Therapy Session with OCD: How to Handle Mental Compulsions Mental compulsions are some of OCD’s sneakiest tricks. They don’t look dramatic. They don’t always involve washing or checking. Sometimes they’re just thoughts… responding to thoughts. Repeating a phrase. Mentally reviewing. Silently checking. Neutralizing. Reassuring yourself in your own head. And because they happen so fast, kids often don’t even realize they’re doing them. OCD loves that. The goal isn’t perfection. It’s interruption.