Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (I-CBT) is a specialized, evidence-based treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that focuses on how doubt forms, rather than on managing anxiety alone. At Daybreak Counseling in Des Moines, I-CBT helps individuals break free from intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors by addressing the reasoning patterns that drive them.
I-CBT is especially helpful for people who feel trapped in “what if” thinking or find themselves questioning reality despite knowing something logically doesn’t make sense.
I-CBT is a structured therapeutic approach designed specifically for OCD. Unlike traditional CBT or exposure-based treatments, I-CBT focuses on the faulty reasoning process that leads someone to distrust their senses and rely on imagined possibilities.
Rather than asking clients to face feared situations repeatedly, I-CBT helps them recognize when obsessive doubt has taken over and how to return to present-moment, reality-based reasoning.
I-CBT is particularly effective for individuals who experience:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Intrusive thoughts that feel distressing or confusing
Mental checking, reassurance seeking, or rumination
Strong doubt despite evidence or reassurance
OCD that has not improved with traditional CBT or ERP
I-CBT can be helpful for adolescents and adults and is often well suited for those who feel overwhelmed by exposure-based approaches.
At Daybreak Counseling, I-CBT therapy is paced thoughtfully and grounded in collaboration.
Your therapist will help you identify how obsessive doubt begins, understand how imagination replaces direct experience, and learn how to disengage from obsessive reasoning patterns. Sessions focus on restoring trust in your own perception and strengthening your ability to respond to uncertainty without compulsions.
I-CBT at Daybreak emphasizes clarity, compassion, and sustainable change.
While traditional CBT often focuses on challenging thoughts or reducing anxiety through exposure, I-CBT takes a different approach.
I-CBT works by addressing the origin of obsessional doubt before anxiety and compulsions take hold. By resolving the reasoning error itself, many clients experience reduced distress without needing to repeatedly confront feared situations.
This makes I-CBT a strong option for individuals who struggle with exposure-based therapies or feel that anxiety management alone hasn’t been enough.
Many individuals in Des Moines seek I-CBT after years of feeling misunderstood or frustrated by OCD treatment. I-CBT offers a structured, evidence-based path that respects your lived experience while helping you reclaim trust in yourself.
Whether OCD shows up as contamination fears, relationship doubts, harm obsessions, or moral uncertainty, I-CBT helps bring focus back to what is real, present, and observable.
If intrusive thoughts and obsessive doubt are interfering with your life, I-CBT therapy may offer a clearer way forward.
Contact Daybreak Counseling today to schedule an Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy appointment in Des Moines.
Yes. I-CBT is specifically designed for obsessive-compulsive disorder and targets the reasoning patterns unique to OCD.
I-CBT does not rely on traditional exposure and response prevention. The focus is on resolving obsessive doubt before compulsions occur.
Yes. I-CBT can be used alongside medication management when appropriate.
Length of treatment varies based on symptom severity and goals, but many clients notice meaningful changes as they gain insight into obsessive reasoning patterns.
