulsions are the things you do, either outwardly or in your head, to reduce that distress or to prevent something bad from happening.
The relief compulsions bring is short lived, and over time the cycle tends to grow, taking up more time and narrowing daily life. OCD is often misunderstood as simply liking things tidy. In reality it can be exhausting, frightening and isolating, and many people live with it for years before it is properly identified.
OCD is highly treatable once it is accurately understood. The difficulty is that its presentations vary enormously, and it can be mistaken for anxiety, psychosis, autism or ADHD.
Why an OCD assessment is useful
An assessment is not simply about receiving a label. Its purpose is to guide intervention. Knowing exactly which obsessions and compulsions are operating, how they maintain each other, and what else may be contributing means treatment can be targeted rather than general.
- Clarity about what is happening, and the reassurance that it has a name and a treatment pathway
- A precise formulation of your OCD cycle, which is what effective therapy is built on
- Identification of the specific OCD subtype, so therapy targets the right mechanism
- Separation of OCD from, or alongside, autism and ADHD so support is not misdirected
- Evidence to support conversations with your GP, employer, university or therapist
- A clear set of recommendations for treatment and adjustments
Types of OCD I assess
Contamination and washing
Fears of germs, illness, or contamination leading to repeated washing, cleaning or avoidance.
Checking
Repeated checking of locks, appliances, emails or your own actions to prevent harm or mistakes.
Symmetry, ordering and 'just right'
A strong need for order, balance or a felt sense of completeness before you can move on.
Intrusive thoughts (often called Pure O)
Distressing unwanted thoughts about harm, sexuality, religion or morality, with largely internal mental rituals.
Relationship and responsibility OCD
Persistent doubt about relationships, your own character, or responsibility for something going wrong.
Health and body focused OCD
Preoccupation with illness, bodily sensations, or body focused checking and reassurance seeking.
These categories overlap, and most people experience more than one. Part of the value of a specialist assessment is recognising the less obvious presentations, particularly those that are largely internal and therefore easy to miss.
OCD, autism and ADHD
OCD occurs more commonly in autistic and ADHD adults than in the general population, and the surface behaviours can look strikingly similar. An autistic person may follow precise routines because predictability is regulating and change is distressing. An ADHD adult may check repeatedly because of genuine difficulties with working memory. Someone with OCD does these things to neutralise a feared outcome.
Getting this distinction right matters, because the interventions differ. My specialism in adult autism and ADHD assessment means these questions are considered carefully and neuro-affirmatively, rather than a repetitive behaviour being assumed to mean one thing. Where both apply, the report says so and the recommendations reflect it.
OCD Assessment Process
- 1
Initial enquiry and screening
You will be sent a screening pack of standardised questionnaires covering obsessive compulsive traits, anxiety, mood and day to day functioning, so we start the assessment with a clear picture.
- 2
OCD diagnostic assessment
A detailed clinical interview conducted face to face in Dorchester, Dorset, or virtually by video. We map the obsessions, compulsions and avoidance patterns, how long they take each day, and the impact on your work, relationships and wellbeing. Validated OCD measures are used alongside the interview.
- 3
Differential and overlap
OCD can look similar to, and frequently sits alongside, autism and ADHD. Repetitive routines, sensory needs, rigid thinking and reassurance seeking can arise for very different reasons. I take particular care to distinguish these, and to identify where more than one explanation genuinely applies.
- 4
Comprehensive report
A high standard written report is prepared and emailed to you, setting out your profile, the diagnostic outcome, the specific OCD presentation identified, and the reasoning behind the conclusions.
- 5
Feedback and recommendations
We meet to discuss the outcome and the report, and to plan next steps. Recommendations cover evidence-based treatment options such as CBT with exposure and response prevention, medication discussions with your GP, workplace or education adjustments, and self-help resources.