In honor of Valentine’s Day this week—and the major trigger it can be for Relationship Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (ROCD)—it’s important to recognize how intrusive doubts and compulsions can intensify around love and relationships. If your clients struggle with ROCD, remember that clarity comes from effective treatment, not certainty.

🔠Spelling Out OCD🔍

💜Relationship OCD (ROCD)

Therapists work hard to support clients through relationship concerns, but when OCD is at play, the underlying patterns can be easy to miss. Relationship OCD (ROCD) creates persistent, intrusive doubts that drive compulsive behaviors like seeking reassurance, researching, or overanalyzing feelings.

🔠Not all relationship doubts are OCD, but OCD-driven doubts feel urgent, repetitive, and never truly “solved.” A key assessment question: Does the client feel relief after getting reassurance, or does doubt quickly return with new “what if” thoughts?

🔠ROCD is a subtype of OCD that fixates on doubts about one’s feelings, attraction, or compatibility, making the person feel they must “figure it out” immediately. Unlike typical relationship concerns, ROCD demands certainty—something no relationship can provide.

🔠Clients with OCD often ask “what if” questions and may bring up the same fears repeatedly. This can sometimes show up as reassurance-seeking or verbal rumination—even in session. Effective treatment for ROCD involves Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy.

📖Want to learn more? Check out my latest blog on Relationship OCD below

With kind regards, ​​ Natasha Moharter, LPCC, CPC, MHC ​OCD Specialist & Licensed Counselor ​OCD.xyz​ Want to work with me? Reach out today! Schedule a Consult ​​​​ 7318 W. Post Road, Suite 211, Las Vegas, Nevada 89113 ​Unsubscribe · Preferences​

​