OCD treatment · Online · Across New Zealand
How to tell whether an NZ therapist really does ERP
Good OCD treatment depends on finding someone who actually does exposure and response prevention, rather than general anxiety counselling. Here's how to check, where to look in New Zealand, and what Mindwell offers.
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What is an ERP therapist?
An ERP therapist is a clinician, usually a psychologist, trained in exposure and response prevention, the form of CBT recommended for OCD. They help you plan and practise facing feared thoughts and situations without performing compulsions. In New Zealand "psychologist" is a protected title but "OCD specialist" is not, so ask about ERP training and experience before you book.
Why 'experienced with anxiety' isn't enough
OCD is treated with a specific method. Supportive talking, relaxation and general CBT for anxiety can feel helpful in the room but often leave the compulsions untouched, and some common techniques, like reassurance or thought-challenging applied to intrusive thoughts, can accidentally become part of the OCD cycle. OCD NZ's guidance for people seeking help puts it bluntly: it is extremely important to check that your therapist is specifically experienced in OCD treatment.
The treatment with the strongest evidence is exposure and response prevention (ERP), recommended by NICE and the American Psychiatric Association. Many good therapists don't offer it, and that's fine; it just means they aren't the right fit for OCD.
Questions to ask before you book
The International OCD Foundation suggests a short list of questions for any prospective OCD therapist. Adapted for New Zealand:
- Do you use exposure and response prevention to treat OCD? Look for a clear yes and a plain description of what that involves, rather than a general "I use CBT".
- What training have you done specifically in OCD and ERP? Specialist workshops, intensive programmes such as the IOCDF's Behavior Therapy Training Institute, supervision from OCD specialists or a CBT-focused postgraduate background are all good signs.
- How many people with OCD do you currently work with, and how much of your practice is anxiety and OCD? The IOCDF suggests looking for a substantial proportion.
- Will exposures happen in my real life, not just in conversation? With telehealth this means practising in your kitchen, your car or your bathroom during or between sessions.
- How will we know it's working? Expect a plan, home practice and a severity measure like the Y-BOCS repeated over time.
- What's your view on medication? You don't need to take it, but a therapist who dismisses it out of hand is a concern; good OCD care works alongside your GP.
Most psychologists are happy to answer these by email before you book. If the answers are vague, keep looking.
Where to look in New Zealand
- New Zealand Psychologists Board register (searchregister.psychologistsboard.org.nz). This doesn't list specialties, but it confirms that someone is a registered psychologist with a current practising certificate and shows their scope. Only registered practitioners can legally use the title.
- NZ College of Clinical Psychologists directory (nzccp.co.nz). Private-practice clinical psychologists searchable by region, specialty and therapy approach.
- NZ Psychological Society's PsychDirect (psychology.org.nz). Registered psychologists across scopes, filterable by location (including online), client type and area of specialisation.
- OCD NZ's Help in New Zealand page (ocd.org.nz). Peer-led guidance on finding OCD-specific help in New Zealand.
- Psychology Today's New Zealand directory. Filters by issue (OCD) and therapy type help narrow a long list, though listings are self-described.
No directory verifies ERP skill. Use them to build a shortlist, then ask the questions above. Directories for other therapies, such as EMDR, won't help here, because clinical guidelines for OCD recommend ERP rather than EMDR.
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Public or private?
Both routes exist in New Zealand, and they suit different situations.
Public. Start with your GP. Many practices now have Health Improvement Practitioners and Health Coaches through the Access and Choice programme: free, brief support with no referral, aimed at mild to moderate difficulties. For more significant OCD, your GP can refer you to your local Health NZ community mental health team, which is free but prioritises people with higher needs, so not everyone with OCD meets the threshold. Whether ERP specifically is available varies by team. The free Just a Thought OCD course is a good starting point either way.
Private. You choose the clinician, you can usually start within days or weeks, and you can target OCD expertise directly. The cost is yours unless insurance helps. Our cost and funding page works through the numbers, including typical private fees.
Does telehealth work for ERP?
Yes. A meta-analysis of 18 studies of remotely delivered CBT for obsessive-compulsive symptoms found a large effect compared with control conditions and outcomes not meaningfully different from face-to-face treatment. For ERP there's a practical bonus: the exposures that matter are the ones in your own home, and with video your psychologist can be with you at the kitchen bench or the front door while you practise. All you need is a private space and a reliable connection. See is online therapy effective? for the broader evidence.
OCD help by region
Because Mindwell is telehealth-only, we see people with OCD from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Tauranga, Dunedin and everywhere else in New Zealand, including rural areas where no OCD-experienced psychologist practises locally. The process is the same wherever you live.
The public pathway is also similar in every region: your GP (or a Health Improvement Practitioner at your practice) can refer you to the local Health NZ community mental health team for your area, and the free Just a Thought OCD course is available nationwide. If you're 25 or under, Gumboot Friday offers free counselling sessions through I Am Hope. If you've experienced sexual abuse or assault, ACC's Find Support service (findsupport.co.nz) connects you with funded therapists, since Mindwell is not an ACC provider.
What Mindwell offers
Factually, this is what you'd get:
- Four psychologists deliver ERP for OCD: Sandy Laurenson, Clinical Psychologist; Candice van der Merwe, Counselling Psychologist; Inge Prince, Clinical Psychologist; and Katherine Lee, Registered Psychologist. Sandy completed the International OCD Foundation's Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) in June 2025.
- All sessions are online, anywhere in New Zealand, and Mindwell's psychologists see adults aged 18 and over. No referral is needed. Sessions are 50 minutes at $199 + GST ($228.85 incl. GST), paid at booking, with first appointments typically available within 7 days.
- You can choose a specific psychologist or be matched with the first available. Receipts are provided for insurance claims. Mindwell is not an ACC provider and not a crisis service.
If you'd like to ask the questions above before booking, email team@mindwell.co.nz and we'll usually reply within one business day.
Sources
- International OCD Foundation: How to find the right therapist
- OCD NZ: Help in New Zealand
- New Zealand Psychologists Board: For the public
- New Zealand College of Clinical Psychologists: Find a Clinical Psychologist
- New Zealand Psychological Society: Find a Psychologist (PsychDirect)
- Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand: Accessing mental health services
- NICE guideline CG31: Obsessive-compulsive disorder and body dysmorphic disorder: treatment
- Wootton BM. Remote cognitive-behavior therapy for obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review 2016;43:103-113
Fees
One clear fee for all sessions: $199 + GST ($228.85 incl. GST) per 50-minute session. No referral needed. A Stripe card processing fee (2.9% + 60¢) applies at payment. Many health insurers cover psychology sessions; we provide a receipt you can submit for reimbursement. See full fees and payment details →
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a psychologist, a counsellor and a psychotherapist for OCD?
Psychologists are registered with the NZ Psychologists Board, which protects the title and sets training standards; counsellors and psychotherapists are separate professions with their own bodies. Any of them may have ERP training, but it's least common outside psychology. Whatever the title, ask the ERP questions above. Our guide on the three professions goes deeper.
What does the Psychologists Board register actually tell me?
Search it at searchregister.psychologistsboard.org.nz. It shows whether the person holds a current practising certificate and which scope they're registered in (clinical, counselling, general and others). Only people on the register can legally call themselves psychologists in New Zealand. Registration confirms accountability and standards; it doesn't tell you about OCD skill, so ask.
Should I choose someone in my own city?
Not necessarily. ERP works well by video, and the number of OCD-experienced psychologists in any one city is small. Choosing by expertise rather than postcode widens your options considerably, particularly outside the main centres. If you'd prefer in-person sessions, the NZCCP and NZPsS directories filter by region; just ask the same ERP questions.
How do I know ERP is actually happening in my sessions?
You'll recognise it. There will be a list of triggers and compulsions, a plan of graded exposures, practice between sessions, and a focus on resisting rituals rather than analysing thoughts. Your psychologist will often track severity with a measure like the Y-BOCS. If sessions are mostly talking about the week with no exposure work, raise it; a good therapist will welcome the question.
I've had CBT before and it didn't help. Is ERP different?
ERP is a form of CBT, but a very specific one, and general CBT for anxiety often misses it. If your previous therapy didn't include planned exposures and deliberate dropping of compulsions, you haven't yet had the treatment guidelines recommend for OCD. It's reasonable to try again with someone who does ERP routinely and can show you the plan.
Does Mindwell see people under 18 with OCD?
No. Mindwell's psychologists see adults aged 18 and over only. For children and teenagers, ask your GP about your local child and adolescent mental health service, or search the NZCCP and NZPsS directories for psychologists who work with young people and ask whether they use ERP for OCD. Gumboot Friday offers free counselling for people 25 and under.
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