Help Your Teen Overcome Contamination OCD
A specialist program for teens. Self-guided at home, or with a therapist guiding your teen every step of the way.
A structured, evidence-based program to help your teen overcome contamination OCD. They do the practice, and you keep the parent PIN.
Are you a therapist? Access the provider portal →
Contamination OCD is intrusive fears about germs, dirt, illness, or chemicals, followed by compulsive washing, cleaning, or avoidance to neutralize the fear. The fear is rarely about the contaminant itself, it's about the mental relief washing provides, which then trains the brain to need more washing. The clinical fix is ERP: Exposure and Response Prevention. You expose to the feared contaminant (a doorknob, a public surface, an object you've labeled gross) and then prevent the response: no washing, no checking, no mental review. Bia structures these as a ladder, paced by you, with built-in tracking of avoided compulsions.
Common signs of contamination OCD
- Intrusive thoughts about germs, dirt, or illness
- Washing or cleaning rituals: handwashing, showers, surface cleaning
- Avoidance of public spaces, surfaces, or contaminated people
- Mental rituals: silently neutralizing contamination thoughts
- Checking for signs of illness
- Asking for reassurance about whether something is contaminated
Not sure how much contamination OCD affects you? Take the free 2-minute contamination OCD quiz →
Our clinical approach: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Two paths to recovery for your teen
Is your child under 13? See Bia for Kids
Self-Guided at Home
Self-guided program your teen works through at their own pace
- Step-by-step exposure program for Contamination OCD
- Age-appropriate exercises for teens
- Lessons that explain the why behind every step
- Practice anytime on web, iOS & Android
- Track your teen's anxiety and progress
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With a Specialist Therapist
Expert-guided; we'll check your insurance coverage for free
- Everything in Self-Guided, plus:
- Live video sessions with a teen anxiety specialist
- Message your therapist between sessions
- 10 weeks of Bia app access included
- We'll check your insurance coverage for free
Everything your family needs to overcome Contamination OCD
Self-Guided Teen Program
Your teen's complete self-guided program for Contamination OCD
- Step-by-step exposure program for Contamination OCD
- Age-appropriate exercises for teens
- Lessons that explain the why behind every step
- Practice anytime on web, iOS & Android
- Track your teen's anxiety and progress over time
Already working with a therapist?
Bia works perfectly alongside your teen's therapy. Use it between sessions to practise exposures and reinforce what they're learning with their therapist.
Start your teen's programAre you a therapist?
Assign Bia exercises to your teen patients, track their progress between sessions, and supplement your practice with our provider portal.
Access provider portalReal Impact
We track symptom severity using standardized phobia measures.
86% of Bia users report a reduction in their phobia severity, with improvements typically starting in the first 2 weeks.
Phobias Affect Nearly 1 in 5 Teens
Is your teen suffering from these signs of anxiety?
They may be dealing with treatable phobia. We are here to help.
Retraining the Brain
Read the science behind recovery
Anxiety is the brain's natural alarm process out of balance. When we avoid a trigger, the brain learns the threat is real, and will trigger more discomfort next time, creating a vicious loop called the avoidance cycle.
Bia uses ERP (Exposure & Response Prevention) to help the brain unlearn fear through small, incremental exercises. Instead of reacting to triggers, build skills with proactive practice.
Bia provides pre-built recovery plans made of 80+ interactive activities for you and your teen to complete at your own pace.
How it works
Personalize
Start with our pre-built recovery plans and customize to your needs in a few clicks.
Practice
Your teen works through short lessons and gradual exposure steps they choose, building evidence-based skills along the way.
Recover
Track progress with insights as your teen builds the skill set to face fears in the real world.
Evidence-Based Recovery
- Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Utilizes Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP)
- Designed with Experts and Lived Experience
"If you start, practice, and finish the program prescribed on this site you have an excellent chance of getting on the other side of this phobia."
— Dr. David Russ, Clinical Psychologist
Real results with Bia
Most contamination-OCD users see ritual frequency drop measurably within 4 to 8 weeks of structured ERP.
Hear from people we've helped with contamination OCD
"Bia changed my life. It gives you small steps to take every day and tracks your progress. I'm not done, but I already feel so much better and am doing so much more."
"I can tell this was built by someone who had phobia. They get it. The app lets you customize and take a little placement quiz. You can pause or exit whenever and it's very careful and explains every step. Thank you for making this"
"If you start, practice, and finish the program prescribed on this site you have an excellent chance of getting on the other side of this phobia."
Partners and Conferences
Bia is built in collaboration with leading academic researchers and found at national clinical conferences.
ADAA 2026 Symposium Presentation
NASP 2026 Miniskills Presentation
Get help with a specific fear
Frequently asked questions about contamination OCD
Is contamination OCD the same as being a clean person?
No. Clean people clean; OCD makes you clean to relieve anxiety. If skipping a wash causes distress for hours, that's the diagnostic line.
What about real contamination concerns like COVID or norovirus?
Bia teaches you to follow public health guidance, not your fear. Wash when public health authorities recommend; don't wash to relieve anxiety. The line is functional, not perfect.
Can I do ERP at home alone?
Yes, Bia is built for it. ERP works as long as the exposures are real and the response is genuinely prevented. The app structures both.
What if my compulsions are mental, not physical?
Bia treats mental rituals too: counting, neutralizing thoughts, mental review. The response prevention is internal, but the structure is the same.
What age group is Bia for?
Bia for Teens is designed for ages 13 to 17. Your teen gets the standard layout with mature content hidden, and you keep the parent PIN. If your teen would rather manage their own account, the adult version lets them hide mature content in settings.
Can I use Bia by myself?
Yes. Bia is designed to work as a self-guided tool. It provides a personalized recovery plan, interactive lessons, and step-by-step guided exercises for practicing evidence-based recovery techniques.
Can I use Bia with a therapist?
Yes. Bia provides a provider portal where therapists can monitor your progress, create custom exercises, and support your recovery journey.
How much time does it take?
Individual sessions are short. We recommend 10–15 minutes a day, 3 to 4 times a week. Bia builds a personalized step-by-step journey based on your unique needs, so completing the full journey is different for everyone. Typically, a journey includes over 55 exercises and 19 lessons across 9 milestones.
What do you do with my data?
Bia never shares your account data with third parties. You can view and delete your data at anytime. Good privacy is simple, you own your data.
Ready to help your teen?
Choose your path to recovery