This case study describes the application of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) with postpartum onset. Sara, a 29-year-old woman, presented with aggressive obsessions of strangling and drowning her 5-month-old son. When she presented at the clinic, Sara had recently begun pharmacological treatment and was highly motivated to supplement this treatment with CBT. She showed marked improvement over the course of 8 CBT sessions using exposure and ritual prevention. This case study highlights cognitive and behavioral risk factors for OCD with postpartum onset, key considerations in differential diagnosis, and the utility of CBT for OCD with this population.
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