Nottinghamshire
Clinical psychologist in Nottingham for OCD and anxiety
I am a clinical psychologist based near Ravenshead, between Nottingham and Mansfield, treating OCD and anxiety in adults and young people. In person across Nottinghamshire, and online across the UK.
Where I am and who I see
I work from near Ravenshead, midway between Nottingham and Mansfield on the edge of Sherwood. The people I see in person come from Nottingham itself, from Arnold, Bulwell and Hucknall, from Sutton-in-Ashfield and Kirkby-in-Ashfield, and from Blidworth, Southwell and Newark. I also work online with people anywhere in the UK.
Appointments run weekdays, 9am to 9pm, because therapy that costs someone their job or their child a school day tends not to last long enough to work.
What is available locally, and what private care actually adds
Nottinghamshire has NHS Talking Therapies services you can refer yourself to without going through your GP. They are free, staffed by trained therapists, and the CBT delivered there is the same evidence-based treatment I use. For many people that is a reasonable first step.
It gets more complicated at the specialist end. Waiting times for specialist OCD treatment vary considerably between services, and the same is true for children’s services. CAMHS thresholds are high by design, which means a child can be genuinely struggling, and genuinely treatable, and still not meet criteria.
Private is not better care by definition
Private practice buys you speed of access and the ability to choose a specific specialism. It does not buy you a better clinician than the NHS employs.
So the question is narrower than “NHS or private”: how long is the wait for the treatment I need, and can I sustain it? If you cannot, that is when paying starts to make sense.
What I treat
My work is narrow on purpose: obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety disorders.
- OCD in adults, including presentations that are almost entirely mental.
- Health anxiety, panic and agoraphobia, social anxiety and specific phobias.
- Body dysmorphic disorder and skin picking and hair pulling.
- OCD in children and teenagers, childhood anxiety, school refusal and separation anxiety.
- OCD alongside ADHD, which changes how treatment is delivered.
The core treatments are Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD, CBT for anxiety disorders, and parent-based work where a child will not attend.
Why most of my local work happens online
Most people I see live within half an hour of me, and most still choose video.
Part of it is travel: an hour of therapy stops being an hour once you add the A60 at five o’clock. But the clinical reason matters more. Anxiety and OCD live in specific places: a bathroom, a kitchen, a front door. Exposure work done in my room is a rehearsal, while exposure work done where the compulsion actually happens is the real thing.
In person is available
Some work is better done face to face. In-person appointments are available, mixing the two is common, and we can talk it through on the introductory call.
Who I am
I am Dr Daniel O’Rourke, an HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist (registration PYL043844), a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society, and board certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology. My PhD is from the University of Washington, and my postdoctoral fellowship was at the Evidence-Based Treatment Centers of Seattle, where I became Assistant Director of the Child Anxiety Center.
Practical details
- Sessions are £120. The initial assessment is 90 minutes and costs £180.
- A small number of reduced-fee places, so please ask.
- Recognised by BUPA, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality and WPA.
- No GP referral needed, though your insurer may want one.
- Weekdays, 9am to 9pm.
The first step is a free 30-minute call. If what would help is the NHS rather than me, I will say so. You can get in touch here, or read about how I work and what it costs.
Common questions
Do I need a GP referral to see you?
No. You can contact me directly and we can arrange a free 30-minute call. Some insurers do ask for a GP referral before they will authorise treatment, so check their requirements if you intend to claim.
What does it cost and can I claim on insurance?
Sessions are £120 and the 90-minute initial assessment is £180. I hold a small number of reduced-fee places, so it is worth asking if cost is the obstacle. I am recognised by BUPA, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality and WPA.
How many sessions will I need?
For OCD or a specific anxiety disorder, a typical course is around twelve to twenty sessions after the assessment, and most people notice change well before the end. You get an honest estimate at the end of the assessment rather than an open-ended commitment.
Do you see children as well as adults?
Yes. My postdoctoral training and much of my early career was in child and adolescent anxiety, and I also treat adults with OCD, health anxiety, panic and phobias. Where a child will not attend, there is a parent-based route in which the parents come instead.
Related pages
Free 30-minute call
Not sure whether this is the right fit?
Start with a free 30-minute call. We talk through what is going on, and I tell you honestly whether I think I can help. If I cannot, I will try to point you to someone who can. No obligation, no charge.
Weekdays, 9am to 9pm. No GP referral needed.