Client Stories
How We Write
Client Stories
By Justin La Rose, RP, M.Psy · Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO) · Clinical Director, The OCD Clinic
Evidence last reviewed: October 2026
Every client story on this site is a composite. Each one is built from more than one person I've worked with, with names and identifying details changed, so no story describes a real client. We use stories because OCD is easier to recognize in a person than in a symptom list. Here are the rules we follow when we write them.
It's like OCD is a bully with a short script. It says the same things to a lot of different people, which is why a composite can sound exactly like you.
What are the rules?
Every story is a composite
Each one is built from more than one client. The pattern is real. The person in the story is not.
Identifying details are changed
Names, ages, jobs, neighbourhoods, family details and the specific content of an obsession are changed or swapped whenever they could point to someone.
No story describes a real person
If a story sounds exactly like you, that's because OCD runs the same few moves in a lot of people. It isn't about you.
No testimonials
We don't publish client testimonials or reviews of anyone's therapy. The stories are there to teach, not to sell outcomes.
Examples are illustrations, not plans
When a story describes an exposure, it shows the idea. Your own plan is built with your therapist, around your OCD.
What about my own privacy?
What you tell us in therapy is confidential, with the limits the law sets, which we go through with you at the start. Nothing you say in a session shows up on this site as your story. If you have questions about how your information is handled, the privacy policy covers it, or you can ask us directly.
Want to see how we work instead of reading about it? Start with what ERP therapy is, or book a free 20-minute OCD consultation.