Obsessive-compulsive difficulties — intrusive thoughts, repeated actions, excessive checking, control, perfectionism — are often the psyche's attempt to manage anxiety originating from deeper, unconscious sources.

How obsessive-compulsive difficulties show up

Obsessive-compulsive difficulties show up as thoughts that intrude even though you do not want them, and as actions or rituals you must perform to calm yourself: checking, washing, counting, arranging, mental repetition. Even though you know it is excessive, anxiety forces you to repeat. Many people feel ashamed or hide this, although it is a more common experience than it seems.

A psychoanalytic view of OCD

Freud described obsessional neurosis through the case of the 'Rat Man' — intrusive thoughts and compulsive acts functioning as an attempt to control aggressive or sexual impulses that could not be consciously acknowledged.

Therapeutic work does not simply try to eliminate intrusive thoughts, but to understand what thought or feeling they are actually protecting against.

Psychotherapy for OCD in practice

In practice, this means slowly exploring what happens if a particular action is not carried out — what thought or feeling immediately takes its place.

How I work with OCD

Compulsive acts usually serve a purpose: they protect against something we are afraid to feel or think. So beyond the symptom I am interested in what you believe would happen if you did not carry it out. In this space, anger, guilt or fear that have long been postponed often come to light. Sessions are weekly, in Ljubljana or by video call.

Help with obsessive-compulsive difficulties in Ljubljana

I offer psychoanalytic psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive difficulties in Ljubljana or online (by video call). At the beginning we agree on three introductory sessions (45–50 minutes each), in which you see how I work and whether psychoanalytic psychotherapy suits you. After that we agree on regular weekly sessions.

If you are troubled by intrusive thoughts, repetitive actions or a constant need for perfection, we can explore together what function the symptom has and what it protects you from.

More about how psychotherapy works and how to book an appointment.

Frequently asked questions about obsessive-compulsive difficulties

Does psychotherapy help with obsessive-compulsive difficulties?

Psychoanalytic psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive difficulties does not look only for a way to ease the difficulty, but for an understanding of what it is communicating. I work with the causes of distress and not only with the distress as expressed. Once we find the cause, and during the psychotherapeutic process, symptoms often ease or disappear.

How long does psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive difficulties take?

Duration is individual and depends on the therapeutic goal and on how long the difficulties have been present. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy can last from a few months to a few years. One session lasts 45 to 50 minutes; usually once a week, and by arrangement sometimes several times a week.

Do I have to stop my rituals before I start?

No. You do not have to stop or forbid yourself the intrusive thoughts. In psychotherapy we understand what function the symptom has and what it protects you from.