Am I overthinking or is my intuition right? Guidance from an OCD Therapist in Boston
In my last two blogs, I wrote about overthinking, also known as rumination. As an OCD and anxiety therapist, I find that much of my work revolves around helping clients understand and disengage from rumination. One question I often get is: What’s the difference between rumination and intuition? And, if I feel anxious, how can I trust my gut?
When “Trust Your Gut” Gets Complicated
This question makes complete sense. “Trust your gut” is such common — and well-intentioned — advice. What it really means is trust yourself. Don’t overthink, overanalyze, or seek constant reassurance from others; instead, trust your own inner wisdom.
The problem with this advice, when you struggle with overthinking, is that trust often gets replaced by a search for certainty. And the search for certainty never ends — because absolute certainty doesn’t exist. When you’re stuck in rumination, you might feel a temporary sense of relief when you think you’ve finally found an answer. But soon enough, your mind finds a loophole, a follow-up question, or something new to doubt — and the cycle begins again. That’s because certainty doesn’t exist, and so the search for it continues. That search is overthinking and rumination.
Why Trust, Not Certainty Matters
When we work on disengaging from rumination in anxiety disorders and OCD, the goal is to rely on trust, not certainty. In Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ICBT) for OCD, we sometimes call this trusting your senses — but ultimately, that’s just another way of saying trust yourself.
For example, you already trust yourself much of the time when OCD isn’t triggered. You know when it’s cold outside. You know when it’s safe to cross the street. You know when the phone rings. Every day, you’re trusting yourself to stay safe, make decisions, and move through life responsibly — without overanalyzing those choices.
When OCD or anxiety isn’t active, you don’t stand at an intersection debating whether it’s really safe to cross. You look, you listen, and you decide. You don’t question whether the phone is truly ringing — you hear it (or feel it vibrate) and choose whether to answer. When it’s cold, you don’t sit outside for hours trying to decide if it’s cold — you notice the sensation and choose what to wear.
You Already Trust Yourself More Than You Realize
I share these examples to remind you that you already trust yourself in so many areas of your life — the ones untouched by OCD or anxiety. The goal isn’t to learn how to trust yourself; it’s to remember that you already do. You trust yourself by trusting the information your senses give you and by not double-checking or analyzing it. Instead, you make a choice and move forward with your life. It’s simple and uncomplicated — something you do all the time without even noticing.
In therapy, we work on applying that same kind of trust when OCD or anxiety is activated. The goal is to respond to those moments with the same confidence and ease you naturally use in other parts of your life — by trusting your senses, trusting yourself, and choosing to move forward.
Example:
Let’s look at an example of how this applies to OCD. Let’s say Sam has a hard time trusting that their door is locked after they lock it. They’re afraid that if they don’t check the lock, someone could break into their home and rob their family — or worse, harm their partner and pets. This obsessive fear makes it incredibly difficult to resist the urge to check the lock over and over again for reassurance.
Here, we can see that Sam is struggling to trust the information their senses are giving them — that the door is locked. Using Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (ICBT), we would encourage Sam to rely on what their senses are already telling them — their sense of sight, touch, and sound. We might ask questions like, “Did you see yourself lock the door?” “Did you hear it click?” “Did you feel yourself go through the motions of locking it?”
Just like when you trust that it’s safe to cross the street or that you know what the color pink looks like, you would answer these questions with the first thing that comes to mind. Then you trust that answer — you don’t question it, and you move on with your day without checking.
With Sam, if they start checking their memory, trying to predict what would happen if the door is unlocked, or engaging in any kind of overthinking or rumination, they begin to doubt themselves. The same thing could happen to any of us if we started questioning things we normally trust — like whether it’s really safe to cross the street or whether we truly know what cold feels like. If we did that, we theoretically could start to feel confused and begin to mistrust the information and evidence our senses are giving us. This is what is happening with OCD and anxiety.
Instead, trusting your senses, is easy, gentle, and simple, even when OCD is triggered.
Why Intuition Feels Hard to Access
When we talk about intuition, we’re talking about trusting our inner guidance — our inner voice. And when it’s hard to trust our basic senses because OCD has hijacked that process, trusting and listening to intuition can feel nearly impossible.
ICBT helps us learn to trust ourselves again.
I’ll write more about intuition, anxiety, OCD, and overthinking in my next blog. Stay tuned.
Therapy for OCD in Boston, MA & Los Angeles, CA
If the cycle of rumination, intrusive thoughts, or overthinking feels overwhelming, you don’t have to navigate it alone. I offer specialized therapy for OCD in Boston, MA, working with clients both in person (where available) and virtually across Massachusetts. Whether your OCD centers on relationships, health, harm, or just never-ending mental loops, we’ll build a tailored plan that fits your experience.
For clients on the West Coast, I also provide online OCD therapy in Los Angeles, CA, helping people manage anxiety, overthinking, and OCD through evidence-based methods. At my practice, we’ll work together to shift your relationship with your thoughts — not by forcing them away, but by learning to trust your senses, lean into uncertainty, and respond in ways that align with your values.
Your Next Chapter Can Start Today
Whether you’re in Boston or Los Angeles, you deserve a space where your experiences with OCD and anxiety are truly understood and approached with care. Working with a therapist who knows both the challenges and the strategies that help can make all the difference.
With Jen Lescher LCSW-C, you’ll find a supportive, structured space to explore your thoughts and patterns without judgment. Together, you can practice strategies that help reduce the grip of overthinking and build confidence in your own decision-making.
Reach out today to schedule your first session and see if this approach feels like the right fit for you.
Explore my blogs on OCD, relationship anxiety & more.
This is a place to take intentional steps forward, at your own pace, while feeling guided and understood.
Additional Resources to Support Your Journey
In addition to personalized OCD therapy, I provide resources to help you bring what you’re learning in sessions into everyday life. The Common OCD Themes page explores the intrusive thoughts and behaviors many people experience. The OCD and Social Life page focuses on how OCD can affect friendships, dating, and relationships, sharing practical strategies to strengthen connections and build confidence while managing symptoms.
About the Author: OCD Therapist Jen
I’m a therapist, coffee lover (seriously, it’s my favorite daily ritual), and someone who values small moments of presence—whether through mindfulness, photography, or a quiet walk with my camera. Photography helps me stay grounded and curious, a mindset I bring into my work with clients. I’ve been drawn to spirituality and healing since my teens, exploring everything from meditation to energy practices. But I also love blasting music in the car or diving into a true crime podcast. Healing, in my view, can include stillness and movement, reflection and laughter. Therapy should make room for all of that.
Since 2007, I’ve worked across a variety of mental health settings, which taught me that healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s personal, evolving, sometimes messy—but always possible.
Training & Background:
Inference-Based CBT (ICBT) for OCD – The OCD Training School & The Cognitive Behavioral Institute
Certified in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) – The Cognitive Behavioral Institute
Gottman Method Couples Therapy – Level 1
Master’s in Social Work – Portland State University, 2012
