Online OCD Treatment Programs
Melbourne & Australia-wide
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder affects approximately 2–3% of Australians, yet access to effective treatment remains poor. Long waitlists, a shortage of trained clinicians, and financial barriers mean most people with OCD go without the care they need — often for years.
Our OCD Online Programs are designed to bridge that gap. Led by Dr Claire Ahern, a clinical psychologist with over 15 years of OCD experience, these programs offer evidence-based treatment for OCD that is accessible, affordable, and available to anyone in Australia.
OCD Treatment Options
OCD Support Session
Specific OCD guidance without committing to ongoing therapy.
A single 90-minute online session with Dr Claire Ahern is designed for people who want OCD support, a clear sense of direction, and practical strategies they can start using straight away. With over 15 years of experience working with OCD in both clinical practice and research, Claire is a psychologist who knows OCD deeply, has time to understand your specific situation, and can cut through the noise to support you in what is actually likely to help.
People come to a support session for all kinds of reasons:
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You've been struggling and want to understand your OCD better (what's driving it, and what to do about it)
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You're been using self-help resources and want it tailored to your specific presentation rather than applied generically
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You've had OCD treatment before that didn't quite land, and want to work out why and what to try next
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You're on a waitlist for ongoing treatment and want something useful to hold onto in the meantime
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You just want to talk to someone who genuinely understands the experience of OCD
What the session covers
The session begins by mapping out your OCD cycle (beyond the basic model of obsessions > distress > compulsions). We explore the specific thoughts, feelings, behaviours and beliefs that are keeping the OCD loop going. From there, Claire will walk you through practical strategies you can begin applying on your own straight away, and help you understand what additional treatment options are available and which might be the best fit for your situation.
One of the central aims of these sessions is to offer both skills and hope. OCD can feel overwhelming and all-consuming but there are always multiple points of intervention, and even small shifts in how we respond to our experience can change the impact OCD has on our life. Claire's goal is to help you see that building a full life is genuinely possible. People leave these sessions not just with strategies, but with a different sense of what is possible for them.
The session is collaborative. We work through the material together in real time, and you'll leave with a copy of everything you covered so you have something concrete to refer back to. You also have the option to have the session recorded so you can revisit it in your own time.
Is this session right for me?
The support session suitable for people aged 12 years and over. It is designed for people who have a diagnosis of OCD or a strong sense that OCD fits their experience. If you're not yet sure whether what you're experiencing is OCD, an OCD assessment with Dr Ahern or another clinician may be a better first step because it will give you clarity about your presentation before moving into treatment-focused work. You can read more about the assessment here.
People are welcome to bring a support person (parent, partner etc), if they would like to the support session.
A note on tech
The session requires a laptop/computer (rather than a phone/tablet). You need a big enough screen so that you can you can see everything clearly as you work through it.
Location: Online
Duration: 90 minutes
Includes: Copy of session slides, follow-up summary email, optional session recording
Availability: Limited. Approximately 1–2 spots available per month
To join the waitlist, complete the registration form below.
OCD Carer Session
Supporting someone with OCD can be one of the most challenging and least talked about experiences in mental health.
You love someone who is struggling, and yet so much of what feels natural can quietly make OCD worse over time. This isn't a failure of care. It's simply how OCD works, and it pulls the people closest to it into the cycle almost without anyone noticing.
Research tells us that family members are involved in the compulsions and rituals of someone with OCD in over 90% of cases. This is sometimes called family accommodation and it is not a sign of anyone doing anything wrong but a sign that you care deeply and that OCD is very good at recruiting the people around it.
This session is for parents, partners, and carers who want to understand what their loved one is facing, and how to offer support that genuinely helps rather than inadvertently maintaining the disorder.
What the session covers
The session begins by mapping out how the OCD works (beyond the simple cycle of obsessions > distress > compulsions) and how family accommodation fits into that cycle. From there, Claire will walk you through practical strategies for responding differently to your loved one's OCD in ways that support their recovery rather than reinforcing the disorder.
One of the central aims of these sessions is to offer both understanding and hope. Caring for someone with OCD can leave you feeling helpless, frustrated, or uncertain about whether anything you do makes a difference. Claire's goal is to help you see that your role in your loved one's recovery is genuinely significant and that small shifts in how you respond can create meaningful change, for them and for you.
The session is collaborative. We work through the work through slides together in real time, and you'll leave with a copy of everything you covered so you have something concrete to refer back to. You also have the option to have the session recorded so you can revisit it in your own time.
Is this session right for me?
This session is designed for anyone who lives with or regularly supports someone with OCD; parents, partners, siblings, close friends or other carers. Claire can have up to 3 people attend a carer session. You don't need to have a clinical understanding of OCD before you come. You just need to want to understand it better and find a way to help that actually works.
If you're not sure whether your loved one has OCD, or if they haven't yet received a diagnosis, a carer session can still be a useful starting point. Claire can help you make sense of what you're observing and point you toward appropriate next steps.
If you are also thinking of a single support session for the person with OCD, then we recommend to have that session first. That way, Claire can tailor the carer session more specifically to the information learnt in the support session.
A note on tech
Because you'll receive a copy of the slides you work through together during the session, we recommend joining from a computer rather than a phone so you can see everything clearly as you go.
Location: Online
Duration: 90 minutes
Includes: Copy of session slides, follow-up summary email, optional session recording
Availability: Limited. Approximately 1–2 spots available per month
To join the waitlist, complete the registration form below.
Clinical Supervision
OCD is known as the Disorder of Doubt, and that doubt has a way of extending to the clinicians who treat it.
Questions about whether ERP is being applied correctly, whether you are inadvertently accommodating OCD in the room, whether a particular presentation is OCD at all, or whether you are pushing too hard or not hard enough are common, entirely reasonable, and a sign that you are taking your work seriously.
Clinical supervision with Dr Claire Ahern offers a space to bring those questions, develop a deeper and more nuanced understanding of OCD, and build the confidence and skills to deliver more effective treatment.
Why OCD-specific supervision can matter
OCD is one of the most undertreated mental health conditions in Australia. This is not because effective treatment doesn't exist, but because too few clinicians are trained to deliver it confidently. General training in CBT and anxiety provides a foundation, but OCD has specific features that require specific knowledge. Without that knowledge, well-intentioned treatment can inadvertently make OCD worse.
Who is this for?
Supervision with Dr Claire Ahern is designed for mental health clinicians who work with OCD or related disorders; whether you are just beginning to see OCD presentations in your practice, or you are experienced with OCD and want to refine and deepen your approach.
You might be looking for supervision if:
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You have a client you suspect has OCD but are not confident in your formulation or treatment plan
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You have been delivering ERP but something isn't working and you're not sure why
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You want to develop a stronger understanding of OCD across its many presentations
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You would like to know more about deeper level work (e.g., inference based CBT for OCD, metacognitive therapy for OCD)
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You are new to working with OCD and want a structured foundation before taking on more complex cases
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You are experiencing the doubt and uncertainty that OCD can transfer to its treaters and want support working through it
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You want to build confidence and competence in delivering ERP so you can take on more OCD clients with less hesitation
To enquire about clinical supervision with Dr Claire Ahern, complete the form at the bottom of this page or email Claire directly: claire@melbpsych.com.au
OCD Online Group Therapy
OCD can be an isolating experience. It feels like you are the only person to have these sorts of thoughts, and that your rituals are too hard to explain. The OCD Online Group Program is designed to change that; the group offers structured, evidence-based treatment and the experience of being genuinely understood by others who get it.
What is the OCD Online Group Program?
The OCD Online Group Program is an 8-week intensive online treatment program for adults with OCD, run by Dr Claire Ahern. The group meets weekly via telehealth for 1.5 hours, with a maximum of 5 participants per group so that every person receives proper attention and the sessions feel genuinely personal rather than generic.
The program draws on gold-standard treatment for OCD; Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), but also incorporates other OCD-focused treatment approaches that can assist in OCD recovery.
The goal is not just symptom reduction, but meaningful change in how OCD affects your daily life. We build a skill base that continues to work long after the program ends, and increasing your engagement in the life you want to be living.
What does the program involve?
The program is skills-heavy, experiential and collaborative. Each week combines learning the processes that drive OCD and the evidence behind treatment, with practical, hands-on ERP work tailored to your specific presentation. You won't be working through a generic program and hoping it fits. The group format means Claire can draw on the full range of presentations in the room to help everyone understand that while OCD looks different from person to person, the underlying processes and opportunities for change are the same.
Over 8 weeks you will:
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Develop a deep understanding of OCD cycle; the obsessions, compulsions, self-beliefs and avoidance that are keeping you stuck
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Build a strong, practical skill base in ERP and CBT that you can apply to your specific presentation
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Work experientially: we practice different ways of doing ERP, not just learning about it
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Connect with others who understand what OCD is like from the inside
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Develop a clear plan for continuing your progress after the group ends
Support between sessions
One of the things that makes the group program different from self-directed treatment is the support you have access to between sessions. Group participants are invited to join a private Reddit community moderated by Dr Ahern. This is a space to connect with other group members, share what you're working on, ask questions, and stay motivated between weekly sessions. Group graduates are invited to access the wider OCD Online reddit community after the program ends.
What our data shows
We collect data on every group so we can keep improving the program and be honest about what it delivers. Here's what we know:
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Participants experienced an average 32% reduction in OCD symptoms by the end of the 8-week program
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At the 3-month follow-up, improvement had continued. Symptoms were 49% lower than at the start
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96% of graduates rated the program 10/10 and said they would highly recommend it to others with OCD
The continued improvement after the group finishes matters. It tells us that participants are genuinely learning and applying skills that keep working, not just during the program, but in the months that follow.
After the group
Recovery from OCD doesn't end when the 8 weeks do. Group graduates have access to booster group sessions with Dr Ahern to help consolidate gains, work through new challenges, or re-engage with ERP if things have shifted. Group graduates are invited to access the wider OCD Online reddit community after the program ends. This can be an ongoing source of connection, accountability and support from people who have shared the experience.
Is an OCD Group right for me?
Before joining, all participants complete an intake process to make sure the group is the right fit for their situation and that they are ready to engage with ERP work. This is a way of making sure you get the most out of the program. If we think that the group may not be suitable for your experience, we will provide other suggestions for appropriate treatment.
The group is suitable for adults aged 18 and over with any subtype of OCD! No subtype is too unusual or too complex. One of the most powerful aspects of the group is discovering how much participants have in common despite very different symptoms. While OCD presents in many ways, the underlying processes are the same and that shared understanding becomes one of the most meaningful parts of the treatment experience.
People with comorbid diagnoses (e.g., depression, anxiety, or other conditions alongside OCD) are welcome to apply. The group works best, however, for people where OCD is the primary concern. Our intake process will help clarify whether the group is the right fit for your particular situation, and if it isn't, we'll help point you toward something that is.
The program is suitable for people who:
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Have never had OCD treatment before and want a structured, supported place to start
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Have had individual therapy for OCD and want to consolidate or extend their progress in a group setting
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Have tried ERP before but would like to learn if there are more ways to approach it
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Have had a difficult or distressing experience with ERP in the past. ERP done well is gradual, collaborative and tailored to you, and this program focuses on building skills gently and at your own pace
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Have tried ERP and found it ineffective. There are many reasons ERP doesn't always land first time, and the group is a space to understand why and find an approach that works for your specific presentation
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Are ready to engage seriously with ERP work and commit to the 8-week program
A note on commitment
This is an intensive program. To get the most out of it, participants need to be ready to show up each week, engage with the between-session work, and lean into the ERP practice even when it feels uncomfortable. That commitment is also what makes the results possible.
Allow 30 minutes per day to to the readings and practice the homework skills that have been set.
About Dr Claire Ahern
Dr Claire Ahern is a clinical psychologist with over 15 years of experience working with OCD in both clinical practice and research. Her PhD examined the sense of self in OCD, and her post-doctoral research examined online CBT for OCD. She runs the OCD Interest Group at Melbourne Psychology & Counselling, is listed as a specialist OCD provider with the International OCD Foundation, and is the founder of OCD Online, a dedicated resource for people with OCD, their families and the clinicians who support them.
Frequently asked questions
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