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Inference-Based CBT (I-CBT) for Memory and False Memory OCD in Tennessee
If you cannot stop wondering whether you did something awful in the past, even when there is no clear evidence, that fear can be exhausting. At ScienceWorks Behavioral Health, we offer inference-based CBT for false memory OCD across Tennessee to help you relate differently to doubt, guilt, and what your mind replays on repeat.
You deserve support that treats you as a whole person, not just a symptom list. Use the Schedule a Consultation button to get started, or learn more about our OCD services ->
You might be a good fit for I-CBT for false memory OCD if:
You constantly review past events, searching for signs that you hurt or harmed someone.
You are haunted by mental images or what if scenarios that feel like memories but do not fully add up.
You ask for reassurance from others or check old messages, photos, or logs to try to prove what really happened.
You feel intense guilt or shame about the possibility of having done something wrong, even when others are not concerned.
You want a therapist who understands OCD style doubt and will not rush to tell you that everything is fine.
Top Statistics Related to I-CBT for false memory OCD
Stat 1: 19 years, average age of onset for OCD. 2001-2003. Source: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/health/statistics/prevalence/file_5.pdf
Stat 2: 2.3%, U.S. adult lifetime OCD prevalence. 2001-2003. Source: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd
Stat 3: 12.78 years, mean duration between OCD symptom onset and diagnosis in a clinical sample. 2021. Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34898630/
Stat 4: 37.4%, remission after I-CBT at posttreatment in a multisite RCT. Study recruitment 2019-2023; published 2024. Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11614422/
Stat 5: 93.6%, participants reporting at least one unwanted intrusive thought in the previous three months. 2014. Source: https://jonabram.web.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2968/2015/01/IITIS-Part-1-2014.pdf
Stat 6: 7.62%, Tennessee adults (18+) with serious mental illness in the past year. 2022-2023 annual average. Source: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt57247/2022-2023-nsduh-sae-tables-percent.pdf
When I-CBT for False Memory OCD Can Help
False memory OCD often shows up as sticky doubt about what you did, said, or intended in the past. People in Tennessee come to us when this doubt starts interfering with sleep, relationships, school, work, or spiritual life.
Hours spent mentally replaying events to see if you crossed a line, broke a rule, or hurt someone.
Fear that the absence of proof means you are hiding something from yourself or are secretly a bad person.
Compulsively searching online, checking records, or talking through details with others to feel sure.
Avoiding situations, people, or roles that could trigger guilt or responsibility.
Feeling unable to enjoy good moments because you are waiting to be exposed as having done something terrible.
Struggling with OCD driven guilt does not mean you are dangerous or immoral. It means your brain has learned to treat uncertainty about the past as an emergency, and there are specific tools we can use to help.
How I-CBT for False Memory OCD Works at ScienceWorks
Inference-based CBT is especially well suited for false memory OCD because it focuses on how stories of danger or wrongdoing are constructed in the imagination. At ScienceWorks Behavioral Health, we pair I-CBT with CBT, ERP-informed CBT, and psychoeducation about memory to help you relate differently to doubt, guilt, and recall.
What Sessions Look Like
Step 1 - Build a shared map. We start by understanding the events, themes, and what if questions that keep coming up, as well as any values, faith, or identity beliefs that make them feel high stakes.
Step 2 - Examine the doubt chain. Using I-CBT, we identify how a normal question becomes a catastrophic story, including how your imagination fills in gaps and how you treat that story as if it were solid evidence.
Step 3 - Learn about memory. We offer compassionate, science based education about how memory actually works, including its limits, to help you step out of impossible standards for certainty.
Step 4 - Practice new responses. With CBT and ERP-informed strategies, we practice ways of acknowledging guilt feelings without engaging in reassurance seeking, confession rituals, or endless mental review.
We know that these fears often touch deeply held values about being a good person, friend, partner, or community member. We will not argue with your values; instead, we help you live them out in a more grounded, less fear driven way.
Who We Help in Tennessee and Across the State
We provide telehealth I-CBT for adults and older teens across Tennessee who feel stuck in loops of guilt, doubt, and mental replay. Many clients also identify as highly sensitive, deeply values driven, or neurodivergent.
College students or young adults who worry they crossed a line socially, romantically, or professionally.
Parents who fear they unknowingly harmed their children in the past.
People of faith who feel haunted by the idea that they committed an unforgivable mistake.
Clients with trauma histories who struggle to sort through overlapping memories and doubt.
Neurodivergent adults who have long felt too intense, too responsible, or too guilty.
All services for this track are delivered via secure online therapy by clinicians licensed in Tennessee, allowing you to join from anywhere in the state with a private internet connection.
Why Choose ScienceWorks for I-CBT for False Memory OCD?
Compassion for Guilt and Shame
We understand how crushing it can feel to worry that you might have harmed someone. We hold space for your guilt and values while also helping you see how OCD has hijacked them.
Inference-Based Focus on Doubt
I-CBT gives us a structured way to work with the doubtful stories that drive false memory fears. Instead of chasing certainty, we help you evaluate how believable those stories are and what you want to do in the present.
Memory Science and Psychoeducation
We bring in accessible education about memory and recall so you can understand why total certainty is not realistic and why that does not make you dangerous or unreliable.
Neurodivergent-Affirming Approach
We take seriously how ADHD, autism, and other forms of neurodivergence affect memory, focus, and emotional intensity. Your brain is not a problem to fix; we work with it as it is.
Getting Started with I-CBT for False Memory OCD in Tennessee
Sharing your most feared stories with someone new can feel vulnerable. We structure the first steps so that you can move at a pace that feels safe enough while still making progress.
Reach Out. Use the contact form at https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/contact to tell us a bit about what you are struggling with and what you are hoping will feel different.
We Match You. We connect you with a clinician who is experienced with OCD, guilt themes, and neurodivergent clients, and who can offer telehealth sessions that fit your schedule.
Begin Sessions. In our early work, we focus on understanding your doubt patterns, normalizing your experience, and practicing small new responses to intrusive guilt and recall loops.
If you are in Tennessee and feel weighed down by memories or what if stories you cannot drop, you do not have to sort through it alone. Click the Schedule a Consultation button when you are ready to begin.
FAQs About I-CBT for False Memory OCD in Tennessee
Q: Will you tell me whether I did or did not do the thing I fear?
A: Our role is not to investigate your past but to help you relate differently to uncertainty, guilt, and doubt. We focus on how OCD is operating and how you want to live now, rather than trying to reach perfect certainty about the past.
Q: Can I still work with you if I also have trauma?
A: Many people with false memory OCD also have trauma histories. We pay close attention to your nervous system, and we can integrate trauma aware approaches while still using I-CBT and CBT for OCD.
Q: How is I-CBT different from just talking through my worries?
A: While there is space to share your story, I-CBT offers a structured way of examining how doubt is built and how you respond to it. Sessions are active and skill focused, not only open ended processing.
Q: What about fees and insurance?
A: ScienceWorks Behavioral Health is typically an out of network provider. We can provide receipts you may submit to your insurance if you have out of network benefits, and we encourage you to contact us with questions about cost before starting.
About ScienceWorks Behavioral Health
ScienceWorks Behavioral Health is a neurodivergent-affirming practice offering therapy, psychological assessments, coaching, and groups for people navigating ADHD, autism, OCD, anxiety, trauma, and related challenges across Tennessee. We combine evidence-based care with deep respect for lived experience so that your treatment plan fits your brain, body, and values.
You can explore more about our approach and services at scienceworkshealth.com, including specialized OCD care at https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/ocd, assessment options at https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/psychological-assessments, and our therapy and coaching offerings at https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/specialized-therapy and https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/executive-function-coaching.
Learn more about our team, including Dr. Kiesa Kelly and other clinicians, at https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/meet-us-1, and read more about individual clinicians at https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/kiesakelly, https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/catherinecavin, and https://www.scienceworkshealth.com/ryan-robertson.
