My T says that you can't MAKE a thought go away. Our brains aren't designed that way. They more you try to MAKE them go away the more you think about them.
He says to just acknowledge it, without judgement. Then think of an alternative thought. And if a compulsion goes with it, to think of your values and decide if the compulsion is in line with your values and then make the decision to do it or not to do it.
By values, I don't mean "moral values". I mean what you personally value in life. Like, I value my physical health. So, if the thought or compulsion to do something is dangerous or harmful to myself, I remind myself of my value of physical health.
He says it takes away some of the power of the intrusive thought and gives some distance from it.
It works about half the time. It's just that it is so hard to do.