OCD & BDD THERAPY IN NYC
When anxiety won’t let your mind rest, & reassurance never lasts
Specialized treatment for OCD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), and anxiety disorders
Virtual Therapy throughout NY, CA, FL, CT and NJ.
Living with anxiety can look like this
Tired of intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and compulsions controlling your life?
Do you avoid mirrors or social situations, because the anxiety feels unbearable about how you perceive your appearance?
Does reassurance work temporarily and the intrusive thoughts come back stronger?
Are you exhausted from the amount of time anxiety takes from your daily life?
Why this feels so hard to change on your own
Anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and compulsions don’t just create distress — they slowly shrink your world. You might find yourself avoiding situations you once enjoyed, overthinking every decision, or feeling disconnected from yourself and others. Over time, the constant mental noise can leave you exhausted, ashamed, and unsure how to move forward.
Many people blame themselves for not being able to “push through” or make the thoughts stop. But anxiety disorders like OCD and BDD are designed to keep you stuck in cycles of fear, reassurance, and self-doubt. Willpower alone isn’t enough — and it was never meant to be.
Treatment interrupts the cycle at a specific point, which is difficult to do on your own, so anxiety no longer runs your life.
What You Can Expect in Working With Me:
A clear understanding of your anxiety patterns
We’ll identify the specific cycles keeping intrusive thoughts, compulsions, reassurance-seeking, or avoidance in place — so you’re no longer guessing what’s happening or why it keeps returning. Shame and self-doubt come up in this work. They get treated as part of the picture, not as something to clear before the real work starts. Instead of pushing them away, we’ll work with them compassionately and without judgment.Support that doesn’t shame or overwhelm you
Many clients come in feeling broken or frustrated with themselves. We'll take that seriously rather than talk you out of it, while also building compassion, clarity, and steadiness instead of self-criticism.Evidence-based tools you can actually use
You’ll learn how to respond differently to intrusive thoughts and urges — without reassurance, mental checking, or fighting your mind — in a way that’s structured, gradual, and sustainable.Rebuilding trust in yourself over time
As you practice responding differently, confidence grows — not because anxiety disappears, but because you learn you can handle it without your life shrinking.Support for reclaiming the parts of life anxiety has taken over
Relationships, work, identity, and values often get sidelined. Our work focuses on helping you move back toward the life you want, even with discomfort present.
For many people, these patterns have been present for years — sometimes even after past treatment attempts.
THERAPY SERVICES
Experience healing & transformation from anxiety, from a comprehensive, holistic and evidence- based approach to therapy.
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
You know the thought doesn't hold up, and you check anyway, because the alternative feels unbearable. ERP works on what you do next, not on proving the thought wrong.
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Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Hours go somewhere every day, and it is the same few seconds of your reflection each time. BDD is not vanity, and reassurance is what keeps it running.
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Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors
Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
It happens while you are reading, or in a meeting, or half asleep. Trying harder has not worked because it was never a willpower problem.
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Anxiety Disorders
You meet the deadlines, you hold it together, and underneath there is a hum that never fully quiets. Outthinking it is part of what keeps it going.
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Body Image Concerns
The commentary runs all day, and it decides what you wear and where you go. You keep telling yourself it will quiet down once something changes.
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Self-Esteem Issues
You have built something that looks like enough from any angle, and it still does not register as enough to you. When worth is tied to output, no result holds for long.
Hi, I'm Robyn Stern. I provide OCD, BDD, and anxiety therapy in NYC.
Starting therapy can feel daunting — especially if anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or compulsions have already taken so much from your life. You may find yourself stuck in cycles of overthinking, avoidance, or reassurance-seeking, wondering why insight alone hasn’t been enough to make things change.
For many people, these patterns have been present for years — sometimes even after past treatment attempts. OCD, BDD, and anxiety disorders are persistent conditions that can quietly take over, leaving you exhausted, discouraged, and disconnected from yourself and others.
I've been through treatment and recovery for Body Dysmorphic Disorder myself. That means I know what it costs to say this out loud to someone for the first time, and I know the difference it makes when the person across from you already understands the mechanics of it.That lived experience shapes how I work with clients: steady, compassionate, and grounded in what actually helps.
Therapy with me is structured, collaborative, and rooted in evidence-based care. We focus on changing how you respond to intrusive thoughts, urges, and anxiety — so they gradually lose their power, and you can move back toward the life you want to live.
You don't have to arrive certain, motivated, or with the whole story organized. The first call is fifteen minutes and it doesn't commit you to anything.
Kind Words from my Colleagues
How this Works:
A clear, supportive process — especially if you’ve been living with these patterns for a long time.
STEP 01
Book your free call
We’ll talk briefly about what’s been showing up for you and what you’re hoping for — without pressure or expectation. This call is simply a chance to see if working together feels like a good fit.
STEP 02
Your Treatment Plan
If we decide to move forward, we’ll create a treatment plan that’s responsive to your specific patterns — not a one-size-fits-all approach. The pace is intentional, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based care.
STEP 03
What progress looks like
Our work focuses on helping you respond differently to anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and urges — so your life gradually expands instead of shrinking around them. Progress looks like steadiness, confidence, and greater freedom to live according to your values, even when discomfort is present.
What changes is how much room it takes up
The goal isn't a version of you that never has the thought. It's that the thought stops deciding what you wear, where you go, and how long you stand at the mirror. That shift is measurable, and it usually starts before the thoughts quiet down.
You don't have to be certain about this to book the call.
