NOCD

What NOCD is

NOCD is a virtual therapy platform built specifically to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder, founded in 2015 by Stephen Smith, who himself struggled to find accessible OCD-specialized care. The company operates a network of licensed mental health professionals trained in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), the evidence-based standard for OCD treatment. Unlike general therapy platforms, every therapist at NOCD undergoes specialized training in OCD and ERP before seeing members, and many team members have personal experience with OCD.

How NOCD works

The process starts with a free 15-minute introductory call where NOCD matches you with a licensed therapist specialized in OCD who holds a license in your state and fits your specific needs. During this call, the company also verifies your insurance coverage. If you plan to use insurance, you upload your insurance card and a credit card securely through the platform.

Once matched, you attend live video sessions with your assigned therapist at scheduled times. The company describes its model as delivering ERP therapy, a structured approach where you gradually face feared situations and tolerate the resulting discomfort without performing compulsions. NOCD reports that this virtual approach has led to meaningful results twice as fast as traditional in-person ERP therapy, according to peer-reviewed research.

Between sessions, the NOCD App provides 24/7 support. The app includes real-time ERP tools to help you work through exposures, a feature to log the intensity of your symptoms and track your progress over time, and direct messaging to your therapist. NOCD also operates a community feature that connects members with millions of others living with OCD, letting you share experiences and receive support from people who understand the condition.

If you want to switch therapists, NOCD allows you to request a different provider. You maintain access to your billing dashboard, where you can check the status of session invoices, view your account balance, and update billing information at any time.

For cash-pay members, the company offers interest-free payment plans to make treatment more affordable. The billing process is designed to be transparent: NOCD notifies you before any charges are made and explains what your insurance covers for each session. The company works with your insurance company to verify coverage as in-network or out-of-network, and depending on your specific plan's behavioral health benefits, you may still owe a copay or coinsurance even with in-network coverage.

What the company's pages show

NOCD's network includes therapists licensed as LCSWs, LMFCs, LPCs, and other mental health credentials who specialize in OCD. The company operates in all 50 states with therapists available across the country. Its clinical team includes PhD-level experts and medical doctors: Patrick McGrath serves as Chief Clinical Officer, Jamie Feusner as Chief Medical Officer, Nicholas Farrell as Director of Clinical Development and Programming, Taylor Newendorp as Network Clinical Training Director, and Mia Nunez as Director of Clinical Integrity.

The company partners with 70 or more insurance plans. NOCD verifies whether your plan covers therapy as in-network or out-of-network before you begin treatment. The billing pages explain that coverage varies by your individual plan and include components like deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance, but the company does not publish specific pricing on its site.

NOCD reports strong efficacy in its outcome data: 74 percent of members achieve significant results, and the largest peer-reviewed study of OCD treatment ever conducted validated the effectiveness of NOCD's ERP therapy approach. The company trains all its therapists through a structured four-step process: selective hiring based on OCD-specific qualifications, comprehensive training in ERP by expert clinicians, thorough evaluation and testing before therapists see members, and continuous ongoing education from clinical leaders. New therapists participate in NOCD University, a 12-week program designed to equip them with essential ERP skills, followed by NOCD Academy, which offers continuing education courses and access to a lending library.

NOCD accepts members of all ages, including children and adolescents. The company states it treats all subtypes of OCD and has published a landmark study on children and adolescents with OCD. The app and platform are available in multiple languages.

What is not disclosed

NOCD does not publish its session prices on any of its public-facing pages. The billing resources page walks through the insurance verification and payment process but stops short of listing what an uninsured session costs or what the company charges for therapy. This is a common pattern in telehealth, where pricing depends on insurance coverage, deductibles, and individual negotiation, but it means a prospective member cannot evaluate affordability until after the free consultation.

The site does not specify wait times between booking a call and starting with a therapist, or between sessions if you miss your appointment. It does not detail what happens if you run into clinical crisis outside business hours, though the footer mentions emergency resources. The company does not state whether it can prescribe medication or refer for psychiatric evaluation, only that it offers referrals for medication management. Its FAQs do not explain whether therapists can see someone while they are still taking psychiatric medications, or what happens if a member needs higher levels of care than outpatient therapy can provide.

The site does not publish whether it accepts members on state insurance programs like Medicaid, though it states partnership with major insurance companies. It does not name which 70 insurance plans are covered or which states have the most therapist availability if you are in a rural area.

Who NOCD serves and who it does not

NOCD is strongest for people with OCD who want specialized, evidence-based treatment and have the ability to attend scheduled video sessions. Someone with employer insurance or a plan in NOCD's network can likely access therapy with a copay, and the company makes cash pay more manageable through interest-free plans. Teenagers and young adults have access to therapists trained to work with younger people.

NOCD is less suited for someone without a diagnosis of OCD seeking general mental health support, since the company focuses exclusively on OCD and related conditions. Someone without any insurance and limited cash savings may find therapy unaffordable despite the payment plans. Someone in a state with few NOCD therapists, or someone who needs crisis care or hospitalization, will need a different resource. People who prefer in-person therapy in their city may not find it here.

Someone on Medicaid, or with a plan NOCD does not partner with, should verify coverage before starting the free consultation. Someone who needs medication as part of treatment should confirm that NOCD can facilitate that referral and coordinate with a psychiatrist.