Shala Nicely, LPC OCD Treatment with ERP Therapy
Shala Nicely, LPC OCD Treatment with ERP Therapy
You’ve been working hard on OCD recovery, yet you still feel stuck
Subtle compulsions and ways of thinking about recovery can quietly keep the OCD cycle going, even when you’re putting real effort into the first-line therapy, ERP, exposure and response prevention.
Shala offers clear, practical guidance to help you better understand what may be getting in the way and how to keep moving forward.
ERP for OCD is based on science.
Implementing it well is an art.
ERP is often described as straightforward.
Face what you fear. Don’t do compulsions. Repeat.
And for some people, that’s enough.
But for others, it’s not.
They’re doing ERP. They’re trying hard. And OCD still feels like it’s running the show.
That doesn’t mean ERP has failed. It means OCD is operating below the radar. In mental habits that don’t look like compulsions. In mindsets that quietly undermine recovery. In hidden compulsions that disguise themselves as responsibility, insight, or doing recovery “the right way.”
This is where people get stuck. It’s not from a lack of effort. It’s because
subtle compulsions are easy to miss and hard to untangle without clear guidance.
ERP works.
But implementing ERP well takes practice and support.
That’s what Shala and this website are here to help you do.
You’ll find help here for the parts of OCD that are easy to miss
The mental habits, hidden compulsions, and recovery traps that don’t get much attention, but make a real difference over time.
This is about learning how to reclaim your mind in a way that’s grounded, compassionate, and designed for real life.
What This Work Supports
Insight
Things start to make more sense, especially the mental stuff that’s easy to miss.
Empowerment
You feel less at the mercy of OCD and more able to choose how you respond.
Presence
You’re able to be present for your life and what matters to you, even when uncertainty shows up.
You're not starting from scratch
Start where you are
You don’t need to do everything at once, or know exactly what you need. Most people begin in one of these two places.
New to ERP or feeling unsure about it
If you’re trying to understand what OCD is, how ERP works, and what recovery actually looks like, start here. This section walks through the basics in a clear, grounded way, without pressure to jump ahead.
Doing ERP but still feeling stuck
If you’ve been practicing ERP and something still isn’t clicking, you’re not alone. This section explores the subtle patterns that can quietly keep OCD in charge, even when you’re trying hard.
You don’t have to do this alone
Living with OCD can be exhausting and isolating, especially when you’re trying hard and still feel unsure or stuck.
I’m Shala Nicely, a licensed therapist who specializes in OCD, and I’m in recovery from OCD myself. I help people practice ERP in ways that fit real life, with a particular focus on the mindsets and subtle patterns that can keep OCD in charge, even when someone is working hard.
I meet people where they are and support them as they learn to respond to OCD in ways that make room for the life they want to live.
Where to go next
You don’t need to decide everything today. Most people take one small step, see how it feels, and go from there.
Get ongoing guidance and support
If you’d like practical guidance on OCD recovery, the monthly newsletter is a good place to start. It includes a free guide to responding to looping thoughts when anxiety won’t let up.
Learn more about how support is offered here
If you’re looking for support that goes beyond self-study, this page explains the different ways support is offered through my work, so you can see what feels most useful right now.
If you’re worried you might be the exception
Many people come to this work already feeling discouraged. They’ve tried therapy or ERP before, they’re exhausted from trying to do things “the correct way,” or they worry their OCD is too complicated to untangle.
That doesn’t mean this work isn’t for you. It usually means there are subtle patterns at play that haven’t been named yet. This approach isn’t about doing ERP perfectly or forcing yourself through fear. It’s about learning how to notice what’s happening and responding differently, one imperfect step at a time.