Smita Kapoor

I've always had a strong interest in psychology and learning about people's behavior. I'm especially interested in how our childhood experiences affect our adult relationships. I got my bachelor's degree in psychology in India, and when I moved to the U.S., I got my master's and doctorate in marriage and family therapy.

Members of my extended family had OCD but were not clinically diagnosed. I saw the impact of behaviors like checking, rechecking and handwashing—everyone around them was affected because they wouldn't seek treatment. When I started out as a therapist, I started educating myself about the subtypes of OCD and their treatments. I want to help people understand that OCD isn't just about being clean, the fear of contamination, or the need to have things organized. OCD can involve so many other things, like disturbing thoughts about harming yourself or loved ones.

I work with depression, anxiety, and trauma—including childhood and cultural trauma—in addition to relationships. I experienced childhood trauma personally. Going through that, then participating in therapy myself, made me see how your early experiences affect your adult relationships. If it's untreated or not treated properly, it can have a serious impact. So that made me want to work specifically with childhood trauma.

As we begin therapy, I like to use a few different tools. Some are video clips we have on the NOCD site. We might watch them together. They help you understand different types of anxiety, what OCD looks like, and how many different people experience OCD. I find that this can reduce anxiety around therapy and help us get to work.

First, know that I won't push you. You don't have to share right away. We can start with a general approach. Can you give me the theme of the intrusive thought you're having? We can talk about that and it can help you feel more comfortable. As you start opening up, you'll see that you can trust me.